Hello my darlings!
Well, here I am, back in my beloved London after a whirlwind trip to the delightful town of Strood in Kent. Oh, what a fabulous day it was! Pink tutus were absolutely EVERYWHERE, and everyone seemed just so delighted to see a fellow tutu-enthusiast! Honestly, I thought my heart was going to burst!
As many of you know, Iâm a creature of habit, a lover of routine, and Iâm utterly devoted to my trusty train timetable. So, for this jaunt, I hopped on a rather fetching red train at the station in my charming Derbyshire village â I couldnât help but get a bit misty-eyed as I saw the fields go by, each one reminding me of all the fun adventures we've had together on this blog. The train ride was lovely, full of friendly faces, chatty nannies and, of course, children who reminded me so much of my younger, wilder, tutu-wearing days! Youâd be surprised how much you can get done in a train journey! My knitting needles were flying, a rather adorable fluffy pink cardigan emerging for my dearest Granny - it shall be the most fantastic pink garment she has ever owned, I promise you! The train rolled into St Pancras station, all bright and shiny in the afternoon sun, and from there it was only a short tube journey to Strood, Kent, for my exciting day of tutus, ballet and pure girly fun!
Now, Iâm sure you are all as excited as I am about today's story, so without further adoâŚ
A Day in Strood!
Let me tell you, Strood was an absolute delight! Such charm and quaintness - every corner had that âvintage fairytaleâ feeling, the type you only ever see in lovely antique shops. I started the day at the Strood Museum, a delightful collection of relics from the townâs history, housed in a gorgeously renovated old house - truly a fairytale setting.
But it was the tutu collection, my darlings, that really stole the show! It wasnât your usual museum affair â no, this was something altogether special. They had the most fabulous array of tutus from every era! Victorian tutus! Edwardian tutus! Even some daring Art Deco designs. It was enough to make any girlâs heart soar, even a seasoned ballerina like myself.
Naturally, I was utterly transfixed. Hours slipped by in a glorious blur of ruffles, ribbons, and layers upon layers of tulle! It was quite frankly intoxicating! I did get a bit carried away â thereâs just something about all that silk and tulle that completely turns off my common sense! I had to try on a few tutus â donât judge me! I can't help but share this gorgeous picture with you, wearing a particular favorite! My darling readers, I really did consider just disappearing into the museum for the rest of my life, hiding amongst the petticoats and velvet⌠but then, youâd be disappointed and the world would be without this blog. What a travesty that would be! So, after several hours and much too many swoons, I was forced to drag myself away and continue with my day!
Speaking of swoons⌠my day got even better as I headed to The Theatre on the Green â now this is a beautiful little gem of a venue! A tiny jewel nestled in amongst lush foliage and beautiful blooms. They have a delightful collection of shows running all year round.
But here is the really amazing part - guess what?! Today was ballet day, and the troupe performing was none other than The Strood Ballet Society, a company of up-and-coming young dancers all passionate about their art. The energy and talent was just incredible, my darlings. I honestly felt transported by their performance, a mix of graceful movement, daring leaps, and such incredible expression â oh, I just loved it! You know, there really is nothing like a ballet show! I left the theatre feeling inspired, refreshed and utterly convinced that ballet, much like tutus, should be part of everyone's lives!
Now, you wouldnât think this was the end of a fab day, right? Nope, it just kept getting better and better! I decided to walk through the local park, just to clear my head and soak up all the sunshine - itâs such a treat to just lose yourself in nature, stroll through pretty paths and enjoy the company of my own thoughts â itâs actually my favourite part of travelling! It felt peaceful and oh-so very magical⌠I was happily twirling in the sunlight, singing my favourite Pink Flamingo song, and lost in a complete state of wonder, when, bam! A very fluffy and quite possibly enormous pigeon landed right on my shoulder. Now, donât be alarmed by the words âpigeonâ and âfluffyâ. It truly was the fluffiest pigeon I have ever encountered! It just stared at me for a good five minutes before eventually flapping off again to annoy someone else! I found this quite delightful, you see, because I do love wildlife â so much so that I spent an afternoon volunteering at a wildlife centre just before my Strood escapade â you really have to watch those little creatures if you want to find true happiness â they are often more fabulous and much more elegant than us mere humans, wouldnât you agree?
Now, before I leave you, I want to tell you about something quite magnificent that I encountered in a cafe I stopped in for a late afternoon tea â one of the most beautiful things I have ever seen in my life, a delicate pinky-red cake decorated with delicate pearls, perfectly placed in the middle of a gleaming white plate. And so, I leave you with my usual thoughts â what could be more delightful than tutus, ballet, wildlife and pretty cakes?
Until next time,
Love, Emma xx
