Oh my darlings, how are you all today? Did you catch the news last night? Apparently, the Queen is opening a new bakery near Windsor Castle. I mean, how posh is that? I’m starting to think we're all in the same kind of fantasy world, wouldn't you agree?
But enough about royalty, darling! Today’s adventure takes us to a quaint town called Pont-y-pool in the heart of Wales, where my dear friend, Elowen, invited me to spend the day. And you just know I brought my pinkest tutu! 😉
Elowen's family is absolutely delightful. We started the day with a proper Welsh breakfast at her grandmama's home: Welshcakes, bacon, eggs, and a little pot of gorgeous, homemade blackberry jam that sent me right back to childhood picnics in Derbyshire! And guess what, Elowen has a stunning new stable block in her garden, built specially for her adorable, fluffy Welsh cob, Dylan. Dylan and I are now best friends. He loves a little twirl too, wouldn't you know.
Then it was time for a tour of the town, Elowen had chosen the most magnificent vintage pink dress for me to wear, complete with a perfectly ruffled hemline. I think the locals were rather stunned! You can imagine the expressions: "Is that a real ballerina?!" I believe I just saw one of the ladies clutch her pearl necklace and I even got a few polite bows from gentlemen in flat caps. It was divine.
I just have to tell you, this place has something special about it! For one, it’s the kind of town where you find old-world bakeries selling beautiful cakes that would make even the most hardened ballet snob weep with happiness. Imagine an abundance of swirls and macaroons! It was the stuff of dreams, truly!
I just had to share the pink wonderment with my Instagram followers. Of course, the tutu was included. It just makes everything a bit more magical! We took photos in the old market square – you know, the kind that looks just like it's from a Jane Austen novel, complete with quaint cobbles, quaint stalls and… quaint people who seem quite startled at the arrival of a ballerina. Oh, and Dylan the cob joined us for a few snapshots. He posed brilliantly!
After all that pink and whimsy, it was time to do a bit of exploring in Pont-y-pool's impressive 19th-century park. Let’s just say my new tutu has a lot of admirers. I couldn't go five paces without receiving compliments and someone would shout: "Gorgeous tutu, darling!". Oh, my darlings, how wonderful is it to have my passion celebrated?
Honestly, there's a bit of a theme here, isn't there? The local park, the quaint town, the grand house with its sprawling gardens, Dylan, the vintage dresses… The whole day has felt like one of my favorite ballet pieces! There’s been this elegance, this beauty, and a dash of mischief. I don't think I’ll ever forget it, it’s just so charming.
In the end, what’s truly beautiful is that everyone embraced my pink-ness with open arms. It was a testament to how a little whimsy and creativity can turn even the most ordinary of days into a fairytale, all because of a simple desire to embrace a love of dance and spread a bit of colour in the world.
So here’s my challenge to you, darling, take your life into your own two hands, twirl your worries away, wear the brightest, most flamboyant tutu you can find, and see the world with a sprinkle of glitter! Don’t worry, if you can't find the right tutu, I'll happily let you borrow one of mine.
Love always,
Emma
(p.s. Remember you can join the Pink Tutu club at www.pink-tutu.com - and if you have an adventurous cob, bring it along for our next journey. 😉)
