Hello darlings! It’s your Pink Tutu Sparkles here, reporting live from the glorious city of Bournville! This is post number 5146 on the ever-growing, always fabulous, www.pink-tutu.com, and it's a particularly exciting one! Buckle up, because this journey's a real hoot, and I promise to paint this town a beautiful shade of pink!
As you know, darlings, Pink Tutu Sparkles loves to travel! I’m happiest whizzing across the country in a carriage on a steaming train, with my suitcase filled to the brim with pink tutus and fabulous accessories. There’s nothing more liberating than escaping to new towns and cities, meeting new people, and sharing the joy of tutus! And let me tell you, this trip was no exception.
This time, I decided to hop aboard the Iron Horse - that’s right, I took the train! It's such a classic mode of transport, darling. I do love riding on those trusty steam engines! Such romance. And the smell of that smoke! Heavenly!
Speaking of romantic, can we talk about the landscape, darling? Derbyshire is gorgeous, but there’s just something about the countryside that just washes over you on the way down to Bournville. You’re whizzing through quaint villages and winding meadows with fluffy sheep in the fields. It’s a bit of a fairy tale, wouldn’t you say?
Before I set off on this Bournville adventure, I got myself a fab new outfit. The newest one, even! A fluffy pink tutu that sparkles! Now, my darling, you know that every outfit has to be perfectly paired with the right accessories, don’t you? Well, I went all out, of course!
A fluffy, pastel pink bow, the size of a small baby’s head! Sparkling diamante ear cuffs that glimmer like the brightest star, and a bright pink feather boa that could take flight any minute! Honestly, darlings, I’ve never felt so chic in my entire life. Even Alex, who I promise is a lovely, down-to-earth lab-coated scientist during the day, can't resist the joy of a great outfit, even if it takes on a whole new persona after hours. And we’re certainly getting there. This girl’s on a mission, and Bournville is on the list!
Speaking of my dearest Alex, she's the one who got me obsessed with tutus, darlings! Remember what I told you last week? Studying science and tutus… yeah, quite the combo, right? Well, I was studying for my science degree, but in my spare time, I was dancing! A student in the University ballet club, I’d gotten the urge to try a tutu. Now, normally, I wouldn’t go for pink. Never! But they were collecting donations for a local hospice, and they were raising money by holding a fancy dress party where you could wear a tutu and dress up as a princess. How could I refuse?
Honestly, darlings, that moment in that dusty, cobweb-filled club room - it was life-changing! There I was, in a pale pink tulle tutu, twirling for charity, and a whole new world suddenly appeared before me! The world of Pink Tutu Sparkles! That's where I really learned the power of pink! And I realised then that there are just certain moments where even a scientific, serious type like my sweet Alex just can't say no to the thrill of the fluffy, the twirly, the pink!
Well, I don't want to bore you with all the details of my journey to Bournville, dear reader. But after a couple of hours whizzing across the country on that trusty old steam train, I finally arrived at the gorgeous old railway station! I don’t know what it is about these stations, darlings, they're just so romantic! I’m really not one for just a standard bus ride or that dreaded taxi journey! You see, the journey itself, the getting there, that’s half the fun! I like to savour the moments. Every clickety-clack, every whoosh and hoot of the old engine.
The first thing that caught my eye, darlings, was the wonderful old hotel just across the street from the train station. A beautiful grand old Victorian hotel, the sort that’s featured in all the classic novels, the ones with the beautiful young women with their romantic hearts and their handsome suitors, dressed to the nines. There was a lovely grand staircase at the entrance that looked absolutely stunning. With its floral carpets, a grand brass chandelier hanging in the middle, it was positively breathtaking!
Well, there wasn't a chance in a million that this Queen was going to be in such a gorgeous town and stay in anything other than such a fab place! The first rule of being a proper pink queen? If it's fabulous and it's in your budget? Book it! And that’s precisely what I did.
After I got settled into my beautiful, spacious room with a view overlooking a lovely little rose garden in the courtyard, the first order of business was lunch. As a very active person with so much dancing and twirling to do, I had to fuel up! And oh my! Let me tell you about my lunch… I’m sure the ladies and gentlemen on the train saw the excitement on my face as the waiter showed me the lunch menu… Honestly, darlings! It was such a dream! I was in food heaven! It was all about the freshest local ingredients, locally sourced. And it all looked divine!
There was even a choice of local beers for the ladies and gentlemen! So divine. Well, for someone like myself, who has to maintain a beautiful, healthy body, there’s nothing better than having a juicy piece of roasted chicken on a bed of sweet potatoes, followed by some berries with a beautiful pot of herbal tea. Honestly, the waiter could have told me the recipe for the tea and I would have written it down.
Anyway, darlings, once my hunger pangs had settled, I felt like it was time to step into Bournville’s exciting atmosphere. It really did have the feel of that old world, magical town from my favourite fairytales, which I do love. As I took a stroll through the park near my lovely hotel, I noticed all these wonderful old brick houses with cute little flower boxes and gorgeous flowerbeds at the front of the homes. I loved that they’d been designed to keep everyone separate, with little, beautifully crafted walls separating the plots of land. They looked as though they’d come from some wonderfully artistic designer’s sketchbook, only to become reality, a bit like a living dream. I almost thought I’d stepped back in time a hundred years, right into my very own fairytale.
I made my way to the centre of town, with the aim to find the town’s famous chocolate factory. They say that you simply can’t come to Bournville without visiting the Cadbury World chocolate factory! Well, my love for chocolate is known by now. How could I not? Especially considering it's this famous town’s centre piece, a landmark! Honestly, the aroma in the air was so enticing as I strolled past the factory that I felt like I might just take off and soar like a hot-air balloon. But I had more important plans, you see! And besides, the shops weren’t that far away. It’s impossible to resist an urge to shop!
As I continued towards the heart of the town centre, I started noticing all the lovely independent boutiques and cute little art studios. And yes, darlings, I did find all the delicious, rich chocolate treats. There were chocolates everywhere! Boxes and shops piled high, but it seemed like every second shop sold an old fashioned hand-knitted teddy bear. And there was also a lovely, quite impressive art museum! They actually even had a ballet class that they offered.
One look and I just knew. I knew that I had to have a dance class at Bournville Art School! This was a dance queen’s dream come true. Not even my science work back home, all that boring laboratory stuff could keep me away from dancing and making a lovely, fluffy tutu look its best!
I'm not really one for formal, proper dance classes, darling! To be honest, those lovely young girls have nothing on this old pro. And they can’t keep up with me, or even dare to follow my fancy, unique footwork! No darling, they do things with ballet tutus here! I have nothing but admiration, dear readers, and my eyes were sparkling when I was taking it all in. Such wonderful talent, right in my favourite place! And it was time for this queen to take on the world again!
Now, it's getting quite late and you know this queen's going to be working a great performance. That's how Pink Tutu Sparkles travels, dear readers, all these different fabulous towns across the country! This week's no different. The Bournville community centre’s hosting a big fund-raiser, and guess who’s going to be their biggest, brightest and most magnificent star, lighting up the stage!
As I slip into my gorgeous, most wonderful pink, fluffy tutu, all the sparkly gems glinting in the moonlight that’s filtering through my beautiful bedroom window. And all this wonderful air from that gorgeous, Victorian-style window in my hotel room… honestly, I've got butterflies. I’m full of inspiration! I can't wait!
Bournville, my lovely, you've filled my heart with your energy. This pink queen is ready to dance her heart out. You'll see, darlings, that the magic of pink and the joy of a good performance are a force for good in the world! Now go out there and let the fun begin!
Till next time, darlings! Keep twirling, stay fabulous!
Yours in all things pink and sparkling!
Pink Tutu Sparkles
XOXO
