'It was terrifying but we looked great': Christine Talbot and Primed for Life wear TOG24 outerwear for Cow and Calf Rocks challenge
Annie Stirk, Bernadette Gledhill, Christine Talbot and Rachel Peru are Team Primed for Life. They teamed up with Yorkshire outerwear brand TOG24 for a stylish abseil challenge at the Cow and Calf Rocks, which have been featured in A Woman on Substance. Yorkshire Post Fashion Editor Stephanie Smith reports.
Ne'er cast a clout till May be out, as the saying goes - although, to be fair, here in Yorkshire, we can experience weather of all seasons on any given day throughout the year, which makes dressing for outdoor activities difficult if we do not want to wear, or carry, bulk, but need protection for all eventualities.
Earlier this month, we teamed up with Yorkshire outerwear brand TOG24 to rock-test its style and performance credentials, with the help of four intrepid women - journalist and presenter Christine Talbot; model, podcaster and body confidence campaigner Rachel Peru; model and pro-age activist Annie Stirk, and model and Great Yorkshire Show fashion events organiser Bernadette Gledhill. Together these four high-profile Yorkshire women form Primed For Life, a collective promoting the visibility of women of all ages.
They are on a mission in particular to put the middle years in the spotlight, campaigning to promote confidence and wellbeing during mid-life and older, encouraging women not to fade into the background at a time when, all too often, they are sidelined at work and in public, while at home many shoulder the burden of family care.
The location for our fashion shoot was the Cow and Calf Rocks above Ilkley, where the four fabulous women were leading an abseil challenge to raise money for women’s employability charity Smart Works Leeds. The rocks were used as a prime location for Channel 4 drama series A Woman of Substance.
More than 60 women took part across the day, which was run by Carnegie Great Outdoors, an expert provider of adventure activities, outdoor education and leadership development programmes, from its base at Leeds Beckett University.
For our fashion shoot with Yorkshire Post photographer James Hardisty, TOG24, the outdoor lifestyle brand based in Heckmondwike in the Spen Valley, stepped up to provide the clothing needed to undertake the challenge in style.
TOG24 stands for Truth Over Glory Everyday, reflecting that the company’s raison d’etre is not to do with conquering mountains or planting flags, but is about outdoor experiences we can all enjoy - dog walks, family rambles to the pub - and maybe a little abseiling, for the more adventurous among us.
Founded in 1958, this family-owned and run brand specialises in outdoor technical clothing with style, designed for all sorts of weather, and for all family members.
In the 1970s, TOG24 was the first company in the UK to use Gore-Tex and the first to import and use Polartec, the original fleece fabric.
At last year’s Great Yorkshire Show, it launched its collaboration with Shaun the Sheep which resulted in a cute and quirky childrenswear collection.
TOG24 has a factory shop in Heckmondwike, and now has more than 60 outlets across Britain and Ireland, including in York, Skipton, Castleford, Settle, Richmond, Holmfirst, Doncaster and Rotherham, plus the e-tailing website - with an outlet section for bargains.
The clothing was chosen to make a strong style statement while keeping practicality and the prospect of changing weather conditions firmly in mind. It was essential that these all-season pieces were comfortable, allowed for movement, were warm but lightweight and could layer with ease.
Bernadette chose TOG24 waterproof trousers, a cosy fleece and a bright pink lightweight waterproof jacket. “The fleece was very much needed as it was a cold start to the day and, with the fog around, the bright pink jacket meant I could easily be spotted on my way down the rock,” she says, adding: “I felt stylish, comfortable and perfect for the challenge.”
Clothes for activities need to work as hard as you do, says Annie, adding: “This outfit definitely did. The leggings were the best I’ve ever worn, comfy, stylish, and perfect for the abseil. The fleece layered beautifully under the ski jacket, which was super-flexible and not restrictive at all.”
“I loved the little cream jacket, which was warm with a fleecy lining but not heavy,” says Christine. “It’s such a cute shape and great for spring, versatile as not too ‘outdoor sports’ in appearance. The weatherproof trousers were light but waterproof with lots of handy zipped pockets.
“For the first time I wore a headband rather than a woolly hat - a bit of a Sixties’ vibe. I even kept it under my abseil helmet to hold my hair in place.”
Rachel says: “I wanted to be comfortable but have a bit of fun, which is what I love about the abstract-print relaxed-fit fleece and co-ordinated leggings.
“I knew I’d get all hot and bothered as soon as the nerves kicked in but this outfit kept me snug without overheating.
"The leggings are so comfy and stayed in place the whole day, leaving me confident to focus on the climb down.”
The main purpose was to raise money for Smart Works Leeds and its work supporting women to achieve success at job interviews by providing them with clothing and coaching - has spread to Bradford and other parts of the county, with plans to reach more.
Cheered on by family and friends, including the charity’s ambassador Coronation Street star and podcaster Natalie Anderson, the Primed for Life team of Annie, Bernadette, Christine and Rachel were the first to take the abseil challenge.
They had to admit that it was more terrifying than they had expected, and a first for Bernadette and Rachel, while Annie and Christine had abseiled once before - “But maybe, like childbirth, you forget the pain,” they said. “We are so proud that we did it.”
See TOG24.com
You can donate to Smart Works here: https://leeds.smartworks.org.uk/support-us/make-a-donation