Sunday 17 June 2012

And what did we see... we saw the sea

The first time we had been invited to Portsmouth for a vintage event was for the inaugural Victorious Vintage (albeit on the second of two days) which was held at the Historic Dockyards.  As we arrived we saw that it was already quite busy, and there was more than enough to occupy the thousands of people through the gates.














There were three stages (including an acoustic stage) which played host all sorts of many bands.  However, the more ‘vintage’ singers had to perform in the smallest of the three stages, inside Boathouse No. 7.  I felt this was a shame as most of the rest of the event (stalls etc.) had maintained a ‘vintage’ theme, yet there were no swing or big bands that I saw (there was a rock ‘n’ roll band who played at least one song from ‘Grease’).  The headliners were Dodgy and The Lightening Seeds – big in the ‘90s but a slightly odd choice for this festival.


With Betty from Betty Blue's Loungerie
We had a few quick interviews with Betty from Betty Blue’s Loungerie (her siren suits are absolutely gorgeous), Katie Vale and Annie Andrews (who we also saw performing).  The day didn’t have a particularly ‘Jubilee’ theme, but I’m not sure if that was deliberate or not.

With Katie Vale the milliner
Annie Andrews performing



















It was nice for people to be able to see some of the most important ships in British history without having to pay upwards of £20 a ticket (although this option was still available if you actually wanted to see inside the HMS Victory or HMS Warrior).  Incidentally, I found out yesterday that when my granddad was in the Navy, he was stationed (if that is the correct term) on the Victory in 1949, ’50 and ’57 - which is rather impressive and also explains why I spent a fair amount of my childhood looking round those very ships.  There were a few well dressed people (not as many as I was expecting) and here are a few I photographed.




I wore a blue and white striped sunsuit I picked up for £18 in Lewes.  I was hoping to be able to take off the white Broderie Anglaise skirt I was wearing, but alas it was a little chilly.  My shoes were from Marks & Sparks and the hat I made myself.  I was quite pleased when someone thought it was an original!
 
We bumped into Naomi Thompson
on her home turf in Pompey



All in all, I think it was a good day out, with a particularly interesting setting, but a few more clothing stalls (definitely more for men) and a little more thought with regards to the bands playing (‘Three Lions’ doesn’t strike me as particularly ‘vintage’) and Victorious Vintage will hopefully be an annual event and can come back much stronger next year. 



steel boned corsets by What Katie Did

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