Recession: Winners or Losers…?
‘It was the best of times, it was the worst of times…’ says the opening line of A Tale of Two Cities by Charles Dickens.
It is definitely the worst of times for a lot of people today, with job losses and shop closures, rising prices and repossessions…it all has a knock-on effect as people try to reign in their spending, and look for cheaper ways to entertain themselves without breaking the bank.
Foreign holidays seem to have been discarded in favour of holidays at home and cheap days out, and I have been reading about how local tourism seems to be on the up despite the credit crunch, as a result.
Which leads me back to Charles Dickens…! While we were in Maidstone, Anne showed me websites about Charles Dickens, and the annual Dickens Festival held in May in Rochester…I’d love to go, as it looks really enjoyable. All those costumes and parades…I wonder if it’s like the Jane Austen Festival where people join in…?
There are festivals like these all over the country, and I can see that this year will probably be the best ever, for most of them. Add to these, the re-enactment societies who hold whole weekend musters and such like…which cover all eras of history, and you will find that somewhere in Britain there will be people dressing and demonstrating life from the earliest times…Saxons, Romans, Wars of the Roses, Civil War, Napoleonic, Victorian, First and Second World Wars and beyond. And many, many more in between…!
There are also museums and country houses that have Living History days…! So, as the weather starts to improve, and you’re thinking of places to go and things to do…just take a moment to think about all those people having fun in costumes all over the country…devoting themselves to showing us how things were in days of yore…! Take a look online, and you’re sure to find events and festivals near you…so go on and enjoy a brilliant day out…!! 
Diary of a Madwoman! 
Dickens festivals in Kent —–Rochester in the Castle grounds and High St, Broadstairs at Bleak house and throughout the town. When I was working in Kent I went to both and they are certainly a sight especially the Rochester one where even the shops were "Dickens-ed" for the festival. Lavinia purchased a wonderful costume, of the period, that was made for a TV series —- intended to wear it to one of the Dickens festivals but we moved back to Cornwall before she could wear it so now it sits in the wardrobe until it finds a use again —- great shame as it is wonderfully tailored!
I\’d really love to go to both…and to see Lavinia in her costume…! You will have to have a fancy dress party, or Victorian themed party than she can wear her costume and you can post some pics in your album…or just get her to don said costume, and take photos to post in your album anyway. What say you, Rachel? RACHEL?!!! Damn…I think this dominatrix troll business has gone to her head…!!!!
Nah, the whiskey has though! I\’m certainly reigning in the spending a bit (says she who bought two new tops yesterday). I\’m saving for a trip across the border into England. I have enough for the train fare so far. Only one way mind as I ain\’t coming back once I get there! (can I take Cornwall with me?)Been making yet another dress today (when will it end?). I bought the \’Elegant Lady\’s ……..\’ pattern before crimble and have now got around to cutting out the fabric (yet another quilt cover from a charity shop) and have been busy sewing all afternoon whilst watching all the Austen greats on dvd. I shall be lost in Austen all night! come back Captain Wentworth!!!! Never read Dickens. My reading of the classics is limited to Austen, Gaskell and Blackmore. I will get to them one day. My pile of books to read grows faster every day.Dominatrix? Notice how I took over your blog and rabbited on about absolutely nothing related to it before mentioning something related to it right at the end? I dominated it all!! Bad me. Punish me someone.Better go before my fingers get really loose! Have a great weekend Sandi. xx
hehehe…I\’m not the only one, then…! Not bad you, at all…you can waffle as much as you like about the dresses and patterns…I\’m always interested in them, you know that.I have read one or two Dickens…I think I ave up on Dombey and Son as it was so long-winded and over-wordy. Oliver, on the other hand is an easy read…but very graphic when describing the poverty and the thieves kitchens, etc., and Fagin\’s fear as the hangman\’s noose looms over him as he awaits his fate in his tiny cell. I really must re-read The Pickwick Papers at some time…I started it, but never finished…for shame!!I\’ve never read Elizabeth Gaskell or RD Blackmore…but I have read the Bronte\’s…Wuthering Heights being my favourite.I\’m sure there must be other similar festivals to commemorate other great writers and their characters and times…if you know of any, please let me know.
Yo Sandi! Oooh I wud love 2 go 2 one, sounds like loadsa Fun! Hope u have a FAB Saturday! Luv PF XXX
Not sure if there is one near us but will have to have a look.xxxxxxx
There is a brilliant atmosphere at anyof these events…and people love to talk about the era they are representing, the writers, the history and the costumes. I\’m definitely looking forward to going to the Jane Austen Festival again…this time in costume…but I would also love to go to some other events.HMS are attending events around the contry this year, so I will have to check to see if they are going to be at the Waterfront Festival in Lincoln, again…!
My stats counter is up the Swanee again…I know for a fact that more than one person has visited today…and more than three visited yesterday!! Anyone else got this problem…?!
Wot did you do to it this time Sandi? Mine\’s not working either but as I\’ve not blogged I couldn\’t say for sure. Sense and sensibitly is on now and it was Last of the Mohicans this morning. Kids have now gone so it\’s peace and quiet until tomorrow. Lamb chops for tea with bombay potatoes and peas. Can\’t wait! Enjoy your weekend. xx
Mine is up the creek as well and I have visited you both today!
And my e-mail counter has passed into oblivion too. I\’ve emptied my inbox and it\’s telling me I haven\’t. And I had a private message the other day and it didn\’t show up on the home page. Another nail in the coffin?
Last month my stats for the week were over three hundred when I blogged…then this week, the stats counter has just stuck at three for yesterday…and I should go and check what it says now, shouldn\’t I..? just a sec…(toddles off to the stats room…)
(…comes back huffing…!!!) It still says one page view today…! What baloney!!! This is them, Rachel…not me…! I ain\’t dun nuffink…(sulks)…
Big hugs. Sorry. I was only kidding really. Mine\’s not showing anything so I\’m feeling *sniff* unloved. 😉
Yeah i\’m working, three flipping saturdays in a row! :-(I just don\’t bother checking \’views\’ anymore! It was kinda fun adding stuff then seeingme \’moon\’ lol at the rest of the world through the Updated Spaces Community page!Oh well, one more coffe then back to the grind! xxx
What?! You can\’t still be working…at this time…?!! What time do you close…?!!!
After a bit of a hunt around, I have finally found a folder that contains all the sketches I did when I worked at The Museum of Lincolnhire Life, back in the \’80s. I worked in the store room, sometimes, putting stuff away and getting stuff out for exhibitions, etc., and I was so fascinated by all the costume items I would sit and draw and measure them. So, I have sketches of drawers, children\’s pinafores, sunbonnets, lace caps, aprons, camisoles, etc., etc…!! I have felt an urge to make something for some time now, so between doing the stays, I shall have a go at something kinda Victorian…how about the drawers…?!
We shut at 9.30pm and i get home at 9.45pm…..now i\’m doing my usual saturdaynight 15 minute routine of debating whether to go out for a 3 hour \’blast\’…….xxx
Yo Sandi! Good Morning! oooh u should put ur sketches in an album on here, then we can have a squizz! Hope u have a Fab day 2day! Luv PF XXX
Hope you had a good \’blast\’, Mike…relaxing today, I hope…?!The sketches are merely scribbles on odd bits of paper and card that were to hand a the time…I\’m trying to decipher them at the moment. Some items went to two or three notebook pages, and have become seperated…oh, poo!! So, is that a pinafore or a camisole with all that lace and frilly stuff…?!!!I have one scribble of a lovely older girl\’s pinafore…and the only measurement I added was waist to under-arm…!!! I\’m sure five inches is going to be a big help in working out all the rest!!!! Grrr!!!
Bum, I\’ve dropped two pins and can only find one. I also stabbed my thumb and it \’urts now and no doubt my foot will find the missing pin.Had a blast of my own last night and made a new friend.Sun has been shining all day today!! It\’s almost like spring out there. How\’s your weekend going? Good I hope. xx
Hmmm…computer nearly went out of the window, again…! Written another blog, and tried to upload photos to it…but they just seem to disappear…grrrr!Sun shining on and off, here…but at least we\’ve got some.I hate it when pins vanish, even though you swear they droped straight down there…have you got a magnet?
Mr Sensible won the argument over Mr Blast and i stayed home, in fact i was in bed by half eleven and didn\’t wake up till after nine……marvellous (no pesky blackbirds waking me up at silly o\’clock lol) Chilled all day, which really means i\’ve dossed and done nothing! xxx
Good for you…nothing like a day of \’me time\’ is there…?! It helps to re-charge those batteries.