Ulverston Dickensian Festival — WOW!

As usual, Ulverstonians pulled out all the stops to get the ‘show on the road’!
With so many visitors coming along to join in the fun, the delightful costumes tended to get missed in the crush. But the procession brought most of them together and we could see the trouble people had gone to to make this a very special event. Good to see stall-holders dressed up and even Booth’s assistants made it a special occasion by dressing up in neat costumes and putting on welcoming smiles.
With so much to entertain, it is hardly any wonder that people turn up from miles away.
Food, food, food, and plenty of it at stalls and in cafes, made sure no one went hungry or thirsty. Mulled wine, roasted chestnuts, candy floss, old time sweetmeats, and burgers blended into a provocative aroma of all the fun of the fair! (Or should I say ‘fare’?) Dancers, carol singers, brass bands and pipers, small groups and comedians, horse carriages and drays, donkeys and all the fun of the fair, etc etc etc…
I wonder how many other people now have a coconut hanging out for the birds? Many people were not ‘shy’ at having a go at knocking them down. And when you think it is all over — off go the fireworks!

And More Dress Design sketches 1950’s (Awakening Love era)

When I was sorting out stuff in the attic, I came across a large pack of designs I did when I was a Freelance Dress Designer in the 1950’s to early sixties. I first designed for manufacturers of dresses, suits and separates. Then I was also taken on by a lingerie manufacturer, followed by a housecoat and nightwear manufacturer to sold directly to a well-known High Street store. Later, when I decided on education as a career (to suit home obligations with a growing family) I just kept to lingerie free-lancing, and exercised my design abilities in other directions — clothes, including wedding outfits etc for family and friends. Plus, of course, artistic stuff for school work,and later on, for my work in churches. But I kept the sketches and, looking at them, thought that today, over 50 years since they were drawn, they would still look good enough to attract customers! Well, let’s face it, folk can wear anything these days, whether suitable or not. In fact, ‘baby doll’ nightwear I designed all those years ago can be seen today as outerwear! But I’ll post those outfits later.
See also my design sketches in colour
and ‘More dress Designs from the 1950’s‘
My own experiences in Dress Design inspired the writing of my Love’s Design trilogy presently being published by the Australian publisher – Dare Empire for worldwide eBook readership. Awakening Love is already being sold for Kindle reading and other formats ready in early January 2011 — likewise for part two Seduction, and part three Checkmate. Printed versions quickly following.

Here in the UK Magpies Nest Publishing produce printed versions. Can be ordered from any good bookstore such as Waterstones or post free in the UK directly from Magpies Nest Publishing.

See my author site for reviews etc and Magpies Nest Publishing for all my books plus chapters to read and reviews to ponder.

UPDATE: DARE EMPIRE HAS BEEN PUBLISHING MY NOVELS. FROM THIS MONTH (SEPT.2012) TURQUOISE MORNING PRESS HAS TAKEN OVER THE RIGHTS TO AWAKENING LOVE, SEDUCTION, CHECKMATE, AND SMOULDERING EMBERS.

 

As Time Goes By

Recently, I was invited to take part in a radio programme, shortly to be broadcast, concerned with everyday life. In fact, a week’s diary of events.
I do keep a diary of sorts. Just things quickly jotted down to help me remember what we have done and when, plus unusual happenings and important events — that sort of thing. This ‘diary’ is similar but also includes my thoughts and feelings — putting flesh to otherwise boring details?
The word count was quite restricting but good as it cut down on waffle and made me concentrate my mind on the essentials. A good exercise all round.
At the end of the week, I had before me a brief look at my life as I live it now. One of the things that will be evident to some people is that I am greatly blessed. Although others may think I have a rather boring life because I am not, and never have been, part of a ‘jet set’. I enjoy the simple things of life. One of those things is having my hubby read to me each day. A pleasure that unites us by sharing together in ‘other worlds’ where mystery and intrigue prevail. Normally we sit within a bay window, close to the garden, so we can have the benefit of the beauty around us. Even the early morning sky, with its mixture of blues, greys and brilliant early morning golden sun, has a wonderful magic — enough sometimes to produce a tear of sheer joy. Such simple things…
But if that was all I had to write about it would seem a dull account. I was also completing my new book, but more than that, we had a medical emergency that interrupted our lives for five days. When we might have been watching Casualty on the TV on the Saturday night, we were sitting in Furness General’s A&E.

For those interested in my new edition of When Phones Were Immobile and Lived in Red Boxes – four more chapters and five more pictures — taking the reader to 1980, it is at the printers and will be on sale in two weeks time. The new edition includes our move up to the Furness area — a step backwards in time?

Always Look for the Rainbow

We have been away for a short autumn break. It is a long time since we have been out in so much rain. But, at least, it gave me the opportunity to chase a few rainbows!
As usual when we go to Derbyshire, we visited the Chatsworth House estate. This beautiful place, home of the Duke and Duchess of Devonshire, is set in magnificent grounds and there are many miles of footpaths to explore. There is a charge for the house, wonderful gardens and Farmyard (with children’s play area), but well worth a visit. The rest of the estate, with its sheep, deer and wildlife are open to all. Christmas at Chatsworth is a particularly magical time, but, being early November, we were a bit early for that, although things were under way.
So wet weather maybe but plenty of rainbows to be found! (Even if we had to drive to Cromford Hill to catch one!)