Back together again

It's another morning following the changes in my life as I've been effectively taken back away from the grown up world of Employment having been found virtual unable to work with my mixture of physical, learning and developmental disabilities.

Of itself that doesn't surprise me having struggled with the whole thing more or less from the moment I left the education service and ironically that was the only place with the support I found myself capable of fulfilling a role.

That the only role I appear able and qualified to be is that of a school child regardless of biological age is hardly new, I remember some discussion at a training centre a couple of years after leaving school where several people felt I was more of a child.

From now on I might as well be upfront and honest about it allowing my "reset point" to go be restored  to ten allow myself to be treated as a ten year old feminine gurl dressed in a girls uniform by adults.

It's not that I ever saw myself as one - to me it was always a case of "the grown ups or adults are" as if in my head I never associated myself with one.

Here's to being a child!

Amelia Jane

For most of this week I've been reading a mixture of Enid Blyton's Secrets series with the first two stories in their 1960's paperback editions as modern editions haven't so much edited as partially re-written the first chapters that are essential to understand why 4 children would runway in this period from their guardians.

Guilty secret time:

Okay, the eagle eyed will spot a modern no-no on the front cover of this, one of the original three story collections in the Amelia Jane stories.

Amelia is a home made ragdoll who lives in the toybox with the other twos of the children who own them with a teddy bear, sailor boy, wooden mouse and a clown as well as a 'golly' a black faced doll if you grew up in the 70's or before you may well have had in your toybox.

I have fond memories of my toy box I can assure you with dolls teddy bears and even a golly.

Amelia being home made hasn't been what we'd call socialized and so is gets very bored doing incredibly naughty damaging things, playing with matches, being very rude and spiteful, just like many young children, something that no doubt makes it very easy to identify with.

In some respects it's almost a moral tract showing action and consequence through the adult narration.

The other toys do with the help of the brownies (another no-no in modern editions) restore order. 

Amelia has to stand in the corner  and is smacked, just rather like I was at that age for doing pretty much the same things cos like any kid I was capable of 'naughty'.

'Golly' is a no-no too but anyone who has read these stories know he's a really sweet but strong character who will stand up for himself and isn't afraid to take the lead on bring Amelia back under control.

I guess the 'Golly' problem lies with parts of his depiction having prominent eyes and red lips being too close for some to 'blacked up' white actors who some see as promoting a negative stereotype of black people although Enid Blyton sure doesn't in her stories and in the UK at least 'Golly' or 'Gollywogg' was never frequently used as a racial insult.

Given that, shouldn't we judge a book by it's content and only take offence when a character is being portrayed in an offensive way?

Day trip to Blackpool

Well I'll start this blog entry with saying as I continue to explore some of the problematic aspects of my childhood we'll continue with everyday stuff too.

Okay guess where in the UK this might be seen? You see I went off on another little adventure to a place you might have childhood memories of  and is surrounded by fun things you might want to do.

This place has trams a plenty running up and down some like these are modern ones but at weekends and high season the old types are run.

Okay that place is Blackpool, Lancashire, North west England, a place that is  unapologetically loud and I travelled on as coach using the Motorway network although we as a bit naughty and used the slip road but a few miles from my main road to join it!

Being very near the entry point to one of the principal motorways has its advantages.

Like a number of UK resorts it's has a pier that jets out into the sea with various attractions including amusement arcades on them. This one had a Victorian Photography booth where you can wear and be photographed in period attire.

 You can see just how far out it goes! It's as well there were things undercover as it rained hard for a period in the afternoon. I went to Harry Ramsden's for lunch where the service was exemplary and the Plaice lovely and moist.

One prominent landmark is the Big Wheel although going on that is out of bounds for me as I'd lose my head if I went on on it.

That's the big Tower which is being restored near the Sealife Centre, Dungeons  and the waxworks museum. I spent quite a bit of time in Toymaster looking at the dolls, train sets, colouring books, sylvarian families toys and that. I'm sure the assistant clocked me!

In the foreground is one of the illuminations that was one of the main reason for going as these lights have partially renewed allowing for more fantastic effects. There were fairies, teddybears, diamonds and at a Quarter past six, we assembled to go through them all illuminated at Seven PM. It was beautiful.

By Eight-thirty, I was back home for a light snack before putting my jim jams on  as this little gurl was dead tired and needed hur sleep.

Revisiting a childhood holiday haunt helped me get back in touch with myself and what it meant to be a young child.

Wearing skirts in Winter

I recently heard a boy mention that he loved wearing skirts but it’s getting a bit cold for that now and he wishes he could wear skirts in the winter too

You can tho! And it made me sad that he felt so limited so here I shall compile skirt/dresses advice for any boys, trans girls, enbys, and anybody else who wants to wear skirts in the winter/fall but wants to be warmer!

(Source: I’m gender queer and like fashion)

1. It’s all about secret layers!

One option is you can get thermal tights, that are warmer than regular tights/stockings, and layer them with a second pair of thinner tights over them! My advice would be to get thermal ones in either black or something close to your skin tone.

With the skin tone ones you can layer thinner black tights over them and when they stretch it will just look like your skin underneath, and nobody will be able to tell you layered em!

If you need/want a 3rd layer, thigh high socks are your friend. they always look great.

If you have a longer skirt, slip skirts are pretty alright way to add another layer too!

2. Skirt material and length

Short skirts are still viable with the above strats, but cold wind might still be a problem for you. If it is I’d recommend going for a skirt of heavier material to help block wind out. This is especially effective if you are wearing a longer skirt! Longer and thicker it is, the better at being a shield it will be, basically.

And also darker colors absorb more heat from light and are a bit warmer too especially in the sun.

3. Leg hair

This won't actually effect the warmth, I don’t think, but stockings and tights are way more comfortable with shaved legs. I found with unshaved legs I could get them on just fine but had mad itching on my thighs, and sometimes the hair on my calves would hurt from being bent the wrong way.

So basically, shaving is not necessary, but it will most likely make tights/stockings/leggings more comfy for you.

4. Long coats and high boots

Longer coats are a great no matter what length of skirt you go for. Great wind protection and coziness.

Longer boots of any style, from basic to edgy, are great with shorter skirts for extra leg warmth!

I think that’s about it from me on this, I might be forgetting something but yeah here ya go hope this helps!

Oh actually, while I’m here, a few makeup advices:

Scented things like lotions and lip products are harmful to your eyes because of the scents! So are food products! Don’t use lotion or cooking olive oil to remove your makeup! (I guess I mean unless you literally have no other option eh, it’s just not healthy)

If you don’t have makeup remover wipes, Vaseline (the 100% pure petroleum jelly stuff) is a great makeup remover! Use plain tissues or a soft cloth, and be gentle around your eyes.

Sometimes your face/eye makeup is scented, so if you can, try to find unscented stuff basically. I’ve had eyeliner that was scented and made my eyes burn and water big time. Always worth checking for things you might be allergic to or that might have irritating scents!

Trebizon: Modern Girls Fiction

Not unsurprisingly I love school stories especially boarding school ones and one series I've been slowly collecting inspired in part some friends tastes is by Anne Digby and is called Trebizon that runs to 14 stories.

If that sounds terribly Cornish it's meant to be cos it's based on this super school for bright girls next to the beach and being written and published between 1978 and 1994 covering a  period when I was in boarding school we are treated to such cultural references such as British Rail, Wimbledon, duplicating machines with their stencils, cassette tape recorders and finally Television!

That is the 1993 first three stories in one hardback book edition as published by Deans.

The stories are centred around Rebecca who joins the school having been at a London Comprehensive following her parents stationing in Saudi Arabia with a common theme being her emerging talent at Tennis although (hurrah!) she does play Hockey too! 

Of the other major characters we learn about her best friends Tish Anderson and Susan Murdoch and her boyfriend Robbie. 

We learn about the trails of fitting in when you join a school in the second term after everyone's paired off with friends, about hard choices deciding what to major in and what you may need to drop to keep your schoolwork schedule manageable.