#PinkTutuBlogLondon Friday 2003-02-28 Exploring London

Hello darlings! It's Emma here, your resident Pink Tutu Princess, and I'm absolutely bursting with excitement to share my London adventures with you all!

As you know, Friday is my day for a London fix - the day I hop on the train, leave my Derbyshire countryside behind, and dive headfirst into the glittering heart of the capital. This week, my darling little heart fluttered with anticipation - it's been ages since my last London jaunt! And to top it off, it's been such a joy to see a plethora of pink-hued goodies appearing in shop windows recently! Oh, the excitement!

Now, you know I wouldn't dream of travelling anywhere without my trusty pink tutu, even if it is a bit of a squeeze on the train. I swear, the commuters stare at me like I've landed from a different planet! Which, to be fair, I sometimes feel I have.

This week, my adventures kicked off at Kings Cross station. I simply adore the grand architecture of this station – it always makes me feel like I'm stepping into a bygone era, particularly when the steam trains are chugging away on platform nine and three quarters! (Don't worry, I didn't actually try and board the Hogwarts Express… this time. 😉)

But first, a quick stop at the cafe for a delicious pink latte! It truly is the little things that make a day special, and nothing makes a morning more delightful than a sweet, creamy pink latte, served in a lovely bone china cup, I must say. Such a delightful start to a day exploring London.

Today's London agenda was all about theatre! After a quick pit stop in my favourite little bookshop on Charing Cross Road, for more fabulous pink ballet-themed books of course – Oh, how I adore these books! Such a lovely collection! I can’t wait to show you later in another post! I headed for the West End and a performance at the Theatre Royal, Drury Lane. I've heard so many fabulous things about "The Phantom of the Opera," and well, dear reader, I can tell you they are all true! Oh, how dramatic! The music, the costumes, the singing - it was all truly mesmerising.

Seeing a performance of such iconic storytelling never fails to inspire my own creative ambitions. It makes me want to twirl and leap and lose myself in the magical world of theatre and ballet. Yes, reader! My dreams are always expanding to explore new areas of creative expression! It is thrilling to find inspiration in all sorts of places! And of course, to be able to turn inspiration into creation for all you fabulous readers.

I particularly loved the intricate details in the costumes - particularly the Phantom’s cape – and, oh, the masks! It gave me an idea to create a new pink tutu ensemble to match! The creative wheels in my mind were certainly spinning at full speed! It’s certainly a day for more, more, more inspiration, my darling! I need to write all these ideas down – more creative ideas, dear readers! I must turn them into a future pink tutu-fied ensemble! Maybe we could even have a tutu for everyone? Well, that's certainly my dream and ambition in life. A Pink Tutu ensemble for the world - that would certainly make it a better place!

After a thoroughly delightful afternoon at the theatre, I treated myself to an absolutely delectable lunch at the iconic Fortnum & Mason. Now, darling readers, you know that I have an affinity for anything and everything pink. But at Fortnum's, there's more than a healthy dose of pink loveliness; it’s literally an entire floor dedicated to my favourite hue!

I went to the Piccadilly's “The Diamond Jubilee Tea Salon”. Of course, a traditional afternoon tea wouldn't be complete without an elegant pink-hued cupcake - adorned with a perfectly pink icing rose. And, yes, darling reader, I devoured every bit of it, including the sprinkles. (It’s a pink tutu blogger thing, you know… just as long as I can get a tutu on. Haha!)

Fortnum & Mason, it really is the most magical place, my dear reader, like a mini world of delights within a delightful world. The displays, the elegant service, the atmosphere… and the sweets… I almost forgot, I must say – The sweets! Everything was perfect! I certainly left Fortnum’s feeling rather full and very happy with my day’s journey. Happy in fact, for me to find my way back to my little bookshop on Charing Cross Road! I couldn’t resist purchasing The Pink Tutu Collection, A Fairy Tale, and you must take my advice, readers; you must go out and grab a copy today.

As the afternoon sunlight began to wane, my London adventure continued at Somerset House. I love this building, darling. With its beautiful architecture, its fountains and statues… It’s just an iconic building. I must admit to spending quite a while photographing the facade! Of course, my dear reader, you must know by now, there are a plethora of delightful and unique shops. They've had several fascinating exhibitions there – the ice skating in winter, the light installations at Christmas. * *Somerset House really is one of my favourite places to just relax and explore and get inspired!

Somerset House had a very interesting exhibit on this evening about historical clothing, an exhibition highlighting 18th Century English and European styles - my oh my! such fabulous fashions and such detail! I love the details from history… the way clothes were made with so much skill… it’s wonderful, dear reader, to be able to visit and enjoy. It was such a visual feast to see such elaborate garments in person. It was an evening filled with exquisite beauty!

I must say though, I couldn’t leave without a detour into the book shop at the entrance to Somerset House. They had some most beautiful new releases on fashion. There is no better inspiration to spark my imagination for new Tutu designs! I do believe there is an outfit in that, for sure, *my lovely readers. You will have to wait and see. *

As the London skyline twinkled under the starlight, I made my way to the station for my train home. It is so beautiful seeing London all lit up at night. You can tell everyone is going out to enjoy all the cultural offerings. It is indeed, a truly wonderful thing! What’s wonderful for me, I get to get into my lovely dressing gown on the train, ready to spend my Sunday creating new designs.

Today has been an incredible whirlwind of fashion, theatre, and magic. It’s certainly a journey for the memory bank… for all you wonderful pink tutu aficionados out there. I think it is also safe to say I am a Pink Tutu Ambassador, inspiring my fellow pink lovers. I am so passionate about making the world a little bit more pink, just a little bit more sparkly!

Until next Friday, keep twirling and keep those dreams big and pink! And don't forget, the pink tutu is for everyone.

Love and pink sparkles,

Emma 💖✨