Merry Christmas

Can I, on behalf of all the staff and executive here at the British Thong Society, wish you a very merry Christmas and a prosperous New Year.

Exhibition Request

We've had an email from Society member Ken Moore wanting to know if we have any plans to organize another museum exhibition.

The last one, 'A Brief History of Thongs', received such glowing reviews when the V&A agreed to our using one of their annexes that we've had dozens of such requests in the last year. Unfortunately, Dr. Koike, who organized the exhibition, has now returned to the University of Tokyo after his year spent at Kings College. If we could find an equally knowledgeable academic to act as curator, a new exhibition might be possible. As it is, the amount of work we'd need to do to contact the owners of the thongs used in the show means that it's impossible for any of full time Society staff to manage it.

The Thong Journal

The latest edition of The Thong Journal has come back from the printers and we will be sending it out to Society members in the next few days. The journal is a bumper edition this year, with seventeen articles and dozens of reviews of the latest in thongs. We also have a special interview with TV actor David Jason on why he became a late convert to the thong. It also has the usual competitions, prize drawers, and reports of thong-related events across the country.

For non-members, the Journal is priced £8.00 and can be purchased by writing to the Society at the above address.

Subscription Renewal Notice

Membership subscriptions are to rise by £2 this year, the first rise in nearly a decade. Members are advised to get their subscriptions in as soon as possible as we’re currently dealing with a backlog in applications after a huge rise in interest in thongs after Peter Goyle's excellent series of documentaries.

From October 2006, a year's membership to the society is now £22, which includes two copies of The Thong Journal and conference fees for the yearly Thong Conference.

Thong Documentary

Thong wears might be interested in a documentary to be shown tonight at 9.30pm on UK Horizons. The programme is presented by a name, well known to Society members. Peter Goyle has worked for twenty years in researching the trends of underwear and is one of the world's foremost experts in g-strings, thongs, and posing pouches. The programme, entitled 'Thong World', explores the relationship between thong wearing and neo-liberal values since the end of the second world war.

Anybody with an interest in thongs would advised to tune in. We are yet to determine if the programme will be available on DVD.

Bring and Buy Sale

The Sunderland branch of the British Thong Society will be holding a bring and buy sale at 7pm in St. David's Church, Fernly Street, on 14th September. If you have any old thongs or duplicates in your collection, you might like to take them along and see what price you can get for them.

Ron Jones, the regional chairman of the association, promises that this year's sale will be bigger than the one they held in 2006. 'We've got double the number of stalls and have organised entertainment with a local pensioners dance troup on hand to show us their moves.'

Devon Conference

The British Thong Society Conference will be held this week, running 19-22 July.

We hope all members can attend and enjoy what should be fantastic few days.

Obituary: Charles Henry Lowds

It's with sad news that we report the death of Charles Henry Lowds, who for 57 years, was the Society's treasurer.

Henry was a popular figure in the society and one of the most devote believers of thong health. After making his fortune in India during the 1950s, Henry returned to the UK where he devoted his time to the cricket, and his love of horses. His loss will be felt by the world of champion hunt racing as it will by the thong world.

He was wearing his favourite Indian three piece thong right up to the moment of his death, aged 97. He will be buried in Stonelow Parish Church, this Monday, wearing his favourite thong and holding a jockey's whip.

He will be sorely missed.

Thong Show

Margaret Royce has emailed us to ask that we help promote her display of West Country thongs which she'll be putting on show at East Lowstead Church Hall on March 14th. As you might know, Margaret has been collecting thongs for nearly fifty years and currently owns a collection of 700. The display covers the pre-war years and will be a rare opportunity for thong lovers to inspect a 1931 g-string thought to have been owned by Bix Beiderbecke.

Tickets are priced at 50p with the proceeds going to the Society's appeal to help send thongs to Africa.

The Devon Thong Conference

This year’s Thong Conference will be held in Devon from 19-22 July. The conference is being held in the quiet Gormley Manor hotel, which includes spacious grounds and a private beech were thong wearers can be sure to fine a relaxing time.

The conference fees are £245 including full bed and board. This year we’ve got an particularly good range of speakers to talk about thong related subjects, and the conference will also be playing host to the usual displays of thongs from both leading and specialty manufacturers. This year we’ll also be catering for blind members with our special ‘Best Dressed Guide Dog’ competition.

Thongs in Winter

Given the extent of the cold this February, we would like to remind all members that the winter is the best time for wearing your thermal thongs.

In addition, we will be sending out advice packs to all our membership to help you during these cold months. Thong wearing in winter, while perfectly safe, does require certain precautions to prevent cold in the lower back and kidneys. If any non-member would like more advice, please send a self-addressed envelope and stamp to the Society, marking your letter 'Winter Thongs'.

Sir Henry Remembered

On this day, each year, members of the British Thong Society lay a commemorative thong on the grave of Sir Henry Peel, who founded the BTS in 1912. This year's service, in Knot's End, Surrey, will see a thong donated by current honorary chairman, Sir Thomas Jones, who will read a verse specially written by Mrs. Anne Somes, who, as a child, knew Sir Henry.