Madam Scarlet, Piratical Procuress

Madam Scarlet's Establishment of Impure Delights

May bank holiday saw another fun pirate event. This time at Morwellham Quay in Devon.

Thus I packed a lovely friend, grabbed bits and pieces of my re-enactment collection from when I used to run the living history society L'Age d'Or and headed off along the Southern West coast of England towards the West.

Sadly, thousands of other people did the same and we got gloriously stuck in traffic. Nevermind, it was all worth it in the end.

Initially I had intended to be my usual piratical self and that would be Cap'n Cat, but then I realised that we already had many pirate characters.

So I wondered what else we could be and suddenly it came to us: what, I ask you, is a port town without an establishment of ill repute and good reputation? Tortuga and Pirates of the Caribbean comes to mind, after all.

Therefore Madam Scarlet came to life and next year, when we are back in Morwellham Quay for the first May bank holiday, she will have expanded her business and silly fun will be had by all.

The tricorne was made by Kitty Hats and I had ordered it just because I love tricornes. The feathers came from Tom Norbury, I believe, at one of the former Oxford Re-enactor's markets. The genuine pearl necklace is part of my posh 17th century kit and so are the orange flaming silk stays, which were made by Ninya Mikhaila to go under the c 1700 mantua she made for me.

The baldrick was made by an associate of Kit and Kaboodle, many moons back in 1997. I got it back when I dressed in male clothes and went to a re-enactment as a 1680s gentleman, accompanying Kirke's Lambs. It is finest buff leather. The sword was made by Tim of Heron Armoury's, who is a fantastic blacksmith and it is such a lovely sword. Incidentally, it decorates my room, currently hanging at the wall over a painting of Nicolas Fouquet.

I made the black wool skirt, which is knife pleated for once and not cartridge pleated, to provide less bulk under the stays. I also made the black justaucorps, many years ago, in around 1996. The gold embroidery was done by my sewing machine, a lovely Pfaff.

The long hair.... well, it isn't mine, but it's genuine after all.