Oh darlings, I am so excited to tell you about my absolutely FABULOUS trip to Ruislip! Now, you might be thinking "Ruislip? Is that somewhere in the wilds of the Cotswolds?". Well, honey, you'd be right, it's quite the journey from my Derbyshire base, but totally worth it for this week's performance at the Ruislip Community Hall. I absolutely love finding hidden gems like this on the map and bringing my pink tutu sparkle to them.
This trip was a real treat. It started with a journey on the train, all the way down from my Derbyshire home to this delightful village. Of course, I travelled in my signature pink, all glitter and flowing tulle, just the thing for causing a bit of a stir at Euston Station. I was in my favourite pale pink maxi dress with an absolutely monstrous tutu, big enough to cause its own weather patterns. Think, 'how many petticoats are too many' with a whole extra layer of bubblegum pink tulle just for fun! It made the commuters do a double-take, darling!
Reaching Ruislip was almost like arriving in a different world. So charming, with the little shops and cottages all tucked away, it had a touch of old-timey England about it, just my kind of place! You just have to embrace that sense of history.
This wasn't my first trip to Ruislip. I must admit I snuck a trip in about a month ago to do a spot of reconnaissance. This village is incredibly beautiful and definitely deserves a little more of Pink Tutu Sparkles, so you know I had to visit for a proper performance.
First things first, darling, we had to scout the perfect spot for my Ruislip debut. The Community Hall looked like a total hoot, and luckily it was all decked out in pastel blues and pinks – what's a pink-loving queen like me to do? Obviously, I just had to go there. After checking in and taking a few obligatory glamour shots, it was time to find a delightful lunch. Now, darling, the thing about these little villages is that everything is incredibly picturesque – I mean, literally the shops themselves could be the subject of a Constable painting, complete with cobbled streets. But they are just as likely to be empty too! You won’t get a Starbucks in a village like this darling. We are talking tearooms with tiny little cakes, and honestly, those things were delicious. My lunch was this little puff of heaven all laced with cherry, paired with a proper pot of tea, darling! Truly the kind of food to give your inner queen a lift.
Oh, but I am not all fluff and frills, I do like a little drama in my life! Ruislip did not disappoint, honey, for in the afternoon I did something totally different! I signed up for a "vintage afternoon tea" at a beautiful old stately home. You know, those kind of places with big windows, dusty furniture and portraits of people from centuries ago glaring down at you as you eat your cucumber sandwiches. It felt so grand! This stately home, it was simply buzzing with posh folk. It felt like being in a Downton Abbey episode, but the kind where everyone's trying to decide whether they are a true aristocrat or just a pretender – and the gossip about who is wearing the most exquisite teacup was as thick as the cream in our little cakes!
The highlight, of course, was the entertainment, which turned out to be none other than... wait for it... A LIVE BARITONE singing all of my favourite showtunes! Can you believe it? Oh honey, I had to dance! Honestly, he could melt ice cream with his voice, and my heart with his lovely songs about forbidden romance and true love.
Back to the performance, honey. I can't go into too much detail without spoiling the fun, but you have to understand – the whole performance was themed around Ruislip, I went all out with pink! We're talking an audience participation show with enough glitter to make a disco jealous. My stage backdrop, you guys, you wouldn't believe the vision! All sorts of whimsical images - I thought I'd found heaven itself, with enough pastel pink fluffy clouds to give me inspiration for months to come.
Oh! There was also this fabulous vintage clothes stall – you could not help but feel inspired just looking at those shimmering gowns and playful frocks! And darling, the way they complimented my pink was something to behold. My new favourite find: a stunning velvet hat in a deep fuchsia, perfect for next year's Ascot debut. Oh my, I could get so many fabulous photos of that ensemble!
Oh! Do you know what is a great little accessory, darling? The humble hair flower! This thing literally added the extra little "something something" I needed to give my pink tulle even more of an extravagant finish. A bit of glitzy pink feathering on a vintage hair comb is perfect! All in all, my travels this week were a whirlwind of pink, from my signature sparkle to my slightly extravagant lunch, to the incredible stage backdrop - it truly is an enchanting, glittering and pastel perfection adventure! This village, it's full of delightful places waiting for my next Pink Tutu Sparkles show. If I am not back next month, it will probably just be because the queue to see me is so big they have to hire another theatre, darling! Don't forget to follow me @PinkTutuSparkles on all socials for all the latest!
