tutu!

One night in 2004 a group of us girls from work got together at Liz’s house, we had a habit of doing that for certain TV show finale nights, so we could natter about things rather than go text crazy. (At least, that’s the excuse we use for a good girls night in!) This time was finale night for Sex and the City.

As usual we all tucked into nibbles and loads of alcohol! In fact by the time the program started I wasn’t really following it properly at all. I did however notice Carrie strolling along the street yet again dressed in one of her tutus. This immediately caused me to exclaim “what normal adult woman would even contemplate wearing a tutu!” I pretty soon followed this with a comment to my friend Charlie, another determinedly single person despite being in a long term relationship, that if she ever got married again (I didn’t think it was very likely) I would be her bridesmaid (what a cheek thinking that she would want me) and would wear a tutu (and let me pick my own outfit as well)!!

Time went on, and the conversation was long forgotten – I think the amount of alcohol consumed that night may have had some part in that for me. The next year Charlie and her man went on holiday to New York. Whilst they were away my parents visited the area and stayed at Charlie and her man’s house (it’s absolutely impossible for us all to fit in my tiny flat for any amount of time so this was an ideal opportunity for their visit). By the time Charlie and her man came home I had picked up my parents and taken them back to my place so we could spend some time together before I dropped them off at the station for their journey home. I was therefore a bit bemused when Charlie phoned and asked if we could pop back and visit them before going to the station.

When we got to the house we all sat ourselves down in their living room and had a bit of a chat about the holiday etc. I was then presented with a very pretty pale pink carrier bag that hardly weighed a thing. Very confused I looked at the bag, I hadn’t been expecting a present, Charlie and her man letting my parents stay at their house had been great. Eventually I tugged the drawstring top open and peered inside. I was even more bewildered, all I could see was a jumble of baby pink and a slightly deeper shade of pink netting. I tugged this out of the bag to reveal a minute tutu! You’ve probably drawn the conclusion far more quickly than I did! Charlie’s man had proposed to her whilst in New York, and she had said yes! Oh no!! I was going to look like a baby elephant in a pale pink tutu as a bridesmaid!!!

Well, the only reason I’ve been telling this story is as an excuse to post some pictures. I did wear the tutu, tight as it was, but only for the engagement party (over a long skirt and with a pair of matching pink cowboy boots). So that you can see how small the tutu was here is a picture of it on my teddy bear Bob (he was a bit embarrassed modelling it) who is about 21 inches / 54 cm tall. The reason that I took photos was I because I had decided the tutu was wasted stuck in a carrier bag at home and really ought to get some use. I therefore gave it to another of my work colleagues for his young daughter, who is very girly, after promising Charlie’s man (who had been dragged all around New York to hunt it down) that I would take loads of pictures of it first so we could remember it.

I didn’t have to wear a tutu as a bridesmaid; I didn’t even have to wear pretty pink. Charlie very kindly let me have a lot of choice in the bridesmaids’ outfits which were custom made for us in a lovely deep red. During the groom’s speech however I got a huge shock! Along with my gorgeous Tiffany bracelet I was presented with a tailor made, almost full length, tutu that perfectly matched and could be substituted for the skirt of the proper bridesmaids outfit. So I did end up wearing a tutu on Charlie’s wedding day (as did quite a few other people as it was passed from person to person including a lot of the guys)! In fact here's a picture of it on the best man - the real bridesmaid's skirt is next to it.

From TV to childhood books

OK, before I start this, I'm going to admit that I am a very sad TV addict. I religiously watch all sorts of stuff, not at all educational, and I am a total reality TV addict. This has no connection to reality TV though, it's closer to my other TV thing which is becoming known in some places as cult TV, things like Dr Who, Lost, 24, Star Trek and so on. With my TV preferences now almost fully exposed I can say that I was watching the first episode of the second series of Life on Mars the other night. I'm getting desperate to know exactly what is going on. Is Sam in a coma, is it all his imagination, or has he actually managed to time travel to 1973? This series is apparently going to be the last - so I hope we actually get to know by the end of it. It's quite strange to watch, sort of The Bill in a UK Starsky and Hutch style, but with a kind of possible time travel sort of twist.

Well, that's what got me going. During the episode Annie Cartwright, "a female in the police at a time when women were often undermined, underused, ignored, and taken for granted" (that still sounds familiar on occasion), managed to persuade the guys to listen to the results of some investigative work she'd done and mentioned Nancy Drew. That immediately started me thinking about the books I used to read.

We travelled a lot when I was younger, so much so that by the time I was eleven I was at my eleventh school! As an only child this meant that, until I'd had time to settle in at a new location, I had to keep myself entertained. This resulted in a very early love of reading just about every genre of fiction going. I still remember my blonde curly haired "cousin" taking the mick out of me as I laid on the sofa or floor reading, my arms tended to extend straight upwards as I got more engrossed. (Unfortunately these days my eyes can't quite cope with that distance.)

I have to admit that I was a total Enid Blyton fan. I think I started with things like Noddy, The Faraway Tree, The Wishing Chair and The Naughtiest Girl, but it soon moved on. I know there are quite a few people who are anti Enid Blyton but I still think she's great. She kept me entertained throughout my childhood and definitely helped me develop my imagination.

I moved on, got into Mallory Towers and St Clares, both also by Enid Blyton, and then also found the Chalet School by Elinor Brent-Dyer. I think it was the constant changing of schools that got me into these.

Eventually I found mysteries. I'm not sure which I got to first, the Secret Seven or the Famous Five, but I think that is where my interest in adventure stories started.

I did move on to other authors, The Hardy Boys published under the pen name Franklin W Dixon but actually created by the Stratemeyer Syndicate. Also created by the syndicate were Nancy Drew and the Bobbsey Twins, more old favourites of mine – you can find more information on these by following the links from the Stratemeyer Syndicate.

Thinking about it I’m sad that with all the moves over the years my extensive collection of childrens books got left behind somewhere. I would have liked to revisit them. I guess if it comes to it I could always borrow them from the library but I do always have a huge pile of books waiting to be read.

Now I'm a tad (ooohh - that gives my age away) older I still have a diverse interest in fiction (I'll probably elaborate on that for me at some point in the future). I'd like to know what everyone else read as a child, and where it has led them to nowadays. Go on; let me know with your comments.