Rosemary Hawthorne as the expert and observer

"Ladies and gentlemen, this is my serious side.

"Although I enjoy the fun and ooh la la of undies, as much as you, I do have other strings to my costume bow. People ask, "Do you still collect old things?" Presuming they mean clothes not vicars, the answer is an enthusiastic "Yes!" I collect interesting, characterful clothes, under and over, plus accessories, regardless of condition (I repair) - antique, vintage and modern."

THE ‘I HAVE ALSO DONE OR DO’ SECTION

• “I love being a detective, dating paintings and photographs of people’s ancestors by researching what they are wearing in their portraits (I once did a nude but that took longer).”
• “I have done discreet appraisals of antique and vintage clothes for people who wish to sell them or bestow on appreciative new homes, bless them.”
• “I occasionally have students and designers to my house who are studying particular aspects of costume history.”
• “Apart from chatting for hours to journalists and TV/film researchers, of all stripes, Features, Fashion and News about anything to do with clothes, from brides to bloomers (my dears, sometimes they’re on the ‘phone for hours having a telephonic Costume History lesson and the Vicar can’t get through to his bookie), I also enjoy writing pithy comments and articles about fashion and foibles for newspapers and magazines. And, of course, I adore writing books – seven to date.”
• “It all helps to pay the Vicar’s bar bill”.

Rosemary Hawthorne as motivational conference speaker and presenter

Many conferences or management seminars require a motivational speaker who, while chiming enthusiastically with the main theme, brings other, diverse and inspirational elements to engage people’s attention.

Wit, pace, timing, audacity and clarity.

Rosemary delivers!

"You have to prepare well, make sure they can hear you (test the microphone before you start), get on with it, don’t dawdle (they want a drink, food, the loo, to go home), know when to shut up – and be prepared to take any questions.

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"I once spoke about the exciting development of the bullet bra, using a lot of fabulous examples, to a group of engineers (male and female). Everyone was enthralled. One chap even asked where I bought the 1950s ‘GlobeTrotter’suitcase they came in -because his Mum used to have one. I dare say she had the bullet bra to go with it.

"Which reminds me….one of my more interesting assignments was in Barcelona, where, for an international manufacturer, I mounted (that’s the posh word museums use) an Exhibition, with originals from The Rosemary Hawthorne Collection, to mark the Centenary of The Bra. I had to front up the Press Conference (which had wide Spanish television and press coverage) speaking through a handsome, suited and booted, Spanish gentleman interpreter. Amazingly, he seemed to have no trouble at all in getting to grips with my subject. It was happy titters all round".

Rosemary Hawthorne as the after dinner speaker

Rosemary Hawthorne has spoken, or perhaps more precisely, entertained guests and delegates, at literally hundreds of Dinners, Luncheons, Conferences, Soirees, Teas, Receptions and Charity Events. There is scarcely a top Hotel or Conference Centre that she has not graced with her presence and humour.

She believes that whatever the occasion, people want to be entertained as well as informed.

"We all want a bit of a laugh, as well as learning something, don’t we, darling?"

When Rosemary gets up to speak there is no dull, monochrome presentation with handfuls of notes, flickering slides or power-point lap top; instead Rosemary is there, standing in-front of a table crowded with battered suitcases from which she lifts the gear, the stuff, the originals, the tangibles, the truly wonderful actuals.

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"I’ve never known anyone ‘drop off’ at my gigs, although one gentleman had to be taken out because he had an asthma attack brought on by laughing too much at my ‘visual aids’."

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