Poster girl (literally) for Action for Brain Injury Week, May 2024.
It was all ‘hush hush’ until the end of last month but I can now go public with the tremendous news that Goodrum & Merryweather is featuring in a national awareness-raising campaign for the charity Headway, the Brain Injury Association.
I’ve been under media embargo for several weeks and months and had to tiptoe down to London back in April 2024 to record a short film (interviewed by the television celebrity-du-jour, BBC Traitors finalist Andrew Jenkins) and participate in a photo shoot with some of my hats. What a privilege and pleasure to be asked to represent this important and excellent charity and to be one of the faces of its Action for Brain Injury Week (ABI Week), which took place from 20-26th May 2024. I am thankful to be in a position to share my story as a brain tumour survivor and to acknowledge how millinery has featured positively in my ‘re-written’ life post-operatively. Millinery has given me new skills, new friends and new horizons. Headway has given me support, information and encouragement along the way. A great combination.
It was fascinating to spend time filming my interview with a producer, director and entourage from the broadcast agency TBIMedia and to peek behind the scenes for a short while. Having my portrait taken by campaign photographer David Baker was also a new, and intriguing, experience. So, millinery has, yet again, opened new doors and forged fresh experiences. The silver lining continues to unfurl in unexpected and extraordinary ways.
Both the pen and the pin can be mightier than the sword. Vintage hatpins from the Sue Ryder charity shop, Norwich.
I come from a long line of writers and authors, and have always been encouraged to produce stories and words. I’m also a proud ‘south paw’ and like to think I have rather pleasing penmanship [sic], especially as a left-hander. I’ve always enjoyed the act of writing, too: forming letters on the page; the feel of nib on velum (okay, biro on file paper); even, the typing of font on keyboard. I hold, dear reader, the dizzying ‘Stage 1’ typing qualification – with distinction – awarded by the Royal Secretarial College (RSA), circa 1992.
As a career academic, I’m also reasonably ‘well published’ (as we professors tend to say, or claim, at least). I published my first 80k-word book with Bloomsbury in 2005, The National Fabric, and have since produced (churned out) many a journal article and book chapter as an occupational requirement bound up with a personal passion. I’ve also had the opportunity to get involved with editorial, commissioning, and review work, sitting on the Boards of several academic journals published by Intellect, Taylor & Francis and Emerald and Chairing the Lord Aberdare annual book award. Heck, I even won ‘Outstanding Reviewer 2008’ in the Literati Awards (yes, that’s a thing).
It’s not often I assemble, as above, my word-y activities in one place. It’s a good reminder that so much of my life has involved, even been dedicated to, the written word. Only last month, I delivered a workshop for colleagues at the Art School on ‘First Steps In Publishing’. That proved an enjoyable mentoring opportunity to share my experiences of a world with which I am familiar and that others find daunting. My advice? There are few tricks or short cuts. The secret is to sit down, shut up, and write something.
The point I’m labouring to get to is that recent weeks have brought forth a literary-millinery alliance. Bournemouth (a resort and retirement hot spot on the South Coast) has an annual writing festival and, by chance, I stumbled on one of its competitions: a 200 word piece of flash fiction on any hat-related theme. Now, that is my bivouac!
My 193-word submission is reproduced below. Fictional, although loosely based on historical precedents, it proved, unfortunately, not to be a prize winning piece. I’ll let you judge for yourself.
Mrs Holroyd’s Hatpin
It was a bitterly cold morning in early Spring when Clara Constance Holroyd entered the dock at Bournemouth’s Courts of Justice. Clara’s case had drawn an unusually large crowd to the public gallery, hungry for lurid details of her recent arrest. The onlookers were anticipating a bit of a show. Clara was among the more outspoken members of the local branch of Pankhurst’s WSPU; one of those misguided and wholly reprehensible Suffragettes.
“Mrs Holroyd” said the presiding judge in measured tones, as if addressing a persistently ill-behaved child, “are you aware of the gravity of your actions?” He continued, “you are charged with disorderly conduct, with attempted assault of a police constable and with possession of a weapon”. At that, he gestured towards Clara’s favourite hatpin – a thirtieth birthday gift from her godmother – which now bore a cheap cardboard luggage tag marked ‘Exhibit A’.
“Do you have anything to say in your defence, Mrs Holroyd?”
There was an expectant hush as Clara held the man’s gaze with steely assuredness, jutting her chin. “VOTES FOR WOMEN!” Her voice rang out across the courtroom, a clear, strong, urgent, clarion call. “VOTES FOR WOMEN!”
‘Wide Blue Yonder’ statement sinamay boater by Goodrum & Merryweather in aid of Headway. Exhibited at The Forum, Norwich, March 2024.
Collaboration is always a pleasure and, so the theory goes, it is also fundamental to creativity and creative success. Recently, I’ve put theory into practice, through a charitable partnership with Headway (Norfolk and Waveney branch), the not-for-profit organisation that ‘Improves Lives Impacted by Brain Injury’.
Headway has been a source of advice and support to me personally these past five years during my recovery from Acoustic Neuroma. As soon as I learned of Headway’s intention, then, to stage a fundraising art exhibition and silent auction in the spectacular setting of The Forum, right around the corner from me in Norwich, I jumped at the chance to be involved and to return a little of the kindness I have been shown by the charity. Artists – with milliners included in the definition – were invited to donate artworks, which would be exhibited in a group show from 4th-7th March 2024. Pieces might be acquired through a sealed bid system, all in aid of the noble and excellent Headway cause.
For my contribution, I decided to make a large, show stopping, hat, in the form of a statement boater (18 inches diameter) both to catch the eyes of the visiting public (refer to image) but also not to be dwarfed in the cathedral-like dimensions of The Forum. I selected a sky-blue colour to match the Headway logo and livery. This was also a good opportunity to try out the ruffled veiling technique that I’ve been waiting to deploy for some time; I used more than four metres (that’s a lot) of veiling for the trim. The hat is called ‘Wide Blue Yonder’, evoking the idea that, with brain injury, comes the great and gaping unknown but, so too, comes alternative, positive, possibilities, broadened horizons and, on occasion, a hint of blue sky.
Jarrolds department store, Norwich. Stockists of Goodrum & Merryweather : Handmade Millinery
After some to-ing and fro-ing over many months, I am proud and excited to announce that – drumroll please – Goodrum & Merryweather millinery is now stocked by Jarrolds department store in the city centre of Norwich. Huzzah!
My collaboration with Jarrolds launched officially at the end of January 2024 and marks a significant milestone in the continuing development of Goodrum & Merryweather. It is a real thrill to have clinched this opportunity and I have had amazing and plentiful feedback from well-wishers and supporters. Jarrolds is held in high regard and with great affection by Norwich residents and their regional neighbours. It is ‘the’ big, luxury, independent, department store, selling everything from bath salts to Bollinger champagne (in fact, it has its own champagne bar, which is well worth a visit).
Staggeringly, Jarrolds began trading in 1770 and, not unsurprisingly given its history, it is the largest and longest standing privately owned business in the city. The store frontage itself is located slap in the middle of Norwich and is monumental in stature (refer to image), casting long shadows over the nearby market and surrounding cobbled streets of the medieval ‘Lanes’. A detailed discourse on the Jarrolds company history – that is, all 250 years of it – can be found here.
The Jarrolds website hosts a Goodrum & Merryweather page, where, by the wonders of technology, a selection of my wares/wears are available to browse and also purchase. And I will, of course, still be taking special commissions and making bespoke hats to order for private clients. Exhibitions, millinery history lectures, pop ups and hat competitions will also all still be happening. The future is bright. 250 years and counting.
The new year is off to a flying start. This past week, the results of the 6th Annual Lincoln International Millinery Competition (LIMC) were announced. *Drum roll, please*. And I am thrilled and delighted to have scooped second prize. Huzzah! The esteemed competition judges were Stephen `Jones OBE and Denise Wallace-Spriggs, both leaders in the millinery field with awesome reputations. The submitted hats were judged anonymously. My prize is sponsored by Hat Blocks Australia (thank you HBA).
Entrants to the contest were set a challenging brief: to purchase two secondhand hats, cut them precisely in half (either vertically or horizontally) and shunt them together to create a new hat. All for just £10. Sounds easy? I assure you it was not.
The gallery below hosts images of my submission, from the original sad-looking hats acquired in the charity shops of Norfolk, to the final snazzy up-cycled bonnet, which I named Regency Barbie (for obvious reasons once you set eyes on it). There are also images of work-in-progress.
It’s not often one has the opportunity either to pose, or ponder, the question: ‘what would Barbie have worn in the year 1813?’ I sourced a few old straw hats within budget (itself a hard task) and then had to have a very long think about how to tackle the brief. Finally, the braided, natural straw, sunhat (refer to gallery) triggered my imagination. Its wide brim and lattice-work design seemed to me to have the faintest whiff of an old fashioned bonnet. Not that I’d ever attempted to make one of those before. But it appears that the old adage rings very true, ‘necessity is the mother of all invention’.
All in all, a fun project. Not only was it a surprise to be awarded second place in a very strong field of competitors (congrats to Mason Millinery, the overall winner), another surprise is that the process has switched me on to bonnet making far more than I could ever have imagined. The Regency Barbie bonnet may be my first but I hope it isn’t my last. With many apologies to Jane Austen, “it is a truth universally acknowledged that a single woman in possession of a good fortune must be in want of a hat.”
Goodrum & Merryweather at the Golden Triangle Christmas Pop Up, Norwich. 8-9th Dec, 2023.
The year may be nearing its end but the pace of millinery life remains undiminished. Today (08/12/23), for example, is the launch of the Golden Triangle Christmas Pop Up, in Norwich, and Goodrum & Merryweather has winter hats and mini ‘Boater Bauble‘ tree decorations for purchase (refer to image). I am exhibiting in the beautiful surrounds of The Potter’s Arms (a former Victorian corner pub turned ceramics studio and gallery) alongside a collective of artist-neighbours: jeweller, ceramicist, enameller, printmaker, illustrator, woodcarver, and more. The project is proving to be a fun final flourish to a productive year of making and millinery and I can’t wait for the doors to open to the public this evening.
It is a fitting moment, too, to reflect on some of the hat-related accomplishments of the past 12 months and to gather together and itemise some of the highlights of Goodrum & Merryweather’s year. I jotted these down prior to typing this blog post and was completely bowled over, positively, by the vibrancy and depth of my own activity: I hadn’t realised I was keeping so busy.
Goodrum & Merryweather’s Top 3 of ’23.
National Exhibitions: In March 2023, my piece, ‘Her Infinite Variety‘ was selected by the jury for inclusion in the ‘Bold Perspectives’ exhibition at The Forum, central Norwich, as part of the annual Makers’ Festival. In April 2023, my piece, ‘Take Time To Smell the Roses‘ travelled to London to be exhibited at the TIME art exhibition, The Design Centre, for The Brain Tumour Charity.
Competition Successes:In March 2023, my piece ‘Ascot Mask-cot‘ was awarded runner up prize, as judged by Stephen Jones OBE, in the annual Lincoln International Millinery Competition (LIMC). In August 2023, my piece ‘Starry, Starry Night‘ was awarded second place in the 12th annual Mad Hatters international competition (based in the USA), as judged by Jenny Pfanenstiel.
Upskilling and Development:The year has been full of learning opportunities, formal and informal, planned and serendipitous. In January 2023, I took a two-day straw boater making course with Justine Bradley-Hill. In March 2023, I took a buntal mats course with Jenny Roberts. In May 2023, `I took a cloud burst veiling course with Jenny Roberts and in October 2023, I took an organdie poppy making class, again with Jenny Roberts.
I am also pleased, if not even a little smug, to report that I fulfilled my New Year’s Resolution, made back in January 2023, all those many months ago. Back then, I resolved to learn to use – and to use – a thimble. And now, by December 2023, I can barely sew a stitch without one. The secret? It’s all about achievable goals.
May your festive season be full to the hat brim with peace, hope, good health and a generous sprinkling of merry(weather)-ment.
‘Norfolk Poppy’ by Goodrum & Merryweather, October 2023. With hand cut petals and leaves, hand dyed fabric and hand made in the Poppy Land of Norfolk, England.
Earlier this month (October 2023), I spent an intense Saturday afternoon being put through my flower-making paces by Jenny Roberts, the renowned milliner based in Harrogate, Yorkshire. I’ve taken several of Jenny’s online classes over the past two or three years and they are always excellent; full of tips, clear instruction and striking just the right pitch and pace. This latest class was a four hour-long Zoom session focusing on the hand production and custom ombre dyeing of poppies in a slightly hard-to-come-by fabric called cotton organdie (refer to image for end results)
Norfolk, the county where I’m based, has historically been closely connected to the poppy flower. However, I think I am correct in saying that, these days, the connections are rarely referenced in local or popular culture, save for the occasional tourist postcard or souvenir tea towel. Time was (in the late Victorian period) when visiting the ‘Poppy Land’ of Norfolk was nothing short of a fashionable craze and Norfolk was coined as the place “where the regal red poppies are born”. There are some wonderful old travel posters for the now defunct Great Eastern Railway promoting the “charm” of Poppy Land and the railway line as the “royal route to Poppy Land” (don’t forget, for example, that Sandringham House, the Christmas residence of the British Royals, is to be found on the North Norfolk coast).
The creation of the Poppy Land legend was largely down to a Victorian gentleman, lyricist, writer, poet and theatre critic for The Daily Telegraph named Clement Scott (1841-1904). In 1883 Scott, a Londoner, travelled on assignment to the area via the newly opened rail connection between Norwich and the seaside resort of Cromer. On arrival in tourist-y Cromer, and unable to secure accommodation, Scott walked along the coastal path to the neighbouring villages of Overstrand and Sidestrand. There, he stumbled upon the idyllic Mill House, where he lodged and fell in love with both the quiet beauty of the locale and with the miller’s daughter, Louie Jermy. Scott recounted his impressions of Poppy Land in his Telegraph column for several weeks and, later, in his book, Poppy Land – Papers Descriptive on the East Coast (1886). These descriptions of an unspoiled and remote vision of rural England may be attributed to kick-starting the, still flourishing, Norfolk tourist industry and the longstanding popularity of the county as a Summer holiday destination. Scott’s Poppy Land captured the imagination of London’s literary and artistic set, who travelled to Mill House and its surrounds in droves; so much so that Sidestrand became known as “the village of millionaires” for a time.
Ironically, Scott became frustrated by the growth in popularity and bustle that his own writings brought to the area and feared that the peaceful charm of Poppy Land may be threatened by development and what he referred to as the “Bungalow Land” of modern construction and incomers. His was, and remains, a common and unfortunate complaint. However, as a Norfolk resident, I am glad to have spent many happy hours over the years visiting, holidaying on, and thoroughly enjoying, the coastline of Cromer, Overstrand and Sidestrand alike, all of which retain a substantial portion of their simple and nostalgic appeal. And, as a Norfolk milliner, I am glad now to have learned the art of poppy making so that I may add a local and historical splash of colour to my hats; all of them proudly made in Poppy Land.
Challenging gender norms in ‘City Look’ by photographer Arthur Jones, feat. in Vogue 1963. The bowler hat has come to be a material marker for caricatures relating to finance and business.
September has been and gone in a flash and, I am pleased to report, there were successes along the way. Not least, I won a prize draw, organised by the British Millinery Association, for a one-to-one business mentoring session with Natalie Jackson of ActionCoach in Essex. It’s important, I think, to be open to different voices and to seize opportunity when it knocks in whatever form (I hope my students are reading this), so I was both eager and intrigued to take up my prize and learn from the business world as an addition to my usual, softer, reference points of craft, history and culture.
Natalie and I arranged to meet via the wonders of Zoom on 26/09/2023 and, on reflection, it strikes me that much of the conversation was about confidence: inspiring it, developing it and ensuring it grows despite inevitable knocks to it from time to time. This is a valuable lesson of which to be reminded and I found it affirming to hear it from a new, and expert, voice positioned in the business world (not my natural habitat). Thank you coach Natalie and the British Millinery Association for according this experience, which represents yet another block on which to build my endeavours ever onwards and upwards.
And, reverting to type, there’s always a millinery/history link to be made, even (or maybe especially) in business. The bowler hat (refer to image) and old-fashioned city bankers are closely aligned, at least in British cultural history. The business man (yes, gendered language; bear with me) may be caricatured through particular items of clothing and related accessories: a pinstripe suit, a rolled umbrella, and a bowler hat. Now something of an anachronism, dressing for business in a bowler is nonetheless a recognisable material identity, symbolising respectability, establishment values and belonging to a particular profession and social echelon. Things start to get interesting, though, when this symbol is so well-recognised it can be played with, and even subverted. Charlie Chaplin (a working class hero), Liza Minelli (a Cabaret act), and Kubrick’s dystopian Clockwork Orange, all recognised the bowler hat as a form through which to convey their own, wildly varying, characterisations. It’s interesting that these three, most obvious, examples are taken from the domain of theatre and performance; costuming requires, and exploits, such material and symbolic shortcuts to great advantage.
Yet another layer of interest for me, located here in Norfolk England, lies in the story of the historical evolution of the bowler. Lo and behold, it’s local. And I think more could be made of this heritage (which leads me to ponder the case for a fuller millinery history of Norfolk because there are a couple of additional, significant, hats floating about the County’s past, too). The bowler’s (disputed) Norfolk story is described succinctly by Wikipedia:
“The bowler hat was designed in 1849 by the London hat-makers Thomas and William Bowler to fulfill an order placed by the company of hatters James Lock & Co. of St James’s, which had been commissioned by a customer to design a close-fitting, low-crowned hat to protect gamekeepers from low-hanging branches while on horseback. The keepers had previously worn top hats, which were knocked off easily and damaged. The identity of the customer is less certain, with some suggesting it was Thomas Coke, 1st Earl of Leicester who had estate at Holkham Hall, in Norfolk. However, research performed by a younger relation of the 1st Earl casts doubt on this story, and it is claimed by James Lock & Co. that the bowler was invented for Edward Coke, the younger brother of Thomas Coke, 2nd Earl of Leicester. When Edward Coke arrived in London on 17 December 1849 to collect his hat he reputedly placed it on the floor and stamped hard on it twice to test its strength; the hat withstood this test and Coke paid 12 shillings for it.“
Whatever the exact circumstances of its creation, I predict we may be seeing more of the bowler hat on contemporary heads over the coming months in something of a fashion-led renaissance. That’s a heads up; you heard it here first.
Whilst the taking part is important, winning is also rather nice, is it not?
News hot off the press: Goodrum & Merryweather has scooped the award of 2nd place in the Mad Hatters Society (MHS) 12th annual millinery competition 2023. Should millinery be a competitive pursuit? Do we thrive with collaboration rather than competition? These questions are meaty and very worthy of lively debate. Yet, in this fleeting moment of success, I plan to enjoy the recognition, and reward, that my 2nd prize ushers forth and leave the more philosophical questions for another day.
Naturally, I am thrilled to be placed in this international competition, which is well established and, this year, was judged by the esteemed master milliner, Jenny Gerst Pfanenstiel from Louisville, who is the current featured milliner of the Kentucky Derby. The theme of the MHS this year was ‘a favourite song’. After due consideration, I plumped for Starry, Starry Night (sometimes known as Vincent) by Don McLean. My design morphed quite considerably from concept to delivery (there was a moment of madness with an oversized tulle pompom that didn’t make the final cut) but I had an overarching vision in my mind’s eye to do with stars (obviously), palettes and Vincent van Gogh. The gallery below provides some snapshots of the award-winning result. I am particularly pleased with my totally original origami sinamay stars, which I had to teach myself to make – and make to a suitable standard of finish – for the competition. Now, why on earth don’t milliners put more stars on hats rather than the customary flowers?
For posterity, I end here by including a copy of my accompanying statement of inspiration, which formed part of my competition entry.
Inspiration: The song begins, “a starry, starry night / paint your palette blue and gray” and provides an obvious color scheme. The song is a tribute to the artist, Vincent van Gogh and the sinamay swirl references a painterly, gestural, brush stroke, echoing the tumbling lines of the clouds in van Gogh’s ‘The Starry Night’ painting from 1889. Lurex-threaded sinamay adds twinkles, along with handmade origami stars. The shallow brim hints at both a palette-like and planet-like shape, bringing together the artistic and the celestial themes of the hat.
‘Starry, Starry Night’. Award winning millinery by Goodrum & Merryweather. 2nd prize, MHS 12th annual millinery competition 2023.
Hang Your Hat. SolianWare wall pocket, Soho Pottery, Stoke-On-Trent, 1935.
Millinery connections get everywhere. Last weekend (15/07/23) was the much-anticipated neighbourhood yard sale, which takes place annually here in the NR2 postcode. It’s an opportunity to declutter, make some pocket money, find hidden treasures, and, most importantly in my community-oriented part of town, spend time with neighbours and friends in a festive atmosphere. This particular yard sale is neither an amateur undertaking nor for the faint of heart. There is an interactive online map, which gives the location of each yard on the trail and, this year, a breath-taking 380 (or more) yards were registered to participate.
As a dedicated bargain hunter, I seized this opportunity to ramble among my local highways and byways as a buyer, hot on the trail of mid-century kitsch and haberdashery scraps. The weather (we’re having a rainy, typical, British Summer) held off and I set forth early in order to make the most of the day.
After three or four hours of rummaging along a circular route, I had barely touched the surface of all those yards and their amassed treasures. However, I returned to Goodrum & Merryweather Towers with some wonderful booty, tired legs and the need for copious amounts of reviving tea. One of the highlights has to be my millinery-themed purchase of an original, ceramic, ‘wall pocket’ (pictured). I struck a marvellous deal to bag it for just £2. I had a suspicion that it was from the Interwar era and, sure enough, thanks to a little help from an online search engine, I discovered that it originated from 1935 and a, once, well-known pottery in the ceramic heartlands of Staffordshire. I was able to dig up some interesting snippets about the object, the manufacturer and also the wider cultural references imbued within it. Isn’t material culture and its history so very fascinating?
The wall pocket that I purchased is from the ‘SolianWare’ line, produced by Soho Pottery. My particular model is named the ‘Dolly Varden’, a tribute to the fictional character in Dickens’ Barnaby Rudge(1841). Dolly Varden was identified in the novel by her coquettish dress and her name entered into common parlance as a shorthand for a particular style of low-cut, figure-hugging outfit topped with a large, flowered, hat.
A little more online sleuthing, courtesy of the National Library of Scotland database, adds even more flavour to the story. It seems that this millinery reference made it to the Victorian music hall in the form of a ballad, attributed to EB Crawford, 1897, detailing the allure of ‘The Dolly Varden Hats’. With six verses and a chorus it’s a colourful, somewhat bizarre, and lengthy, ode to the romantic power of historical millinery and those that wore it. The lyrics paint a superb picture, and I will continue to keep an ear out for a recorded version and the original score. I wonder how the melody goes?
Yard sales are founded on the elements of surprise, exchange and acquisition. My own experience was no exception and I came away with all manner of unexpected gains, material, musical and more. Let’s end on that song:
The Dolly Varden Hats, EB Crawford, 1897
Come, dear, don’t fear try and cut a shine / And wear a hat and feathers in the fash-ionable line / Lovers you’ll have plenty, of that you may depend / If you wear the Dolly Varden hat, and do the Grecian Bend.
Come, dear, don’t fear, have your ringlets curled / If you’re out of fashion, you had better leave the world / Your sweet and pretty faces will wear a winning smile / If you get a hat and feather in the Dolly Varden style.
There’s little Polly Pudding chops, don’t she do the grand? / With a tiny hat upon her heed, no bigger than your hand / And this ‘Grecian Send’ toddling on her toes / With a hat like a cockle shell stuck upon her nose.
Our grandmother years ago were comfortable souls / They used to wear a bonnet like settle for the coals / But bonnets are so altered now by woman one and all / They made them smaller every day till now there’s none at all.
I know a jolly carpenter is name is Peter Platt / He courted a girl with a Dolly Varden Hat / And while they were a courting he proved so very kind / He rumpled all the muslin in her panniers be-hind.
Some of them are rather large, some are rather small / Some with very wide brims and some with none at all / I know a girl that wears one, oh ! aint she nice and fat / You could drive’a dozen donkeys round her Dolly Varden hat.
Miss Jemima Jenkins—what a precious flat / Pawned her mother’s breeches for a Dolly Varden hat / She couldn’t get a chignon / ’tis true I do de-clare / So she stole a lot shavings and rolled then [sic] her hair.
Goodrum & Merryweather 