Us Fabulous girls don’t really need an excuse to get dolled up, but the annual Chap Olympiads event is a pretty good one! So, on Saturday we donned our finest tea dresses and a slick of red lippy and headed to pretty Bedford Square in London for a weekend of eccentric nostalgia… with a good dash of Pimm’s.
Pimm’s o’clock!
The sun was shining (intermittently), and around 1,000 people took to picnic blankets on the grass for some riveting people-watching. We spotted Queen Victoria, a man in a polar bear fur, two strongmen and countless waxed moustaches, while the ladies plumped for peplum, 20s flapper style, chic tea dresses, 50s pin-up playsuits or androgynous breeches and braces. If vintage fashion is your thing, this is the place to be!
People-watching from the picnic blankets
People-watching aside, the main event was a mock Olympic Games, in which chaps and chapettes could compete to win the coveted Gold Cravat. Events included Butler Baiting, Ironing Board Surfing (why can’t this be an official Olympic sport?) and umbrella jousting on bicycles. Competitors were marked on their outfits, charisma and sporting panache, making for a fair few laughs along the way.
Umbrella jousting
Ironing board surfing
And when it all seemed a bit too much like hard work, us ladies retired to the cake tents, packed full of Victoria sponge, scones and elderflower and wine cocktails. For more information, visit Thechapolympiad.com.
A jolly good day out indeed!
