jubilee bees

Just a quick post. After reading Lara’s comment about the Halloween Bee, and her sister’s ‘bee night’ (amazing!) I hope you will excuse my showing you this. Here are myself and my sister dressed as Jubilee Bees in 1977 (the year of Queen E’s silver jubilee). I am the bee on the right. Clearly this picture was taken prior to the rabid anti-monarchical feeling I developed in later life.

I still think our bee costumes are fantastic, and perhaps their red-white-and-blue theme explains my fascination with the Whitworth bee. As kids, we were forever coming home with fancy dress prizes, and this was due to the winning combination of my Dad’s amazing design ideas and Ma’s sheer crafty brilliance. The year after this photograph was taken, I attended a school fancy dress competition dressed as Inflation (it was the 1970s, remember). I was wearing a spherical suit in which I could not sit down, and a sort of helmet to which several balloons were attached. We wore (or perhaps were forced to wear — damn that inflation suit!) several other costumes combining wit with social commentary — most notably The Tory Cabinet and (perhaps my Dad’s most inspired, but difficult to execute idea) The Shrinking Pound. I leave our appearance to your imagination. . .

PS: Hearty thanks to everyone who knit the owl sweater, and entered the Parliament. The pictures really are amazing! The winners will be announced on Saturday.