Unveiling and Crowning

I awoke at 5am on Saturday morning and I could hear birds singing. Well, that was a good sign, it's not raining. I got up half an hour later as I just could't get back to sleep I was way too excited and anxious for it was gala day. I wanted to make sure that everything was ready and we didn't forget anything and make a packed lunch for M and me and plenty of drinks and treats for the children.  Done.
M got up early too because he wanted to make sure the float was still ok. It had spent the night on our front.
I got L up at 7.30 so that she could have her breakfast before getting washed, make up on and dressed before her 9am appointment at the hairdressers. As it was her special day I thought it best to have a special hair do to fit her crown. And what a fabulous job they did, it was beautiful - she looked beautiful. Her hair was still up on Sunday - a pyjama day with fancy hair. By evening we had taken it down ready for school tomorrow.  I took this picture at the end of the day after she was crowned. I know I started backwards.

This is the side view of the float and next Saturday we' at Fleetwood Carnival so I'll get some more pictures of the float as we'll have more time being visitor rather hosts.
The theme is Rainbow Wishes and there are rainbows everywhere but in a different formats. Here's the front view.  Unfortunately as this isn't the wagon we originally prepared for you can't see the bottom bit over the cab so for next week M has prepared some blocks that should lift the boards a bit higher.

L's retinue. I said there was rainbows everywhere. If you click on the picture to make it larger you will see the little boy's waistcoat is also rainbow.
The building in the background is Thornton Little Theatre (formerly known as The Lecture Hall) that was built in the 1920's. There are beautiful gardens and trees. The flower beds were only planted up last week so are not quite in flower.

Prince Charming is L's best friend from primary and high school.

The crowning. L was crowned by a local councillor. Unknown by the committee we have known the councillor for quite a few years from when she set up a skate night at the local sports centre to give the teens somewhere to go on a Friday night (it's still going but now run by the sports centre). The children can use skateboards, scooters and roller skates and on Saturdays BMX bikes (with ramps). The other lady crowning the princess is the new Mayoress.

L doing her speech and thanking lots of people who had been involve to make this day so very special.

After taking the wagon back to the council we went to the pub for tea

Yesterday was a relaxing day.

Carolx

Sticking, Poking and More....

Tomorrow is the big day. Thornton Cleveleys Gala and L will be crowned Gala Queen 2015. It's going to be a fantastic day (please, please don't rain).  We have spent weeks and weeks in preparation for this day with lots of help from the retinues parents.

I striped the old float sides of the old decorations saving some of the coloured strips to reuse and to save on expenses and we have used some but the rest we will pass onto the next years queen and retinue after the choosing.

Whilst doing the stripping we found that some of the wooden/MDF panels were very rotten so M bought new MDF and remade the sides. Next we glued on the polystyrene sheets using PVA. Weighting the middle and clamping the edges. In this picture we are having to make an extension to what we had already done. (More about that later)

I spent many an evening cutting up colourful plastic table cloths into strips

After transferring the design from paper onto the polystyrene, which was not an easy task when you can't draw, we then coloured in the design using wooden kebab sticks to poke in the plastic strips.

Many an evening M spent making small pink flowers (and larger flowers) again from plastic table cloths

Some finished sides

A sneaky peak

L finishing off her bit whilst we tided up at the end of a long day and another sneaky peak

We were now over halfway through the decorating the sides when were informed by the gala committee chairman that we would not be using the wagon we thought we would be using because the council, who very kindly lend us the wagons, are replacing some of the old ones and that we will be having a new one. That's nice, but we have seen the new ones and they've a huge wardrobe type fixed tool box on the back unlike to old ones which had a trunk style box. The reason for extending the polystyrene and altering the design on this piece. M had to get some measurements so that the side pieces could also be altered fortunately the completed sides were ok. The side are now completed and us parents will build the wagon up tonight ready for morning.

We have to say a huge thank you to Cleveleys community Centre and Church for allowing us to use the stage to store and decorate the sides and when the hall was not in use letting us spread out. Also the Wyre Council who lend us the wagons each week to attend other galas. A further 5 for this year.

Whilst all this was going on I was working and making L's dress and coat (needs pressing in a minute). Sorry no pictures of them in progress. And decorating shoes

Next week I will post some picture from the gala

Must get a wriggle on and get the ironing done.

Note to self - Must start and get some housework done next week.

See you soon

Carolx