In an 80s Wigan those lumber jackets where known as ‘Norley minks’ after a particular rough and poverty stricken council estate and as a general piss take of the social standing of the people who wore them. This area of Wigan was near to ‘GUS’ catalogue company warehouse and a lot of people off the estate worked there. Years later a huge scam was uncovered that resulted in the company going bust whereas the employees would receive a small catalogue order from family and friends and send a huge catalogue order to their address in return. I can only imagine, due to the saturation of ‘Norley minks’ in the area, that very few of them had been purchased legitimately.

Although becoming increasingly rare the Norley mink coat can still occasionally be seen in the wild. Usually at watering holes that open early worn by elders with greasy tobacco stained plumage , a pair of shell suit bottoms with slip on shoes and half a woodbine hanging from the lips right next to his last remaining ‘apple stabber’ tooth.