Pink Tutu Sparkles here, darlings, reporting live from the bustling town of Grays, Essex! Can you believe it? Me, Pink Tutu Sparkles, travelling by train to this lovely town, all to share the magic of pink tutus with you!
As always, it's an absolute delight to bring you a new blog post from the road, this time, showcasing the colourful sights of Grays and my latest adventures in tulle!
This little trip began bright and early, catching the train with a symphony of suitcases, all overflowing with a riot of pink tulle, feathers, glitter and of course, the all-important pink tutu. Letās just say the carriage was definitely in for a treat. Itās funny, how sometimes youāre in such a rush getting to the station you totally forget to change into your sparkly stagewear! Luckily, my ever-faithful pink travel case is like a mobile dressing room! Just zip, zip, unzip and voila! The train carriage was filled with bewildered, yet definitely charmed passengers, who couldnāt resist beaming at the sight of a pink tutu strutting up the aisle! You'd think they'd have seen it all by now on these trains but even the grumpy old chap in the corner had to smile. I swear he winked, too! Thatās the power of a pink tutu!
Itās actually quite a bit further than I thought, Grays. I always get a little giddy when the countryside scenery whizzes past the window and the towns grow more unfamiliar, full of little surprises to discover!
I arrived at Grays railway station, all the hustle and bustle of London buzzing around, and you know what, itās surprisingly bustling for a small town! It feels vibrant and full of character, with those cute brick houses lining the high street and lots of independent shops, cafes and restaurants. There was even a cute, tiny ice cream shop, but sadly I couldn't partake as I was on my way to meet a little old lady who had invited me over to perform for her knitting club. Apparently, Iām the first ever āPink Tutu Performing Artistā theyāve had at their monthly meeting, so I wanted to bring the glitter and the fun! She seemed a little bewildered when I arrived, but her face brightened as she saw the dazzling pink tutu and thatās all that mattered! I think even she ended up shimmying along to my little routine in the end, bless her. She's one brave lady, you have to give her that, I'm pretty sure there were about 15 sets of granny-glasses squinting at my performance and they still seemed thrilled to bits!
As always, I felt an immediate kinship with these ladies. It reminded me of being back in my Derbyshire ballet class as a child ā those special ladies always reminding you of what true joy looked like with every plie and arabesque! So much history, tradition and joy tucked away in those knitting circles and you know what? We've all got the power to make it sparkly and bring those beautiful elements to life.
Grays truly embraces its independent spirit and local businesses are thriving. We dined out at this darling little Thai cafe (I love Thai! Itās my favourite!), surrounded by locals, and you know what, it was the best Thai Iāve ever had! We sipped on lemongrass tea while catching up with a little chat. The owner, this beautiful lady called Margaret, told me all about her dreams of opening a cafe serving cakes and coffee, the colour pink and filled with pink tutus everywhere. We immediately hit it off, and of course, I promised to help her on her mission to embrace the magic of pink tutus, who would ever say no to that?!
My favourite part about exploring Grays? Itās not always just the sights, though letās be honest, they are lovely! Itās the genuine interactions, the conversations over cups of tea, and the sharing of stories that really make a place special. And Grays is truly special ā with its charming mix of traditional and contemporary, its dedication to creativity, and the welcoming spirit of the locals. And the icing on the cake? Thereās just something magical about experiencing this world in a pink tutu!
And what do you know? The old lady in the knitting club? Well, after my performance, she asked for me to come back and do a little session teaching them how to knit pink tutus. What could be better? It looks like Grays is embracing its pink side, and I can't wait to be a part of this little fairytale adventure!
So, here's to Grays, to knitting clubs, Thai food, lemongrass tea, pink tutus and those special little moments in between that remind us why travelling the world is so worth it. Stay tuned, darlings, for more travel tales and pink tutu adventures, as we embrace the colourful world that awaits us all, one fabulous strut at a time. Donāt forget to visit me over at www.pink-tutu.com for daily blog posts about all the fabulous places I visit, or visit me for a drag performance. See you next time, darlings!
Pink Tutu Sparkles xo
