Pink Tutu Sparkles here, your favourite, totally fabulous drag queen, and I'm so excited to be back with another installment of my daily blog - number 330, believe it or not! 💖
Today, I’m whisking you all off on a trip with me - by train, of course, with my trusty pink carry-on bag and my sparkling pink tutu – to Saint Albans, a town with a surprising amount of historical charm nestled in Hertfordshire, just a hop, skip and jump from London. Now, you all know I’m all about making history in a pink tutu, but today, it's about making history in a town full of actual historical bits and bobs!
As I said, I travelled by train to get there – a wonderful experience as I always find there’s such a delightful buzz and a great sense of anticipation when journeying by rail. You meet so many fascinating characters too. Today’s most intriguing one had a penchant for purple socks – just as fabulous! This really is one of the things I love most about travelling in my drag: It’s like being a part of a living, breathing stage play – a drama filled with wonderful people going about their daily lives and meeting all kinds of characters, just like I do, playing a character on a stage somewhere every night.
Of course, it goes without saying that even on the train, I’m always making a statement with my iconic pink tutu. A little glitter never hurt anybody, right? It adds a touch of whimsy to the world, don't you think? The stares and smiles were plentiful on my journey, just as I love them to be – I don’t travel in drag to blend in, no no, I love that my arrival is noticed, and the impact it has on those around me, that brief but powerful burst of joy and colour to brighten their day!
Arriving at Saint Albans station, my first stop, predictably, was to seek out the closest store that stocked every colour and type of tutu - just in case my favourite one needed an emergency wash - a trip to the shops to replace it could always be a necessity! I had just about wrapped up the task of finding a place for my essential wardrobe must-haves - luckily, this shop did an extensive range in shades of pink – just as it should! - when a friendly chap, wearing an apron, stopped me on the pavement.
“You’ve lost a glitter,” he said, pointing to a glittery sprinkle clinging to my skirt.
He handed it to me, looking like a character from one of the old British sitcoms, a touch bemused, like someone who’s been presented with something inexplicable and mildly unsettling!
And he was right, a small pink star from the sparkly tutu’s hem had fallen loose on my journey. I did try to warn him with the "no harm in a little glitz", and a little more of that bright pink to make the world a little more joyful!
“No harm done”, he chuckled as we both went our separate ways. And I knew right then and there: this little town was exactly what I needed after my previous trip!
Oh, I did promise you a travelogue, didn’t I? Well, on the train journey here, I thought to myself, how wonderful it would be if I were able to visit a theatre that night and then go out into town to visit somewhere where they had delicious hot chocolate - a decadent dessert for my decadent tastes – to top it all off perfectly! What more could a Pink Tutu Queen need?
And sure enough, fate was on my side today - the little town was packed with character and lots of independent shops that looked like they sold quirky gifts, just like my style!
So after the essentials had been found (never leave a city without pink tutu backup, I say!) it was time to follow my usual tourist plan - visit some of the landmarks - for Saint Albans is an ancient Roman town, complete with all the charm that comes with it.
It turns out that, the Romans didn't wear tutus, and in fact, I didn’t find a single Roman ruin in a pink hue! But let’s face it - Roman history can be a bit bland without a little pink tutu magic sprinkled about!
My next stop was Saint Albans Cathedral, a magnificent building filled with history and peacefulness - and very much a necessity on this little adventure - every drag queen has to get a spiritual connection to themselves, every now and again!
To my delight, the church was decorated for Christmas, but there were none of those boring and drab, dreary Christmas tree decorations - I'm talking festive but fabulous - lots of gorgeous red and gold to match the church, which seemed to be adorned with dozens of little gold stars. As usual, my sparkling pink tutu seemed to attract more than its fair share of admiring looks and comments. I just love being the sparkly pinprick of attention amongst so much solemnity - the juxtaposition, it makes for wonderful photographic moments.
It may have been one of the most picturesque buildings in Saint Albans, but my absolute highlight of the day?
It was a real highlight, believe me!
The Saint Albans Museum & Gallery, with an amazing exhibition of historic jewellery. And yes - even history can get a pink-tutu makeover!
You wouldn't believe some of the extravagant and dazzling pieces on display – necklaces with gems as big as your fist, and rings made with rubies, emeralds, sapphires – pure decadence! My eye, as ever, was drawn to the gems with an elegant sparkle; those exquisite, beautiful shades of pink… some of those treasures reminded me of the glitter-tutus I collect; some of them so old - dating back to ancient Rome - some even pre-date ancient Rome - were practically made to be part of my own personal, fabulous wardrobe! I really hope you’ll see my snaps on Instagram soon, I think the jewellery looked positively divine with the backdrop of the town's most dazzling street-wear!
I got into such a festive mood after my jewellery-gazing session, that I popped in to an art supply shop for a little shopping spree. After all, what could possibly be better than crafting a custom made Pink Tutu Sparkle Christmas ornament?! Now, when the town was covered in snowy frost, I could stand outside and look at it, reminiscing on my fabulous travels.
I managed to make my way back through the beautiful streets - the townscape looked much less Roman and a lot more fairy-tale-like in the darkening twilight - and grabbed a table in one of the local tea rooms where I managed to enjoy an amazing cup of hot chocolate that they seemed to have made especially for a queen. I think they just wanted a good story for the locals in the café; a dash of colour in their otherwise quite ordinary tea room, because what is a story without a colourful character to feature?
They even brought me a small festive gingerbread heart shaped biscuit which looked remarkably like a Christmas tutu! They really know how to make a pink tutu queen feel welcomed - and it’s those little personal touches that made my trip so incredibly special.
The people of Saint Albans, from the shopkeepers who helped me choose the very best shades of pink tutu ribbons to the sweetest and kindest owner of the tea shop, were some of the most welcoming and gracious people I’ve met on my travels. The locals treated my glittery outfit as simply a colour to compliment their world - just as it should be!
Now I may not have been in a pink tutu on my trip – even Pink Tutu Sparkles knows to take it down a notch when travelling, as I don’t want to be too distracting - it did look awfully pretty against the stone work and ancient Roman architecture though! My outfit for the journey to Saint Albans was a beautifully-made vintage floral print, which, although far less dramatic than my shimmering stage clothes, was more than enough to set me apart. But I’ll be rocking that sparkly, shimmering number again when I get back on the train! I always leave a place and come back - especially to somewhere as delightful and as much fun as Saint Albans.
As the day drew to a close, I couldn’t help but feel a sense of contentment and satisfaction – it wasn't so much that the world had changed with my pink tutu, but rather, that Saint Albans had changed me – a tiny, sparkly pink dot, shimmering in a world otherwise lost in a sea of muted tones.
Of course, a queen has got to eat – or in my case, dine – so I decided that an intimate dinner for one was exactly what was called for – that wonderful local flavour with a little sparkle, all part of the experience that the queen has been looking for.
A perfect day out - and my pink tutus had already started planning my next adventure... I know where I'll be this time next week! See you all tomorrow for number 331 on www.pink-tutu.com
Your Pink Tutu Queen,
Pink Tutu Sparkles
