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Tales of the Gypsy Dressmaker - Thelma Madine
by lyndsey1989
I'm sure most of you will have seen or at least heard of Big Fat Gypsy Weddings, the extremely popular channel 4 documentary showing travellers weddings. This programme helped Thelma Madine to be pushed into the limelight as the famous dressmaker who made all the fabulous and at times shocking designs for the travellers.
This ... book Tales of the Gypsy Dressmaker is Thelma's first piece of writing and it tells her story, not just how she makes dresses for traveller weddings but also background information about how she first got involved with dressmaking and of course, how she got welcomed into the traveller communities.
I wasn't actually aware that this book was being released but my sisters partner bought it for her birthday back in May. We were all on holiday together at the time and she couldn't keep her nose out of this book. I remember thinking to myself oh I must snag that once she's finished but forgot all about it until a couple of weeks ago when I went to see her and she had left it out to lend me. Initially I was a bit skeptical about whether I would enjoy it. Whilst I did like the series Big Fat Gypsy Weddings I wouldn't say it was something I couldn't live without. However, Thelma's recent project Thelma's Gypsy Girls which involved Thelma training traveller girls to be dressmakers was something I very much enjoyed. However, as the book seemed to focus more around the weddings I was unsure, also I wasn't sure if I would enjoy the writing style as I'm very much one for fiction over factual when it comes to reading.
==Thelma's Story==
The book begins with Thelma giving us a brief background of how she began to make dresses. She then goes into detail of an important time in her life after she was married to her husband Kenny and they had had their children. Though Thelma loved being a mum and adored her kids she couldn't help but want more. Kenny earned a good wage and the family were comfortable, even owning a Rolls Royce but Thelma wanted to do something herself. She began to use her dressmaking skills to create dresses for young children. Thelma has a huge interest in historical dress and she would spend hours poring over textbooks looking at the clothes. She would then try to recreate this for modern children.
In time she got a stall at a market in Liverpool, what is known locally as Paddy's Market. Here her clothes began to sell well and over time Thelma noticed that the people that were buying her designs were all distinctive. They were all perfectly presented and money seemed no object yet despite this they loved to haggle. Thelma learned that they were gypsies and soon she was the talk of the local gypsy community.
However, soon after disaster struck. Thelma and Kenny's marriage had finally drawn to a close and she was struggling to make ends meet to support her kids whilst going through a bitter divorce. She ended up signing on for benefits to feed her children, however over time her business picked up and she didn't tell the authorities as quickly as she should have. This led to a two year long investigation and Thelma ended up in the dock. The judge sentenced Thelma to a year in prison in order to make an example.
Once being released from prison, Thelma got straight back to business and in this book she tells her story - the ups, the downs, the sleepless nights and the hard work, not forgetting of course her inclusion in the traveller community.
==Opinion==
As stated above I was a little skeptical about this book. I think that I thought it would be all about the weddings and also very focused around the TV show but it wasn't. Yes, obviously the weddings play a big part of the story and Thelma discusses them a lot throughout the book but her memoirs involve a lot more than this. I felt that what she was really telling the story of was the traveller community. Thelma is very close to various families in traveller communities and as a result of this she knows that they are subject to stereotypical assumptions and exclusion from British society. I believe that by writing this book Thelma hoped to tell her story whilst educating the public about travellers at the same time.
The writing style used is laid back and informal and for some reason I found myself reading it in my head in Thelma's voice the whole way through! I don't know why, maybe I felt that her introduction to the book had allowed me to get to know her very well. The writing style really makes you feel as though you are sat there with Thelma having a cuppa in her office rather than reading what she has written. I really liked the style of writing as I felt it allowed me to get to know Thelma better and often it allowed me to understand particular points she was trying to get across much more quickly.
The book is not in chronological order which initially set alarm bells ringing for me as I thought I may get confused but this is not the case at all and I found it really easy to follow. The story of Thelma's career is told vaguely in the order that it happened but often she will bring in a new concept or subject after talking about something familiar. I enjoyed this as it allowed Thelma to give examples and evidence of whatever she was describing.
I would say that the book primarily focuses around Thelma's adult life, especially her time at the market and her success after being released from prison and her relationship with travellers.
Each chapter involves a different event and she often talks about various weddings she has done. I like the way she does this as in just a couple of pages she manages to set the scene well so we feel as though we know those involved. A lot of the stories told are humerous so this provides some fun to the book.
To be honest I've never really had a great deal to do with travellers. I do know one guy whose from a traveller family but he spent most of his life settled so although I know him as a person I don't really know much about what life as a traveller entails. Thelma does a superb job of helping the reader to understand travellers a little more and she is keen to rid them of the stereotype that seems to follow them around.
I really enjoyed the plot and found myself hooked throughout. Though we all know the outcome of Thelma's story I still found myself desperate to read another chapter when I had a spare ten minutes. I just really loved learning a bit more about the travelling community and being able to understand how they live their lives a little more. The chapters didn't necessarily flow on from one another but I found that everything slotted into place nicely and I thought that it was both an exciting and educational read throughout.
==Additional Information==
The book was released in 2012.
It is published by Harper Collins.
It has 289 pages spread over 15 chapters, a prologue and an introduction.
The hardback cover price for the book is £16.99 but it can now be found cheaper elsewhere.
==The Gypsy Dressmaker - worth a punt?==
As I'm sure you can tell from my review I absolutely adored reading Thelma's story. I found her life fascinating and found her an inspiration. I thought she displayed courage by talking openly about her time in prison and I think she has done the travelling community proud in this book. I would recommend this book to anyone, especially those looking for an inspiring read.
Read the complete review |
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High Voltage Tattoo - Kat Von D.
by JMrabbit
"I am a canvas of my experiences. My story is etched in lines and shading, and you can read it on my arms, my legs, my shoulders and my stomach. But like everybody else, I was born naked and screaming, waiting for my life to write itself on my skin"- Kat Von D.
I became a fan of Kat Von D after watching her in the TV ... series LA Ink/Miami Ink. Her unique personality reflected myself, and began to admire her for many reasons. However, as I am not a 'Superfan', as some would say, I didn't actually realise that she had an auto-biography out. My boyfriend bought it for me as a surprise, and I was, well, more than pleased. The book was apparently bought from Amazon, and after having a sneaky look afterward, you can buy the book, named 'High Voltage Tattoo' for around £11-£14. When I recieved the book, it's much bigger than it looks online. It is a solid hardback with amazing colour on the cover, and an extra shiny picture of Miss Von D herself. As I always do with hardback books, I had a quick flick through and was AMAZED at the colour, pictures, and just general detail in the book.
This book is like no other autobiography I have read. The pages are made to look old and withered, and as the words tell the story, the pictures do too. Although the book does focus on the life of Kat Von D, it also goes into detail about the people who made her as successful as she is today, which I think is loyal, and also interesting. If you are art lover like myself, there are also various drawings and tattoos in there. The book is also humourous in some ways, for example, "The Do's and Dont's of tattoos". Kat never fails to mention her inspirations and in no way, shape or form does she only talk about herself and her life, which in some auto-biographies I have read in the past, they have. Kat also doesn't fail to show the amazing work of the team she works alongside.
I guess that this book is almost and auto-bio combined with acknowledgements and the auto-bio of High Voltage tattoo. Although I could talk about this book all day, in a short phrase it is, as Kat would say "Stoked".
The one and only downside to this book is that it could have been longer, and maybe a bit more info on Kat's personal life would have been better, but overall, this doesn't refrain me from saying that if you love Kat, Tattooing, Art, or even if you just want something inspiring to read, you should not hesitate to buy this book. I will definitely purchase other books she releases, and fingers crossed, she will.
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Grand Prix Automobile De Monaco Posters, the Complete Collection: The Art, the Artists and the Competition, 1929-2009 - William W. Crouse
by suziedre
As a huge F1 fan, I love the history of the sport, and I particularly love old posters advertising the races in days gone by. When I bought my house 2 or so years ago, the first thing I bought was a print of the poster that advertised the 1965 Monaco GP. I have it hanging in my kitchen and due to its retro look and drawing of a Ferrari, ... it remains my favourite item in my home.
Therefore when a friend told me she had bought this book from an art book shop, I immediately googled it and was delighted to find it online. I couldn't afford to buy it myself, and so I got it for Christmas last year. It was the present I was most looking forward to unwrapping.
THE BOOK'S CONCEPT
This was 'written' by William W. Crouse, who in the book's introduction explains how he collected paintings, before deciding that he needed a new interest, and taking a friend's advice, started collecting vintage automobile posters. He went to dealers and auctions to hunt each poster down. It's somewhat sickening that the author doesn't even seem to have been an F1 fan, and yet is possibly the only collector in the world who owns ALL the official Monaco GP posters, from 1929 to 2009 (this book was published in 2010).
This, therefore, is an 120 page book showing each of those posters.
COVER
This is a hardback book, and it is covered in a very thin material as opposed to a paper cover. The front is brightly coloured in orange and yellow, with a photo of the 1931 Monaco GP on the front.
CHAPTERS
The chapters showcasing the posters are divided into eras:
1929-1937: 'Racing's Golden Age'
1948-1957: 'The Fangio Era'
1958-1983: 'British Supremacy'
1984-1993: 'The Prost-Senna Rivalry'
1994-2004: 'Superstar Michael Schumacher'
2005-2009: 'The Youngest Champions'
2 pages are dedicated to each year up until 1998 - 1 page showing the poster of that year, and the other page to explain who drew/painted the artwork, details about the history of the Monaco GP, and finally what happened in the race in that particular year. I found it interesting to read what happened in races before I was born, or ones I had forgotten, but really it is mainly the artwork I look it.
It is very interesting to see how the art and design, and even the font, of the posters has changed over the years. My personal favourites are the mid-1960s posters as they look so retro and really conjure up images of glamorous fans hanging over balconies in Monaco smoking Gitanes and drinking champagne while they watch the race *sigh*
The 1930s posters too are really stunning - I know next to nothing about art, but even I can appreciate how they are done in the art deco style of the time.
It goes without saying that the 1970s and 1980s posters look very of their time also; particularly showing how different the cars looked in those days - therefore this book also shows how F1 cars have evolved over time, as well as art.
Sadly, the 1998 Monaco GP was the last time a poster was attributed to a named artist. In 1999, Marlboro's advertising agency designed the poster, and as of 2000, all GP posters are designed by anonymous graphic designers or artists under the direction of the FIA (Federation Internationale de l'Automobile). Booooo I say! Therefore each of the posters from 2000 up until 2009 only get half a page, on account of them being generic and fairly dull. The author explains how these posters are worth less to collectors, which I can understand as these are easy to buy online and I myself have the 2008 Italian GP poster, having been to that race.
PRICE AND AVAILABILITY
This costs up to around £35, and you can easily find it on Amazon. It *is* expensive, there is no doubt about that, but as this is, I would say, a coffee table style book, I don't think this price is anything out of the ordinary. Treat yourself - or get someone else to!
WOULD I RECOMMEND THIS?
I would recommend this to diehard F1 fans, or someone who needed to buy a great gift for one. Even non-F1 fans could appreciate this, if they had an interest in art, design, or other vintage posters.
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