Teen beauty spot drinkers are ramblers, not rebels
- Dave Burrows
Letter: Angered by close encounter of the furred kind
Wednesday 22nd February 2012, 8:00AM GMT.
I am writing to you to express the revulsion I recently felt when visiting the Shropshire town of Much Wenlock.
It’s such a pretty town and I enjoyed my visit there apart from my disgust at the many women I saw there wearing real fur coats.
I live in a large British city and it’s very rare to see such items on display. I had begun to believe that people in general had come to realise the cruelty connected to the fur trade in Britain and that the British had moved on from this barbaric, so-called fashion.
Not so in Much Wenlock. Is it a countryside thing? In the 21st century, is it really considered acceptable to skin small creatures in the name of fashion?
Penny McCold,
Chorlton, Manchester.
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or use animal hide to make shoes from etc etc?
come on how do you know they are real fur unless of course you actually asked the women wearing them. My wife has a fake fur and not once, ever, has anyone ever expresed their “revulsion” at it, or is there actually a female sense Im unaware of whereby they just know if its not real?
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Hide used for shoes is a by product from animals that are eaten, fur coats are generally (unless it’s rabbit) from animals that are killed just for their fur. That’s where the sense of revulsion comes from. Of course no one has expressed revulsion at your wife’s fake fur – because it’s FAKE and any woman can tell an animal hair from a manmade fibre quite easily.
Good on your wife for wearing fake!
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But why would she even want to pretend to be so callous?!
(Just a little inflammatory comment to see what happens!)
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So if we eat mink and sable fox, then its not a problem?
I’m going to write to my local supermarket and ask when they don’t stock such delacacies? Yum, yum, can’t wait for a bear stew!
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Penny, you obviously have nothing else to worry about in your life!
Why not concern yourself with the gang violence in your part of the world instead as you seem to have a lot of time on your hands?
Some people wear fur coats, deal with it!
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That’s rather a simplistic attitude, isn’t it? How are you to decide how important an issue should be to someone else?
Or do you think that everyone should think exactly the same way you do?
Perhaps you could list some things you are concerned about so we could rubbish them in a patronising manner.
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Agree entirely.
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What is the difference between eating meat and wearing a furcoat?
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Mike said “What is the difference between eating meat and wearing a furcoat?”
Well I would have thought that fur is hard to swallow and meat coats just won’t catch on anywhere else other than the art world.
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A shocking response to an important issue. Many endangered animals are thereatened with extinction through the fur trade – are you not bothered by this? The industry is unregulated and affects many biodiverse ecosystems. In some countries such as China they skin dozens of cats just to make one coat (or rug).
I think you need to do a bit of research and understand why this is important. I’m sure Penny is concerned about gang violence as well but she is raising awareness about this issue and good for her!
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Get off your high horse. Animal welfare activists who released mink into the wild have done immeasurable harm to our native wildlife and environment and whilst I don’t support the fur trade, I’m more interested in the welfare of people. Too many animal welfare activists I’ve met seem a bit unhinged.
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how do you know that these are newly produced fur coats? i personally collect vintage furs from antique and junk shops around shropshire, if a beautiful item of clothing has been around for 90 years or more then where is the harm in making use of it? would you rather these items were burned instead of reused because the fact it’s made of animal skin displeases you? the cost of a newly made fur coat is massive, i highly doubt that’s what was being worn.
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Personally, in answer to your question, YES.
I would rather the coats were burnt. In much the same way as ivory was burnt, to show what a disgusting “trade” this is.
Fur coat were for the dark ages, before man made fibres existed. To wear one of these monstrosities in this day and age is ignorant to the extreme.
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I Totally agree with your comment.
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How does she know they are real fur coats the fake ones are quite convincing well they are to blokes anyway?
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OK, you have expressed your revulsion. Hope you feel better now and can get on with your life!
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If I lived in Chorlton, Manchester I would have more to worry about than some one selling fur coats in Much Wenlock, ie the abundance of drug dealers in the area, turf wars,gang violence.She looks so happy and relaxed with the coat on.
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Well said Jeffb .. but Penny obviously thinks people wearing fur coats are far more damaging to our welfare. Sad isn’t it really?
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I totally agree with Penny and can understand her revulsion at fur coats. This practice of killing animals to make coats is both cruel and vain. Wearing vintage fur is just as bad as it is putting out the message that it’s ok to wear the skin of murdered animals. No Penny, its not a countryside fashion either. Not everyone living in the countryside is of the bloodsports brigade.
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saying that wearing vintage fur is “putting out the message that it’s ok to wear the skin of murdered animals” is like saying if you own an antique piano with ivory keys you support current day poaching of elephants for ivory. ridiculous.
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You cant murder an animal , do not be so melodramatic .
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Ok, the dictionary definition says that murder is unlawful killing, so no you can’t murder an animal. But surely to take a life away without their consent is as near to murder as you can get.
(And no, I’m not one of these won’t wear fur but wear leather shoes people, I’m a vegan and think animal abuse is as unjustified as human abuse)
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Your choice, in fact i know possibly one of the oldest vegans in shropshire at 86 and he has never felt the need to be so over the top .
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My opinion is if it is a legal trade so be it.
However my other view is if they were vintage furs then as with pre-1947 (i think off hand with out checking) like ivory then that is perfectly fine.
However all depends where you live, i was in Boston USA about 9 years ago and one of the major stores there had a fur coat sale on as it does every winter, the guy told me the french and British tourists were one of his biggest customers.
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Let’s hope that the animals used to make the coats are chased by a pack of dogs and men on horseback prior to being killed.
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Why?
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“We love Shropshire and our way of life.”
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There is animal products in everything, even in you´re toothpaste.
How you can you justify that it´s ok to kill animals for food but not ok to kill animals for clothing?
Is is about the number of animals killed or do you think the animal cares if it´s killed for clothing or food?
And insulting a country for their ways!!, well it makes seance since you also want people to go by you´re morals that you want entire nations far away also to go by you´re morals….
Try watching real documentary television about fur farms in Europe not some PETA propaganda video from China.
And take you´re head out of the toilet, you´re no better person for not having the courage to wear furs.
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Surly fox fur is accepatble? After all these ‘vermin’ are humanely despatched by those ever to brave men and women on horseback whom only hunt these vile creatures to protect us. We should be so indebited to our hunters and proudly wear fox fur; if only it was’nt torn to shreds by their intrepid hounds.
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But how can you tell which foxes are surly and which are of a more temperate disposition?
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.
LOL! My thought exactly upon reading the comment.
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As the righteous AF points out, animals cannot be murdered thus I guess it must be okay to slaughter domesticated animals too. Cruella de Vil style foxhound jacket anyone?
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I like that reply Mr Shaw. Subtle, well done.
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I was actually in Much Wenlock the same day Ms McCold was there. What she fails to mention is that there was a vintage market on selling vintage items of clothing including furs. Why she’s written into the Shropshire Star is beyond me, as she made her opinions very clear on the day, verbally abusing everyone who was within sight. I agree with Katherine, people, probably like Ms McCold will think an antique grand piano a thing of beauty even though it contains ivory, which an elephant would have been killed for the sole purpose of cutting of it’s tusks but a repulsed by the sight of an animal fur. Smells of hypocrisy to me.
My personal opinion? I don’t approve of either but that’s my personal choice, i certainly don’t have a slanging match in the street about it.
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I met some fur wearing elderly American relatives at a wedding reception. They didn’t realise many people found fur offensive. There was a hunt ball in the hotel at the same time which was being picketed by the League Against Cruel Sports. These ladies got quite badly roughed up! Apart from the ethical issues that’s a reason I would never wear fur.
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All these replies to the letter from Penny; and not one from her in reply.
I’m guessing she was trying to provoke a reaction, but has not the bottle to follow up her comment and the resulting replies !
My wife and boys visited Singapore last year and the fur trade is in full swing there, may be she should try her luck over there and let the authorities here deal with the real problems we have in this country(as a few people said; gangs,drugs and other more pressing issues)
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As said i think these furs were vintage and agreed it seems every where except the UK , does not make it all ok i suppose but go campaign over there i say .
As well as that (setting myself up here) pity they couldn’t get some fit bird to model the fur with respect she is pushing on a bit.
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@penny : “Welcome to Bridgnorth. Now go home.”
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I am writing to you to express the revulsion I recently felt when visiting the Manchester suburb of Chorlton.
It’s such a pleasant place and I enjoyed my visit there apart from my disgust at the many women I saw there wearing shell suits and hoodies.
I live in a small British town and it’s very rare to see such items on display. I had begun to believe that people in general had come to realise the cruelty connected to the cheap imports of sports-wear into Britain from sweat-shops in Asia and India and that the British had moved on from this barbaric, so-called fashion.
Not so in Chorlton. Is it a North West thing? In the 21st century, is it really considered acceptable to pay slave wages, or no wages at all to Chinese prisoners in the name of fashion ?
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Nistagmus….
A truly class reply !!!
I am still laughing !
Nice to see some one has a sense of humour after all…
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Have you been to Chorlton recently? It’s the new Didsbury darlin’
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I knew Didsbury was going down-hill, but I was unaware that things had got that bad.
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Very good, Sir. Like it!
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We love Shropshire and our way of life.
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Is that the royal we?
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With a kind laugh and a smile Yes.
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The problem is not just confined to the many women of Much Wenlock. I was in Shrewsbury this week and saw a group of workmen dressed in Donkey jackets.
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Poor old donkey , as cruel as clay pigeon shooting, and what about those poor old Nepalese uggs they make boots out of.
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Yeah and fur lined pants.
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Not to mention the Crocs!
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Love it!
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And Catsuits!!
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I inherited a load of mink coats from my politically incorrect grandmother. I gave them all to Oxfam. I don’t think of fur as fashion or status. I hope the coats kept some elderly people warm.
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We used to get fur on the inside of our water pipes,kettle and boiler when we lived in Much Wenlock,due to hard water.Sounds like the problem has become much worse.
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