Felt Not Pelt

'Ello there from one rather weary old Sussex bird who's had a marvellous weekend, but is now feeling the after effects!! Dancing at a local wedding on Friday night then helping out on the Sussex Green Living stand followed by three sets of dancing in the heat yesterday at the Floral Fringe have had a bit of a knock on effect today! So what's a girl to do....rest up with a glass of Pimms...now that would have been sensible instead she does a a day of paid housesparkling today and then is lumbering off up to the Big Smoke with arty L tomorrow! Could I leave someone to scrape me off the floor on Wednesday please?!!

As ever the Floral Fringe event was a hoot. It describes itself as quirky...erm yes I should say so. It's frightfully English...think Cath Kidston meets Laura Ashley meets Emma Bridgewater with a dash of chintz, plants galore and vintage cars. These photos should give you an idea of what I'm trying to convey....

All very 1940s...that is the sanitised reinterpreted version without the horror of war or hardships of rationing etc And where pray do those mad Mythago peeps with their all black menacing masks and biker boots fit into this shabby chic and ye olde tea shoppe world. In all honesty I think we contribute to the element which adds that extra frisson of eccentricity for alongside all this there are many wildlife stalls, the eco stalls, local food growers and artisans. There was even a yoga and meditation area. Well behaved dogs on leads are welcome and are properly catered for!

However, this was by far my favourite stand...Karen Rao felt artist extraordinaire. I have never seen the likes before and rest assured no animals were harmed in the making of this very fine headwear!

Fellow dancer and mighty fine chum Ice Badger is hat mad so the first thing I did was to drag her along to show her my discovery. She was very excited and made a purchase. Not a hat you understand but a pair of pig ear hair clips to go with her current pink barnet. Having seen the photographic evidence her husband merely commented that they were "too pointy". I think he may have got used to her gloriously dotty ways by now....if you catch a glimpse of a lady wearing a pair of piggy ears at any festivals in the next few weeks it may well be her although I can't guarantee that her hair will be the same shade as she's a bit of a Mrs Slocombe when it comes to colouring it! Here's what you need to be looking out for....I hasten to add that whilst I enjoyed the spectacle of hers I did not feel the need to add a unicorn hairclip to the existing tut in my life!

Arilx

P.S. After we'd finished performing all those rufty tufty Morris dancers went off in search of ....no not wenches and ale but tea and cake to slake their thirst!!