Sunday 5 June 2011

Storyteller Sunday.............The Hospital Ball.

Do do do doodo, dodododoooooo do do do do do do do......................(sung to East Ender's theme tune)...........welcome to storytelling Sunday this month brought to you from 24 years ago in Bethnal Green/Bow.

As a student nurse, one of the grandest occasions we could attend was the Medical College Ball and in 1987, my flatmates, friends and I did just that. The actual event itself is not as memorable as the build-up to the evening and the evening itself which, if not for some kind neighbour's, police and an open window might not have happened at all.

So my flatmate and fellow nursing student PJ and I had got the tickets for the ball which was to be held in a posh hotel in Park Lane. My mu  was roped into making the ballgowns and they were gorgeous. Jane had a full length black satin number and I had a shot-green emerald green taffeta gown. Both were fully boned and full length. My mum worked really hard to make them fit perfectly, and longevity wise mine is still looking amazing in her wardrobe at home., apparently. I bought myself some costume jewellery from one of the market stalls in Whitechapel and I still have my beautiful fake emerald earrings in my jewellery box, want to see?




If you've not seen shot taffeta this is the exact colours of my dress as modelled very beautifully by, let's face it a model. Mine was full skirted like this and fitted from the waist up with a strap over one shoulder and a flat bow on the shoulder too.................it was lovely.

PJ's boyfriend Bob was her escort and as I was sadly single my hunky cousin agreed to take me. The rest of our group was my friend Lou and her husband Mark.

The day of the ball came and we were all getting ready when disaster one struck. My cousin rang to say '' My car has exploded At Hendon and it'll take a bit longer to get to you!''. What he didnt say was he had no idea where in Hendon he was or how to get to the tube.

''Don't worry'' I said through gritted teeth ''Just get here''.

Everyone else was ready so I sent them off to the hotel with instructions to get me a glass of wine and make sure my meal wasnt eaten by someone else...............I'd been starving myself all day to fit into the boned dress of course.
Then I sat a waiting patiently for the cousin to get there. I have to say I was very calm as far as I can remember. Looking out the window I saw one of my ex-patients coming up the road with her parents and called down a ''Hello''. They knew I was going to the ball so I said I'd come down and show her my dress. Then disaster 2..............................can you guess? Yep door slammed shut, Jo has no keys, I mean remember Dr Who Christmas episode ''The Runaway Bride''? As Catherine Tate so eloquently put it ''When I went for my fitting at the bridal shop I should have asked for pockets!'' in sarcastic tone.........................whoops. So there I am in the middle of the East End in a full length ballgown pretending like I'm not panicking cos I cant get back in the flat. Anyway, good deed done, off they toddle and I'm standing there like a dressmakers dummy wondering what to do. So bright idea I'll knock on the neighbours door. They are very kind and offer to phone the police/fire/anyone really to get me back in. So there we all are in their parlour drinking sherry would you believe when screaming sirens can be heard. I swear they sped up there like the Sweeney (1970s cop show for the uninitiated among us) all the way from Limehouse our local nick (East End lingo for Police station). Mention the word ''nurse in distress'' and in those days that was the reaction. They were quite nice too. So a very nice policeman climbed up onto the next door neighbour's flat roof and climbed  into PJ's room through her amazingly open window and came down to let me in. Yey for the Eastend copper I say. So in I go and not long after that the cousin turns up.

''What an evening'' he says.....................

''You dont know the half of it'' I reply with a knowing look on my face.


Looking back I remember little else about the ball really cos the story up until then was so funny and mad. All I really remember is on the way home in the taxi, there was no room for PJ so she had to stick her feet out of the window and lie across the rest of us. It was certainly a night to remember and a story worth sharing.



20 comments:

  1. Certainly was an evening to remember,Jo....and as a child I loved Whitechapel Market...used to go through it on my way to the London Eye Hospital.

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  2. great story Jo I also attended a ball when we all passed our exams we organised one ourselves and wore an emerald green dress, kust find a pic to show u! Loved all the adventure leading up to it! Sorry cannot post properly with blogger anyone know why?? So being anon again hugs Furrypig xxx

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  3. Oooh, love this story! Definitely one to remember :D

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  4. Great story Jo, I'm glad you got there in the end :)

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  5. Great adventures - how exciting TFS

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  6. You do have a way with words. I especially liked "like a dressmaker's dummy"...very descriptive and apt for your story.

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  7. Fantastic story! A night to remember for sure!

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  8. Oh, brilliant Jo! Well, obviously not all brilliant, but you know what I mean!! You conjured this up so perfectly that I could imagine setting off with you - can you hear me laughing? We would have been doubled up together! Your dress sounds gorgeous (I have been making a page about my first formal dress I made myself. It looked like a sack)

    I really enjoyed reading this one today Jo. A fine story for Storytelling Sunday.

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  9. Fantastic! Really enjoyed reading this! I had a bridesmaid's dress in shot green tafetta like your ball gown for my sister's wedding in 1988!

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  10. Great story Jo...no wonder you don't remember the Ball-it must have been very boring after all you'd been through!
    Alison xx

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  11. Wonderful story Jo, glad it had a happy ending and you made it to the ball! I like the idea of you sipping sherry with your neighbour, wearing your ball gown, when the police come screaming in to save the day. Fantastic! x

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  12. What a lovely story Jo and I bet you looked stunning in your dress.

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  13. Great story, Jo! I was afraid the cousin was going to be the casualty!

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  14. What a great story - I can just see your reaction when the door closed and you realized what had happened! Thanks for sharing.

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  15. Uhooi,,
    Waw,, It's very pretty, beautiful and creative,,

    Uhooi.blogspot.com

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  16. Waht a great story Jo. You definitely had a memorable night and so glad you made it to the ball. Love that colour.

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  17. lol!! Great story, Jo :) Poor you! (I'm lol-ing sympathetically, of course....)

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  18. What a wonderful story! I can just see you, drinking tea in all your elegance, waiting for the copper. My mom was a nurse, and they had a huge ball in nursing school where they dressed as Southern ladies. The photographs are incredible.
    Rinda

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  19. Fabulous story! So funny! These things always happen when its a big night out or before a huge deadline don't they?!!

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  20. Certainly a night to remember! Love the Sweeney, watching the re runs at the mo....Lock em up Carter.

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Hello and thank you so much for stopping by. It is always a pleasure to read the comments I receive and to meet new friends. I try and reply to comments on friend's blogs as much as possible. I hope you have enjoyed reading my blog and look forward to seeing you here again soon. Love Jo xxx