The Asylum - Lincoln Steampunk Festival 2014

Dear Reader,

I hope you are enjoying these early September days as much as we are when it begins to feel autumnal but it's yet to turn cold. In early September every year Lincoln every year uphill Lincoln is invaded with Steampunks and Retro-Futurists for the Asylum Steampunk festival which is the largest purely Steampunk event in all of Europe. I find that quite amazing and as it it right on our doorstep, it quite literally used to be when I lived uphill, we have attended every year albeit the first year it was on was purely by accident. I love it when other unsuspecting folk stumble upon it and wander around in awe, part of me hopes they think Lincoln is like this all of the time as it's a wonderful event to behold.

We love Dieselpunk as it's of the eras we already collect and enjoy the science-fiction slant that is added which makes it so creative. The other events we attend during the year are so much fun but you do get some who will comment that you button is 2mm too big to be period accurate where as, I have found, at The Asylum everyone is just so wonderful and looks upon it more as an overall aesthetic rather than niggling over if there's polyester in your fabric.

I tried a little harder with my outfit this year as Indi had found me some cool round sunglasses and had made me a hydra, from Captain America, badge but I need to get more inventive with the science-fiction. Nevertheless people were still very complimentary on our outfits and some even snapped our pictures. Yesterday I wore a reproduction dress made by Collectif, which I wore last year also, with a hat I bought from Twinwood festival a couple of years ago. I also wore some very impractical shoes which fit me last year but seemed to slip off my feet all the time yesterday. In the end I went home and changed into my pair of Miss L Fire shoes; a perk of living so close by, but they also slipped a bit as I walked. I think I've lost weight only on feet, it's the only explanation I have!

Today I was wearing a far more sensible outfit but still felt quite special and got a few compliments. The best compliment of the day came from The Vampire Master from over on The Fedora Lounge. He asked if he could take our photograph and as we were chatting I realised he looked so familiar. Although I no longer go on The Fedora Lounge very much any more I remembered him because he's always so well dressed.

My outfit today was more 1940s than Dieselpunk and I wore a skirt which I picked up from the Kustom Kulture Blast Off show the other weekend with a sunny yellow jumper that I bought from La Vida Vintage here in Lincoln. The skirt is St Michael and as soon as I saw the fanning kick pleat at the back I knew I had to have it. I must apologise though because I didn't think to get a picture of it.

We didn't buy wristbands to get into all of the attractions as we find that just wandering around the Bailgate and castle gives us plenty to do. We were glad that we did go into the castle as when we were there they had a Steampunk wacky races thing. This was a lot of fun and I really hope they elaborate on this next year; it would be fun as a Steampunk version of the Chap Olympiad.

I already can't wait for next year's Steampunk weekend and have already begun planning outfits including an aviator ensemble. Did you go to the Steampunk weekend? If you did I hope you had a wonderful time and will return next year. We certainly will so I hope I will see you there!

ttfn