When starting out as a Land Girl . . . .

. . . . it's best to start at the beginning.

Amazon in fact. Google told me that from 1941, girls that put themselves forward for Land duties were issued with the Land Girl Manual. This book in fact - see below - thanks Amazon!

After watching Land Girls with Anna Friel, and very recently the BBC series also by the same name, I became totally fascinated by these wonderful women. Not only were they hard working but they found it possible to have fun and stay beautiful when our country was in trouble. Little known fact, Land Girls of the Second World War didn't get recognition for their efforts, not until 2008. 

So, I decided in my quest for femininity and ladyhood I would read through my new bible, and find out exactly what I would need, and need to do to make my life a Land Girl life.

I read through the forms, and I did ponder exactly what would happen if I filled them out and posted them to their intended destination? Probably not much. So I moved onto the next step- The Uniform!

I read through the list, to find out what items were achievable, and made a list of things I would need to buy. I bought the book in April, and have since managed to build a little chunk of the uniform. 

(a) A serviceable rainproof mackintosh

(b) a khaki overall coat - CHECK

(c) two fawn shirts with turn down collar

(d) a pair of corduroy breeches - CHECK

(e) a pair of dungarees - kind of CHECK

(f) a green knitted pullover - got a brown one CHECK

(g) three pairs of fawn stockings

(h) a pair of heavy brown shoes

(i) a pair of rubber gum boots

(j) a brown felt hat

(k) a green armlet with red crown on it

(l) a badge of the 'button hole' type to wear in civilian clothes

Ok, so maybe I dont have much of the uniform, I need to keep shopping! I enjoyed the list of What to take with you;

(a) two complete sets of underclothes (at least)

(b) two complete sets of night clothes (at least)

(c) a pair of house slippers

(d) another pair of walking out shoes

(e) one or two frocks to change into in the evenings

(f) a woolly scary to put round the head in the early morning

(g) woolly gloves

(h) a bicycle, if you possess one

(i) ordinary toilet requisites

Well, after seeing this, my first priority was to get a vintage bike! My fluorescent pink BMX will just not look the part! So the big ebay hunt started. bike after bike I looked at, with prices just extortionate. I stumbled across some that would need fixing up, so after doing the math and sourcing the bits I'd need, I worked out it would still be cheaper to buy a knackered old bike than an already done up one. Plus it gave me something to do in the evenings- fixing up a bike would be far more entertaining than sitting with the grumpy (now) ex. 

So, looking at my list today I realise I am still a hundred miles away from having the full list of required items, so I need to keep plugging away on and in my favourite bargain houses :-) I cant really go out pretending I'm a Land Girl on my bicycle wearing a khaki overcoat, cords and bare feet!