the scarlet pimpernel

I've been away for a few days. So I guess it's possible I may have forgotten what it's like around here.

Still, I thought it odd when I overheard Lex asking Gary questions like, 'When it comes to clothes, do you generally prefer a blend of silks and satins or would you go for tattered breeches and wooden sabbots?' Or, 'Would you say your idea of relaxation is more dancing a gavotte at the latest ball or playing cards and drinking sherry?'

Weird.

This kind of question would not have been the least bit out of the ordinary in one of my former employments, dressing up as a historic tour guide at Hampton Court Palace. There, it's common practice for male colleagues to discuss the wearing of feathery hats and enquire about the appearance of their back carriages in one pair of tights or another. It's basically a professional imperative.

Not that there's anything wrong with that, of course. If you ask me, the world would be a better place if only more men would concern themselves with hats and 18th century manners. It's just that this is not the sort of talk I had expected ever to overhear passing between two gentlemen who normally come in on a Monday morning to slag off each others' football teams.

I sat here thinking... wow! It's a whole world of possibilities! The boys are turning over a new leaf! Now, not only will I not have to listen to them compare Liverpool and Arsenal or whatever teams they support... I might even have some new buddies to discuss fashion!

They'll probably start to notice how I coordinate my scarves with my shoes! They might even start to learn to tell the difference between Cuban heels and French heels!

Unfortunately for me, they're not actually turning into dandies, as it turns out. Apparently, it was all down to a 'Which Scarlet Pimpernel Character Are You?' quiz.

My dreams of bringing couture to the Boys' Corner at PRC will have to wait.

...but anyway, after answering all of the questions, it turns out that our very own Gary, were he to be a part of this world of costumed drama, would be the Pimpernel himself.



















Having been out at the soirees with Gary, I can confirm, the similarities between these characters are striking.