Instalment 2

Instalment 2 – May to August

Well this may be the toughest of the update blogs to write..... but let’s start with some good stuff! Jane and I continued our ‘new things’ pact with a spa day in Oxford. All very girlie and relaxing. She also persuaded me to try Go Karting. This was not such a success unless you count my impeccable driving manners “please, do go past, I am merely holding you up with my slow speed” “no, no, after you, I insist!” I was quite frankly shit (but very polite!)

DH and I journeyed down south again for the Dig For Victory Show. Another awesome day of vintage fun. I treated myself to a proper hairdo from the lovely ladies at Heartfelt Vintage from Bristol. I came away feeling very beautiful.

My hairdo!

An arty shot of iconic planes or a shit out of focus one - you decide!

A demonstration of wartime cookery.

Now the end of June saw the whole Brexit thing but this all kind of passed us by. I am not sure if I have mentioned on here or not but DH suffers from mental health issues, something which affects all aspects of our lives. Things came to a head for him one evening and he took an overdose. I found him in our garden, hypothermic and unconscious. I still don’t really know what to say about the whole thing – we got to see the best and worst of the NHS system and found some amazing support from friends and family.  I did ask DH if I could mention this on my blog and he was keen that anything that got people to talk about mental health had to be a good thing.

Anyway – from lows to highs. In August DS#2 had his graduation parade from his Phase 1 army training in Harrogate. We took the opportunity to combine it with a visit to York and a couple of nights away. The day of the parade was very wet and windy. My carefully chosen outfit was hidden under a very fetching plastic poncho. I also had to hold my hat on, something the poor lads couldn’t do on the parade ground. This resulted in lots of hats being whipped off and blown away and having to be retrieved by the RSM’s.  It made for great entertainment and huge cheers from the crowds.                 

I can’t explain how proud I was of DS#2 on that day. He looked so handsome, so grown up and had gone through so much to get where he was. I was just bursting inside.. and crying a bit... and determined that he would have his photo taken. A lot. He’s not keen on the whole photograph taking thing!          

It's a bit wet!

I can see him!!!

Proud Mum moment and DS#2 suffering yet another photograph

Jane and I continued our adventures with a go at punting on the Thames at Oxford. The guy at the hire place looked quite worried and suggested, several times, that perhaps we would be safer in a row boat. But no, punting had been chosen and punting was going to be done. Jane turned out to be very good and I couldn’t get the sodding pole out of the mud. So technically she punted and I sat in the punt and cheered her on.  We finished the adventure with the worlds biggest picnic on the banks of the river which sounds lovely but involved fighting off ducks and wasps and trying to find somewhere to sit that wasn’t covered in bird poo.

Anyway, enough for today. Do look out for instalment 3 where we get up close to tanks, the family has a new addition and I 'find' myself  - deep and meaningful stuff!                                                                                                  

Fashion on the Ration

CC41 clothing was not all drab and frumpy.

Last Wednesday I got the huge honour of representing PrettyNostalgic magazine at the press launch of the new ‘Fashion on the Ration’ exhibition at the Imperial War Museum in London. And I must just say a huge thank you to Nicole from PN for allowing some of us this amazing opportunity.

‘Fashion on the Ration’ is all about the role of fashion during WW2, how people coped with change in their lives, rationing and how fashion played an important part in the morale of the country. The exhibition includes not only some wonderful examples of clothing but also accessories, art, photographs and interviews. You can listen to the clipped tones of Oliver Lyttelton, President of the Board of Trade, as he announced the introduction of clothes rationing on 1^st June 1941. It apparently came as a huge shock to most people.

Some more examples of the beautiful clothing on display.

Highlights of the display for me included a range of scarves, many of them by Jacqmar, which included bright colours and patriotic messages – a way for women to show their support for the War effort through their everyday clothing.

Two examples from the scarves - this one features propaganda cartoons by Fougasse.

I was particularly interested in the section entitled ‘Functional Fashion’. This had some examples of luminous black out buttons and brooches and the most stylish Siren Suit, to be worn in the air raid shelters. It even had a discreet flap at the bottom for comfort breaks!

Personal appearance was an important weapon in the fight!

Gas mask handbags and luminous buttons.

I want this Siren Suit!

 This section also touched on the vast numbers of women who found themselves working in the factories (by mid war 1:3 factory workers were women). They had to combine looking presentable with safety considerations, hence the popularity of the turban style hat and headscarves.

Workers getting ready for their shift.

My Nan worked in a torpedo factory in Bournemouth so this had a particularly personal appeal to me. Many of the women continued to wear their civilian clothing beneath their overalls and I always remember my Nan saying how she wouldn't go anywhere without her lipstick – a habit she carried on with throughout her life.

My Nan during the War.

As I was looking around the museum, I heard one lady say to another “The war wasn't all about killing people you know, it was about living” and this exhibition definitely captured that – how people carried on living, demonstrating inventiveness and adaptability under extraordinary circumstances. Fashion clearly played an important role in all of this.

Christmas on the Home Front

Tea and Christmas cake anyone?

I have had a very exciting couple of weeks at work (well, more exciting than normal!) which I wanted to share with you.

I am involved with the WW2 programme at work where we run an evacuee camp and get groups of school children to try out lots of different period activities whilst learning what life was like on the Home Front. I love running these days – dressing up and indulging in my love of this period of history. So, I decided to approach Mr Bossman and see if I could run a couple of weeks of Christmas on the Home Front as a special offer. He happily agreed to let me give it a try and I am proud to say it was a huge success.

Some of our props.

We decorated our WW2 building and shop with period decorations. I spent hours creating paper chains from facsimile WW2 newspapers and sourcing paper decorations and streamers of crepe paper. We found the tiniest tree in the world and added some red, white and blue bunting too. I even found a supply of old Christmas cards to stretch above the mirror. Some fresh greenery from around the site completed the decor.

I spent hours researching facts and figures. Being a bit nerdy I wanted everything to be perfectly accurate but in truth we could just give an flavour of the time. Hence we had some American supplies in the shop alongside ration guidance from earlier in the War. Petrol rationing facts didn’t quite match with the dates on the magazines – but overall it gave a good impression of life in that era. And I just had to get over it!

The children got the chance to look at some toys and to think about what they might find in their stockings. They cooked and tasted authentic WW2 recipes and learned about rations in the shop. They got to weigh out a weeks’ worth of sweet ration to take home with them although I suspect none of them managed to make them last a whole week! Hopefully alongside the fun we managed to get the children to appreciate some of the hardships suffered by people, we certainly had several very thoughtful comments from the children.

A visit to our authentic Anderson Shelter (also decorated for the season) and an exciting Beetle Drive game with an onion prize were also on the agenda.

To top off the fun for me, I got to spend some time away from my Land Girl dungarees and look a little more dressed up. Curled and pinned hair, a nice party dress and even some lippy (apparently those Americans down in the town have a little to spare!!) 

Our Big Adventure - Part 2

Blighty Bazaar - I could have lived here quite happily :)

I had done a little bit of homework around shopping opportunities in Leamington before we left. It would have been remiss of me not to! And it was from such homework that I discovered the joy that is Blighty Bazaar.

This establishment is vintage heaven – lots of different sellers in one glorious place offering everything from clothing to kitchenware, books to furniture. They have a café and even a beauty parlour where you can be vintagely beautified J

Weirdly we had ended up parking really close by and so I didn’t have too far to struggle with my new purchases. We found a lush Thermos giant flask thing for future vintage picnics. I also discovered a whole bunch of early 1900’s Christmas cards which will fit nicely with my love of old postcards. They are truly things of beauty, each one a work of art in its own right.

Christmas cards from c1910

I was also thrilled to find a 1940’s Ponds Face Powder pack complete with remaining powder (though not my colour!) and a similarly aged cigarette packet – all good stuff for my WW2 alter ego, the wonderful Peggy!

I was very taken with a vintage Sunbeam Mix Master food mixer dating from the late 1940's/early 1950's but being a sensible sort I decided I didn't really need it, didn't have space and couldn't be sure it actually worked as it still had a very dodgy looking flex and very antique looking plug! However, the Sunbeam then decided to dance around my head all night suggesting that I DID need it, I COULD find room and DH had mentioned that he could easily replace the flex and plug and probably fix anything that might be wrong with it . Apparently they don’t build ‘em like they used to! So, Sunday morning saw me grovelling and begging to go back to BB in case they still had the Sunbeam. You’ll be relieved to know the story had a happy ending – it was still there, DH managed to replace the flex and it works! If I don’t manage to find room for it then the weight of it will ensure it has a place as a doorstop or burglar deterrent. “Excuse me Mr Burglar, could you just stand there for ½ hour while I manhandle this weighty piece of kitchen equipment over to bash you on the head? In fact could you kneel down as it’s too heavy to raise above head height!”

The Sunbeam in all its glory - bring on the scone making!

My other star find was in the Oxfam bookshop. They had a whole basket full of The War Illustrated Magazine from WW2. I couldn’t buy the whole lot so I picked a few choice ones from the early days of the war. It’s a cracking read with lots of stories of brave British exploits and dastardly jerries doing all manner of unsporting things. There’s an amazing section entitled Odd Facts About the War. I never knew that penguins from London Zoo were ‘fobbed off’ with pieces of meat doused in cod liver oil! Presumably later in the war the lions were similarly fobbed off with penguins doused in Bovril!

Read all about it.... penguins get fed!!

My new purchases have now been lovingly installed at home – all except the Sunbeam which is currently living on the floor and proving to be a toe related Health and Safety issue :)

One happy girlie!

Waistcoats and writing

I am pleased to say that 'Manic Month' at work is now drawing to a close. We have been so busy with festivals and school groups that there hasn't been a minute to draw breath! This is wonderful and has been great fun but I am now needing some relaxation.... I have a day of shooting planned this weekend (yes, I know how odd that sounds in the same sentence as relaxation) and a days holiday next week which I plan to spend taking photographs and pretty much not a lot else.

Out of work the highlight has to have been Prom Night. DS#1 looked most handsome - he scrubbed up pretty well. I finally finished the waistcoat and bowtie (still sewing it the night before!!) and I was
more than happy with them. We managed to tie the bowtie too... thanks Mr Youtube Man.

He doesn't look too bad!

I made this!

He met up with a group of friends and they all went off on a vintage bus. They all looked awesome.

Inside the bus it was all bunting and Muse!

The sewing bug has continued and I have made a couple of storage bags and some curtains for the kitchen. Next project is a 1950's style dress from Clothkits. It's all ready to go!


I have been continuing with my Journaling. I am almost evangelical about how useful and enlightening it is proving. It also gives me more reasons to buy lovely stationery (not stationary). My creative journal is allowing me to indulge in pretty 'stuff'... finally I know why I have been stockpiling every magazine published since 2008.... cutting and sticking! Yay!
The Journaling prompts are still throwing up some difficult things to think about. I have started facing up to some of my not so pretty bits but also have had the opportunity to reflect that considering everything I haven't done too badly! (no raised eyebrows at the back, thank you!)
I have been writing a list of 5 things each day that I am grateful for... this has been hard on some days but it does show that no matter how crap you think your day has been, there are some shiny moments! Even if they do involve chocolate.. or shoes... or small animal shaped erasers!

Today I am grateful for:

1. The opportunity to work with some fab people.
2. A quiet evening to catch up on reading, writing and blogging.
3. Hearing from people I care about.
4. Spam sandwiches (most welcome during a busy WW2 school session).
5. My bed.... it is beckoning!

What are you grateful for today?