Chasing the clues on a journey back in time

On a visit to Dendringham Hall, a stately home, Dot’s been trying out an interactive system that lets you see the room you’re in just like it was in the olden days… complete with actors playing real people. But, by accident, an over-excited Mr Mouse has set them off net-voyaging - sending them all back to the scene they were looking at…

“Hee hee hee!” whispered Mr Mouse. “Just look at you!”

Wiz chuckled too and covered his eyes with his paws – just peeking out from one of them.

And it was true – Dot was quite a sight!

She couldn’t see it herself, of course – no mirror in the drawing room where they were all standing, behind the Victorian ladies and gentlemen listening to the strange man – so let me tell you.

She was wearing a blue dress and top. It was kind of like a sailor suit for a girl – all in blue with a sailor’s collar. The dress wasn’t very long – came down to just below her knees. On her feet were these button-up boots.

It’s quite hard to describe… I know, go to http://www.popcorn.co.uk/static/railway1.jpg, which is a photo from a film called ‘The Railway Children’. Look at the actress in the front row wearing the blue dress. (She’s called Jenny Agutter – it’s from when she was quite young.)

Well, Dot was dressed up like that. A TOTAL change from her T-shirt, jeans and trainers!!

Dot looked down. She couldn’t BELIEVE it. She wasn’t usually fussy about what she wore, but this was just TOO WEIRDORAMA!!!

Her new clothes were heavy, too. Everything felt like it weighed a ton. AND she also seemed to have some kind of very complicated trouser-like things on under the skirt, too!

She felt herself going red in the face. “This is RIDICULOUS!” she whispered to her friends (the strange man was still talking. He did seem to have an awful lot to say. “What am I WEARING!!”

“Sssshhhh!” One of the gentlemen listening turned round with his fingers to his lips, frowning at them. He had big funny whiskers down the side of his very red face (though his chin was clean-shaven, so it wasn’t a beard) – and he was wearing a heavy tweed jacket and trousers.

In a mad moment Dot thought it was the red-faced lady who’s been taking them round the Hall in real world, before they went net-voyaging. She’d been wearing tweeds too – a kind of really tickly, heavy material they make in Scotland.

But, of course, she didn’t have whiskers!!

Now one of the ladies who was listening turned round too, She had on a black dress with a white collar and a funny sort of lace cap on her head. She had a very pale thin face, and looked rather tired, but she had a kind smile.

“Now Dorothea!” she said, in a whisper. “We must listen to Mr Holmes quietly. Or how will we ever find out what has been happening here at the Hall?”

Dorothea?? Dot gave up. She felt really confused. All she knew was that whatever she was wearing was making her rather hot.

It was either that or the roaring fire in the big stone fireplace, just behind the strange man – who was now saying “Let us look at the facts. ALL the facts… ”

But then…

“Holy Camoley!” whispered Mr Mouse. “Will ya look at MY threads!”

Yes indeed! Mr Mouse’s “threads” – his clothes – had changed too. Instead of his usual chequered green pants, blue vest and red baseball cap, he had on… well they used to call it a ‘Norfolk suit’. It had a brown jacket with a belt round the middle, short trousers going into dark red socks, and even a pair of boots – done up with laces.

On his head here was a kind of hunting hat with a feather stuck in it.

He looked quite smart, really. And he just LOVED it!

“It’s so HISTORIC!” he said (AGAIN!!), grinning all over his little mousey face.

“And so” went the strange man, “We are led to one conclusion…”

“What about ME?” whispered Wizzie crossly. “What ARE all these things?”

Dot looked and had to try really hard not to laugh. Wizzie was covered in little bows. Baby blue bows actually. How sweet!!

“Aaaah, you do look cute” said Mr Mouse. “Want a date?”

“SSSHHHHHH!” went the red-faced gentleman again, looking crosser than ever. “Children should be seen and not heard!”

RUDE thought Dot!

But now the strange man had finished and everyone started talking at once.

Except the tired looking lady, who put out her hand to Dot – or should that be Dorothea? – and said:

“Time for your arithmetic now my dear!”

Aaaarrgghhh!!