Where did you get that hat?

Hats by Máire Rua

‘Where did you get that hat?  Where did you get that hat? Isn’t it a lovely one, I’d like one just like that’?

Okay, admit it, you did have a little sing-a-long when you read the title of this blog post.  I did.  I’ve been busy recently ‘getting hats’.

Why?  I hear you ask.  Let me explain.  It was my turn at Writers Group to host a workshop.  It’s something we do during the course of our writing year.  As writers, we all benefit from the workshops, manuscript evenings, author visits, competitions and social events too.  I particularly enjoy the variety of activities and the support and learning generously shared by members.

Anyway, ‘Hats’ was the theme for the workshop.  As I collected hats from friends, I was inspired by the stories shared as to why and how they had acquired their particular hats. As I put together my own collection, I found myself recalling and reminiscing about travels and places where I had bought my hats e.g. Spain, France, Australia and New Zealand.  My collection included a black fur hat, which I negotiated fiercely for The Man, one year at a Christmas market in London!  I’m not sure who enjoyed the negotiation banter more, the stallholder or me?  At the end of the day we managed a Win- Win-Win, everyone was happy.  The stallholder had a sale, I had a bargain and The Man had a warm cosy hat!   We celebrated with a festive gluhwein, vin chaud or was it a mulled wine?  Whichever, it was just the thing for a bitter cold evening and the celebration of a new hat!

The Hats workshop proved quite a success too. Everyone brought a hat to the meeting, which in turn provided wonderful material for writing stories.  Hats told their own stories of happiness, sadness, excitement and mystery. One hat was abandoned after a long theatrical career, another mistaken for someone else’s hat in a bygone time, and one hat ended up in a lovers’ tiff between a squaw and Tonto (of Hi Ho Silver fame!).   Calling time at the end of the meeting shortened the creative flow but I know stories will be developed over the forthcoming weeks. I believe there will be some great ‘hat tales’ to tell when the new writing year starts … and who knows maybe a new lyrics for a song about hats too?