Once upon a time....well, back in 2006... a Little Pink Dress was made in a factory in a land far, far away (probably somewhere in Bangladesh or China to be precise). The
very pink Little Pink Dress (some would even call her fuschia or cerise) was packed in a box, along with many other similar dresses, and sent on a big ship all the way to England.
The Little Pink Dress was soon hanging up in a shop called Hobbs, on London's famous Bond Street. It was there that she caught the eye of a weary Nat... a Nat who had spent the previous 10 hours desperately hunting for a dress (
any dress!) and was just about to admit defeat.
The same Nat, who ordinarily wouldn't set foot into smart boutiques on Bond Street... shops where the dressing rooms have no mirrors and you have to come out and parade yourself in front of the critical eye of the brutally honest shop assistants....
"Not that one.....it makes you look even bigger than you are!"
"Never, ever, ever should you wear a skirt like that!"
But then....
"Yes! The Little Pink Dress... she is The One!".
The Little Pink Dress was wrapped lovingly in tissue and taken home by Nat. Just a few days later, she was carefully packed in a suitcase and flown out to Cape Town.... where she found herself at a beautiful wedding at the elegant, and fittingly pink,
Mount Nelson Hotel.
The Mount Nelson
The Little Pink Dress quickly got a taste for luxury hotels.... just over a year later, she presented herself at another wedding, this time at the ultimately luxurious
Ritz Hotel in London. And although she had to share the stage with Nat's Little Black Dress who came out for the evening reception... it was the Little Pink Dress who got to ride in the limo and make the grand entrance into the Ritz.
Palm Court, The Ritz
Fast forward a year or two, and the Little Pink Dress found herself in slightly more homely surroundings.... an old English church on the Sussex Downs, for the Christening of Nat's goddaughter. Still a smart affair, but somewhat low key after the two posh weddings.
By now, the Little Pink Dress was beginning to get a bit tired... she had a feeling that her glory days were over and she was soon to be overlooked for the newer, trendier Little Red Dress. And sadly, this was so.
The Little Pink Dress languished at the back of the wardrobe for a couple of years. Once or twice, Nat took her out and mulled over giving her one last outing, but it was not to be so. Mainly because in the years since Nat first tried on the Little Pink Dress, there had been more than the odd chocolate passing between Nat's lips.. and settling on her hips.
The truth is that the Little Pink Dress did not fit Nat so well anymore, but she was reluctant to admit this. The Little Pink Dress resigned herself to remaining forever more in the dark confines of the Spare Bedroom Cupboard.
Then early last Sunday morning, the Little Pink Dress was jolted from her sleep.... she was going somewhere.... yes definitely going somewhere! Packed in a bag and then into a car.... where could she be off to?
A wedding? Maybe another Christening.... possibly even a posh lunch or birthday do?
"Goody goody!" thought the Little Pink Dress.... "I'm back on trend (and Nat's lost a pound or two!)".
Where oh where are we going? A Country Hotel? A Cosmopolitan London restaurant with ambience? A lush Garden Party?
A CAR BOOT* SALE?????!!!!!
Oh the indignity of it all!!! Draped over a box for display....jostling for space with old books, CDs and tools and all manner of old tat that Nat was trying to sell. How could the fortunes of the Little Pink Dress be so badly turned?
But, the Little Pink Dress quickly found herself at the centre of attention... loads of ladies came over to have a look at her, held her against themselves, hummed and hawed over whether she would fit them. But one lady in particular fell completely in love with the Little Pink Dress. She was just the thing for a wedding the lady was attending next month and she was overjoyed to take ownership of the Little Pink Dress!
And so....like all good fairy stories.... our tale of the Little Pink Dress ends happily after all. The Little Pink Dress has a new owner to love and cherish her and take her out to a wedding, and Nat has an extra £20 in her purse and free space in her wardrobe!
The End
* Car trunk in the US
