The classic concept of ‘what goes around, comes around’ can be applied to and present itself a multitude of ways in life, and in the case of fashion – the idea that what was worn at one period of time will inevitably be worn again in the not-so distant future – the theory has proven to be right, and more of a matter-of-fact on a number of occasions.
It’s believed that fashion, dress, and costume are all based on a bell-shaped curve that pointedly determines when different clothing styles will re-occur.
And it’s also said that the rehashing of certain fashions and brands can often be attributed to youth.
This has very much been the case for Doc Martens boots – or Dr. Martens to give them their full name, and ‘Docs’ as their commonly known.
The iconic leather boots with distinctive yellow stitching, AirWair soles, and the brand name imprinted on the side and heal tag, enjoyed much of their success in the 1960s and 70s in the UK – and were also definitive shoe of the Manchester music scene – but have since come back with a bang in the latter half of the 2010s to now, and in 2018-19 alone, the company’s profits notably surged by 70%, largely credited to the success of its new ‘vegan’ range.
With the boots’ recent spike in popularity – and rather high price point – this has seen many try to get their hands on a pair for a little cheaper, including on the increasingly-popular second-hand buying and selling app Depop.
It didn’t go so well for one buyer though.
Popular Depop mishap account @depopdrama on Twitter shared a hilarious message from a buyer who hadn’t quite got what they expected from a purchase, explaining to the seller that they were “so disappointed and angry” after the shoes arrived, as they are “Royal Mail employee shoes and not actual Doc Martens”.
The buyer then asked for an immediate refund from the purchase.
The tweet has since gone viral, amassing over 47K interactions and hundreds of comments from others who just couldn’t help but find the humour in the unfortunate situation, as well as pointing out that, while they may not have been the Doc Martens the buyer was originally after, they are still in fact Doc Martens especially made for Royal Mail posties.
And of course, others made sure to chip in with a couple of postal-themed puns.
What do you expect?
Lol was about to say this! My grandad used to be a postie and my mum has his old shoes and they’re Royal Mail docs!!
We’re not quite sure there is one in this case, to be honest. It just sounds like the Depop buyer got unknowingly duped and wasn’t aware until the boots arrived on their doorstep.
At least it gave us a laugh, though – and hopefully got them a refund.
Trending
A new music showcase is taking place at a beautiful and historic Stockport venue
Danny Jones
A new live showcase is coming to Stockport town centre as part of a wider music, art and cultural celebration next month.
And by new, we mean the artists; if you went to the last edition, you’ll know it delivers some serious talent.
Teaming up with the likes of Manchester-based music magazine and promoters, The Rodeo, as well as ticketing platform Skiddle, Stockport is set to welcome the return of Mercury Climbing Festival.
This week-long celebration of music, art and culture around parts of the Greater Manchester borough’s historic old town, and there are some exciting names on board already.
As for Mercury Climbing 2025 itself, the multi-day festival spread across several locations boasts the best in native and Northern music, visual arts, and comedy.
Popping up across a total of eight different spaces, including the likes of the brand-new Stockroom, pubs, and headline music venue St Mary’s Church – quietly one of the coolest places we’ve ever seen a gig – you have plenty of reason to be excited about this one.
Speaking of St Mary’s, while artists such as local legends Badly Drawn Boy, Manc indie outfit The Covasettes and Riding The Low – fronted by actor Paddy Considine – are set to play the stunning ceremonial space, The Rodeo is also hosting its own dedicated stage at the church.
Highlighting emerging new talent on Saturday, 20 September, Manchester-based solo indie project Better Joy is set to headline, with Denver County Council (who featured on our Manc artists of the month round-up), Henry Webb-Jenkins, Katie & the Bad Sign, plus more to be announced in support.
The last time we saw a ‘Live at St Mary’s’ event, we can’t stress this enough: it was nothing short of an unforgettable experience.
You don’t get to enjoy a ‘religious’ gig experiences like this often…
Taking place from Friday, 19-26 September, the festival as a whole will transform Stockport’s historic Old Town into a vibrant cultural hub.
And it isn’t just music: there are local food and drink traders getting involved, artwork from the one and only Stanley Chow, as well as plenty of other entertainment.
Above all else, the event is not only steeped in SK and Greater Manchester’s rich heritage, but it’s a great way of supporting new art coming out of the region.
The Rodeo’s St Mary’s stage gets underway from 4pm and is scheduled to finish at 10:30pm, but the wider Mercury Climbing programme is an all-day festival that won’t end until late. You can grab your tickets right HERE.
Manchester’s very own Jamie Hutchinson announces new stand-up tour dates
Danny Jones
Manchester comedian Jamie Hutchinson has just announced arguably his biggest domestic tour yet, and despite plenty of gigs around the North, he’s playing just one hometown headline slot.
So you’d best be quick about grabbing tickets.
The local stand-up has seen a huge rise in popularity over the last few years, not only thanks to his regular gigging on the live circuit, but numerous standout podcast performances and, in short, by being one of the most amusing comic storytellers around – at least as far as we’re concerned.
Now set to embark on an extensive run of UK shows early next year, Jamie Hutchinson is getting back on the road with his latest material very soon.
Taking his new hour, Can My Mate Come, He’s Sound (see, even his titles are low-key genuinely funny) on tour, the crown prince of Gorton, a.k.a. ‘Mash’ himself, is playing venues up and down the country, including plenty here in the North West.
After all, he can’t drive, so best keep the long train journeys to a minimum, eh?
To quote Broadway Baby, who shared their positive words only recently, their newest project promises a “brand-new hour of unfiltered mayhem, questionable logic and emotional chaos held together by takeaway boxes and blind optimism.”
If that isn’t a glowing review, then we don’t know what is..
The Hot Water’s Green Room host and regular Have A Word podcast favourite delighted his crowds and newcomers alike with his record-breaking Waterslide tour, which ran from 2023 all the way into last year, and now he’s looking to repeat that same success. As it happens, multiple dates have sold out already.
With more than 700 tickets sold within the first hour of presale alone, it’s no surprise that the likes of Chorley, Chester (already gone) and soon both of his Liverpool shows are soon to be sold out.
As for his Academy One show on Sunday, 24 May 2026 – which is just about the biggest Manc venue he’s played to date – we expect it won’t be long before that one books up too.
We can always hope he tacks on extra dates on the UK tour, but if you’re a Jamie Hutchinson fan, you’re still best just making sure you secure your seat while you can. Grab yours HERE.
Let’s just pray he makes it home in time for his appointment with ‘Dr Catford’…
He’s yet to record a live taping of a special, but this is the kind of charming nonsense you can expect.
Emily Sergeant -
22nd January 2021 
