During the coming week we will be contacting all our potential sponsors with the information packs and starting the exhibition photo shoots.. The plans for the event on March the 30th at the Nines are on schedule and looking good, all participants will be kept informed.

So to start of the New Year here is a beautiful young woman wearing a hat from Tracy Wells at The Hat Box.

Wear a Hat Day in support of Brain Tumour Research. hat by Tracy Wells, Model Alannah Loudon

More information  will follow during the week in the meantime check out the brain tumour research  website.

The usual welcome at Crofters, Barrow in Furness, honest!

John, Jill,  daughter and Teddy all wear a hat to help promote Wear a Hat day 2012 in aid of Brain Tumour Research.Turns out John is a bit of an expert in the top hat department and this is what he told me. “They hide bald patches in photos. A top hat is the finishing touch. It adds a certain “je ne sais quoi” and is literally a crowning glory. Even if you are little hesitant, just try it. Oddly I quite liked it – if you’re going to push the boat out wear one”.

I said “I haven’t got a boat or a top hat. So how do you wear it? The hat that is”

“Well”, John says “Some will say to wear the hat with a tilt. Worn slightly canted forward is amusing but canted over sideways indicates a bad fit. It should be horizontal to the ground and sit about an inch above the ear – high rather than low on the head. The body of the hat needs to dominate the face rather than be plonked on the head like a flanged pork pie”.

“I could not of put it better” I said “Anything else John or can I leave for a far off distant place now”

“To perch or not to perch, that is the question,” says John.

I was completely lost now  ”Why do you keep a budgie in it” I asked.

Ignoring me John carried on “There’s nothing worse than an ill fitting hat – and it will drive the wearer crazy. Hats should be worn ¾ inch above the eyebrow and between 1-1.5 cm above the ear”

“Why are only the ears in metric” another mistake on my part that question.

“If you’re a little on the short side Mike and think the top hat is the ideal way to add a few inches – think again! If you are of a smaller build , many people assume that you should go for a taller hat but you should really choose one that is in proportion to your size” said John “Further more never leave your topper lying around or some joker will use it as a urinal. Always use the  cloakroom where you can hand the hat to the cloakroom attendant, go and get plastered and collect it later”

“Where is the cloak room John?”

“We haven’t got one” he replied

“Why not? Is it because nobody wears cloaks any more?

“Actually it is because we turned it into a urinal due to its proximity to the darts board which attracts many lager athletes who value the shorter walk.”

Then would you believe it a whole group of ladies who wanted to support Brain Tumour Research appeared wearing hats and said “Oi Tosh got a camera,photograph us”. So I did and here they are.

Have you seen a cloakroom anywhere Tosh ?

Anyway I had one more look at John in a top hat and thought to myself  ”The top hat worn slightly canted forward might be amusing to your sophisticated sense of style John, but on the right head canted slightly forward it would be downright alluring and as  “je ne sais quoi”  apparently means ‘An intangible quality that makes something distinctive or attractive’   I know just the person to wear the topper as it should be.

Take a look at this John!

Now my little French speaking friends that is "je nay say squat" with the Fabulous Paige Livingston

If you would like to support Brain Tumour Research and take part in Wear a Hat Day 2012 here are 7 reasons to wear a Top Hat

Even hairy models can wear a hat

Cute innit!  First of course you have to get them to wear the hat and then you have to convince the hairy little buggers to sit still long enough to get a shot.  For the technically inquisitive among you this is my way. First, if you got a dog with little legs get it as high off the floor as possible. They either don’t like it and stay put or don’t give a rat’s and think its fun in which case forget that idea. Then in order to get the cute expression have a crazy owner,in this case Tracy, to stand just to the side of you making funny noises whilst prancing about like a small child having a hissy fit. Then just for insurance purposes get Bob the Builder doing the Bob Down manoeuvre directly behind them and using his rough old builders hands, he can grasp the little buggers tails thereby preventing escape and adding a hint of bewilderment to their cute little faces.

Disclaimer…..No animals were harmed during the making of this image despite one of them urinating from the top of a 3ft pedestal .

Bob the Builder completes the Bob Down manoeuvre and returns to the Bob Up position

Be sure to check out www.braintumourresearch.org and see if you can help.

Wear a hat Day 2012

We are organising various events between now and the end of March and we will keep you all informed  here.

To start the ball rolling we will be visiting people in their place of work to get photos  of every one wearing a hat, any hat!  just like the staff of the Barrow branch of the Cumberland Building Society.

Staff at the Cumberland Building Society in Barrow

More staff at the Cumberland Building Society Barrow

Some people have more than 1 hat it seems!

Then later in the day we were booked in for our first shoot with the winner of the Kells Modelling Competition 2012,  Lucinda.  Tracy supplied the hat, Lucinda supplied the beauty, Dawn the make-up artistry and I did the coffee.

Lucinda, winner of the Kells Modelling Comp 2011 under 18s in a hat designed by Tracy Wells

Watch this space for more information about upcoming events and how you can become involved to support this much needed cause. Please checkout www.braintumourresearch.org  for more information