Lucy's Story (7)
Posted by Lucy on June 8, 2003, 10:09:16
Thank you Patience for such a lovely and speedy
compliment! On we go: When Velma and I arrived at
London's celebrated Regent Shoes, our mouths dropped
open in wonderment. The large windows and the interior
displays consisted of the most dazzling selection of
high heeled shoes of every height, colour, style and
desciption. It was an Aladdin's cave beyond our widest
dreams and made the handful of shoe shops in our
country town look like total non-starters. We eagerly
clicked over the pavement and into the shop, trying
not to look too over-excited. We told the lady
assistant that we had come up from Surrey at the
recommendation of the modelling school. She had
already shot a practiced glance at our own shoes and
seemed quite impressed by the heel-heights that Velma
and I were already wearing. "Ah yes, she said, the
catwalk students' favourite model is our famous 'Alps'
with the 4 3/4" (120mm) heel". She took us over to an
entire display of 'Alps' in a whole range of different
colours, and in a choice of patent or ordinary
leather. The sheer feminine elegance of 'Alps' was
almost indescribable! The uppers were a plain classic
court (always my favourite style), very low-cut all
the way around from heel to toe. The toe was pointed
and the lines of the towering, needle-thin heelslooked
amazing - almost hypnotic. Our attempt at
sophisticated decorum totally collapsed - just looking
at these dream shoes started us giggling like silly
schoolgirls in sheer delight and excitement. We
couldn't wait to try them on, and within moments size
fives (UK) were brought out for me and size sixes for
Velma. Trying 'Alps' for the first time remains just
about the most memorable experience of my life.
Inserting each foot into those sleek masterpieces felt
like nothing else on earth. I was undergoing an
instant transformation into twenty times the woman!
Velma breathed an involuntary 'Oh my God!' and I
realised that she was being overwhelmed by the same
sensation. Simultaneously, holding on to the backs of
our chairs, we stood up in our respective pairs. The
thrill was electric! In fact this daily thrill has
never left me, but that first moment in that
heel-height remains very special to me. The difference
in sensation between 110mm and 120mm heels was
unbelievable! My insteps were thrust right up very
close to the vertical. My feet, ankles and legs took
on a whole new poise and every muscle in my body
tingled as my entire posture found itself rippling and
readjusting to those seriously high heels. Before we
tried walking around the shop carpet in them,
surprisingly Velma asked the assistant 'Do you have
anything even higher?'. I thought this was a rather
impertinent question, but the reply was 'Oh yes indeed
madam, our specialist range starts at 5" and goes
right upwards from there, but it is only available
from our special private room through there for our
esteemed connoisseurs'. I gazed longingly at the
curtained doorway leading off from the side of the
shop and vaguely wondered what one had to to do to
qualify as an 'esteemed connoisseur'. Just at that
very moment we saw one! A weedy little nervous man
with thinning hair came darting into the shop, jumped
out of his skin when he saw Velma and I looking at
him, and furtively disappeared through the curtain.
Moments later he reappeared clutching what looked like
a shoebox in a plain brown paper wrapping. Acting like
a cornered weasel, he edged towards the entrance and
fled into the street! We turned our attention back to
the stunning 'Alps' on our feet and gingerly tried
walking in them. It was like tackling a whole new
challenge and being in heaven at the same time. We
both felt so teetery on those heels that Velma even
got the jitters about buying them. They seemed very
expensive to us - about £9 a pair which was then most
of a week's wages for a lot of people. 'Nonsense' I
said 'Just look in that big mirror and see how they
transform us both'. Velma had to admit that they
looked fantastic and made us look fantastic too, so
despite a few ankle wobbles, we minced over to the
cash desk holding our purses. At that point another
'Esteemed connoisseur' entered the shop. This one was
large, confident, beaming and exuding cheerfulness to
everyone. Velma said later that he looked like a
professional comedian or entertainer. He wore a
shimmering green suit and a loud colourful tie. Velma
discreetly nodded down towards his shoes and they were
a shiny silver lace-up style with built-up heels about
3" or 4" high. Having greeted us all he plunged
through the curtain to the Inner Sanctum, and shortly
afterwards came out wearing a pair of large strappy
gold sandals with slimmer higher (5"?) heels. 'Great
shoes you're wearing girls' he said to us, raising up
his trouser-legs 'How do you like these?'. We were so
astonished and taken-aback that we could only feebly
mumble 'Very nice!' before he marched out and away
into the thronged street as bold as brass. I
immediately brought to mind the poor man up on Box
Hill and remember thinking that the London Police must
have been a lot more tolerant that the Surrey Police.
Thank goodness that everyone is becoming more
broadminded these days! Well, despite the unfamiliar
new height, we bravely decided to wear our new 'Alps'
(mine were black patent and Velma's were grey
leather)throughout the trip home, and we got back
tired, footsore but blissfully happy with our dream
shoes and unforgettable memories of our London
adventure. Velma asked me whether we dare wear our
'Alps' to the Academy in front of the formidable Miss
Sheridan, but my mind was already racing on to
thinking how exciting it would be to live and work in
central London! More soon! Love Lucy. |