Shiver me timberrrrrrrrrrrrs!!!

It's been a busy couple of days. After the train debacle and then late orchestra on Thursday, I got home just before midnight on Friday after a concert and then on Saturday, we were out at a pirate party!

A friend of CBC's, who he met through the Olympic drumming, was celebrating his 40th birthday aboard the Golden Hinde in London. We were all asked to dress as pirates!

For anyone who doesn't know, the Golden Hinde is a carefully built replica of the ship that Sir Francis Drake used to circumnavigate the Globe during Queen Elizabeth's reign. The journey and the adventures that he and his crew had is truly an astounding one, and well worth reading about. I had some knowledge of it due to a book I read at school with my Year 4's. The lady who was the manager for the evening told us SO much information about the voyages. She was fascinating and it was a real privilege to sit on a large chest by a canon and imagine you were living 500 years ago! We learnt all about Thomas Doubtey, the captain of one of the other ships who was part of that voyage and how Sir Francis had him killed for mutiny and treason, about the incredible way Drake was able to out-think all the other captains and people he met on the journey, the incredible risks and near-death moments they experienced, and just how hard life would have been on a Tudor ship!

We were allowed to walk all over the boat and visit the different places. The bar and the majority of the action happened in the hold and indeed was the warmest place aboard the ship- it was a particularly arctic night yesterday!

CBC wore his trusty white Darcy shirt from the Vintage Shirt company that has been used in so many costumes, along with my navy velvet jacket, red trousers and he bought a tricorn, eye-patch and earring and a super fake parrot!

As usual, I bought nothing new and sourced items from my wardrobe! I wore a 10-year old white cotton shirt from Mango that has all sorts of ties to it and looked rather piratey with a La-redoute waistcoat, ruffled black skirt, knee-high boots, Primark horrible gold-coin necklace, single earring, and vintage red polka dot headscarf plus my pocket watch (obviously stolen from a gentleman sailor whose ship I pillaged. Alas, I had left my very piratey black velvet jacket at St John's, Smith Square the night before so I couldn't wear that!

I also used it as an opportunity to wear some of the many rings I own. I don't wear them at all nowadays, except on rare occasions, so I wore them as signs of my looting! (featuring left to right: wedding ring, Balinese silver and abalone shell ring, Primark 'sapphire' ring, Primark 'moonstone' ring, silver Unicorn ring, Russian wedding ring, jet ring, silver childhood ring)

The ship was pretty incredible. You had to keep your head low at all times as the ceilings were so low and the thought of spending THREE years on a ship like this fills me with absolute dread- poor sailors! I banged my head at least 4 times! When everyone had arrived, the hold was pretty warm!

Entertainment came in the form of a two-man pirate-themed comedy band called 'Jolly Boat' who sang us some absolutely hilarious songs and had the pirate jokes going all the time! The birthday boy ordered 24 pizzas and we enjoyed eating those in the cabins!

The costumes were impressive. There were at least 40 people there I reckon and all wore different costumes. From the birthday boy in impressive Johnny Depp costume, to the pirate CD necklace round one girl's neck, buxom wench and THE most hilarious enormous parrot. Sorry to blonde-girl featured, but this was only shot I could get of the parrot!!

If you're in London at all, go and visit the Golden Hinde- it's SUCH an interesting place to visit and the woman really knew alot about it! We had a fab time by all accounts.

Have you visited it?