JOY PARADE No.3
Happy Easter! Mrs Simpson Bonnet Maker! The Birth Of Pantyhose!
HELLO!
Happy Easter to you all!
Lambs! Bunnies! Flowers! Chocolate!
I love Christmas, but there is something deeply nice and calming and ‘pressure’s off’ about Easter isn’t there? You can go mad of course, but you can also just throw some chocolate about and have a jug of tulips on the table. Or you can do nothing but sit on the sofa, elbow deep in a bag of Malteasers watching a film. All options are two thumbs up.
Naturally, this is my film of choice…
So here’s this week’s JOY PARADE!
Firstly, EASTER THINGS!
I bought this chicken garland but it’s too nice to take down post E, so I’m going to keep it up in the kitchen. V cheering on rainy April mornings.
I’ve bought the children in my life one of these each this Easter.
It should be noted that a high percentage of these children are actually adults or very nearly adults. One is almost 30 with her own child (who also now gets Easter Treats - aka Confectionary Inception) but I have to keep them all on side as they will collectively all be picking my care home…
On Friday I got up very early and went to a flea market in a field. I think wandering around a flea market is my favourite thing to do. I mean look at this stall below - it was MADE for me and my love of collecting royal memorial crockery. JOYFUL!
COR! YES PLEASE!
I got a good pulling-trolley full of treasures at the market, but the highlight buy was this sweet A5ish, hand-painted advert (below). Isn’t it lovely? It’s quite old but up close you can still see the pencil guide marks. I wonder who Mrs Simpson was? I imagine she had pince-nez and quite a large bust encased in corsets and a lace-edged Edwardian blouse. Probably had a cat that was always moithering at her sewing supplies and pawing at feathers she’d just pinned to an extravagant bonnet. We’d have been pals.
A friend from another lifetime.
Another little piece of joy at the fair was this absolute unit taking the air in the back of his owner’s van. Sadly, he was NOT for sale. I’m not sure if the bottle of Tango was his but I imagine being a hefty Chow Chow supervising a flea market stall is quite draining to the blood sugar so it could well have been…
I enjoyed his early 00’s emo hairstyle.
I bought this flask this week. We had an original one knocking around the house when I was a child and I loved it. Is there anything better than flask tea when you are out having an adventure? I think not.
Here is Ann Miller discusses her part in the invention of pantyhose.
“And THAT’S how pantyhose were born…”
Have a peep at this mechanical Shrimp’s Daily Routine. I’m far more on board with the shrimp’s life that the daily nonsense of Mark Wahlberg. 2.30am wake up? Absolutely no thank you.
THE dream jumper.
I would do anything to have this jumper in my size. Here’s the pattern if you have a small person you’d like me to be immensely jealous of.
I love this photo of three goats and their chaperone in a boat. Isn’t it fun!
(I have no idea where I found this or who to credit so if you know please tell me in the comments below.)
The flask from earlier would be good for this type of adventure.
I’m very excited to watch this Beatrix P ballet.
I remember when this was first performed back when I was a child and (I think) Blue Peter did a behind the scenes segment on the making of the show - specifically the costumes, and I was TRANSFIXED!
I’m at the Drumming-My-Fingers-On-The-Table stage of anticipation waiting for this book to arrive (early May). I love MPD’s writing and also - LOOK AT THAT GLORIOUS COVER!
You can preorder it here.
Talking of glorious books, I expect you all know about Manderley Press but they are definitely worth popping on here as every book is an exquisite package and arrive beautifully hand wrapped. (I recommend Letter From New York. I read it the other summer in the evenings whilst sitting on the kitchen step waiting for dinner to cook. It’s wonderful!)
ALSO, talking of books, I’ve put together a little bookshop.org bookshop for PIGEON POST readers, well - anyone really. There are links to my books, but also other books that I love. I’m an affiliate there so every time you or order through the Pigeon Post Bookshop me and, more importantly, a real life, actual, indie bookshop benefit. Keep checking back as I’ll be adding more books and more book lists regularly.
Thank you for joining this week’s Joy Parade!
I hope you all have a lovely Easter long weekend. What are you all doing? I have a collection of various family here later for lunch including my 3 year old Great-Neph whose greatest and most obsessive love currently is visiting my chickens in their coop (“HELLO CHICKINZZZZ!!!” - full vol.) to collect eggs. Perhaps this weekend there will be a surprise in the coop for him…
(Did you know on Easter Sunday chickens lay chocolate eggs? It’s an ancient form of magic….)
(The hens hate me).
Whatever you are up to have a nice time doing it. Try to have a long lie down at some point - that’s what Bank Hols are for.
I’ll be back next weekend with a Full PIGEON POST News Briefing with a round up of April news. In the meantime do follow me on Instagram (I’m @mralextsmith over there) and also subscribe to and share this newsletter to all your chums. Thank you so much!
In Tearing Haste,
Alex T Smith
HEAD PIGEON.
Thanks for sharing all your adventures. I’ve been meaning to thank you for all the wonderful books you have written. You are such a great story teller. My 5 year old daughter absolutely loves all your books. We have read all the Claude, Mr. Penguin, and The Grumpus multiple times. Hoping to start reading your space cadets ones soon. You are so creative with your characters. Anymore Mr penguins books in the works? Asking for my daughter. Thanks for all you do!