Twinwood Festival

I wish so much that I had taken more photos while we were at Twinwood however we had such a great time that I just got carried away in the fun. On Saturday I have to say we spent most of the day shopping and I bought the most wonderful hat! In the evening we saw Max Raabe and his Palast Orchestra. They were beyond anything I had anticipated and I wish he would play at more venues in England. Unfortunately we left a little before the end of his set due to being so tired, it was a very long day doing all of that shopping.

 On the Sunday we spent a little longer getting ready and also went to a local supermarket to pick up some items to have a picnic. My only criticism of the weekend was the food stalls; the only thing I could find to eat was bland mushroom noodles or fish and chips. However having our picnic was ever so much fun and at least we know for next year.

That evening we watched Max Raabe again but left so that we could assume some seats close to the front of the Colonial Club so that I could see Lola Lamour perform with her band The Lamours. Before their set though was the Casablanca Steps who were fabulous and I giggled away all through their set. No because I am rude mind you, but because they are so funny! The banter between songs was hilarious and the music top notch to boot! After that I finally got to see Lola Lamour and her Lamours. They literally blew me away! They played a fantastic range of songs and kicked things off with a cover of Tainted Love, one of my all time favourite songs and throw back from my 80’s obsession when I was at college.

We’re really looking forward to next year’s festival already even with Pickering on the horizon!

Woodhall Spa 40's Festival Pt2

Last weekend on the Sunday we went to the second day of the Woodhall Spa 1940’s weekend and even though we had spent all of Saturday there too there was still a lot to do and see. On the Saturday we hadn’t found time to make it to the Jubilee Park to look around the stalls and also on the Sunday Lola Lamour would be performing twice outside at The Mall. As we had got to Woodhall Spa a little later than planned, due to wardrobe malfunctions, we decided to have a scone and cup of tea and then head straight to see Lola’s second performance.

We loitered for a while near the performance area and got chatting to one of the organisers, and then Lola came out to see them so I quickly jumped in for a photo opportunity. She also commented on my dress and said how cute I looked. I couldn’t say much in return, I was too nervous!

Having a little walk around before she began singing we bumped into Winston Churchill who gave a brilliant speech before Lola’s performance. The only issue was I was wearing a floaty summer dress since on Saturday it had been floaty summer dress wearing weather and although it was still glorious it was quite windy and for most of the day I was grabbing my skirt.

By the time Lola’s performance began there was quite a crowd and people were dancing in the road because there was so little room. Hopefully though this will mean they can close the road next year due to health and safety, it’s such a shame they weren’t allowed to do that this year as it would have fantastic to have a proper street party. It was brilliant seeing Lola sing and she’s such a performer doing songs by Marlene Dietrich and Carmen Miranda! It made us very excited for Twinwood Festival where she will also be performing with her band The Lamours. There was also Douglas Herd up there with her who is 96 years old and was promoting his book of his experiences in the Second World War.

After Lola’s performance we quickly made out way over to meet both her and Kevin, her husband. We’re huge fans of them as a couple ever since we saw them on the television show Time Warp Wives on Channel 4. That show and the women on it are one of the main things that got me interested in vintage and the 40’s & 50’s. Previously I had been into the 1980’s in a very big way but as I was growing up I wanted something more grown up too, I wanted to be taken seriously yet also retain my style. It was a very big deal for me to meet them and they were just brilliant, everything we had hoped for. They were polite, genuine and very interesting to talk to; not that I could manage to talk much, I was so star struck!

That afternoon we made our way to Jubilee Park to see if there was anything left on the stalls or if we had missed it all. If I’m honest I do most of my vintage shopping on line or in Vintage shops local to Lincoln and very rarely find anything I like or can afford at the events. On our way back to enjoy a cold drink at the pub and watch the final fly past of the Hurricane, Spitfire and Lancaster (which was amazing by the way) we bumped into a couple from our Lindy Hop class. It was really lovely to see them and just we were excited to tell them we had met Lola they were excited to tell us they had met the Jive Aces. We’ll be seeing them tomorrow at our second dance class together!

Woodhall Spa 40's Festival Pt1

Morning! I hope everyone is enjoying their weekend and in the UK it's finally sunny, hooray! Yesterday we went to Woodhall Spa, a quaint little place in Lincolnshire steeped in RAF and Dambuster history, for their first event 1940's festival. Considering it's their first the whole day was well organised and very well attended with many people, like ourselves, dressed up in period costume.
When we got to Woodhall Spa we headed straight for the Kinema in the woods as they were holding a WW2 theme show in their cinema. Those of you who don't know about Kinema and have never been should go!

The Kinema used to be an old sports pavilion and in 1922 was transformed into a cinema with a Charlie Chaplin film being the first ever shown in it. The main screen has a flat floor, so lets hope no one tall sits in front, and due to the low roof trusses the projector is at the back of the screen and not the auditorium. In 1994 Kinema Too was opened which has a graded floor and the comfiest cinema seats I've ever sat on. My favourite aspect of Kinema, other than the fantastic period decor, is that there's an intermission. When I was a child and there still was intermissions I thought they were the most pointless thing in the world, on with the show I thought, now I see the great value of them. Ice cream is served and also a much needed comfort break can be taken. During the intermission, usually only on Saturday nights, an old Compton organ rises up from the floor in front of the screen and plays a selection of old songs. Everyone cheers the organist, even the teenagers!

For the 1940's festival they played a selection of WW2 songs on the organ and some in duet with the piano as well as played some WW2 footage of government films and singers. There was a bit of a sing song too, it was a fantastic atmosphere and in the surroundings with everyone dressed 40's it was like a time machine and really brought home the messages of some of those films. It was all very real and in parts made me quite sad for those who lost their lives; the real reason we do things like this is to remember those people.

There was a vintage vehicle display further in town but we couldn't resist a pose with this one outside the Kinema. One thing we were so happy with was the weather. Many events lately have been cancelled due to the weather and I have been feverishly checking the forecast the week before hand to see if the same would happen this weekend. Happily not and there was a great turn out of people in the town, it must have been a great day for local businesses.

All of the shops had made a great effort and there were some great displays. I like cake so obviously this was my favourite one.

We then hopped on this old London double decker which was doing return journeys to Thorpe Camp visitors centre. Since it was so late in the day we only got about 15minutes at the Camp but it was worth it for the ride though the countryside alone.

When we got back to Woodhall Spa it was nearly 5pm and the festival was supposed to finish at 4pm, also I was feeling ill because happily I have a throat infection and a cold, so we decided to head home without seeing the stalls and things going on at the Jubilee Park. We're saving those delights for today as the festival is on all weekend. Today we will also be seeing Lola Lamour perform, she's my idol and I just can't wait!





Vintage Feminism

Something which I have been thinking more of lately, in the past year or so, is feminism and that’s down mainly to Caitlin Moran and her wonderful book How to Be a Woman. I’ve read many girly guides to life in the past and many contain a wealth of knowledge of how to apply nail varnish, what your handbag essentials should be and how to choose a hat for Ascot. I have to say none of the information has stuck. I still apply nail varnish like I did when I was 13, the essential items in my handbag appear to be used tissues and old receipts, and I don’t wear that many hats let alone feel the need to wear one to gamble in (I don’t gamble either). When I read How to Be a Woman I chose it because I liked the cover, because yes I really do judge a book in that way. Caitlin Moran looked cool and my 13 year old self informed me to idolise this woman on the basis that she has a silver streak in her hair (I wanted one when I was 13) and no more information than that.

Strident Feminist or 50's Housewife.
Is it possible for a woman to be both?

I read the book while on holiday in Italy and then passed the book on to my mum to read. When I got home I gave it my boyfriend, because I knew he would enjoy things such as “bum-gina”, he then lent it to his mum, she also appreciated the “bum-gina” joke. After that I got on a chair, or my bed, and declared myself to be a strident feminist. I then got off the bed and watched my other idol, Lola Lamour, on Time Warp Wives which if you haven’t seen it is about modern women living vintage lifestyles 24/7 including being housewives.

The juxtaposition is still something that jibes me and I haven’t made peace with the fact that I have these two very opposed influences in my life. Looking around the internet at the blogs and tweets of other vintage ladies I feel they too live with these opposing forces. Many of the women on there are also very feminist and yet also dress in full vintage outfits; it seems the two even go hand in hand.

For me personally vintage is about standing out from the crowd and seriously refusing to go with the mainstream flow. I take pride in walking down our high street and looking not a jot like anyone else; I imagine it’s the same for many other people who wear vintage. It’s that stubborn quality which I feel links so well to feminism and could possibly be why it works so well with vintage. I’m refusing to conform to many things when I wear vintage and that doesn’t just extend to shopping in Topshop, etc.

I could be wrong, who knows! This is just how I feel about it; let me know what you think.

What's On The Cards - July

Here are a couple of events I have seen advertised going on in and around Lincoln in the month of June. These posts are published on the 1st (or as close as I can manage) of every month and feature a few events which are on in and around Lincoln as well as a couple from further afield which have caught my fancy. I find out about these events through word of mouth and by searching on the Internet.

I like to look up 1940's events here at Friends of the 40s as they have a really great calendar of listings.

Rockabilly gigs are easy to search here at The Complete Rock N Roll UK Gig Guide.

I also regularly check out "East Midlands Vintage World" on facebook to find out about events and what's happening.

But anyway, on with the show!
7th & 8th July 2012 - Over at Thorpe Camp in Tattershall Thorpe they are having a 1940's weekend from 10am till 5pm Saturday and Sunday.

Photography found here.

6th, 7th & 8th July 2012 - Americana Event, Newark. I've seen this advertised a lot now and looks like a really great event celebrating everything 50's, 60's and American. Also the Hicksville Bombers, a great local Rockabilly band, will be playing at the show.

21st & 22nd July 2012 - Woodhall Spa 1940's weekend with Lola Lamour! The weekend will include a 1940s Dance Night - Lola Lamour, 1940s Childrens themed party, 1940s Senior Citizens Tea Dance, Collectibles Market, Military/Restored/Classic Vehicle static display, Classic wartime films at the Kinema In The Woods, BBMF flypast plus a Vintage coach trips to Thorpe Camp Visitor Centre. This is one I will definitely be making a trip to go and visit!

21st July 2012 - Bizarre Bazaar Vintage Market. This is a vintage and retro modern open air market which is held monthly at different sites around the city.


These posts are by no means exhaustive and will obviously only be accurate at the time of posting. While I have gone to every effort to make sure the information is accurate I cannot account for changes of location, date or even cancellations. If you are travelling long distances to attend any of the events I recommend please be sure to check with the venue or organisation before travelling to avoid disappointment.

Land Girls Interview

Hello all!


A while ago I did a post, Land Girls on BBC1, about how much I enjoyed the television show and I got a very pleasing response to it indeed. The writer of the show, Roland Moore, commented upon my little post thanking me for my feedback. I was some what delighted and thanked him for his response, I was even daring enough to ask that I might ask him a few more questions as a short interview for this blog. He's a much obliging chap and agreed to do so!


And so this is what transpired; I hope you find it entertaining and insightful!



Having never worked in any form of media I felt a little out of my depth but soon I realised that perhaps an insight into script writing from the perspective of someone like me might be actually interesting; after all not everyone out there knows all about media. So I sat and I thought, and I got a bit of advice. I realised I know nothing so that’s where to start, exactly how does writing a television series, like Land Girls, happen?
 
For Land Girls, I submitted an idea outlining the story for each episode and an overview of the main characters, plus a summary of the series. There wasn’t a script at that stage. I knew (in 2008) that the BBC wanted to schedule programmes to commemorate the 70^th anniversary of the outbreak of WWII, so my idea just arrived at the right time. A five part series was commissioned for broadcast in September 2009.

As a child I was shocked to find out about rationing and yet more shocked to find out that many children were healthier than they are today. Surrounded by our comforts and luxurious lifestyles it can be difficult to imagine what a situation like the Land Girls may have faced. How does someone from the 00’s manage to portray an era which many of us could literally not imagine today? I already guessed research would be the key factor, but how did Roland go about this?

I spoke to former Land Girls and read first-hand accounts of their times on the farms. I also read academic books on the subject. When we came to write the series, we had historical researchers helping us with any period details. This was invaluable.

Any period drama has to juggle a line between total attention to detail and dramatic licence. The real Land Girls typically worked 12-14 hour days, but we could only give a flavour of that – otherwise most of the screen time would show women digging fields and planting crops. Such authenticity would have resulted in a fairly uneventful drama.

In terms of authenticity, we came across an interesting phenomenon: people will have an idea of what is correct for a period, but sometimes that idea is based on perception and not facts. So viewers would ‘feel’ rather than know that something was correct or incorrect. For instance, I realised the word ‘fantastic’ came into use in 1939 and ‘snog’ was already being used, but if I’d included them in the dialogue, people would have complained that they weren’t accurate for the period. So sometimes you are working to those perceptions rather than actual facts.

I can see how difficult it must be treading the line between what is accurate and what the audience may expect or want to see.  Having done some of that magic research on Roland I found out he has also written for the BBC series Doctors. There must have been a bit of shift between writing for such dissimilar decades and even I realised there must have been some differences in the style, language and tone.

Language and tone are definitely different for period drama. There is an argument between Bea and Annie in Series 1, and I wanted Bea to say the equivalent of ‘whatever’. It was obvious that this word wasn’t used like that in the 1940s, and as I researched for an alternative, I realised that there wasn’t a World War II equivalent. People were just more polite back then.

Interestingly, we had complaints about a very minor, half-glimpsed sex scene, but no one seemed to mind an extended scene of a man being forced to his knees at gun point before someone is shot.

My Grandmother was in the ATS during the Second World War and the Women’s Land Army is already a subject of great interest to me, but what about other people? Why would they be interested in such a dark period of our Country’s history? Probably for the same reasons I am!

I wanted to write a drama about the Land Girls because it was a time of major change for so many women. They were forced to share living arrangements with other girls – from all different backgrounds – in an era when women only really left the family home if they got married. I was really interested in the themes of independence and empowerment and these friendships forged through adversity.

Separation from your loved ones was a theme that I also wanted to include as it affected a lot of people on the home front. And it has resonances with anyone in the present day who has loved ones serving overseas. There was that feeling that the war was bigger than any one person and that everyone was a vital but small cog in the machinery of winning that war. So I wanted to show Joyce’s sadness at being separated from John, but wrestling with her need to be patriotic and ‘do her bit’. That was a big emotional heart in the series.

You Know What's Happened, Don't You

A year ago this weekend a certain chap came over to Lincoln to visit me as a single fella and left as my boyfriend. We tried to keep it on the down low for quite a few months, which I think actually added to the fun of it, and we didn't actually go official until September. Although we have decided that our anniversary should actually be on the date that line between friendship and relationship blurred beyond all recognition, our first kiss.


So it's a short little post, and please looks away if you don't do saccharine sweetness, but Indi thank you for a wonderful year.

I love you. I love your wide eyes, the way you smile, your shyness, and the way you laugh at my jokes. 

Shhh! It's A Speakeasy

Shhh! It's A Speakeasy took place on the 3rd June 2012 and, as far as I know, was Lincoln's first vintage and burlesque nights. I was, of course, first in line for it and remember when I found out it was going on I was literally so excited. The whole thing lived up to all my hopes.

During the day there were some vintage stalls for shopping, I bought two pairs of gloves, a blouse and a present for my sister. I spent a good long time chatting with Rachel from La Vida Vintage and with a great mass of vintage gloves sat right next to me as we talked I couldn't help but walk away with two new pairs. 

The whole event was made possible by the lovely Natasha, with me above, who organised the whole thing single handedly. Hat's off to a lady who makes things happen. Our boyfriends also had a nice chat about what it's like to have driven, vintage girlfriends which I thought was really sweet and it got me thinking about how patient mine is. It's a hard life being with a vintage girl; the time we spend on our hair and the force field of hair spray around it (he says that the smell of hairspray reminds him of me!), the constant questions of how's my hair and are my seams straight, and not to mention putting up with lipstick marks on most items of clothing.

During the day there was some fantastic blues from the Blue Tongue Preacher and Jez on guitar; who against the Trade Description Act actually has a pink tongue like the rest of us. That evening there were burlesque performances from Loretta Lace, Foxie La Roque and Rose Desire and in between performances the atmosphere was kept up by a fantastic selection of tracks DJ'd for us by 52nd Jump Street, they even showed us a few moves on the dance floor.

Phew, what an event! Natasha will be planning more events like this soon and I will, if course, be blogging all about it.

What's On The Cards - June

Here are a couple of events I have seen advertised going on in and around Lincoln in the month of June. These posts are published on the 1st (or as close as I can manage) of every month and feature a few events which are on in and around Lincoln as well as a couple from further afield which have caught my fancy. I find out about these events through word of mouth and by searching on the Internet. 

I like to look up 1940's events here at Friends of the 40s as they have a really great calendar of listings.

Rockabilly gigs are easy to search here at The Complete Rock N Roll UK Gig Guide. 

I also regularly check out "East Midlands Vintage World" on facebook to find out about events and what's happening.

But anyway, on with the show!

2nd June 2012 - Cool Cat Cry are playing the the Sleaford Legionnaires Club at 7.45pm. They're a 1950's rockabilly band and you can find out more about them here.

3rd June 2012 - A little further afield is the Tattershall Castle 1940's day which will be held from 11am to 5pm. I'm going to this because we always used to visit the castle when we were little and I've heard there might be a dressing up booth there too so you can try on clothes and get your hair and make-up done!

3rd June 2012 - From 1pm until late there's a Speakeasy going on at the Ye Olde Crowne on Clasketgate in Lincoln. This is the launch of what is planned to be a monthly event and I cannot wait! During the day there will be a BBQ, live blues music and vintage stalls to peruse. Later that evening things will take a more adult twist with burlesque performances and 52nd Jump Street will be bringing us some rhythm and blues, jazz and rock and roll to get everyone swinging into the wee small hours. For more information please see their Facebook site here.

8th June 2012 - Brant Road Social Club hosts the Lincoln Rock and Roll Club monthly night with a band called The Roosters playing. Brant road social club, Brant road, Lincoln LN5 9AJ

23rd June 2012 -  Bizarre Bazaar Vintage Market. This is a vintage and retro modern open air market which is held monthly at different sites around the city.

30th June 2012 - Vintage Fayre & Mini Market at Kind Bar. A regular fayre held monthly at the Kind Bar which offers a mix of different stalls with in the bar indoors (a real treat on the colder and wetter days!)

30th June 2012 - Armed Forces day and 1940's night held at Sleaford Legionnaire's club. 6 Southgate Sleaford NG34 7RZ
 

These posts are by no means exhaustive and will obviously only be accurate at the time of posting. While I have gone to every effort to make sure the information is accurate I cannot account for changes of location, date or even cancellations. If you are travelling long distances to attend any of the events I recommend please be sure to check with the venue or organisation before travelling to avoid disappointment.

Bizarre Bazaar

Sitting here in the heat and sunshine it's hard to believe that 10 days ago I was walking around Lincoln in a coat bemoaning how cold I was. I had made a special effort to go into town that Saturday as the second Bizarre Bazaar was being held in town and I didn't want to miss this opportunity to share this new vintage market with you all.

I had been to the last one and enjoyed it a lot so thought I would report to you all what I found this time around. There's a great selection of stalls offering vintage, retro, handmade and craft items so there a real mixture of what you can find here and hopefully there's something for everyone.

Before we went to the market though we needed to stop off for breakfast and in Lincoln if you want a good old fashioned Full English there's only one place you should head to.

Modern Classics does the best breakfast around and the interior is so quirky and eclectic you never get bored or run out of things to look at. I had the Vegetarian Full English, of course. After that I was ready to face the cold, crummy British weather.

Amanda Dow's stall is packed full of trinkets and charms which make me oooh and ahhh an awful lot; she also makes the coolest jewellery. Amanda is a great lady to chat to and really friendly, she also has a stall at the Kind Bar Vintage Market.

Next door to Amanda was Chirpy Crafts and even on the greyest day this little gem was so colourful and bright; just what you need to cheer you up a bit. Laura hand makes all of her crafts and accessories, my favourites were the tea towels but I may be biased since I'm currently embroidering some of my own.

Alice's stall, Dancing Giraffe, has caught my eye before and something I could barely resist was that parasol! She's also my favourite for recommending the next stall to me, this lady knows her cake.

For obvious reasons Vintage Vegan was the stall I spent the most amount of my time at. All of the cakes are homemade and totally vegan friendly. The most interesting aspect though is that none of these cakes contain soy or soy products and are made using some of the more old fashioned vegan recipes. Some people who aren't vegan or vegetarian can be a little put off by some of the meat free products out there but let me tell you these cakes are the best no matter what your dietary choices may be. I had the lemon and poppy seed pudding cake, mmm delish!

Finally we have Third Sequin which is based more around handmade textile and has some really interesting designs. I bought myself one of those peach coloured bags you can see which are sewing kits. Inside I have everything I need to make a cute 1960s skirt including instructions; you can even go on their facebook and ask questions if you get stuck so it's really perfect for a novice seamstress like myself.

There were a lot more stalls to be found however it would be a very long post if I included them all and I wanted to just give a feel of what's on offer. Unfortunately I won't be able to attend next months market as I'm off to the hairdressers with my mum but I hope to be along to another one as soon as I can make it!

Beside The Seaside

A fortnight ago when I realised that we would be having a weekend without some planned event or engagement I asked my boyfriend what he would like to do. He said quite surely that he wanted to go to the seaside. I wasn't so sure, it's been so cold and raining so heavily that I thought it wouldn't be possible to make it to the beach. For the week before I checked the weather forecast every day waiting for the weekend forecast to be updated, and what do you know it was a glorious weekend!

So we packed up the picnic hamper and headed out to an old childhood favourite of mine, Chapel Six Marshes. There really is nothing here apart from a beach, car park and toilets but I think that's why I like it, you have all the essentials and nothing more.

The picture make it look so sunny, which it was, but it was also windy and quite cold so I stole Indi's jumper to keep me warm. My ankles were a little chilly still as I was wearing my gingham capri pants on their first ever outing!

After we ate lunch we played in the sea a tiny bit and then wrote our names in the sand, as you do. Serious poses were needed for this.

After this we were at a loss for what else to do so we headed over the dune to the car to put the picnic basket away. As we got over the crest of the dune there was a beep beep and my parents honked their horn as they pulled into the car park. What perfect timing!

We agreed to stop at a cafe for a cup of tea and then head on to Gibraltar Point which was only a little way north. It's a nature reserve and that's where I took these pictures of the most amazing old anchors which looks as if they are growing out of the ground. I'm really proud of these pictures!

After that we headed off home but on the way through Skegness we stopped off just for a quick look around and I was so glad we did, I bought a cute little Laura Ashley top from British Heart Foundation.

Did everyone else enjoy the sunshine this weekend?

My First Blog Award!

Imagine how excited I was when I checked my blog this morning and found I had been nominated for the Liebster Blog Award by Sorbet Surprise at Sorbet Surprise gets Sew Crafty! It was a lovely thing to start the day to and extra special since I have never received a blog award before. Also who can resist some of the lovely things Sorbet Surprise makes, such as this Angry Birds cake?

The rules for the bestowing of this award are as follows:

1.Thank the person who nominated you
2.Link back to the blogger who nominated you
3.Copy and paste the blog award on to your blog (that's the glowy tingly bit!)
5.Nominate and pass on the award to five other bloggers who have less than 200 followers
6.Let them know the happy tidings by posting on their blog

I would like to nominate:
A Highly Evolved Feline - This cool cat has an unrivalled humour and creative flair with her own illustrations.

Spiffing Sporadics of a Vintage Girl - I have been following this lady's blog for a long time and, what can I say, we're shoe twins!

 Retro Reporter - I love the outfits and purchases this girl makes, a very stylish lady. She was a real help on a special blog post I hope to publish very soon and I like her tweets too!

Incendiary Blond - makes me so jealous with fab photos of the cool places she visits and her stunning wedding!

Constantly Alice - Does some lovely outfit posts and more informative ones too. One thing's for sure this lady is passionate and that shines through her blog.

Up in the Peaks

Last weekend I went up North to Manchester with my mum and dad. We went over to the Peak District and met up with my sister so we could go around walking, then we tootled over to my sister's house where I stayed over and she made the most amazing fish pie ever.

Here I am looking grand in my jeans and very fetching ski jacket! Weather wise we really were lucky as it didn't rain at all. It was a great walk which has made me want to do more and also I met this beautiful chap along the way.

My mum and sister also thought it might be necessary to check my ruck sack for stolen dogs before we went home too because I met so many wonderful and friendly puppies along the way. I stopped to say hello to all of them!

Here's a hazey picture of what I wore the next day when we went into town for lunch and shopping to Go Outdoors. My hair which was satisfactory when we left the house quickly deteriorated. While at my sister's though she managed to get a few snaps of me which I thought I would share with y'all.

What did you get up to during your Bank Holiday?

A Shine A Day!

It's not a fact I hide that recently I have been ill with stress and anxiety and it's something I know many people also suffer from. As well as depression they are the most common mental health problems to affect anyone and they are all usually linked in some manner. I work in mental health services so the irony is not lost on me that now I am receiving mental health services but seeing this different perspective has given me a whole new view on things. Now Cognitive Behaviour Therapy isn't something I read about in theories; it's some I do as an individual, as a human being.

One of the greatest things my doctor said to me was "do something every day which gives you enjoyment". Now I'm a vintage girly and I'd like to phrase that in my own little way - do something which makes you shine.

You know that feeling you get inside when you're laughing really hard with friends, or when you've made something you're proud of, when you've had a little pamper, or just had a little time on your own to relax? I would say that feeling is shining, like Yvaine does in Stardust, a little glow from the inside out. These things do not have to be particularly extravagant or expensive and so in my own little vintage-y way over the next few weeks I'd like to do some posts with ideas for things to make you shine. These are by no means a treatment for clinical depression or any other mental illness but are merely suggestions to help people no matter what their situation may be. If you do feel as though you are suffering from a mental illness, and believe me you're not alone, then please go to see your doctor.