Nope. I am currently the Mayor’s Cadet for a (admittedly small) town council, and the arrangement with the squadron has gone back decades. The OC selects the cadet (usually an NCO) and the Mayor attends the squadrons AGM/presentation evening event to announce the mayor’s cadet. They then attend the town councils civic services, such as the Mayor Making, Christmas celebration, Civic Service and we were supposed to attend a VE 75 event before that was called off…
However, being a town councils mayor’s cadet does NOT entitle a cadet to No1s. I attend all events in Wedgewood’s and tie unless told otherwise.
Not every Town Council will have a cadet, but a lot of them do. We also don’t have the second brassard as Lord Mayor’s/Stn Cdr’s and LL’s Cadets get.
Mildly off topic, but why do some staff despise the idea of allowing cadets to wear No1s? I’m not desperate for them as they seem reasonably high maintenance and harder to clean if you spilt anything on them, but I don’t quite understand why some staff are so heavily against them?
Is it some sort of superiority complex wherein staff see No1s as an indication to the outside world that they are ‘above’ cadets? After all, essentially with uniform, within the cadet forces we’re all playing a rather meticulous game of dress up, so does it even really matter?
And the same for former LLC’s etc, why do they have to surrender their No1s immediately after they cease being a LLC’s cadet. It’s ultimately perfectly good kit that could well be used, being left to rot in a storage cupboard for years until another LLC’s cadet comes around that happens to be that size.
It just seems like a great waste of kit that could be used in some circumstances, such as presentation evenings and Dining In’s, especially for cadet SNCOs. I am for the liberalisation of our regulations regarding No1s, not that they’re obeyed very well anyway. We all know of CCFs who purchase No1s to issue to all cadets, and they look smart as anything compared to us strolling around in No2A’s. Obviously, even we look better than the ACF strolling around in MTPs, but that’s beside the point…
I take issue with some staff wearing them! They look great when worn correctly and fit well.
But they look terrible far more easily when not worn correctly - which is what historically happened when someone dug a random set (sometimes not even the correct pattern) out of stores and said “here, chuck these on”.
I personally hate no 1s and try to get out ofwearing them as much as poss
However.
Being a bit of a uniform stazi it irritates me when normally OCs just disregard 1358C and put cadets in No1s
No1s Jacket and Trousers have to be made from the same bit of cloth. obtaining a full set that matches and fits correctly is actually quite a challenging task…especially for little jimmy who is still growing…ultimately it ends up with the cadet having to spend a small fortune on tailoring them to fit which normally are of a questionable quality and well past their usable service
So ultimately a larger % of cadets (and there are some staff) end up looking silly in them.
Then theres the cost of supplying too several hundred cadets…its a bit of kit that cant be reliant of private purchase and would result in a mixture of 2a and No1s and would really defeat the object of uniformity
This (Well the famous viral picture) triggered the policy that uniformed CFAV can be banned from wearing uniform if its Ill fitting and brand damaging
I know the image to which you refer.
Fixed that for you 
I also hate wearing number 1’s, I find them uncomfortable and not particularly smart.
I’ve got pictures of one of my uncles’ in RAF N°1 uniform from WW2 and they seemed to be a much more practical garment, designed for everyday wear, given all of the photos are at home or ones where he was at home or ‘relaxing’ while on duty, as opposed to the seemingly special occasion made to measure arrangement today. If his uniform was made to measure it was a sympathetic measure.
I have to concur that they are uncomfortable and completely impractical, I get out of it as soon as possible and into civvies at functions or the very least take the jacket off.
I think it would be better if we got a new one every 10 years, given that I think ‘we’ will tend to wear them more than many regulars, hence they show wear. I had to reinforce the holes in the belt, as the buckle had knackered them after 5/6 years. Then there is changes in bodies, which after a few years can mean becoming tighter or looser. I’ve only known a handful of staff who have had the same N°1 for many years that still fit, most have been those who have a lot of nervous energy and or smoke. I’ve been on many DofEs with one of them and he eats for the world and has never put an ounce on, but never stops moving. If I sniffed as much as he eats I’d put weight on. His wife will confirm he would baulk at exercise at all costs.
Just as a point of intersect regarding the cost aspect, as I understand it, the SCC and Royal Marines Cadets are each scaled for a replacement set each year.
They manage that on their limited charity income as well as supporting everything else they do.
If we really wanted to supply No 1 SD for cadets as standard we could make it work.
None of this uniform chatter is directly pertinent the original question.
I am one of those Staff - I have the same No1s (without adjustments) have been worn for 12 years.
I am not a smoker, nor consider myself with “nervous energy” i just maintain my 32inch waist.
firstly that would imply we all get them in the first place, remember SNCOs don’t get these issued so would be a kick in the teeth to see their commissioned colleagues not only get them issued, but replaced every 10 years when they don’t get one set.
secondly how much wear are you actually creating? Like I say I have been wearing mine for 12 years and they look as fresh today as the day I got them. On average I wore these 3 times a year.
Battle of Britain Parade
Squadron Awards night
Another occasion (such as dining in night as No4s) or Wing event.
(I would also wear them at Remembrance but lead the parade in my RBL uniform instead)
two of those events would be on my feet for 2-3 hours, so on “wear and tear” in being worn, and as they are a good fit I can March through town without create “wear”
although i recognise that wearing them 3 times a year is more than my friends who are regulars/SI (many avoid any formalities which require No1s anyway) I don’t feel three times a year is sufficient “wear and tear” to require replacing after 10 years
that is the wearers issue not the RAF’s responsibility to reissue £100s of kit because body shape has changed.
how often are RAF regulars offered replacement No1s??
please expand.
No1s consist of
Brazer/Jacket
Trousers
Shirt
tie
this is no different to any other suit that you would expect someone to wear be that at a wedding, job interview, reading the news on the BBC, or addressing the nation as a PM
how is No1s impractical…nothing is different from a suit except a few more buttons and a belt around the waist…hardly an expectation to be wearing a bearskin hat and spurs on your knee high boots to an Squadrons awards ceremony
SNCOs aren’t issued and can legitimately wear normal dress. For any ‘formal’ parade Officers are specified N°1s. So the issue thing isn’t a problem IMO. It didn’t fuss me when I was an AWO back in the day.
I would sooner they binned the N°1 completely for ATC as it seems the only reason to have it is to display medals. Which I am sure could be easily worked around.
A N°1 isn’t like any other suit I have even my tux. The last suit I bought was 15 years ago and my tux 25, both off the peg and fit fine, at the time I bought additional trousers regardless of weight gain, N°1s 23 years on quite tight.
If anyone wants to discuss mayor’s cadets PM me and I’ll open it.