As we continue to stay home as much as possible due to the ongoing pandemic, we sometimes can get a little stir crazy. The need to break out of our shells may display itself in many different ways, including what one woman in England did. She decided that she had to take out the trash every week, even during the pandemic, so she got dressed up to do it.
Nicola Matthews wanted to add a little joy to 2020, so the makeup artist would dress in her best evening gown and head out to take the bin to the curb. According to the South West News Service (SWNS), she appreciated the fact that Amanda Holden, a host on Britain’s Got Talent, would spend her days at home in gowns. After she started bringing out the trash dressed to the nines, it became a tradition that stuck around for 20 weeks.
According to Fox News, the 49-year-old said that it was fun taking her “wheelie bin” out to the curb in her best attire. She even started naming the day she did so “wheelie bin Wednesday.”
Posted by Bill Scicchitano on Monday, January 4, 2021
When she took out the trash the first time in a dress, her neighbor took a picture. That started the tradition, and on those Wednesdays, she would go to her closet and select one of the 25 gowns and 31 pairs of shoes she had available. She would then roll out the trash bin and pose for the neighbors, Christine and Gary, as they took pictures.
She went further than simply dressing up for the occasion. She also added props and focused on different themes, such as Marilyn Monroe, Desperate Housewives, and even “Purple Rain”. Some of the frocks made by Hilda Green, her late grandmother, were also worn.
Posted by Bill Scicchitano on Monday, January 4, 2021
Fox News reported that Matthew said:
“It was lovely to cheer people up through these times, and to get the dresses out. We have less and less need for long dresses these days.
My nan always said I made a great clothes horse, and the dresses she made me will always be my favorites,” she added. “It was a really lovely thing to do, and I enjoyed it but 20 weeks was definitely enough.”
Something else she did was to march with a bin for 3 1/2 miles in 4-inch heels while wearing a gown. In doing so, she raised money for a fire station in the local area. She considered it to be the most important thing that she did with the project and left a lasting impact on that special Wednesday.
All in all, she expected to make about $200, but she ended up raising $875. She said: “It was so lovely how my neighbors all came out and clapped and cheered me on.”
Even though it was a hot day and her feet did get sore, she was proud that she had an impact with that fundraiser on “wheelie bin Wednesday”.