I remember the hoo hah when I transferred from TVP to Northants dibble.
TVP hat combat style trousers with pockets midway down the thighs and they let me keep two pairs as they were a bit worn to be reissued.
Northants still had plain trousers in dark blue, not even black by then, and when I wore my TVP strides a fair few senior officer monocles used to fall out in astonishment.
Many many years ago - we are talking pre war here - my Grand-Dad was the local village bobby
He had to report to the nearest station at the start of his shift for "inspection" by - funnily enough - the Inspector
One day my Mum decided to help by ironing his trousers
she got them perfectly flat and straight - not a crease anywhere
except that she didn;t know much about men's trousers so she ironed them along the seams - so no crease down the middle of the leg!!!
apparently the Inspector stopped and looked at my Grand-dad who commented that his daughter had "helped"
Teh Inspector apparently smiled and carried on
I suspect a detailed ironing lesson occurred that evening
My Mum could certainly iron creases that could cut metal - I suspect it was from that one lesson!!
Little extra - when my friend became a bobby many years later he was gievn my Grand-Dad's truncheon as a mark of respect
It was highly polished and looked far better than the standard issue ones
My frind said he only ever used it on formal occasions where he needed one - apparently giving evidence was one of them
The reason that it was suspiciously heavy - with a soft metal bit at the bottom
There was a suspicion that it had had the centre drilled out and filled with lead!
which a serving copper could not be found in posession of while patrolling the local area!