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Bride of Frankenstein Photoshoot with Neil Kendall

Bride of Frankenstein Photoshoot with Neil Kendall

Yet again, I had the pleasure of having a fantastically spooky photoshoot with the incomparable Neil Nez Kendall! I just LOVE his Halloween sets and as soon as I heard that he had a Bride of Frankenstein wig for hire this time, I leapt at the chance. Bethany Jane Davies yet again did an outstanding job on my makeup and I always know I can count on her for vintage vamp fabulousness!

I have always had a huge love and fascination of the Bride of Frankenstein. She is such an iconic figure, yet only appeared in the movie for 3 minutes! Elsa Lanchester played the part so beautifully and had more than her lines to concentrate on… Her bandages were so tight that she could not move her fingers and arms properly, so someone had to feed and water her when required. Elsa was also required to walk on stilts, making her 7 feet tall! Of course, there was also her fantastic hair (inspired by Nefertiti’s headdress), which had a wire cage construction in order to gain the height needed! Lanchester always said that her own hair was used for the movie, yet if this really was the case, the original Bride of Frankenstein wig displayed in exhibitions may have possibly been worn by her body double. I personally doubt that she had her hair done every day of shooting.

Apparently Lanchester’s body double found the costume so claustrophobic, she became incredibly distressed with her role, where as Elsa took it all in her stride!

So I hope you enjoy what Neil and I have created. He is fantastic at classic Hollywood lighting techniques as you can see. I decided on 2 looks and created some stitches using my trusty hot glue gun! I love how the corseted images came out as everything was literally thrown together. The textures work so well against each other and it shows of me glue gun stitches (sewn onto tights) beautifully! The second look was more classic with a long cotton nightdress to give a more romantic, vintage look. Im absolutely thrilled with the end results.

Avoncroft Museum 1940’s Weekend 2023

Avoncroft Museum 1940’s Weekend 2023

Gossiping with with girls

Avoncroft is an open air museum in Bromsgrove that hosts several events throughout the year AND has a little light railway to boot!

One of the most popular events is their 1940’s weekend and time there were a few changes. We were treated to vintage stalls (huzzah!) and a fashion show, that I was proud to be part of.

1940’s Post Woman Uniform

I was incredibly nervous on the Saturday as it was the first time singing since Severn Valley Railway and only my second singing event since my operation! I have to be so careful with my voice now and can only do short sets or I could permanently destroy my singing voice. Luckily Guy Roles (Avoncroft entertainment organiser and UK 1940s Radio Station presenter) completely understood. He did all he could to make sure I did everything right! Last time I sang I lost my singing voice for 4 months, so I’m following my surgeon’s strict advice from now on.

I managed to look around a few of the displays on Sunday, but vintage heels and boggy grass don’t mix! The buildings make a fantastic backdrop for the troops though and some groups even stay in the barns overnight! Remember how chilly it gets in October?

American troops in the Tudor barn

So keep your eye out for events at this lovely museum. They have a fabulous windmill, a 1940’s prefab (my favourite), a cafe selling gorgeous handmade cakes (the lime and passion fruit was amazing!) and so much more to wander round and see.

Alice in Wonderland Event in Stratford upon Avon

Alice in Wonderland Event in Stratford upon Avon

015 Betsy Kitten WEB

On Tuesday I took Betsy to the Bancroft as LSD Promotions had put on a special market and Alice in Wonderland event! The market was lovely, with fantastic eateries (the bubble waffle was incredible!).

009 Alice Rabbit Betsy Chess WEB

The Wonderland area was small, but it kept Betsy happy for a good 1.5hrs. We met up with a couple of her friends and she couldn’t get enough of the characters. Kudos to the people dressed up in the heat, they did a wonderful job.

016 Betsy Cheshire Queen WEB

002 Betsy Lucy Tea Party WEB

There was a giant chair, pocket watch and rose wall for photo opportunities and a long tea party table with hat decorating (these were covered in red glitter which was a bit of a nightmare as we got covered too, but hey, you can’t complain when it comes to free crafts for kids!). You could even play giant chess or flamingo croquet with the characters.

011 Betsy Lucy Hats WEB

003 Betsy Chair WEB

012 Betsy Flamingo Croquet WEB

013 Alice Betsy WEB

Betsy looked adorable in the felted Cheshire Cat top hat I had made and I was surprised with how long she kept it on for! So many people commented on it and she took great pleasure in chatting to them. I wore a teacup headpiece I made many years for my hen tea party! Shame I didn’t get any decent pictures of my outfit, but always the way when you are the photographer.

Well done LSD Promotions! Great job!

Cinderella Photoshoot with Lee Parker


flying betsy and kitten sml

In Spring this year I had the pleasure of shooting with Lee Parker again! This time, we included Betsy Boo and created a Cinderella inspired theme. A fantastic excuse to wear an epic ballgown, we both dressed as Cinderella and the Fairy Godmother. I created some wire and cellophane wings for each of us and Karen D Bebbington skillfully did my hair once more. The Tiaras were kindly lent to us by Boho Bride in Stratford upon Avon as were my Fairy Godmother shoes!

Lee has sent me some photos to post up AND a little video he created. Enjoy!

001 Kitten Cinderella Rags sml002 betsy fairy godmother004 kitten bow to betsy003 kitten cinderella shoe005 Betsy Cinderella006 Fairy Godmothers

Daily Mail Article


Click here to read the article.

Ah yes, another corker of an article released today about our lifestyle; full of misquotes and fabrications to make us look weird. Always take this type of thing with a pinch of salt and a smirk! 

Apparently we eat like they did in the Blitz (you know…powdered egg, rationed bacon, spam, pizza, tiramisu, korma…)

Betsy’s Bing and Peppa Pig toys are from an ‘erstwhile age.’

Kitten von Rew????
Oh and of course Betsy loves the wartime classics (?!), like this fairies book from 1950 for instance (blatantly on the front cover)…

The grammar is impeccable…if you aren’t fussed about punctuation and sentences making sense…

This wonderful image below was used in the article and not credited. It was taken by the talented Candee Photography!

As you can see from part of this email, I previously contacted the company about misquotes and other info. Some of it was taken onboard… I mean, they corrected my name.

Finally, thank you to Koray Erol the photographer. He did a great job on the day!

New Year’s Blitz Ball 2014


Well all the hard work paid off and the New Year’s Eve Blitz Ball was a huge success! Richard and our friend Mark Williams were complete troopers at getting the decor up as I pointed and waved my arms a lot. Paper decorations and bunting were strung, a cargo parachute hung over the dance floor and everything came together.  Our Guests all received an E-ticket in the form of a WW2 telegram with a special code in it. These codes were all put into a grand draw, whilst there were also prizes for Best Dressed Man and Best Dressed Lady.

BLITZ-BALL-TICKET

2nd-Mail-Out

The main part of these prizes were a bottle of ginger wine AND a whole week’s rations for 2 people. wrapped up in brown paper and string! There was also a vintage tie for Best Dressed Man, stockings for the lady and the prize draw included a ‘Boy in the Striped Pyjamas’ DVD… and a banana! In these times of war, such fruit were a complete exotic rarity. Just don’t ask where we got it from…

Everyone came beautifully dressed and DJ Woody played some fantastic music to sing and dance along to. The beginners dance lessons was a big hit and 40 people hit the dance floor to learn a few moves, whilst another 25 came for the dance itself.

So here are some photos of the big night. A major thank you to everyone who came along, we had a wonderful time entertaining you all and I hope you had a memorable evening!

Ava Aviacion Dancing Best Dressed Lady Prize! New Year's Blitz Ball 2014 Guys Cliffe House Blitz Ball DJ Woody Mark, Kitten, Richard, David and Luna Kitten and Mark Luna Richard and Kitten Tango

The National Trust Back to Backs, Birmingham


In early September we decided to treat ourselves to a visit to the National Trust Back to Backs. I remember when the conservation team was working on this project years ago, but have never wondered about its Birmingham location. Funnily enough, this wonderful treasure is something I had stood by a few times whilst gawping into the window of a traditional sweet shop. How funny that I had never known it was there.

Tickets have to be pre-booked and you are taken on a fascinating tour! Once inside the little National Trust Shop, you are taken around the corner and through a locked gate  into a courtyard that did not seem to exist until that very moment.

Inside are a row the back to back houses, a wash room and out house and each of the 3 homes your enter is set in a different period. As well as the period set up, they have also researched some of the interesting people who used to live there. From a Jewish clock maker to a man who made glass eyes for taxidermists and people! You can even find an air raid shelter in the first property and also take a glimpse into how the original state of the place before they set to work.

I learnt a huge amount I never knew, such as how arsenic was once used as a green dye for wallpaper, candles and even icing flowers.

Photography is not allowed at the Back to Backs, other than the courtyard area, and there are steep and winding staircases that have to be climbed and descended in each of the properties. Unfortunately my camera ran out of juice before I got to the tailor’s establishment, which was really wonderful. A tailor that set up business in the 1970’s retired in 2001. When he went, he literally left everything, from patterns to bolts of fabric and finished items…it is all still there!

Here are some of the photos I took of this mesmerising place. I will post more when I can. Thank you once again to all the staff who made this visit such a pleasure!

Back to Backs Courtyard

Back to Backs Courtyard

Back to Backs Birmingham Glass Eyes

Glass Eyes!

Stencilled Walls at the Back to Backs

Stencilled Walls

national trust back to backs flooring

Original flooring in one of the bedrooms!

national trust taxidermy mouse

Taxidermy Mouse ‘Le Eeek’

national trust back to backs birmingham

Original state

Air Raid Shelter Back to Backs

The Air Raid Shelter Basement

Lee Parker Photos – War and Peace Revival


I thought I would make these into a separate post as they deserve their own space. Lee Parker is a wonderful events photographer and helps out at the show each year. He took some photos of my Isis wing dance that I would love to share with you all. He has captured the movement and emotion perfectly. I have also included one singing on the 50’s/ 60’s evening!  The Isis wing act can be seen here.

 

war-and-peace-revival-2014-burlesque

Performing Kieran’s Band of Brother’s Requiem act in his memory

war-and-peace-revival-2014-kitten war-and-peace-revival-2014-kitten-von-mew war-and-peace-revival-2014-pinup war-and-peace-revival-2014-vintage-burlesque war-and-peace-band-of-brothers-burlesque war-and-peace-burlesque-1 war-and-peace-isis-wings-burlesque

war-and-peace-vintage-singer

All dolled up in the Vintage Marquee on the 60’s evening

WI Masquerade Ball


kitten von mew in cat mask

My lovely cat mask!

I thought I would share a few photos taken at the WI Masquerade Ball last weekend in Stratford upon Avon.

I sang a set of 40’s and 50’s songs in my big ballgown and then later did my Mewy Antoinette burlesque fan dance.

The funny thing was that I couldn’t put my left foot down for the entire 20 minute singing set as I could feel something weird under my heel that I had obviously dragged across the floor in the train of the dress. This ended up as being a plastic clothes peg…oh the glamour!

kitten and richard von mew in masks

Mr Mew and I

kitten von mew masquerade ball gown

My crazy ball gown that will make it’s next appearance on the Halloween Steam Train Trip this October!

kitten von mew vintage girl

Meet and Greet and Lemurs (oh my!)


marie antoinette costume-kitten von mew

On Saturday last I was asked to do a meet and greet in my Mewy Antoinette and Songbird outfits for a fabulously Burlesque-Rococo Birthday party in a rather swish part of London. This camp and classy bash was held in a gorgeously elegant house with the best paintings I have ever seen and the most beautiful Rococo tapestry chairs. Argh. Gorgeous….

Annnnnyway. I got into my Mewy Antoinette corset and thanks to the weight gain, my ‘hubba hubba boom booms’ have inflated themselves enough to create a classic heaving bosom worthy of any 1970’s romance novel. Unfortunately Mr. Mew was banished to the dressing room and I only had the company of the hired clown and his Lemur, so was unable to recreate such passionate book covers.

It didn’t take long for me to become completely obsessed with Curtis, the 20 year old Lemur, people watching on Mr. Anon Clown’s shoulder.  His rabbit-like fur, beautifully large eyes and passion for dried cranberries…all I needed was the ‘GSOH’ and a date between us may have gone surprisingly well if I were not about to be wed.

I asked Mr. Clown whether I may have a photo of Curtis on my shoulder and before he could say “He doesn’t really like sitting on strangers”, the Lemur coolly walked onto his new perch and placed a territorial paw upon my chest (much like Brian Blessed planting his flag on the peak of Everest). And there Curtis stayed for an hour as we welcomed guests into the party wearing anything from a dinner suit to just the suit jacket. Some people noticed my furry parrot and others completely missed him and jumped when they realised they were stood next to a ‘wild animal.’ A lot of people thought poor Curtis was a monkey, which I liked to the fact some people think Canadians are American.

At 9.45 I changed into my Songbird costume, complete with pasties, to work the room, packed with gorgeous bodies of varied sexual preferences, these gorgeously groomed men and women were a sheer delight to prance around with and speak too; even the Birthday boy’s mother let her guard down and asked me to twirl my tassels!

kitten von mew corset lemur