Thursday 1 January 2015

THE RED FLANNELS AND A DRESS AND A MOUSE..

Here, Dear Readers, is a Tale of a Trail!

It involves twists and turns so you had better be awake and not slouching in a chair clutching a glass of that amber coloured nectar.. whisky or champagne.. still celebrating the arrival of 2015 or waiting for the ball to drop.

Are you ready? Then I'll begin..

What idea or thoughts come to mind upon hearing the word flannel?

Do you think of what the Americans' call Facecloths.. perhaps cricket whites or the fabric for old fashioned (but extremely sensible and very cosy-warm) nightwear?

Flannel nightshirts are, and were, worn by all ages and both men and women and other 'people'. I wonder if you remember this event?

She doesn't remember exactly which year in the decade called the sixties this happened, it was The Royal Variety Show, the MC was lovely (now Sir) Bruce Forsyth. 

One of the guests was very famous Italian mouse puppet called Topo Gigio, he starred on television throughout Europe and had even appeared on the Ed Sullivan show!

Bruce introduced Topo Gigio and he came onto the stage to huge applause.. but Bruce looked quite shocked and said to the puppet "But Topo Gigio, what are you wearing, I told you to wear 'Evening Dress', this is a Royal Show, the Queen is in the Royal Box".

The little mouse looked quite crestfallen and taking the hem of his nightshirt in his hands, he flapped it and said in English but in his charming Italian accent.. are you ready.. "But Bruce, this IS my evening dress".. 

It brought the house down! 

It was a white Flannel nightshirt.. but why has she remembered this little vignette of childish fun?

The last time we heard from her, she was sunning herself in Mexico, then she flew home to Duluth, Minnesota and is now experiencing temperatures of - 23 Celsius, we think that's chilly-Billy. 

She.. aka Karen.. is a dear friend who stayed with us in deepest Knightsbridge ten years ago,  just after I came to live here.

She told us in an email today that she vividly remembers tea, Rye seed bread and her stay in London and told us that she hasn't been back to London since.

Time to come back again Karen and we loved the photo that you sent us of Bob and yourself, you looked very pretty and elegant in that off-the-shoulder midnight blue gown.

Oh, the twists and turns on the trail of a Tale from a Blog writing Parrot.. for where was Karen?  

Why.. she wearing an evening dress at The Red Flannels Party.

GeeGee Parrot.
December 31st, 2014.

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