Happy New Year and Thanks for 2011

We have had a fantastic year here at The 1940s Family which we are truly grateful for! 

2011 was a great year for us, even though we didn't form the 1940s family until late in the season, it has changed our lives already! We have met and made so many friends through our 'new' vintage life (many more online) and have discovered a new way of living....

With regular days out to Tea Partys, Vintage Fairs, Steam Train rides and WW2 events our lives have never been so full!!

Thank you for joining us on our journey, I wish I could do one of those month by month highlights, stick around till next December and I'll have a great one!

Happy New Year to you all, may all your hopes come true for 2012.... and see you next year!

Christmas Fun - War On the Line Christmas Leave

Merry Christmas! I do hope you al had a good time and didn't eat too much! Luckily this year instead of overdoing the mince pies on Boxing Day,  we headed off to the Watercress Line, in Hampshire to their Christmas Leave event!A WWII leave event held on a heritage steam train line, what  more could we ask for!

We'd applied to go asreenactors a while ago so I've been busy over the past months, sourcing warm period clothes for a christmas event. I needn't had worried though, we were treated to unseasonably warm weather and I didn't even need a coat on the second day!

A good mix between reenactors and the general public, there was a great turn out! Everyone got into the mood, with  40s hits being played into the carriages and quite a few of us singing along. Arthur has already decided he'll be bringing his uke to the next one!

I am always impressed by others dressed up and had some serious clothes envy this time...I'm now trying to source a WWII nurses uniform!

The War on the Line is held twice a year and they have all ready started promoting the war on the line summer event, which we would really love to go back for.

I'll leave you with some photos from the day....

Strangely, I always feel at home on a train and could ride about on one all day! Getting in the car to go home always seems such a let down!

As usual we had plenty of games to keep us busy this one was the Coronation Scot game, our ticket collector had fond memories of playing this game when he was a small boy!

Dominoes is always a favourite too, and luckily noone was tempted to cheat....

Uh-oh freddie, you havent go a spare one in your pocket have you?

Luckily the copper had moved on when we met the lovely smart alec! The children both got a wartime kitkat (half their weekly ration allowance) and all it cost me was a kiss!!

I love all the railway posters and signs you find at these stations.... I think some will have to make their way onto our walls at home eventually!

ALRESFALRESFORD STATIONORD STATION

Alresford Station had a good display of vehicles and troops on parade as our great Prime Minister arrived

My only disappointment was I wasn't able to take many photos of the train.

I'll leave you with this one...

Christmas at Limpley Stoke

Yesterday we were lucky enough to be invited to the Limpley Stoke Hotel for a lovely Christmas meal....

The hotel was trimmed gorgeously for christmas, so we couldn't resist a few photos....

Martha was rather taken with the baubles!!! 

Whereas I had my eye on the grand piano!!!

Of course  we couldn't be serious all afternoon!!!

{Visits} Radstock Museum

During last month we took a little visit to Radstock Museum. Predominany a museum about  Radstock's coal mining and local history,  they had a current exhibition of  'Women at Work' including a large display of wartime jobs etc. It really was most interesting!!

The displays were absolutely gorgeous and unlike alot of other museums there were no 'photography not allowed' signs, so I snapped away so I could share them with you all, maybe we can repay them by visiting soon?

Beautiful satin corsets and Stockings alongside knitting needles and pattern books. The Land Girl Army Displays were particularily poiniant, photos and recounts from local ladies who joined up

Following on the theme, here's a lovely group of flicker photos The Women of WW2

Enjoy!!!!

{Ministry of Food} WWII Christmas Cake Recipe

Last Sunday was 'Stir-up Sunday' , the day when christmas puddings are traditionally made. We don't all like christmas puddings here so I decided to use the day to pull out an old ww2 recipe for christmas cake and bake that instead.

Ingredients

5 oz margarine
3 oz sugar
1 dessert spoon black treacle
2 eggs (free range for the garden of course!)
8oz plain flour 1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp mixed spice 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 lb raisins
1/2 lb chopped dates
2 tsp milk


Method

Mix together margarine, sugar and treacle until creamed.
Beat in eggs one at a time.
Mix together flour, baking powder and spices.
Sift into butter mixture and fold in lightly.
Add in raisins and dates and mix.
Add milk and mix to dropping consistancy.
Pour into a lined tin  ( I used a 7" round tin)
Transfer to oven at 140 deg C and bake for 2 1/2 hours or until cooked

Turn out and cool on a wire rack.

Enjoy!!!

Vintage Tea Party ~ Somewhere Else, Cirencester

Yesterday was the very last  'Lavinia's Vintage Tea Party' of the year. But what a lovely afternoon it was... We were bathed in golden sunlight whilst we waiting to go in!!

 

Arthur sporting a rather dashing jacket and cravat ensemble

.

Period Camera - Honiton Antique Centre

Waiting for the Tea Party to Open!

Steady there Freddie!

 

Lucky Uncle George and Lady She compered the afternoon and we were entertained by singers and a Burlesque act by Dulcie Demure. Lots of lovely stalls tempted our pockets and we came away with a new dress and Hair Slide for Martha Rose! 

The afternoon ended with a fashion parade of the most finely turned out guests. Freddie and Arthur were picked along with some other fabulous looking guests to take part....

A rather nicely dressed lady called 'Olive' won the best dressed female prize and Freddie and Arthur won for the boys !

I must say he rather looks the part doesn't he!!!?

Hat & Bag- Charity Shop, Dress - Jusy's Vintage Fair, Coat - Pressie from Hubby

This was the only picture of me from yesterday! Taken by Martha Rose with the rest of the family in shadows!!  I didn't feel very glamourous yesterday, My hair wouldnt style properly and my dress / cardi outfit felt frumpy!! It a lovely dress really (you can see it from under my coat) The black sticking out just under the dress is the petticoat I made this week - now that did feel good! I also made the poppy too after all the inspiration on my blog last week!

Heyday giveaway

Fancy a new dress? Shona is celebrating  400 followers with a Daisy Chain  Fleur Dress giveaway on her blog here.

I love my English Rose version of this dress and get compliments on it wherever I go...

Don't hang around though Competition closes 7th November.

{Future Event} ~ Christmas Leave on the Watercress Line

I know, I know its a little early for me to be talking about christmas, but I just wanted to let you know that the 1940s family will be part of the reenactors at WWII Christmas Leave this holiday season.
I'm so excited it look like such a great couple of days


So instead of heading off to the shops on boxing day with the rest of the masses, why not come and join us being whisked back to the 1940s? 
The promise  of song, dance, steam and seasonal merriment beats queues,parking and leftovers for me, how about you??

Bath Vintage Fair

Another Fair today! This time Judy's Vintage Fair at the Pavillion , Bath. Judy has been running these fairs since 2005 and now she is taking it on tour around the country!!!


With a second local fair in two days and the potential to run into the same people, we decided to vary the look from yesterday a little...

The actual fair was a pleasant surprise as we havent attended one of Judys before. The stalls were very well laid out with plenty of room for browsing - although the changing room was very crowded!!


There was a nice range of clothing although it seemed to be more mid century than 40s. Not much childrens stuff at all, but we took cards from the sellers who -'had lots more at home'!!! Luckily the childrens clothes they did bring included some green 40s shorts for Freddie (such a nice change from grey!) and a winter coat for Martha Rose - a welcome purchase which will be worn to the Watercress Lines Christmas Leave event!!!

Friends who came looking for furniture were slightly disappointed, but if you were looking for jwellery then the world was your oyster!!!

We really did enjoy it and ran out of money before time!!
No moe planned for Bath that I know of but they are in Bristol next Month...
19th Nov College Green, Bristol