I've been invited to a Medieval themed birthday party.

And costumes are expensive!

It's a 40th so I want to make an effort.  I have looked into buying a costume and also hiring one, the cost to buy is roughly the same as hiring one for 4 days - the party is not local.

I don't know if I want to pay £100+ for an outfit I will probably only wear once, but I know that if I hire one I will be on tenterhooks all weekend in case I damage it.  Or spill something down it as there will be a hog roast and a flagon, or two, of mead, plus other assorted alcoholic beverages.

I don't even know what costume I want to go for - a busty, pox ridden wench; a cone-headed noble woman; a fool (some would say this would be most apt) or a Knight's Templar?

The Birthday Girl also wants us to perform this in the square outside her house as a flash mob type event.

And it is pretty difficult to practice by yourself.

Does anyone have any more suggestions as to a costume?

I am really looking forward to it, the hotel is already booked and paid for, I just don't know where to start!

And are there any costumiers between Coventry and Norwich that could accommodate me the last weekend in May - I can collect - for a less than extortionate rate?

OIQFC - Convention no 29.

This past weekend saw the 29th Convention weekend of the Official International Queen Fan Club (OIQFC).

For anyone that doesn't know, it is basically a long weekend (Friday to Monday) of Queen music, plus all the solo ventures and groups, videos, competitions and fancy dress.  Oh, yeah, and alcohol or as it is known over the course of the weekend, Convention Water.

The very first convention was back in 1986 in Great Yarmouth, I believe it was just held on one day.  It has since been held in Camber Sands, Southport - where my first convention was in 1993 - Prestatyn, back to Great Yarmouth, and this year we were back over to Prestatyn.

It has also extended to the current 3 nights.

It is a very full on weekend, although lots of activities have been dropped along the way, mostly due to Health and Safety, apparently alcohol and It's A Knockout type activities do not go well together.

This is a programme from 1995, I can't find an earlier one.

And this is this year's.

This year's official fancy dress themes were - Friday, Black & White; Saturday - Sheer Heart Attack and Sunday - Freddie Mercury.  There are also the unofficial themes too, if someone has a special birthday then their group may decide to have their own theme.  In the past, tables have been decorated for convention goers birthdays or anniversaries.

You can be involved in as much or as little as you like.

There is also the fun of catching up with people that you have not seen since the previous weekender.

It isn't a cheap weekend, but sharing caravans can reduce the price a lot, some will sleep 8 people and the more you have in the caravan, the more the price per person reduces, this year started at £79 per person.  I stay on my own and this year I had a fab caravan for £180, it even had an en suite in the main bedroom.

If you are a fan of Queen, it is a weekend that you need to attend at least once. you have to be a member of the fan club and each member can take up to 2 non members as guests.

Next year is the 30th convention so we are hoping for something special.  Maybe that should be the year you become a Convention Virgin and try it.

My Fancy Dress needs for the year.

I have four Fancy Dress events coming up in the next few months and I have no idea where to start!

The themes are (1) Freddie Mercury; (2) Naughty at Forty; (3) Sheer Heart Attack - I will explain this one and (4) Doctor Who.

The first three are for the annual Queen Fan Club Convention, this is a fantastic event involving lots of music, lots of alcohol (known as Convention Water), competitions, both Queen based and non-Queen based, and catching up with old friends.

I don't want to just buy an over the counter Freddie Mercury costume as there will be people in attendance who will be wearing handmade to the original pattern costumes which over the years will have cost them hundreds of pounds.

I think the easiest way to get round this is to go as Freddie, or Ian Beale*, in the I Want To Break Free video.

I am sure I have got a Vanessa Shanessa Jenkins costume that I can adapt!

Naughty at Forty is because the 40th anniversary of the formation of the fan club.  I really don't know what to do for this.  The best I have come up with so far is a forties style outfit but I am not sure how to a naughty element into it.

Sheer Heart Attack is because as well as this year being the 40th anniversary of the fan club, it is also the 40th anniversary of the album, Sheer Heart Attack.  Again, no idea where to start.  Should I borrow some scrubs from work and go as a surgeon?  

I could go as a stick of rock, Brighton Rock being the first track on the album,  I could try and recreate the Killer Queen outfit from We Will Rock You, Killer Queen is the second track.  

Doctor Who is for a Halloween party but there is just so much choice!  Do I go as a Doctor, an assistant, a baddy?

Any suggestions would be gratefully received!

*Oh, and the Ian Beale reference...