The Lady Vanishes Again

It can be good to live life in a bubble, surrounded by the things you enjoy and can return to again and again without reality getting in the way of your comforting illusions; like shadows on the wall of Plato's cave.

Life in a Bubble

Very welcome within my own bubble is Hitchcock's 1938 film production of The Lady Vanishes, a comedy-thriller set aboard a Balkan express train before the Second World War. Our heroine, Iris Henderson, is taken into the confidence of a kindly old English lady who vanishes and is replaced by someone else. We have to work out why. I've watched it countless times, even though I obviously found out why on the first viewing.

A pending inductee to my cherished bubble is the 2013 version of The Lady Vanishes [Amazon] — by BBC Worldwide and PBS Masterpiece with Tuppence Middleton and Tom Hughes. (What a delightful name she has.) Some say this new production lacks the spark of the original. I think it shouldn't be compared with the original, but with other productions from that year. In so doing, I found it a thoroughly enjoyable way to spend an hour and a half. The period atmosphere is generally conveyed, with bonus points for the excellent wardrobe; and for prevailing attitudes and smoking habits not being updated too heavily. I'll watch it a couple of times more before deciding on whether it is fully embraced. I'm pretty sure it will make it into the vaults.

Nice Couple

Tuppence and Tom (top photo) certainly make for a very attractive couple in the new production. I could hear a sharp intake of breath from a certain someone each time Tom appeared on the screen. Decorum madam.

Cheshire lad Tom has modelled for Burberry amongst others in his spare time. Here's one of his modelling photos via s:management.

Silk Scarf as a Tie

As for me, the star of the show was the silk scarf used in the manner of a tie and held in place with a silver cravat ring by the character Sir Peveril, played by Julian Rhind-Tutt.

Shall you try this? I think you will.



I haven't done much research on scarf rings, but you might have to wait until Drake's London or Augustus Hare bring a nice one out. (We follow each other, so maybe someone will take on the challenge.) Otherwise, it seems like you'll need to go vintage if you want purpose-built, like this shell and gold number that looks like a little belt. Or you could even use your wedding ring.