Some of you will remember the scuffle some years ago, when scarlet cassocks were declared to be the privilege of Chaplains to the Monarch here in the UK – and choirs of the Chapels Royal/ This caused a certain amount of consternation, for many churches had put their choirs and servers into red cassocks.

I remember at St Margaret’s Leytonstone, where I did my second curacy, that the servers wore red cassocks through the year, but changed into black for Advent and Lent. (And I think they had special cottas trimmed with crocheted lace for high festivals).

I have a set of postcards, published by Mowbrays in the 1930’s. The series is entitled Beyond the Veil and is a depiction of High Mass as celebrated in the approved Anglo-Catholic manner. The servers are in red cassocks with zuchetti or skullcaps. That I have never seen.

A friend of mine recently described me as a ‘Dearmer fundamentalist’ and it will be no surprise to readers of my blog that I still think that many of the insights of the early 20th century liturgist and Anglican priest Dr Percy Dearmer well worth considering.

Here is Dearmer on red cassocks: ” Black cassocks look far better than red ones, which play havoc with the general effect of colour, and besides, cannot be worn with albes (sic). Dr W Legg denies that red cassocks are sanctioned by English tradition at all, and so experienced an ecclesiastic as Cardinal Manning spoke gravely of their bad moral effect. “

Beat that!