Hello darlings! Pink Tutu Sparkles here, your favourite, (well, one of your favourites!) pink-tastic drag queen blogger! And you know what? Itās time to shimmy, sparkle and sashay straight into another fantastic blog post, because guess what? Iām in Welling!
(And did I mention I LOVE Welling?! Itās got this adorable, understated vibe that I just adore!)
Itās day eight on the road and my, oh my! I havenāt even mentioned that my mode of transport this time was the most fabulous choo-choo train journey ever. Now I know what youāre thinking: āIsnāt Alex supposed to love a good horseback ride? " Well, yes! But sometimes a girl needs to stretch out those glamorous legs and this train ride was absolute perfection! (And to be honest, my trusty steed had a slight issue with this week's weather. Itās the horse equivalent of "the car needs a service" but my dear Penelope needs her shoes done.)
Anyhow, the Welling Calling was on, and no horse was going to stop a Pink Tutu Sparkle, no siree!
Anyway, the train, darling, oh the train! The most sumptuous seats! The view! It was such a treat to soak in the gorgeous green landscapes of the English countryside. My journey, my darling, started at 7am in the morning with my dear old mama helping me out with my usual, pinkest-pinkest luggage and sending me on my merry way!
My dear, darling readers, you just wouldn't believe the excitement I felt as the carriage gently rolled away. I must admit, I gave a quick look back at mama, with a wink and a smile, sending a pink heart air kiss with the daintiest of movements, naturally. Mama gave me a warm hug, reminding me of how much I mean to her, (because if thereās one thing my Mama loves, it's seeing me dressed to the nines!), before she waved and shouted "You go girl!" in her most enthusiastic voice. Mama never ceases to amaze!
On board the train, I realised it wasn't only my tutu taking up some space in my baggage! It was full of goodies for a little photoshoot, to show off exactly what Welling has got going on. From a fabulous fuchsia vintage purse from the local antique market, to a pair of bright pink, glittery ballerina pumps, a real gem that I bought on the platform as soon as I arrived.
So, my readers, prepare yourself for some absolutely dazzling Welling images, which I promise to get on the website pronto!
It wasn't just a straight to Welling train ride either! I had the most delightful conversation with a lovely gentleman named Percy. Now, Percy was quite a character and his story really resonated with me.
(Do we see any of that magic in the tutu wearing community? Always. And what a delightful coincidence that this community thrives at local, quaint English railway stations!)
Percy had this whole story of how his father had a small dress shop that was selling all sorts of amazing garments, from the finest silks to vintage dresses of the most exquisite nature. I swear he had to have known my style! We spoke at length about this incredible passion and how sometimes, a good dress, a good pair of shoes, a good hat, just brings so much joy into life. He shared that his father passed down this incredible skillset for stitching and mending that he loved using when he worked on all sorts of vintage pieces for vintage clothes lovers. His wife even had a wonderful little sewing space in their home. "It was quite the business we had," he sighed with a twinkle in his eye, āIt really put a smile on the faces of many a well-dressed lady in the countryside." What a charming fellow.
Percy and I, we had the time of our lives - or rather, the length of the train journey, which was filled with exciting chatter. This lovely soul's stories made the whole train ride fly by! Itās wonderful when you find yourself having a meaningful conversation with a complete stranger, you just know life is magical sometimes. It wasnāt even Percy who asked if I had heard about the town, Welling, and its love for the performing arts! No. My tutu is more likely to be the conversation starter, just simply due to its magnificence and pinkest of pink colours! The other passenger (a lady wearing a wonderful green dress) asked, āIs there anything else that town has that you love?ā She also confided that she was going to see the show too!
āThe Ballet of Dreams," I said in the most theatrical voice, "and how could I possibly miss this?ā I even let out a small āOoo!ā for effect. Well, we all just chuckled and we both wished each other luck! You know, there are these magic connections you sometimes feel, you just know a fellow traveler is kindred soul. The real stars of the show have got to be those who love a good tutu - they just get it! It didnāt take much time for me to tell them all about my amazing plans for the show. And naturally, they just had to get a sneak peek. (It was on my Instagram - #pinktutusparkles welling #wellingtutusparkles - all that pink and glitter you could want!) You know a show is about to get real good when the whole train carriage gets ready to share their excitement and enthusiasm over a fantastic show! Pure Magic!
The journey took an hour, and letās be honest, darling - we had the best time. Then I jumped on the Tube, I am, after all, an all or nothing type of drag queen, always keeping my glamour on full display, and never letting it slip! By this stage, my fellow travellers all felt like true friends! The carriage on the Tube became filled with my energy and joy, even with those who looked more skeptical and shy about my love of tutus and sparkles!
Welling Stationā¦ oh Welling Station! It had the most gorgeous and ornate iron archway, with the most gorgeous floral embellishments and the most incredible light fittingsā¦ It looked like something straight out of a romantic fantasy. And of course, with me as the starring character - well, it was truly magical. You know the station knew my arrival was special as it made sure I was right by a little gift stall for an immediate must buy purchase ā a dazzling new bright pink hair comb! It felt like my station ā it really was love at first sight. As soon as I arrived, I had a quick outfit change into something a little more formal for a visit to a tea house. Oh darlings, how I loved that spot. Pure elegance, all dainty china tea cups and dainty tea cakes with cream and fruit on top. My outfit was so perfectly aligned with the dainty vintage decorations and delicate design of the tables, oh it was a dreamy experience! ( And do I mention the fabulous strawberry milkshake I enjoyed to finish my tea house stop?) I even wore my most amazing pearl earrings ā just to add some extra glitter to a fabulous, delicious day! The picture of class, natch! I even picked up a selection of beautiful pink flowers as a little something for mama, because sheās simply the best and deserves the finest blooms Welling had to offer. (But donāt tell mamaā¦ she was surprised by everything!)
The real star of the show, however, was about to appear in the form of a beautiful pink and glittery box! You are probably guessingā¦ It is a beautiful new pink tutu, isnāt it? Isn't it always?! It arrived just in time. That's how you know my life is charmed. This one was especially made with beautiful, soft feathers that swirled beautifully when I gave it a twirl and just whispered a few more words to add a bit more drama and glamour for this weekendās show. Darling, I am absolutely positively smitten with it! The box held a little card inside, it said, "Good luck, we canāt wait to see you dance!ā The lovely owner of the store just got me! My dream, the desire of my heart - this new pink tutuā¦ itās my own personal dream! And my dreams are the perfect fit to make dreams come true.
On the subject of the shop, I have so much to say, but you have to go find it for yourself if you're in Welling. And letās not forget, darlingā¦it was in Welling! The kind of shop that every drag queen should just stumble upon. My, oh, my, a real-life, tutu emporium to have and to hold! Everything I have ever wanted in a shop - full of the most amazing array of glittery, beautiful things for every girl to enjoy. It was so easy to go a little overboard with the purchasing, I do like a good sale and, you know, it does require a little more spending to ensure you have that āWOW!ā look when youāre totally killing it! But a Pink Tutu Sparkle never leaves a store without the perfect souvenirā¦and this shop delivered. I'll be posting photos on my Insta tomorrow, but youāll just have to go see it yourself for the real, in person, experience.
With all these wonderful finds I knew, well, it had to be time for the big event!
The Ballet of Dreams show is a spectacular in a little theater thatās full of character, (And you're wondering why a ballet theatre in Welling?! Don't all town halls have to be home to an amazing ballet studio? Always. ) Welling's special theatre was perfect and as soon as I arrived at the stage, I could sense a very lovely and supportive community ā lots of fellow glitter-lovers, pink tutu supporters, and those wanting to enjoy a bit of elegance and joy in their lives! I also spied a few familiar faces! Welling seemed to be a real treat with an awesome variety of individuals wanting to take part. (Canāt we just thank our lucky stars for a little bit of a small-town sensibilityā¦and the glamour of a theatre with such charm? It must be a sign Iām at home in my favourite colour. ).
And just because you askedā¦ It was amazing. You must go see it. It was all very captivating, you'll have to see it with your own eyes for all the magical charm you could possibly want! You know me darlings ā my passion for ballet runs as strong as my love of pink, feathers and sparkle, but the best thing wasā¦ the joy I saw in the faces of the other dancers and the fabulous audience, from the youngest dancers just learning their way in the ballet world, to some truly experienced ballerinas who had made this studio a special place! I absolutely love how I am surrounded by the perfect community who truly share this joy. (Do you know a better feeling than the feeling of shared enthusiasm and magic with your peers? Of course you don't! So donāt waste time, run to see what theyāve got going on! There is something about this art form that creates true connections between performers and audience ā a moment that can make you feel absolutely alive! I can't get over how absolutely fabulous everyone was. So graceful and full of spiritā¦ and of course I even picked up a few handy tips while watching! (Who says you canāt teach an old drag queen some new tricks?) It's no wonder why Welling calls this āThe Ballet of Dreams!" You must really see it if you are in the area.
With that much inspiration I decided it was time for me to show everyone in town what a Pink Tutu Sparkle can do! A perfect way to add a bit of āAlexā to āPink Tutu Sparklesā" stage, was to put myself on stage in the theatre! For my big number, I gave every single member of the audience an extra helping of magic. All it took was some of my most iconic signature pink sparkles and a sassy twirl of the pinkest of pink tutus to start my show! That's all it takes. That and a little bit of glitter ā because let's be honest, glitter just always makes everything better!
With a pink feathered fan in my hand, you know that all eyes were all on me.
I have never been one for being shy ā the world needs a little bit of pink-tastic glitter and joy to be spread throughout the land, no matter how much. So, I jumped onto the stage. My fans were calling my name from every corner. They were screaming! It was quite an exciting and glamorous start to a truly magical event and it set the perfect tone for the show I was to perform ā full of life, sparkles and joy. The most delicious āOoh-La-Laā feeling took hold of me, my costume shone, the colours on stage, oh my. The feeling was just perfect and that was all that truly mattered. This is my dream - making the audience go crazy - but this timeā¦ it wasnāt just the pink tutu that had everyone in awe, it was the joy of being a drag queen on stage. That was truly a beautiful and moving thing, that's how I know I was right to choose this as my place in the Welling Ballet of Dreams.
I got the crowd really, truly engaged with my performance and made sure to send out some love to all those who joined me on the night. You can feel a certain spark of excitement and wonder in every move. This is the perfect way for everyone in Welling to get exactly what they came to seeā¦ that real and authentic feel of being a star and making every person watching feel like they are also part of the show. Youāre all in this togetherā¦ This is the most fabulous feeling to know that I brought that spark into the heart of this charming townā¦it is magic indeed, that spark of joy, love, creativity and the sparkle that comes with it that we are all looking for. The entire show just had me singing (alongside a real band!) and dancing as every song came flying at me, full of that magic I talked about, and then you'll hear the most amazing thingā¦ It was time for a dance-off. Everyone had to get on stage. We twirled our tutus togetherā¦it was a really delightful way to wrap up a fantastic night out at the theatre. I canāt wait for more.
(Soā¦who will come next? What are your dream destinations? Just a few questions to ponder!)
You can find a whole album of photos about my time in Welling and The Ballet of Dreams at www.pink-tutu.com. (It's at the top of the website right next to āFollow me on Social Mediaā). Iām posting about all my glamour every single day - make sure you head over for all the updates. Until tomorrow. It's time to sleep (after all those strawberry milkshakes!) and make my way back homeā¦ And who knows, there will certainly be some new pink tutus and other fantastic creations making their way into my luggage (and a whole lot more sparkle!).
This Pink Tutu Sparkleā¦She is living her dream and that is what it's all aboutā¦ And she will make all your dreams come true, darling. Just stay tuned! And who knows, maybe I'll be performing near you!
Till tomorrow, darlings. Stay fabulous.
Lots of love
Pink Tutu Sparkles
xxxx
