Day of the Queues

On Thursday my friend and I headed for the V&A to catch the Golden Age of Couture exhibition which ends on Sunday. Unfortunately, it would seem that the whole of South East England had decided to do the same thing!!! Had I thought I could have booked tickets but no, do it the hard way Pat. We joined the queue just before mid day and about twenty minutes later we purchased tickets, (half price thanks to our Art Fund Cards )for 3.45pm. Fortuately the V&A has enough treasures to fill weeks of investigation so what to do with our time was not a problem until we fancied a little lunch. Yes the queue was enormous, now we didn't really feel like popping up the road to Harrods for lunch so we waited patiently. I have to say it was worth waiting for. After lunch we took in the costume court and then thought we might just be able to sneak in a little early. So we queued, in vain, "No you must wait " said the young lady "Please step over there and start a queue!!!!!

So that is my Create Something Everyday for Thursday. I created a queue at the Victoria and Albert Museum.

The exhibition was amazing and as always with these big exhibitions too much to take in, in one visit. I particularly liked the area which showed the all the parts which went into these creations,details of the tailoring, the beading and the less than glamourous working conditions of the seamstresses. This is a picture of my mother in a non-couture version of the New Look.


Best of all were the ball gowns, beautiful fabrics and incredible beading and embroidery.

When I first came down to London to work I can remember how we discussed what length hemlines would be this year and what was Vogues' colour for the season, African Violet was the one I always remember. I bought a sweater which cost 29/11d (£1.50 in todays money) and nearly a quater of my wages. On day's up to town I would look out for sylishly dressed women,envying their elegance as the stolled carrying a long rolled umbrella.

Heigh Ho!!



There was another exhibition but I'll save that for another day.