I chose Land Girl in the end

[Arch]

for my costume at the King's Manor Christmas party with the 1940's theme.

Here I am with my friend Simon, who was very popular for photos, in his Fighter Pilot outfit:

The level of costume was variable - a lot of lads seemed to think that wearing a trilby was enough, and they just looked like lads in trilbies, rather then actual 40's guys. Slightly bizarrely, two people turned up as Sylvester and Tweetie Pie. And a fair few didn't wear costume at all...

First time I tried to do my hair and headscarf, it was nearly perfect, so I thought "I'll just tuck this bit in a bit more..." and it all went pair shaped, and took 4 more goes to get right again...

Still, after 2 manhattans and 3 martinis I wasn't too bothered. I like Martini, any drink that comes with a snack in it gets my vote.

 

[Aperitif]

Hope Simon had a nice pair of chocks to get away!

 

[NickM]

Shouldn't you have more mud and, er, muck?

 

[Chuffy]

Were there any oversexed, overpaid and other there GIs available Arch? }

 

[Arch]

Were there any oversexed, overpaid and other there GIs available Arch?

Not that I noticed... Only one other guy in uniform, a lad in British army battledress.

Simon and I can get quite silly. He needed to bring his car round from a city carpark to the King's Manor carpark, after we'd been to get something to eat before the party. It's an MG. So when we got in, he pretended to be doing preflight checks, (he has to let the oil pressure get up to level, and warm up the engine and so on) and once we were moving I was navigator and looked out of the passenger window and reported that we were flying over York at about 2 feet... Apparently, once he's driving out in the country, in the dark, with the dimly lit dashboard, and all the various bumps and rattles, it really is like being in a 'plane...

He's the one currently playing with a flightsim, but he keeps ripping the undercarriage off on landing.

 

[Arch]

Shouldn't you have more mud and, er, muck?

Well, yeah, but I'd scrubbed up for the occasion. My Mum asked if I was going to take a pitchfork, but I said I didn't think I'd get it past the security on the door...

 

[walker]

Ah Arch, I thought you would of sported some 40's style seamed stockings at least?

 

[vbc]

Arch, sorry to be a saddo but your friend was dressed incorrectly and should be put on a charge.

He is wearing a comissioned officer's badge in his hat and pilot's wings on his chest but has non-commisioned officer's (corporal's) stripes on his sleeves.

Very sloppy, tell him to report to the guardroom PDQ!

Dismissed.

 

[Cycling Naturalist]

So when we got in, he pretended to be doing preflight checks,



but he keeps ripping the undercarriage off .

 

[SamNichols]

Arch, sorry to be a saddo but your friend was dressed incorrectly and should be put on a charge.

He is wearing a comissioned officer's badge in his hat and pilot's wings on his chest but has non-commisioned officer's (corporal's) stripes on his sleeves.

Very sloppy, tell him to report to the guardroom PDQ!

Dismissed.

Also, he's wearing brown shoes, not the standard RAF mirror-shined oxfords.
Still, I am extremely impressed by all of the effort that you both went to, I find that fancy-dress parties are my worst of all parties. I feel uncomfortable enough at parties without having to wear someone else's clothes.

New Years Eve this year is tarts and vicars. I plan to go as the Pope.

 

[Pete]

I take it this is the same Simon on whose behalf I provided you with the you-know-what for his little 'project'. Nice to be able to put a face to the recipient. Charming piccy of the both of you.

 

[Fnaar]

Hope Simon didn't do any permanent damage to the undercarriage...

 

[Speck]

I thought you were stopping in and doing the dusting!

 

[John Ponting]

Arch, what a lovely picture.

btw If Simon should be unavailable at any time ... I also have an MG.

 

[Tim Bennet.]

If Simon's uniform was an archeological dig it would be almost impossible to decipher. . . .

But maybe's that's more like what they discover on Time Team when all the evidence is mixed up, from the wrong period, in the wrong combinations, etc. Perhaps they didn't find a high status warrior burial after all, but some bloke who over did it at a fancy dress ball 2000 years ago.