The hazy days that made up our early British summer seem but a distant memory now, as I begin to pull jumpers from the depths of my wardrobe once again but they did exist, once upon a time, I promise. On one such summer’s day, my family and I hosted a small Dad’s Army themed tea party. For those of you unfamiliar with the television program, it is a 1970s sitcom based on the Home Guard during WWII. Armed with that common trait whereby one can idealise even the least pleasant of events, we put our hair into victory rolls (between you and me, I’d been desperately looking for an occasion to do so for quite some time) and put together out our best attempt at a wartime spread.
I made a Dig For Victory cake (very simple - Victoria Sponge with some homemade icing cut outs arranged on top) whilst my mother slaved over some miniature fish and chip ensembles wrapped in newspaper cones (although I sadly forgot to photograph these - sorry Mum). Other delicacies included egg sandwiches, a sausage plait, rock cakes and an obligatory tin of Spam, which I stayed well away from. My grandfather devised a WWII/Dad’s Army quiz and, of course, we watched a few episodes of Dad’s Army itself.
The weather was beautiful and it was a lovely way to pass an evening with my family. If you’re under the impression, as I suppose I guiltily was, that fancy dress is an activity to be reserved for drunken nights out with university societies, then I urge you to think again. A little bit of effort and a shared interest and your family can gather together to create a pretty fun evening, or so I found anyway.
