World Book Day 2024 Costume

Hello there!

I hope you are well!

Finally managed to get around to getting the photos of my World Book Day outfit from my work colleague!

Remember, I told you my school was donning PJs or World Book Day.

I was very disappointed to say the least as was one of my lovely pupils!

I decided I could get round this.

I remember illustrations from JM Barrie's Peter Pan depict Wendy and her siblings in long white cotton night shirts and gown.

I also knew that I had my Mum's white cotton full-length nightgown from when she was one of the Major General's daughters in The Pirates of Penzance.

So, I donned this nightgown on a Thursday at school. Sadly, I decided it was a bit too wafty and nippy to wear on the train to work (much as I delight in the bemused side-eye from commuters when I sit there in costume) so I had to change on my way. I wore my Avid Reader's Book club sweatshirt from Joanie on the way.

I thought carefully about my accessories.

You might be able to spot the anchors on my white ballet pumps- a nod to the nautical setting for the story. Sadly, it's probably their last outing as the sole of one shoe had broken apart and disintegrated. There were bits of my shoe everywhere.

My hair got totally messed up in the wind but I added my purple Lady-tie bow into my hair.

Tinkerbell made an appearance!!! I decided to add this brooch as a nod to my character....even though Tink doesn't like Wendy!

 Did people recognise who I was?

Some of the kids thought I was a ghost, one colleague thought I was Jesus, a few weren't sure, several admired my lovely summer dress and yes, a few knew I was Wendy!

Would you have realised who I was?

I managed to incorporate World Book Day into my singing assemblies that week.

Either the Schools Musicals company or Out of the Ark had 2 free songs available on the theme which I taught to the children.  I also played the William Tell overture to KS2 and told them the story of William Tell and played the story of The Noon day witch by Dvorak to KS1.

Oh, by the way...

My choir got through to the final of my local area's Primary Year of the Year competition.

We were one of 6 schools chosen out of  the 24 who entered!  My choir were EUPHORIC to find out on Tuesday as was I!

Now, I have 3 rehearsals to get them ready for the final!

xx

The Dead Secret

Wilkie Collins, a friend of Charles Dickens has a great gift for creating a mystery that you long to discover and have found out by the characters in a book. The Dead Secret is a book that was actually published before his more well known The Moonstone and The woman in white and contains the sense of mystery that he does so well in these other books. The interesting thing is, something that Collins was criticised for at the time of publishing, he reveals the mystery at the start of the book and then the book is mainly about the character trying to find out the mystery. I think it works really well. Though you know what the mystery is or indeed, suspect the finer details of it, he still keeps you guessing throughout. The characters are well written with interesting histories. There is a sense of nobleness (nobility seems wrong here- but I don't know which one is right) in the characters and it's nice to trust in their integrity. The premise of the book is that a lady lies on her deathbed summoning her maid who she commands to write a letter revealing a mystery which they somehow are both implicated in concerning- it is a terrible secret that they have hidden all these years but she now wants to reveal to her husband. She dies however, before making her maid promise to give the letter to her husband and though she has sworn she will not destroy it or take it from the house, she hides it and leaves the house that very night. The book later concerns that lady's daughter, Rosamunde, who we wait to learn of what the contens of that letter really were. All sorts of characters mentioned through the story are tied up in the ending and all works well together. I recommmend reading this one, especially if you like a good mystery and enjoyed The Moonstone and The Woman in White.

Victorian school marm (with subversive holly!)

 At last, tis the end of term- my Christmas work is almost over!  I thought I'd include this shot that one of the teachers took of me during our Christmas service at School this afternoon.  It shows you just how delighted I was by how well my children did! I'm smiling proudly at them as they sing! They sang, played and read magnificently and the world premiere of my new Christmas carol was a success!

Twas a busy day as I began the day travelling from CBC's house in darkest Essex, praying fervently that the snow would stop and not settle since last year's service was cancelled! I then practised the songs with the whole of Key Stage 2 whilst the other teachers went and enjoyed the lovely breakfast treat provided by our head teacher (what a kind gesture from her).

This evening, my church choir performed with a local choral society at our church. Usually, I go for more glamarous dressing in black but since our church is freezing, I decided to go for the warmer Victorian school marm look (great skirt that conceals trousers, subversive coloured tights and boots)

 This skirt belonged to my Nan who died around 14 years ago- I always wear it when I go to the Ragged School museum at school.

 The jacket was a charity shop purchase some years ago, squirreled away for Regency costume opportunities although it seems more Victorian.

 It's hard to see it but the lovely necklace was what I received for Secret santa!! It's so sparkly!

 Miss Haversham eat your heart out!

 Darn it, can't stop the smiling! Miss Haversham, take your heart back out your mouth!

 Couldn't resist a bit of subversive holly!!! (thankyou Claire's!)

The concert was actually really lovely- we were all dreading it rather but it was wonderful!  I gave my second performance that was a world premiere that day- a beautiful carol by an 80 something year old lady from my church, who was a prisoner of war in Malaysia during WW2- this carol was one she wrote on Christmas day in 1944 despite the atrocious situation she was in -  proving the true Christmas spirit can be found in the most unexpected of places and I take as a lesson to myself to be joyful in all things!  So, again, I say rejoice!

Where have you found Christmas cheer this yuletide?