The Red Hat Society began in the USA in 1998 and came to the UK in 2001.
It all started as a result of
Jenny Joseph's wonderful poem, "Warning"
and a gift to a good friend.
You may know the poem:
When I am an old woman I shall wear purple
With a red hat which doesn't go, and doesn't suit me.
And I shall spend my pension on brandy and summer gloves
And satin sandals, and say we've no money for butter.
I shall sit down on the pavement when I'm tired
And gobble up samples in shops and press alarm bells
And run my stick along the public railings
And make up for the sobriety of my youth.
I shall go out in my slippers in the rain
And pick flowers in other people's gardens
And learn to spit.
You can wear terrible shirts and grow more fat
And eat three pounds of sausages at a go
Or only bread and pickle for a week
And hoard pens and pencils and beermats and things in boxes.
But now we must have clothes that keep us dry
And pay our rent and not swear in the street
And set a good example for the children.
We must have friends to dinner and read the papers.
But maybe I ought to practice a little now?
So people who know me are not too shocked and surprised
When suddenly I am old, and start to wear purple.
The Red Hat Society began as a result of a few women
deciding to greet middle age with verve, humor and elan.
"We believe silliness is the comedy relief of life, and
since we are all in it together, we might as well join
red-gloved hands and go for the gusto together.
Underneath the frivolity, we share a bond of affection,
forged by common life experiences and a genuine
enthusiasm for wherever life takes us next."
Yes, people will look at us - but we will be smiling and they will smile back and happiness is spread.