And the inspiration for my work halloween costume today...

With Her Head Tucked Underneath Her Arm
R.P.Weston and Bert Lee, 1934
(I have 2 versions... one sung by Stanley Halloway with the original lyrics and the Kingston Trio version that drops the headcold verse and has alternate names in the foodball verse, which I have in parentheses.)


In the Tower of London, large as life,
The ghost of Ann Boleyn walks, they declare.
Poor Ann Boleyn was once King Henry's wife -
Until he made the Headsman bob her hair!
Ah yes! he did her wrong long years ago,
And she comes up at night to tell him so.

With her head tucked underneath her arm
She walks the Bloody Tower!
With her head tucked underneath her arm
At the Midnight hour -

She comes to haunt King Henry, she means giving him 'what for',
Gad Zooks, she's going to tell him off for having spilt her gore.
And just in case the Headsman wants to give her an encore
She has her head tucked underneath her arm!

With her head tucked underneath her arm
She walks the Bloody Tower!
With her head tucked underneath her arm
At the Midnight hour.

Along the draughty corridors for miles and miles she goes,
She often catches cold, poor thing, it's cold there when it blows,
And it's awfully awkward for the Queen to have to blow her nose
With her head tucked underneath her arm!

Sometimes gay King Henry gives a spread
For all his pals and gals - a ghostly crew.
The headsman carves the joint and cuts the bread,
Then in comes Ann Boleyn to 'queer' the 'do';
She holds her head up with a wild war whoop,
And Henry cries 'Don't drop it in the soup!'

With her head tucked underneath her arm
She walks the Bloody Tower!
With her head tucked underneath her arm
At the Midnight hour.

The sentries think that it's a football that she carries in,
And when they've had a few they shout 'Is Ars'nal (Army) going to win?'
They think it's Alec James (Red Grange), instead of poor old Ann Boleyn
With her head tucked underneath her arm!

With her head tucked underneath her arm
She walks the Bloody Tower!
With her head tucked underneath her arm
At the Midnight hour.

One night she caught King Henry, he was in the Canteen Bar.
Said he 'Are you Jane Seymour, Ann Boleyn or Cath'rine Parr?
For how the sweet san fairy ann do I know who you are
With your head tucked underneath your arm!'

my costume... pictures to follow

in fact, I have pictures of making the head...

I had picked up a styrofoam head from a wig store and painted it (in fact I have a bunch of pictures at home of the painting while it was in progress and the finished product). I also made a french hood - ish headpiece with a hair cover that I also beaded.

I made a net bag to go over my head with a red ribbon to tie it to my neck.

Now here's the cheating part... I'm wearing my green court garb (with a chemise and minus the ruff, because ruffs would be too late period). Although I have found that the bodice that alphawench lent me has helped- as a temp corset.

Work Halloween costumes

Ok... one of the guys here did Ratchet from the Transformers.... up to and including having a small wheeled body to take off his costume and put it into while he's on the phone and have it be the transformed ambulance.

one friend and her co-worker did a Snow White and the Wicked Queen in witch guise... with "may cause drowsiness" lables on the apples in his basket

marnen wasn't in, but his team did a diner theme, with one of the guys dressed up as the Burger King.

One lady did this nice half regular girl half dead girl makeup and outfit.

That looks about it for people who dressed up...

update Make that Jazz instead of Ratchet.... I saw the sides and the license plate...