I Like Riding on the Choo Choo Choo

This weekend it was time to get dressed in my 40s finest and ride the steam trains.

It was Sheringham 1940s weekend time again. I missed last year, so I was looking forward to riding the trains again and seeing everyone all dressed up. I didn’t actually give my outfit much thought until the day before, but realised there was a vintage dress I love that I hadn’t worn at all this year that needed to come out to play. It had been cold, so I teamed it with a 1940s faux fur jacket, which naturally meant the sun came out and it was baking hot all day.

❤ 1940s Nelly Don Dress – eBay ❤ Vintage Hat – bought at War & Peace ❤
❤1940s Faux Fur – Penny Dreadful Vintage ❤ Shoes – Office ❤
❤Brooch, gloves and handbag – Vintage ❤ Pearls – My Nana’s ❤

One of the things you do have to get used to at Sheringham is a LOT of photographers, and once they see someone taking a photo they assume it’s ok and all of them swarm over and start snapping. So an innocent outfit photo by car rapidly got spotted and nearly turned into a full on photo shoot, until I got all embarrassed and decided that was enough. I had wanted to get more close up photos of some of the details of my outfit, but it was just too difficult to take photos without being swarmed!

We rode the steam train down to Holt where we spent a few hours picnicking in the sunshine, doing a spot of shopping on the stalls and enjoying the live music. We had the hugest and most delicious picnic, cheese scones, sandwiches, a goats cheese and fig tart, vegetarian savoury rolls, peanut butter cookies and macrons were all handmade by my talented friends (I bought crisps and dip. I don’t bake)

(thanks to Sam for this photo of me and Betsy Hatter)

We giggled over a 1950s pamphlet entitled Sex in Marriage (seriously, it’s hilarious), ate far more food than we could possibly fit inside a vintage frock and then rode the steam train back to Sheringham for a beer on the platform before returning to Norwich.

I actually didn’t take very many photos this year. I was too busy lazing around drinking vodka cocktails from cans (not very 1940s, but very portable) but I did attempt to snap a Spitfire on a flyover. I’m so glad I tried.

Sadly, by the end of the day my dress had suffered a bit of damage and I’d ripped a whole arm seam trying to pay a cab driver, plus the fabric started to split along the stripes. I don’t know if it’s going to be properly repairable, but it seems such a shame to get rid of a whole dress for a damaged arm, so I might have to find someone clever to turn it into a skirt, or make it sleeveless or something. That’s why I wear repro or vintage style so often, it breaks my heart when vintage dresses die, even though I love giving them a new life by wearing them.

Sheringham 1940s weekend is on every September, and is a great way to spend a day, there are dances in the evening as well, and if you ever fancy a trip to Norfolk, I recommend it as a weekend to pick!

That was Saturday. On Sunday I finished the weekend with a *slight* change of pace. Representing the Norfolk Brawds in a glass walk for domestic violence charity Leeway. But you can read all about that over on Lipstick, Lettuce & Lycra!