40 not out!

I am pondering this as a second dress for Burgh Island, though it's a bit 'fronty'
Well, this week I turned 40. Funny sort of age, 40 - definitely not ‘young’ but I don’t feel over the hill just yet. This is one of those times when as much as I love vintage fashion, I’m glad I don’t live in the past because things were much more prescriptive about what was ‘age appropriate’. I recall an article in a 1920s magazine disparaging women in their late 30s playing tennis (apparently a gentle bit of gardening is more suitable!), and don’t even get me started on the clothes... It seems as though the older you got, the more colour was drained from your wardrobe, the more fun details were removed, and the less interesting everything became, until you ended up with a choice of navy, grey or brown and boringly box-shaped. Bah to that. BAH, I say!



I got a beautiful book on vintage fashion from my workmates (more on that soon). My big present is that Mr Robot is going to take me to Burgh Island! Yes, in April we’re going to stay in the hotel where the likes of Agatha Christie, Noel Coward, George Formby, Josephine Baker and Nancy Cunard stayed. Heaven! We’re going for two nights but I only have one 1930s-style evening dress, and they like you to dress formally for dinner. Would wearing one twice be a faux pas? This could be the only time in my life when I need two, so I’m not sure whether it’s worth the expense of buying another.

I also got another pleasant surprise on my birthday: Ripper Street is getting a third series. Hurrah! It’s screening first on Amazon’s on-demand service but will be coming to the BBC later on. The BBC is also making a new version of Poldark. I love Poldark! I once got a pile of the books out of the library and spent a whole weekend in bed reading them. If you’re unfamiliar with the story, they centre on 18th century Cornish mine owner Ross Poldark, his rivals the Warleggans, the woman he loves and the one he marries. All good stuff, and as Aidan Turner will be donning the breeches to play Ross, it should fill the crumpet-shaped gap in the schedule left by Ripper Street while we wait for The Musketeers and Peaky Blinders to return.

If you’ve read much of Crinoline Robot, you’ll know I try to keep this blog relevant, so I don’t write about the modern crime dramas I watch. However, I have very much enjoyed Scandinavian crime series Wallander, The Killing and The Bridge on BBC4 in recent years. Now BBC4 has a Swedish drama coming up that is both crime AND vintage. I know I won’t be able to resist it. The show is called Crimes of Passion, and is set in the 1950s. I’ve seen it likened to Mad Men, which I presume is the visual style, and The Killing, which probably refers to the subject matter. It’s done as six 90-minute episodes, so should make for a meaty night’s viewing, though they haven’t released the exact screening dates yet.

It’s been a good week

Comments

  1. Burgh Island - ooh you lucky thing! I'll be expecting a full run down so that I can visit it vicariously through your blog! I used to love watching Poldark back in the day, it was all those floppy white cuffs and laced up corsets that drew my attention!

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  2. Happy Birthday! I hope you have oodles of fun when you go. As for the dress, one would be fine - why not change your accessories/shoes/wrap etc?

    I am also a Poldark fanatic, but I don't think I shall be attempting to go near the remake, too often they just screw it up by loading them with modern sensibilities...besides, Robin Ellis is Poldark, nobody else will ever do for me!
    Not that I have ever heard of this guy you mention, so have no idea what he looks like or anything.

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    1. He was the vampire in Being Human. Rather Byronic, so I feel would make a good Ross Poldark. I'm more worried about who they'd get for Demelza!

      My one dress is pretty dramatic - a peacock-blue cape-backed Able Grable one - so I'll keep my eyes open for a suitable (affordable) second frock.

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  3. Happy Birthday for the weekend! Burgh Island! You lucky, lucky thing.

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  4. Happy Birthday! It just gets better from now on believe me :-)
    I am positively GREEN about Burgh Island. We visited a few years ago, I had hoped for afternoon tea but they had stopped serving it to visitors :-( We went for a drink at The Pilchard Inn instead.
    Hmm any excuse to buy a new dress! but rest assured there is no issue with wearing the same dress twice, you can always accessorise it differently.

    Aidan Turner *Swwoooooon*

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    1. Dinner is included in the price, but there's the option to go for Curry Night at the Pilchard on Fridays. Even if we were going on a Friday (which we're not), there's no way I'd miss the dinner! Though, I suppose if someone's rich enough to go for a whole week they might want to do that. I wonder if they do afternoon tea for guests?... *Blorp* *Regrets bulge-highlighting satin dress*

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  5. I love Burgh Island! One of Agatha Christie's books is based on it, and they did some filming for Poirot there, I think. I agree with LollyWillowes - ring the changes with accessories and I'm sure one authentic dress will trump two different normal ones. Maybe do your hair completely differently both nights, too?

    I do hope you have good weather, as that whole area is gorgeous. The sea tractor is fun, too.

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    1. Yes, it was the inspiration for Evil Under the Sun - I should buy a copy to take with me!

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  6. You're going to Burgh Island?!!!!! This is the stuff of dreams!! You have to take a tonne of photos and share them with us. I hope you have a wonderful, wonderful time, I've never been as it's wayyy out of our budget to stay there. Maybe one day! P x

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    1. Yes, it's a special birthday treat. Pete and I love to travel - being working-class kids, there was none of this 'gap year' stuff for us, we worked all through holidays from uni even back in the days of full grants. We set aside money each month for travel, but Burgh Island is a biggie and not something we'd usually do.

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  7. Excellent innings so far ^_^

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    1. I intend to do a Boycott and stay at the crease no matter what until I have my century.

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  8. Happy Birthday. Hope you had wonderful celebrations. The trip to Burgh Island is very exciting news!

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    1. I bounced a lot when I got the news. And we've got a mini suite!

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    2. Wow! That is great! Take lots of photos!

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  9. Happy Birthday! What an amazing present from mister Robot! I have no doubt you're going to have a great time at Burgh Island!

    Scandinavian detectives are great! I've just started watching The Killing, binge-watched four episodes in a row last weekend! The sweaters in these series are usually great, and I'm not only talking about The Killing. Ripper street's definately on my to-watch list. It seems like a great story, plus the boyfriend is a huge fan of Jerome Flynn since game of thrones.

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    1. The killing is great. I think I enjoyed the Bridge more, but I'd happily watch more of either. If you like Ripper Street, it's worth checking out Peaky Blinders too.

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  10. Happy birthday Mim, I hope you have fun at Burgh Island.
    I was pleased to hear about Ripper Street too, I was so annoyed to hear they had initially dropped it so huzzah for Amazon xx

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  11. Hope you have a great trip and thanks for the heads up about 'Crimes of Passion'. K loves 'The Killing' and I love period stuff, so it'll probably suit us both!

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