Waaay Back Wednesday

My life is not particularly riveting at the moment and I haven't felt up to posting, so, when thinking about clearing the mantlepiece to 'Christmas-fy' it, I thought "let's scan my photo". 



 

Taken c1981 at a friends' flat on the seafront in Worthing.

(Yeah, I am in there somewhere!!).

 

It's fascinating to trawl thru' Facebook and the like to see what they are doing..."W", the lass in the centre in glasses, is the one person I have kept in touch with, a mother of 5 now!!

 

"N" made the Edwardian hat the POW wore on her trip to Canada, whilst working at Cosprop; "S" worked in the making wardrobe at Glyndebourne; "R" is no longer with us (RIP to the greatest bloke); "J" has more or less retired to the Isle of Wight, having been amazingly successful as a maker...The Roly Polys, David Bowie et al have worn garments made by him; "A", I believe was married to Ruby Wax at one time! (Tho' he wasn't actually a student, but the partner of one of us!).

picture from here, which has some really interesting info on the  Klondike dress

We were a mega-talented bunch, each of us proving that you can do a vocational  course and not have to do a degree course to be successful. So many ran their own businesses, as I did for some time, and still do; theatre set designers, product designers, costume and the like.

 

 

I was amazed and somehow self-satisfied when this article, https://www.gov.uk/government/news/creative-industries-worth-8million-an-hour-to-uk-economy

 came into my sightline.

 

I mean, 8 million quid....an hour!

I was almost frowned upon at school for being 'arty'; doing one year in 6th form, when I had very few lessons early in the week, but every thing 'art', (art, needlework, various dance classes etc),  all crammed into Friday and Saturday morning! Damned stupid that was! But see how much the likes of 'me' can contribute.

 

Hell, yeah!

 

Zxx

Un-packing List

I always write my 'packing list' after I've come home. I put down what I took, adding in if I didn't wear it. 

*Gold coat is not as gold as it sounds! But I know which coat I mean

I've got these lists going back years; they don't change much. Plymouth in March is pretty much the same as Plymouth at the end of October!

Most of the time!

 

I remember when Vix was doing her last trip abroad and I commented her she had got it down to such a fine art that she could fit all she needed for 3 weeks into a wash bag! A slight exaggeration, I know, but as she replied, it is SO awkward packing for the UK. You need to cover all bases...wind, rain, sun and, on our earlier return trip this year, snow! 

 

I try and sort out 'little outfits' than can be layered up and down depending on the weather. I need to try and pack something smart-ish for going to see the show; can't let the side down and go in looking like a tramp.

 

That happened once to me and I felt really uncomfortable!

I'd gone to 'The Wells' to drop off a costume I'd been working on for a friend for this gala he was taking part in with Diana, Princess of Wales, as Guest of Honour. I'd turned up in sweatpants etc and then was asked if I wanted a guest ticket. Well, I wasn't going to say no, was I?

So, there I was, tucked in the audience, looking like a bag lady, surrounded by bods all dressed up to the nines! It's funny now, but I did feel a bit mortified then!

 

Who'd have thought, a couple of years later I would be stitching stuff for PoW, (as we called her), myself?

Certainly not me!

 

Funny, this thing called Life, eh?

Zxx