Apologies if parts of this post don’t make sense – I have just woken up from an afternoon nap (a combination of Sunday afternoon, a comfortable sofa and an earlyish start this morning), and am still trying to work out who and where I am.
*Update: I actually started this blog before I went to my parents for dinner. So…um…any mistakes are actually just me*
Before I get started on this week’s post, I have some exciting news. I have entered Miss Vintage UK 2015, which will be held at this year’s Twinwood Festival! And, also, I need your votes! If you’re a friend of mine on Facebook or a follower on Twitter, I apologise for the related spam you have received, and will continue to receive for the next few weeks, but I need as many votes as possible to get to the next round. Voting’s very easy, there are no polling stations or booths – all you need to do is like my picture in the Twinwood Events album. And to make it even easier, here’s the link you need to do it: https://www.facebook.com/twinwoodevents/photos/a.10152666756157657.1073741838.30797112656/10152741483282657/?type=1&theater. If you haven’t already voted, and could spare me three seconds, I would be eternally grateful and will say nice things about you to everyone who will listen.
Where was I? Ah yes, the reason for the early start. The Boy and I went to a car boot sale this morning (he’s on the hunt for retro games, I’m searching for a vintage typewriter), followed by my solo trip to the fabulous Lou Lou’s Bedford Vintage Fair (worth a visit for the cake alone), where I bought my first ever vintage handbag, a foxy 1940s number (and a slice of chocolate and vanilla cake to celebrate, hich was divine).
Photos of the handbag to come at a later date (vintage brooches will also be involved), but in the meantime, look at these amazing things I picked up at the car boot sale:
I have a vintage sewing machine! The lovely chap selling it asked me if I really wanted it (I did) and sold it to me for £10. It had been owned by one of his relatives and had sat by their fireplace for many years. It’s now going to sit on our dining room table (made by The Boy’s grandad and surrounded by utility furniture) on top of a tablecloth lovingly decorated by my nan (my dad’s mum, a much more artistic – and glamorous, come to that – lady than I could ever hope to be), until I can muster up the courage to see if it works, thus making the dining room the most vintage room of our house. Until The Boy goes away for work and I redecorate the bedroom with a Dickensian twist. Don’t tell him, he’ll enjoy the surprise.
I also bought this rather exciting magazine, and an order of service for the Queen’s Coronation. I have no idea where or how we’re going to incorporate them into the wedding, but I will find a way.
So, in short, the theme of today has been, “Would Gran (Mum’s mum) have liked it? Yes? Then I’ll get it.”
While I’m speaking of grandparents, this week marked one year since my Grandad died (for regular readers, yes – the one who misrepresented the Cooper family surname, thus leading to me technically having Elton as a middle name). I’d always told him that he had to hang around long enough to dance with me at my wedding, and as he’s not, it made me think – how do you incorporate the people you love who are no longer around, without making something that’s a very happy occasion, into a bit of a sad one? My family are a bit sentimental anyway, so there are bound to be a few “Oh, if only so-and-so could see you…” wobbly moments (although I doubt Grandad would have thought much of the Doctor Who elements. He never could understand why “You young people are into all that stuff – you should be concentrating on the real world!”)
There are the usual ways, such as songs that remind you of them during dinner – people attending our wedding can look forward to such gems as “Memories” sung by Elaine Page, “My Favourite Things” sung by Julie Andrews, “On the Street Where you Live” sung by…that chap from My Fair Lady, and “La Vie En Rose” by Louis Armstrong. I’m sure The Boy will have his own ideas, but…well…he can tell you about those in a future post.
For me, I’ll be adding a bit of sparkly prettiness somewhere in my outfit, because my nan (married to the aforementioned grandad), always said “You can never go wrong with a bit of bling.” My Gran nurtured my love of reading by sending me up to the spare room (which was essentially a giant bookshelf) to ‘pick a book to borrow’ every time I visited, so the paper flowers acknowledge her in a small way. Uncle Ron (married to Gran, stepdad of my mum…look, shall I just draw a family tree?) was a baker by trade, and between them, he and Gran made many of my happy childhood memories. By which I mean scones. And sausage rolls. And we’ll be having many of the former (and maybe a few of the latter) during the afternoon tea. The 1940s reception venue reminds me of all the fun I had with Grandad at the Glenn Miller Museum during the Twinwood Festival, but that’s not something anyone (bar a select few) at the wedding will know about. In fact, our guests wouldn’t really pick up on any of these touches, not really. At least until someone says “Why on Earth are you playing songs from Cats?” and I kick them in the shins.
But maybe that’s it: you don’t remember the people you love in exactly the same way as anyone else does – for example, while I remember my Gran’s love of reading, others will remember her love of music – so the best way you can remember them on your wedding day is to pick one thing, and keep it just for you. That way, you can remember the lovely times you had together, and (if the guests are anything like my lovely mum), they’ll save a heck of a lot of handbag space, as they’ll only need the six packs of tissues.
Something Definitely Happened 