BACK IN THE PACK

Norths no longer a force?

Two dozen pre-1950s gowns will be on show at Plimmerton’s upcoming A Right Royal Do, a daylong fair celebrating the village’s history and the Queen’s diamond jubilee. High tea, a parade of vintage cars, motorbikes and fire engines, steam train rides and prizes for best-dressed locals will be highlights of the day.

The fair will fundraise for Plimmerton Volunteer Fire Brigade, which will put on displays for children.

The idea for a vintage festival was born seven years ago when retired GP Brenda Turner and her daughter bought a pristine 1930s wedding gown in a Wairarapa vintage shop for just $90.

It got Mrs Turner thinking about all the beautiful dresses languishing in storage in Plimmerton.

‘‘We were talking about the fact that these beautiful dresses are out there in the community, so we thought about this event,’’ she says.

Once word got out about an exhibition, Mrs Turner was inundated with offers, so an extra exhibit of gowns from 1950 to 1970 was added. Wedding photos and historical background will be displayed beside the dresses, and three will be worn by models.

Fellow organiser Stephanie Drew hopes the fair will become an annual event, like Napier’s art deco weekend.

‘‘We love the fact that we’ve got a village with a sense of history,’’ Mrs Drew says. Plimmerton student Christina Dodds models a 1930s wedding dress which sparked the idea for the village’s upcoming vintage fair.