The weekend I got a divorce and ran away with Viv the Spiv

With the release of the latest issue of The Chap magazine (featuring the very lovely Diana Dors on the cover), I thought I would put up some pictures from the photoshoot I did for that very same publication. 

Obviously not Diana Dors,
Adam Ant graced the cover of Issue 60

 It all came about because my dear friend Viv the Spiv asked me to be 'his lady' for a photoshoot about correspondent shoes, to be featured in the Dec/Jan 2012 issue of The Chap.  The story for the shoot was essentially the plot to 'The Gay Divorcee', with a woman trying to obtain a divorce by being caught in an adulterous situation, they too end up in a Brighton Hotel! 

Sadly this wasn't the hotel we used

How do Viv and I compare?

I was to play the unhappily married woman, who was hoping to be 'caught' by a Private Detective while in a hotel room with... gasp... a man that wasn't my husband.  Cue Viv the Spiv.  And you thought it would just be some pictures of shoes?  The reason for the link between divorce and two-tone brogues dates back to a famous divorce case in the '30s where the whole case hinged on a photograph of a pair of correspondent shoes being left outside a hotel room. 

 I was meant to look scared at the prospect of Viv coming through the window and anything untoward happening before the Private Eye came in.  In the end I was overcome by Viv's charm (who wouldn't be?) and we left the hotel together, much the same as Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers had done in the aforementioned film.

All those years of not doing drama classes are finally paying off

My outfit consisted of a Vivien of Holloway Pencil skirt, jacket with a detachable faux fur collar that my mum found in a charity shop, a hat made by me, CC41 suede gloves, '70s heeled brogues and for the photo in bed, a beautiful 1940s Chinese silk dressing gown.  When I first received a call from the editor of the Chap asking if I had any vintage nightwear, my first thought was: 'this photoshoot is taking quite a different direction than I was expecting' but then I realised I had the dressing gown which worked brilliantly.  It's just a shame you can't see more of it.  When I eventually get 'round to taking photographs of all my clothes (mainly so I can remember what I've got!), I'm sure they'll get put up here.

Outside the Hotel Pelirocco

Viv was very sweet when taking the photograph of him lighting my cigarette as he knows I don't smoke.  However, I was more worried about naked flame being that close to my Utility gloves!

Anyway, I had an awful lot of fun at the photoshoot and it was an absolute dream to be in a magazine I have been an avid reader of since 2005.

A behind-the-scenes photo of Viv,

editor Gustav, writer Neil and myself.

Taken by our esteemed photographer, Russ Bell

As I mentioned Diana Dors at the beginning, I thought I would relay a funny story I once heard about her.  When she went back to her home town of Swindon to open a church fête, the vicar wanted to introduce her by her real name (Diana Fluck) as she was a local girl done good.  In all the excitement, and being a little anxious at mispronouncing her surname, he ended his introduction with "...Ladies and Gentlemen, Miss Diana Clunt."  Vicars, eh?