KERRE MCIVOR

KERRE FABULOUSLY FROCKS UP FOR NAPIER’S ART DECO FESTIVAL

Well, that was another marvellous weekend kicking up my heels at Napier’s Art Deco Festival!

This is my third year in a row, but I’ve got a long way to go before I can begin to match the records of some regular festivalgoers. I met the lovely Gina and Bob, who were beautifully turned out in period costume and have been coming every year for 17 years.

They agreed that the festival was getting bigger and better with more and more people, young and old, getting into the spirit, dressing in costume and participating in as many events as they possibly could.

The lovely thing about this festival is that you don’t have to spend a lot of money to have a good time. Some of the most enjoyable events are free. The bands in the soundshell and on street corners are free. The magnificent aerial displays put on by the pilots of the vintage aircraft are there for everyone to enjoy, and there are free lectures and shows put on each day of the festival.

Every night, families would bring a picnic down to the foreshore, set up their folding chairs and table, and soak up the atmosphere without spending a cent. It’s a very inclusive event – but then I suppose it has to be as the festival takes over the whole town and blocks off streets around the Masonic Hotel, which is the hub of the festivities.

There’s an incredible generosity about the festival – the free events sure, but there’s the generosity of locals in being gracious about having an influx of visitors taking over their city. There’s the generosity of those people who bring along their magnificent cars to take part in the famous Vintage Car Parade, and to those pilots who fly from all around the country to share their planes and their skills with the crowds. And there’s the incredible generosity of the volunteers who help the Art

Deco Trust make the weekend happen. Without them, there wouldn’t be a festival and the country would be all the poorer for it.

I’ve learned to plan ahead for the festival. When I was in London at the end of last year to help out with the arrival of the new grandbaby, Kate sent me off to buy a flash frock so we could have a girls’ night out. I hadn’t taken over any ‘going out’ gear. All I’d packed was jeans and jumpers – a working nana’s wardrobe – as I thought I’d be doing housework and park visits for the duration of my stay. A new baby and a 20-month-old were not going to afford me much opportunity for time off, I thought.

My girl had different ideas. She wanted to take me out to thank me for my help and that meant I needed a dress suitable for a London Champagne bar. And I found one that was perfect – and that could also double as a festival frock. It looked like it had come straight from the wardrobe of a 1930s matron.

I’ve noticed, over the years, what features to look for at the festival – a bias cut, low back, slinky fabric – and this ticked all the boxes. The fact that it had been dramatically reduced in the sales was also a win!

So that came out for the opening night party on Friday and I felt a million dollars in it. I’ve bookmarked my favourite websites that offer vintage clothing – both genuine and replica – in readiness for next year. There’s so much to see and do that I’ve only scratched the surface. I may not get up to Gina and Bob’s unbroken attendance – but I’m going to give it a jolly good try.