That was the day, my friends
Well, hopefully a few of you at least have been eagerly waiting for the report from Friday night. If you werent, you’re getting it anyway! 😛
Beyond a few moments of, err, entertainment on the last section of the journey, from Preston, to Blackpool, in truth the journey was relatively unexciting. The ‘entertainment’, some very loud children, and the fact that we had 2 wheelchair passengers, as opposed to the train designed 1, caused some fun. But in truth, we arrived pretty much on time.
The hotel was pretty much standard budget hotel, with thin walls which we noticed overnight (people talking outside the room), and though in theory we had a second bed, it was so designed that neither of us, in perfect health conditions would have been able to get out, and besides, we had no bedding for it anyway! Survey comments done, lol! But fine, thats not what you want to hear about, is it? So after a meal together, Eric went back to the Trams, I went off to the Winter Garden, and through the time travel portal. Fine, not literally, but you get the drift? After an early false start, the staff worked out where we needed to go, and lo and behold, I was soon in a lovely, and short pink flapper dress. Fine, I wasnt going to care about length for one night, but more on that shortly. Thing is, flappers werent designed to have boobs, or big shoulders, and the zip wouldnt do up properly at the back. Anyway, as you will see shortly, I was quickly changed into another dress which was longer, with no zip issues, perfection! Well, I was flashing someleg, but…
Oh fine, like this!
There is a better one of me, but it has someone else in the picture, and I’m loathe to use that without her permission. I suspect she wouldnt care, but to be on the safe side… If she grants it in hindsight, I will add it to the posting. So if you come here in 6 months time, see 2 photos, and are confused, you know why!
The evening was great fun, lots of lovely people that I was working with, equally a lot of nice people in the audience, including 1 wonderful gentleman I talked to for a while, who had originally come from Bradford! However, having flirted as an Usher prior to performance, stood on the stairs, we eventually got told that part of our work was done. I decided to give the film, Some Like It Hot a chance, but it didnt grab me much, so after an hour or so, I headed back to the refreshment area, got myself a coffee, and started chatting with a few others, until it was time for part 2, getting those who had paid for it, to the party upstairs.
All went smoothly, then a few of us went up to the Balcony, put on a bit of a show (very tame dancing, by Flapper standards, I suspect) for the guests for a while, then I, and a few others went back and changed into modern life again. One treat I had for a while, was to do something I’d never done before (and no, it wasnt to dance the Charleston), which was to wear a pair of those long gloves that go up to your elbow, and maybe beyond. I’d seen pictures of them, always wanted to wear them, and now I have!
End result, everything, and everyone was so lovely, I’m already planning on going back next year, however crazy, and unpractical that is. Might be a different era, but as long as it doesnt mean wearing something as revealing as what my past life self, the chorus line dancing, Clara Johnson had to wear, all should be fine. But no, I’m not going to suggest 42nd Street, or the like, just in case, lol! But beyond that, I’ll definitely be back. Fine, if it is that, I will probably still go back!
The journey home by ‘modern trains’ was a bit more entertaining. The train from Preston, back to Manchester was very crowded, but ‘Queen Bitch’ soon pushed a way through for me, and Eric, to our reserved seats, and someone was already sat in them! Yes, they got moved, probably not my most diplomatic moment of my life, but hey, its principle, and neither of us could have stood, anyway!
Then we get back to Manchester, running late, so going to be a tight push, or no go for our booked train back to Huddersfield. Only…I looked at the departure board, it had been cancelled! So anyway, the next train was going to be very crowded, (2 sets of passengers, plus loads of football fans), but I lined Eric up roughly where I thought the doors would be, and we grabbed 2 seats very quickly!
After that, out last night, with Ella as well, for the birthday meal. I wore the same dress as last week again, so I stayed in Flapper mode for the weekend. Oh, should I mention, this was all done in lots of snow!
In theory I’m back to work tomorrow, but if it had been today, I’m certain it would have been a ‘snow day’ off, with my physical issues. Tomorrow, who knows? Hopefully its better in the morning, I must say. Not just because I’m due back, but because I need to learn something for the following week, which I will probably relate later in the week, but until then…?
Yes, I hurt, partly because of Friday, partly because of the current weather. When (or strictly at this point, I guess, if) I do this next year, I’ll pace it better, all that travel, on top of everything else, in 1 day, was just too much now. Go down the day before, build to it, and have a day off afterwards to recover, before coming back, far wiser! But hindsight is a wonderful thing!
Video, big clue in title. The frightening thing for me, this song is 50 years old, and I remember it being released!
Those were the days
Yes, today was the day of the eye test. And yes, that in more senses than one explains the title of this blog. Well, fine, it fits in with the video too, but anyway…
To say I’ve been wearing glasses a while, would be a mild understatement, its coming up on 47 years in fact! I first discovered I was short sighted when I found out I couldnt read the hymn numbers on the board, in church, and had to ask my father what they were.
He told me, but very soon after that, I was taken to the optician, for what would be the first, of many sight tests so far in my life. No, I dont know how many, but I’m guessing about 25, if you asked. In those days, it was simply a screen in the optician, with lines of letters that shrunk to almost nothing, as you went down the board, and that was it.
Nowadays, they check the back of your eye, the pressure in your eye, and several other things, besides the standard sight test. Mind, it costs a bit more nowadays, though whether it really does, with inflation, no idea?
The other dramatic change since then, is even more noticeable. Back then, glasses were what they said they were, made of glass. Therefore, as you can imagine with a child, especially a teenager, there were a few times when the glass got shattered by accident. Nowadays, they are made of some material which is pretty much indestructible. And yes, I love that fact! Oh, the other thing, back then, if you were really short sighted, your glasses were thick, with a capital T. Nowadays, no way of telling just how blind you are without them lol!
I wont bore you too much with the details of the test, other than to say that seemingly over the last 3 years or so, my sight has only deteriorated very slightly. Good news, because there was a time when in 2 years (or even less at one point) when they were definitely going downhill fast.
Oh, you want to know? Yes, I am now the very happy owner of 2 pairs of glasses, or will be when the lenses are fitted. One is almost classical 30’s style cats eyes type, in blue frames, absolute heaven for a girl like me. The other pair are slightly less rounded, but still in that style, with silver/white frames.
The other change, I remember in the past, paying about £200 for one pair of glasses. Today, for 2 pairs, including test, and anti glare for both, just under £170!
Thank you, Specsavers, for the wonderful service, and for having such wonderful vintage style glasses available for vintage loving folk like me.
I will provide a photo, or two, once I have them.
The only other news, the hair getting done. In the end, I didnt get to Sophie, she had to go elsewhere on Thursday afternoon, so so did I! Irony is, my style has got nothing but praise, and I love it too. So, Sophie may have lost a client lol!
Alright, a treat. Thanks to Nicole Woodhouse this afternoon, I had a ‘non selfie’ taken (as I dont own a mobile phone) of my new look. The curls have lost some of their lustre over the last 2 days, but even so…here’s a look!
Oh, the video, no prizes for working out the song title. Actually, it comes from the year I started wearing glasses, eek!
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