Episode 108     Idea! A Fancy Dress dance

 

No prizes for guessing how Jos wants me dressed for the Fancy Dress competition. In the process of which, I acquire two further mackintoshes, one to become a life-long favourite

 

That following summer, Jos was at home for a few weeks and had spotted in the local daily Norwich paper a forthcoming Fancy Dress dance at the seaside resort of Gorlestone.

He then thought up an idea. It was a fair way from home, but not far from Norwich, so we would go over to Gorlestone and spend the night there. Separate rooms of course. There was always the chance that 30 miles or so from home, we might be spotted by someone our parents knew, especially holiday makers.

Jos had decided what I was to wear as a Fancy dress. I was to go as representing the summer  weather in Norfolk, that is, in my rainwear, boots, umbrella and all! To gain my co-operation, he would buy me a new mackintosh for the occasion.

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So we went, on the Saturday and found the Kendal’s branch in neighbouring Yarmouth. In we went and being lunch-time, the shop was fairly empty. We started looking for what we, or more accurately Jos, had in mind. As usual, my choice was limited by my height, 5’ 11’, in highish heels, so I went immediately to the hangers with the outsize ranges and took out the first I saw that looked my size.

 

It was pink, rubber-lined and had a hood but I saw Jos’s face screw up in dislike. Pink is not for large girls, as I well knew, of course. Meanwhile, Jos had found me a black one. Silky black rubberised satin with white piping around the collar and cuffs and with a matching bonnet type of hat, again with the white piping. I slipped it on and admired myself in the mirror but the contrasting piping made it strongly suggestive of the Salvation Army women’s uniform that we saw in the Market Square at home on Sunday mornings. I guessed that I would finish up one day in black rubberised satin like this but we both knew it wasn’t at all the thing for the current purpose. All the same, I kept it on and looked at Jos’s next choice, again black.

This I would have been quite willing to be talked into.

 

It was again black, quite coarse open-weave cotton, rather like riding mack material, but not so heavy, supple and generously cut with almost raglan-style sleeves. It had a lovely, smooth black rubber lining and was decorated with bold white saddle stitching. It was very smart, expensive and had no hood nor hat and was again not the sort of thing for a fancy dress parade.

However, you must imagine all that in green, instead of black, since a few weeks later I returned to the shop, having raided my inheritance monies, and bought myself a delicious bottle green version with a lighter green stitching. Generously cut styling on the shoulders and sleeves. I am quite broad shouldered and like plenty of room there.This one I started wearing regularly, even our Mother approved, she said. It was the same colour as hers, of course, and I still have it.

 

Be that as it may, a shop assistant then attached herself to us. Jos retreated to a chair where I teasingly draped the pink and black discards over his knees and, now wearing that nicer black one, I went again through the rack until I came up with an attractive red one. It was too small as I could see without trying it on, but I asked the girl if they had bigger sizes in stock and, with the usual doubtful look up and down that makes me feel like a freak, she went off to see. Surprisingly, she returned with a similar one which she handed to me to try. I did so and, as soon as it was on, I knew it was the one. It was even slightly too large, plenty of room under the arms, which gave it a very mackintoshy look and, to finish it off, the girl produced a matching fairly broad-brimmed sou’wester style hat.

Just right,, as it turned out, for the Fancy Dress dance. It was dark red, glazed cotton, lined with red rubber – a very rain-inviting garment. It was good quality too, not cheap either, but it was actually going to lead a long and varied life although I didn’t give that aspect any thought in those days. As soon as we were outside I was being plagued to put it on! But I decided to be firm and make him wait until that evening.

 

At the Fancy Dress dance

 

That evening then, we arrived at the Floral Hall in Gorlestone, I with my mackintosh, boots and umbrella in a shopping bag which I left with the cloakroom attendant until the event was announced. Lots of the girls, and boys, were already in their Fancy Dress of course, but I needed a few strong drinks to boost my courage and I waited until after the interval when the competition was about to start, then recovered my things from the cloakroom, changed in the toilet and returned to the hall just in time to join the procession. I eventually spotted Jos and hoped he was satisfied with me gallumping around in black rubber wellingtons, my new red mackintosh, hat in place and with my umbrella open, a banner around its edge saying “Norfolk Summer Wear!”. I can't pretend that I was a sensation, although Jos later made out that he had felt quite faint at the sight. The judging complete, the procession eventually dispersed back to their seats and I returned to our table to await the results. I was quite flattered to get a 'Highly Commended' and a box of chocolates and I had to go onto the stage to – not a standing ovation, needless to say, -  but a round of applause. The MC (DJ nowadays, perhaps) commented over his microphone that he hadn't noticed me during the earlier part of the evening but he would make up for that by inviting me to be his partner for the very next dance. Which he did! After I had changed back into my not very high heels. I did feel a little awkward and embarrased in the rest of my 'Fancy Dress', I must admit – but more bothered about opening my umbrella indoors – supposed unlucky, they say.

 

I survived the dance with the MC.who was quite shorter than me and we probably looked very odd. We got a round of cheers however.  I went back again to our table and asked Jos for the following dance. He was quite keen and, as we danced, suggested that I make certain modifications to my dress, and which, as I had had several gins by then, I found myself agreeing to.

Back to the toilet then with my shopping bag, off with all my clothes except my stockings and suspender belt which we girls wore in those long ago days. Boys used to reach under our skirts and snap the suspended straps. It stung! On with just the mackintosh and hat. Delightful.

With the clothes, boots and umbrella in the shopping bag, I revisited the cloakroom. The cloakroom lady attendant looked at me curiously until, as an afterthought, I took the banner off the umbrella and draped it wound my shoulders, tieing it in place.

If Jos had felt 'quite faint' at my first appearance earlier, then he certainly felt faint now on my return after he discovered I had taken his suggestion seriously! I said that, in return, he should give me the next dance but he did take some persuading. But the gins we had drunk were taking effect on us both now and off we eventually went. I could feel, as we danced, that my garb was having a certain effect on that part of his anatomy and I suggested that I shoud tie my mackintosh hat over the offending bulge.

But that suggestion just made it worse!

 

Then, horror of horrors, the MC announced that the next dance would be a 'Gentleman's Excuse Me'. I told you this was some time ago! In this dance, any man can go elsewhere on the dance floor, tap some lady's male partner on the arm and take over his lady for the rest of the dance, or until he is similarly relieved by another.

There is sometimes a 'Lady's Excuse Me' but it didn't seem to crop up that evening. I would certainly have enjoyed scaring the daylights out of some unsuspecting man otherwise.

So within moments I was in another man's arms and I saw Jos slink off to our table to sit it out. It was odd, but very pleasant, wearing just the mackintosh in full view of a hundred or so people, although of course a lot of the girls were also still in their Fancy dresses. For me though a new, rather delightful experience, I must say. I did get rather hot from time to time during the rest of the evening, feeling a little trickle of perspirarion running down my back. This prompted a trip from time to time outside into the cool salt-sprayed seaside air, the hall being right on the sea-front.

Each time I went out, the lady in the cloakroom which was close to the exit, accompanied me out, saying that she too could do with some fresh air. This appeared to be a habit of hers because she slammed down the shutter and hung a notice on her door to the effect that she was outside, back in ten minutes or go and fetch her. She stood with me, smoking a cigarette, and commented that it was a rather nice mackintosh that I had found to wear. Very appropriate, she added, reading the Norfolk Summer Wear banner, still tied around my shoulders.

 

Too soon for me, the MC announced the Last Waltz and I suggested to Jos that we give that a miss and collect my things from the cloakroom before the usual rush. Then he told me that, while I was dancing with 'other men', he had borrowed my cloakroom ticket from my bag, gone to the cloakroom, collected my bag of clothes and rushed them off to lock them in the car which was parked up the hill on the main Esplanade!

 

I, in turn, said that didn't worry me at all. I had already been outside several times, once more would simply be another enjoyable experience. As it was!