Tickles and Treats

by Angela Jane Muncey

Part two – the Red Velvet Dress! A true story from my early days.

  

Each day as I went to my wardrobe to find a clean shirt for school I was mesmerised by the Red Velvet Dress that hung there. I stroked the soft fabric and remembered that amazing evening when I had worn it to show Aunty what Mum had bought for cousin Jane who was stationed in the Middle East with Uncle and Aunty Nel. You'll recall from part one, that Aunty Em had spilled tea all over it and had to buy a new one for Jane in case dry cleaning didn't work – but it had worked and the dress hung there in my wardrobe looking as beautiful as it had that wonderful day in the store when Mum had me try it on to see if it would suit J.

There below it, neatly arranged, were the red ballet shoes and a half packet of white ankle socks with the red trim and in my underwear drawer lay the panties and vest too. Why only a half packet? Well the ones I had worn and were washed had been put in my sock drawer.

"They'll do you for weekends", said Mum.

And I had worn them, you can well imagine, every weekend since.

I don't know about you, but I have always had a passion for white ankle socks. When I started school, how I envied the girls in their cute white socks and longed to have a pair. Unlike nowadays boys didn't wear white socks except for cricket and then they were ghastly long woollen creamy ones with elastic at the top. Every time we went to M&S I lingered by the girls sock counter, willing Mum to buy me a pair. I didn't have the nerve to ask for them. Once I was chosen to be in the finale of our Scout Cub show – Riding Along on the Crest of a Wave. Skip saw me with my boat I had been sailing in the park and told me to ride it across the stage in a sailor uniform. Mum arranged me in white shirt and shorts, borrowed a sailor cap and white ankle socks from a cousin, which I wore with my white plimsolls (like the famous dirty dancing ones). But they had to be returned the next day. I wore them to go home after the show and in bed all night!

Anyway enough of that, back to MY red velvet dress. Yes, I saw it as MY dress. Even Mum had had come to refer to it as such.

"We must find a use for your velvet dress", she said one day as she put my clothes away.

I was too embarrassed and shy to speak but for sure she saw me go bright red. The year slipped by and soon Christmas and the Church social loomed. There was always a fancy dress part to the social and each year I longed to go as, you guessed, a girl. But Mum always somehow came up with something a bit more 'suitable'. This year she suddenly said at breakfast as she, Aunty and I sat after Dad had left for work –

" What are you going to wear for the fancy dress parade?"

My heart lurched as Aunty said,

" What about that velvet dress?"

Mum said "Yes, he could be that little girl on the radio" - (a popular comedy show at the time – I think it was Itma – ask your Grandad!).

This character had the catch phrase – "My names Jennifer." – spoken in a sweet lilting girly voice that every one was imitating for fun. I was speechless with embarrassment and thrilled to practically wetting myself.

Well that was it. The holidays had started so straight after breakfast mum took me up to my room to try on the costume. I protested of course but not too much. I said I'd grown and it wouldn't fit.

"We'll soon see' said Mum, 'off with you 'jamas"

She popped it over my head and of course it fitted as though it had been made for me.

"Right, that's it' said mum, 'now into the bath with you and we'll try it all out"

She gave me good scrubbing and washed my hair. In those days boy's hair was usually kept pretty short but I hadn't been last month as I was in bed with a cold when Dad made his monthly trek to the barber. Even so, it was hardly girl length. Mum dried me off and brushed my hair.

"Hmmm', she said, then had a brainwave, 'Jane's plait!"

Cousin Jane had at last persuaded her Mum to let her cut off her long plait and have a shorter hairdo for the hot climate they were going to. She had left it behind in a box with Auntie saying it was a souvenir to keep to show her children. At which J let out a snort and kicked the dog for which she was sent early to bed meaning there would be no 'tickle and treat' games in the shed that evening!

Anyway, Mum got out the plait and with considerable ingenuity and many pins attached it to my longish hair at the back. She then had me put on the vest and panties, white ankle socks and the red ballet shoes. Then slipped the (MY) Red Velvet Dress over my head. She dabbed some face powder and a little lipstick on me and said,

"Good Lord, you are the image of your cousin Jane!"

I looked into the mirror and saw Jane peering back at me. I was astonished.

"What do you think' said Mum.

I mumbled that it didn't look too bad but wouldn't my friends laugh at me.

" So what', she said, ' if they do you can be sure they are envious".

We paraded for Aunty of course who was over the moon.

" Oh, can't he keep it on, Grace"

But Mum said no as it would get spoiled. Then Aunty had a brainwave,

"I know, Nel left behind that bag of stuff the American cousins sent because she thought it was all for winter"

Mum hesitated, "Oh Em, we shouldn't, what will Ed say"

"Oh come on I'm sure Mike will enjoy it for a bit of fun, won't you Mike?"

My knees went to jelly as I mumbled that as it was raining and I couldn't go out to play, I might as well to please you both.

Aunty went to the cupboard where Nel kept stuff they wouldn't need while abroad. She pulled out a parcel I had seen arrive when they stayed with us but had no idea what was in it. She opened it and out tumbled coats, dresses, blouses and skirts. All second-hand, but far better quality than we had in post war UK. Getting into the mood of it we rummaged through the pile. Auntie held up a really pretty woollen dress with smocking on the chest.

"Try this one on', she said. I did and felt like a million dollars.

It was in shades of brown and had a cream lace trim on the short puffy sleeves. Mum and Aunty gave me a hug and said I could keep it on 'till we had to go shopping. Aunty said I looked so like Jane I could go anywhere in it. But Mum put her foot down muttering about the neighbours. They got out another bag of Jane's old shoes that I hadn't seen before and chose a pair of brown T-bar sandals. The red trim on the socks looked a bit odd so they rummaged further and found some regular white ankle socks in the American parcel. I tried on the coat too. It was a very good fawn wool coat with a little brown velvet collar and was double breasted. I loved it to bits.

Just then my little sister came sleepy eyed into the room dragging her dolly behind her.

"What's Jane doing here', she mumbled.

Mum and Aunty laughed much to her chagrin. They explained that they were trying out my fancy dress costume.

"You look nice', she said and started to play with her dolls ignoring me further.

Mum had a quiet word with her about not telling anyone, as it was a surprise for the social. It had stopped raining so I agreed to take her in the garden to play for a bit. Wearing my dress and coat, I had never felt so good in all my young life.

Everything was stored away at tea time and I had to change back into my itchy boys stuff." Now Dad will be home soon so not a word!', said Mum. Where did she put it though? Yes, you guessed, my wardrobe. I think Mum really fancied me in girl's clothes.

Nothing more was said about dressing up or the social but as the day drew nearer I became more and more excited at the prospect of wearing MY red velvet dress. First hurdle was dad. He always got involved in the church social events, usually doing the lighting for plays, putting up scenery or just being around to help. Mum and Aunty decided to keep my costume a secret as he would be at the hall early and wouldn't see me getting ready. The fancy dress contestants had to wear their costumes throughout the evening, then parade to choose the winners at the end. At about six Mum called my sister and me to get ready. She bathed us then Aunty got my sister ready in her fairy outfit while Mum organised me just as that wonderful rehearsal day.

When she had finished with me and showed me to a mirror I was flabbergasted and very thrilled. This time she had hardly used any make up so it looked very natural. As it was raining she got out of her wardrobe a girls raincoat that cousin Brenda had left behind one night. It was in her room 'cos it had been left hanging behind the door of my room when they stayed one night last year and it had been found very creased lying on the floor two days later – but that's another story for later. It was one of those old-fashioned pale blue cotton jobs with a hood and a rubberised lining. I gladly put it on and with my sister wrapped in her plastic mac we set off for the Church hall down the hill. Of course I had to wear my wellies to save my shoes.

When we got to the hall Mum told me to find Dad and give him a big surprise. I was terrified at the thought. Not that dad was one to scared of, but wondering what on earth he would make of the costume. He was busy up a ladder fixing a spotlight. As I called him he turned and nearly fell off the ladder. "Jane', he yelled, 'when did you arrive!"

"Dad, it's me, Mike. This is my costume. It was Mum's idea."

"Good grief', he grinned, 'you are the spitting image of her. Oh well, good luck, I think you could just win if they believe you are who you are!"

Like the other contestants I enjoyed the fun and games of the social, even the dancing, which was a bit of a pain when the Vicar insisted on dancing with all the pretty young lady contestants. He picked off the girls one by one, twirling them around the floor in a waltz. Then he spied me – 'Your turn young lady', he said hauling me onto the floor by the hand. As he spun me around I tried to gasp that I was in the boy's entry not the girls. But he was so carried away with jollity and, knowing the Vicar, a few pints in the 'Fred' before the social, he just twirled me around in a sort of clumsy hop and skip.

Then the MC called for the music to stop and the fancy dress parade to begin. Of course, girls first. The judges were from the Mother's Union, (a daunting lot!) and held up points cards like a swimming gala. My sister came second in her age group in which there were seven ballerinas and four Cinderella's. As my age group was called, 10+, I saw the Vicar muttering to the judges who shook heads and pointed to the entry sheet. At the last circuit they held up the scores. Tim was first. He had a stunning Dalek costume complete with sound effects which I thought was cheating 'cos his Dad was the local radio repair man. I was nowhere in the list until the Judges Chairlady stood up and announced a special First prize for Mike. Yes ME! She said I was the most convincing boy girl turnabout and even had the Vicar fooled!

There was much cheering and even my Cub friends came up and congratulated me and several said how super it must be to wear a costume like mine.

Home we went with Mum, Dad, Aunty and little sister. It had stopped raining so we walked back to the house. Mum said I should take care of my ballet shoes but agreed that just this once I could wear them home.

As I lay in my bed that night I had left the door of my wardrobe ajar and fell asleep looking at MY dresses on the hangers wondering when or if I might again wear them.

 

In my next episode drawn from my real life I will tell you more about the summer's 'Tickle & Treat' games and my cousin's mac. Oh, and my appearance in the Cub concert play - as a girl of course!

  

  

  

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