Oh darling, London! I just adore this city, the history, the fashion, the fabulous energy! I’ve been here so many times in my real life (as Alex the scientist, testing those fabulous new fabrics!) but I haven’t been to London as my fabulous, glamorous drag persona – Pink Tutu Sparkles – since I graced the stage of the Royal Opera House with my very special rendition of ‘The Nutcracker’ in my sparkling tutu last Christmas! And oh my, my London loves, I must say that a year away from this place has simply not been long enough!
I decided that my first proper journey here would have to be a true Pink Tutu Sparkles adventure - so of course, no mere aeroplane was going to get me here. I found the most divine pink-striped vintage caravan – a true show-stopper and an absolute bargain on eBay. I call her Pinkalicious. The owner was a little worried about me driving Pinkalicious down to London with my three dancers but she assured me it would be fine - apparently she gets dragged to Brighton a lot with her husband, a true sweetie! (Although, darling, he didn’t even blink an eyelid at Pinkalicious, much to the owner's bemusement! Perhaps the caravan does attract certain personalities?!) Anyway, we took a rather roundabout, scenic route, travelling all the way from my home in Derbyshire down to the Essex countryside for a traditional seaside car boot sale on Sunday and even stayed the night in my pink sparkly caravan by the sea, making new friends and having a fab time!
And yes darling, this is all going in the fabulous, sparkling pink travel journal that I keep – you wouldn’t believe some of the amazing things that happen on the road to TutuQueen’s big city adventures. Ahem, cough, cough like the little man with a purple top hat who insisted on getting his photo taken next to Pinkalicious as it stood gleaming like a big pink diamond, amongst a multitude of dull grey caravans. I tell you, dear reader, life as TutuQueen is truly one big, beautiful performance – and darling, my love, every single minute of it is glorious!
But back to my trip… I have to say the journey from Essex down to London wasn't my favourite - it's a shame, isn't it, that all those wonderful railway lines to the city from the East were built in the nineteenth century - so now all we have to do is join the daily queues of cars heading to London! It always makes me wonder if I might just find a lovely pony in a field that wants to take me for a quick spin on the road (or maybe even a fast gallop to Buckingham Palace) because those roads can be quite a chore. Still, even that little bit of stress didn’t get to this Queen, darling - a good sprinkle of glitter and a strong dose of sunshine can always take care of a little frustration!
Thankfully Pinkalicious is very stylish (as we all are here in the TutuQueen world) so we were parking in a chic mews near a fantastic vintage hotel. Oh my darling, this is a truly fab boutique, hidden in a narrow backstreet close to a whole gaggle of those super trendy cafes and eateries in Notting Hill. This part of the city really is the epitome of vintage style, perfect for me to strut my stuff with a dramatic swoosh of my fab pink tutu (and not to forget, darling, all those glorious feathers! Because no TutuQueen is ever complete without her feathered frolic!).
The owner of the hotel – she’s a divine blonde with the best collection of antique furniture in all of Notting Hill, or so she told me! - is called Polly (although, darling, you would call her ‘Pollyanna’ from the way she twirls around the hotel with her big pink bag full of old postcards that she hopes to flog to us ‘fashionistas’, oh how funny that she’s called Polly – I wonder if it's short for Pollyanna – or perhaps Polyamorous?) She loves that I call Pinkalicious 'The Glam Mobile' (oh I'm so funny sometimes) and insists that it should take a spot of honour in the mews so her clients (especially the rather well-dressed gentlemen who seemed rather impressed by my feathers and my pink caravan!) could marvel at it. Oh darling, I can't help being popular…
So what has TutuQueen got in store for this, our fabulous, pink, dazzling London week, dear reader? Well, as I'm not going to bore you with the nitty-gritty of my rehearsals and performance routines (Darling, every performance has to be a unique creation and there's no chance you’re getting those inside tips, I’ll only share my magic with you on stage), what I can tell you is this…
First off, my darling loves, we have my special ‘Pinkalicious Pink Tutu Ball’ - you will just have to come and find me and Pinkalicious there on the night (we will be giving a fabulous sparkly show – complete with a spectacular entrance in Pinkalicious of course!) and it's a proper ‘Pinkalicious Pink Tutu’ night where everyone is invited, the more pink, sparkle and feathers the better! The ball is taking place in a beautiful ballroom in a converted Georgian townhouse with fabulous chandeliers, stained glass and intricate patterns that just have to be seen! I expect it will be very glamorous – so be sure to bring your very best dancing shoes, your pinkest outfits, and if you're lucky maybe even your pet ferret (because everything in TutuQueen's life has to be a bit ‘fabulous and fierce’, don’t you think? ) It's going to be a riot of colour and joy for everyone, so just relax, darling, and remember to have fun.
You can find out everything you need to know (that I'm willing to share!) on www.pink-tutu.com. My gorgeous Pink Tutu crew (the angels that make it all possible – because I can't do everything!) will also be giving the final countdown and instructions on Instagram and Twitter (although of course darling, I never mention their names! What do you think I am, some kind of tacky blogger? ). Just look for #TutuQueen. And do send me a lovely snapchat of you with Pinkalicious if you catch a glimpse - maybe with a beautiful shot of that sunset with the pink hues reflected off Pinkalicious, darling. And, my dears, you can keep a very close eye on our Pink Tutu social media channels, to find out what fabulous shops and events we’ve found during our trip! Oh, we are doing so much, it’s really exhausting!
Right, my love, the call of a million glitter sparkles awaits! I'm off to the fab hair and makeup studio just down the road – you just have to know how important the right wig and sparkly blusher are – there is nothing worse than having to redo the whole routine after that opening number! Now darling, I have to hurry. The TutuQueen has a grand performance and fabulous photoshoot coming up (oh, there will be some special surprises, I promise!), and a big date with my dance team - but never fear my dearest love, darling. I will write again soon. So take care of yourselves, stay fabulous, be fearless and above all be Pink! (Just a little bit!). Love you always, your Pink Tutu Sparkles!
P.S. Darling, be sure to take a peek at the special offer for the most beautiful ballet boutique in London that's offering all TutuQueens 25% off - they also make custom-designed tutu dresses and tutus in any colour (so obviously a must-have for all the girls!)
P.P.S Remember, all of TutuQueen’s adventures can be read online - don’t be a silly sausage and try and follow me everywhere (there are just too many Pinkalicious photo calls to handle, my love, honestly! But you can catch some gorgeous snaps on the pink-tutu.com site!
