Recently a group of 16 women was spied enjoying a lovely lunch at Village Café in Laurieton. They women stood out from the crowd as they were all dressed in bright purple dresses with bright red hats on their heads. They were all members of the Red Hat Society.
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The Red Hat Society originated in America. A woman in America named Sue Ellen Cooper impulsively bought a bright red hat in a thrift shop which was cheap and, she thought quite dashing. A year or two later she read the poem Warning by Jenny Joseph which depicts an older woman in purple clothing with a red hat. Sue Ellen decided to give the vintage red hat and a copy of the poem to a friend as a whimsical birthday gift. Her friend got so much enjoyment out the hat and the poem that Sue Ellen decided to give the same gift to another friend, then another, then another.
One day it occurred to these friends that they were becoming a sort of “Red Hat Society” and that perhaps they should go out to tea in full regalia. They decided they would find purple dresses which didn’t go with their red hats to complete the poem’s image.
The tea was a smashing success and soon small groups of 18 to 20 were popping up all over America and now all over the world.
The Red Hat Society began as a result of a few women deciding to greet middle age with humor. Silliness is the comedy relief of life. The women all share a bond of affection, forged by common life experiences, laughter and fun. Australia has over 200 Red Hat Society Chapters (groups). There are two in Laurieton. For further information about the Society contact Linda Perry on 65598274.