On Air Now
The Classic FM Hall of Fame Hour with Tim Lihoreau 9am - 10am
Couple goes on daily walks in historical costumes to cheer up quarantined neighbours
17 April 2020, 11:23 | Updated: 17 April 2020, 12:13
A lesson in how to make that one hour of daily exercise count…
Some people are playing beautiful music from their balconies; others are raising eye-watering sums of money by walking around their garden. This couple are entertaining their quarantined neighbours by donning hand-made historical costumes on their walks.
The couple in question – Izabela Pitcher, 45, and her husband Lucas, 51 – create bespoke period costumes for museums and re-enactors.
On their walks, they have been donning their own authentic, historical outfits, covering eras including Georgian, Tudor and late Medieval.
They are taking their daily, government-approved walks – which they have renamed their “costume constitutionals” – at the same time each day, so their neighbours can watch them from their windows.
Read more: Young musicians invite the world to a massed ‘Ode to Joy’ >
Izabela and Lucas, from Clifton Reynes near Milton Keynes, run period costume shop Prior Attire, providing historically accurate clothes for museums and historical re-enactors.
The couple have so far done seven “costume constitutionals” during coronavirus lockdown. Whenever they step out in their period dress, their neighbours stand at the window to try and guess what era they are dressed as that day.
Read more: People are recreating famous paintings at home in quarantine >
Izabela said: “It’s been really uplifting to have people get involved.
“The village we live in is really tiny, so we kept seeing people through their windows looking worried and a bit sad.
“We thought, why not cheer them up? We have a Facebook group just for our village, so we pitched the idea on there, and people seemed to really like it.
“I think we’ve met more people through doing this than we have in the last year – although from a safe distance, of course.
“They will stand at their windows and have a guess what era we are dressed as. It’s good for kids, too, because it’s like a little bit of homework for them,” Izabela added.
Read more: Tiny toddler conducting to a Borodin opera will cheer you up no end >
She continued: “We make costumes for museum or re-enactment events, but all of our spring and most of our summer events have now been cancelled, because of the virus.
“All our outfits are just sitting in the wardrobe – but they still have to be taken out of storage, looked after, cleaned and properly maintained.
“It’s nice to actually be able to wear the stuff rather than having it sitting in the wardrobe.
“We have enough outfits to be able to keep doing this for the next two weeks, at least.”
Neighbours have said the Pitchers’ outings have become the highlight of their day during lockdown.
One delighted neighbourhood police officer praised the couple, even posting photos on social media of the couple on different days.
The officer said: “In one of my beautiful villages, a couple have been dressing up in historical period costumes when they go out for their daily walk.
“What a fab idea to brighten up the day. Residents are waiting for them at their windows and in their gardens, trying to guess the historical periods – from a safe distance, of course.”
There are even more fabulous costumes on Izabela’s Instagram page.
