Its time to retire my old Barbour Bedale to 'log chopping, dog walking & occasional manual labour'. This trusty old jacket has been with me for the last 7 or so years (it's the olive one on the left), being bought second hand at a proper price just before they got really popular again here in London. It was in good nick back then but I honestly haven't cared for it like I should have (I've never reproofed it, and I did keep a leaky red pen in the pocket for quite a while) and so its starting to show its age, with more than its fair share of little holes & rips. Barbour do offer a repair service but unfortunately this guy is just too far gone.
I usually keep an eye out for second hand Barbours and did manage to pick up a reasonably priced newer-style Bedale on ebay recently (navy blue, right). It's a size smaller than the older one so it looks nice and smart heading to work, and features handwarmer pockets rather than the two flap pockets on the chest, which is a sign of older Bedales (definitely a bonus, I never used those flap pockets). The Bedale is really an equestrian jacket, cut short so that it stays out of the way while horse riding. This makes it perfect for cycling too, and there is really no better feeling than being completely impervious to wind and rain on a miserable Autumn afternoon spin in your wax jacket. Really. We're at the fag end of the Summer now in the UK so I guess this isn't too far away.
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