Day 56 – “Was it you in the Harborough Mail?”
The reason Market Harborough is a fantastic town, in spite of our lack of cinema or bowling alley is because everyone knows everyone. This of course is also its primary flaw, whatever you got up to as a rowdy teen or God forbid if you ever pull someone whilst on a night out at Enigma, by morning everyone but the priest will know and he’ll be in the know by the time the coffee is being poured immediately after mass on Sunday.
the dress I am wearing today is a beautiful one leant to me by my Fairy-God-Mother. Although I was away in Manchester when she called round, she dropped off three beautiful dresses, some cream, cakes and some beautiful house plants. The dress is extremely difficult to wear as my God mother still today is rather slight and so when I try to get into a dress which she would have worn in her teenage years I nearly fracture my ribs. It is impossible to bend down, reach up or breathe more than a quick sharp intake at a time. Nevertheless it is gorgeous and when paired with blue and white shoes, a FrencH connection blazer and tartan scarf it looks brilliant.
My article got published in the Harborough Mail yesterday, the town’s paper which has been going for more than 150 years. It has been about ten years since I was last in it for passing my Grade 7 flute exam and I must say I am feeling rather proud, particularly as it was I who wrote the article. I make the mistake of thinking nobody I know will see it and if they do they might not recognise me, I was rather wrong. I had a doctor’s appointment this morning and my GP thought the whole thing was great fun wondering whether I actually had to like all of the dresses and later when I saw one of my dad’s employees who I have known since I was a baby he ripped the mic out of me and suggested I just pin-up some shirts of his.
For all of you who do not fall in the area of the Harborough Mail, here below is the article which they ran. Do visit the site if you can it is a very good little local paper and some of the stories are hilarious.
A dress a day gives Elinor plenty to say
A JOURNALIST is planning to wear a different dress every day for a year to raise awareness and money for a mental health charity.
The novel idea is the brainchild of Elinor O’Neill, of Burnmill Road, Harborough, who is also writing about the experience in an online blog.
Miss O’Neill, who started the challenge on January 1, cannot wear the same dress twice during the challenge and said the only other rule is that none of the dresses can be bought during 2010.
The 25-year-old, who works as a freelance journalist writing music reviews, said she is using the project in an effort to remove the stigma so often associated with mental health issues.
The online blog has proved popular so far, with even PM Gordon Brown’s wife following her updates via the social networking website twitter.
Miss O’Neill said the most difficult part of the challenge has been sourcing the dresses.
Although she has a large collection of her own frocks, stocks are getting slim.
She said: “Friends have been great, buying me dresses as presents or lending them for the cause but I could really do with help from local people and shops.”
All of the dresses donated will be sold on to raise money for the mental health charity Mind.
The feature has been popular with fashion followers and environmentalists for encouraging people to get involved with freecycle groups and start up swap-shops to revamp their wardrobe.
But it has also attracted a big following from those with experience of mental illness.
Miss O’Neill has suffered with depression herself in the past.
Miss O’Neill said one man who has struggled with depression for years approached her to say how much the blog has helped him on days he was feeling low.
She said: “I try to keep the content light but I have had a few troubles in the past and so sometimes these experiences filter in to the posts.”
“A lot of bloggers remain anonymous but I don’t see any reason to.
“You should not feel ashamed of who you are.”
- To donate dresses or to read Miss O’Neill’s blog visit http://lostinnotation.wordpress.com
cathy pink said,
March 2, 2010 at 11:27 pm
this is great!! i will have a rummage in my old collection – which is now in Ireland – next time i am over there!
lostinnotation said,
March 8, 2010 at 6:52 pm
Hurrah, thank you Mrs Pink, would be much appreciated