Now this is a step back in time, back to the '50s. Women, brace yourselves!
Carmel Bullivant has injected a great deal of humour into the 50-year-old Redcliffe Seabrae Hotel. She runs it with the help of her husband and three sisters and the whole idea is to go there and have fun.
Seabrae offers its customers a place to eat, a place to drink and somewhere very unusual to stay. It is definitely '50s and '60s kitsch which gives older people the chance to reminisce and younger people the chance to see what things were really like in the olden days.
The Fishbowl Bar and Restaurant has won awards in the QHA Themed Bar Awards and its popularity has even caught the owners by surprise.
It is a large open plan room and 300 people can be there at one time quite comfortably. It is divided into four themed sections with décor and memorabilia on the walls, floor and ceiling.
The Atomic Bar leads along a smashed glass and broken coloured tile pathway to the '50s kitchenette. It has bones and a shrunken head hanging from the roof.
Tiki Safari has a jungle theme, topped off by a display of a man disappearing into quicksand.
Meals are served on '50s crockery — none of which matches — and the area has laminex dining suites and a pink constellation stove. You can choose from space gun spaghetti and meatballs, ching chong chicken chow mein, Hungarian goulash and meatball surprise.
The Tropical Luau/Polynesian area is filled with bright hibiscus and palms and features a Hawaiian girl in a grass skirt.
Staff wear authentic vintage clothing and of course music is provided by '50s crooners.
Fashion parades, including nighties and corsets from the era, are put on by staff, family and friends of the Bullivants and they provide much fun and laughter, particularly for those who remember some of the uncomfortable garments of the time. They are always on the look out for clothing to add to the collection, and many people donate genuine pieces.
Bathrooms don't miss out. They are filled with bright cracked tiles and the outside deck areas are covered in astro turf with original patio settings.
There are 25 accommodation rooms and five have very amusing themes.
Wild, Cool and Swingin' is a fur-lined double room with animal print walls and '50s furniture. The colour scheme is red, black and white.
The California Suite is more '60s, decorated in yellow and orange and topped off with a wall of sunglasses.
The Marsh has a green floor, beaded curtains in the bathroom, a volcanic television, vines and creepers and a waterbed.
Happy Trails is filled with murals, one with three dancing girls. There is a tumbleweed headboard and pieces of roughly cut chamois guest towels draped over swinging saloon doors.
To top off the humour which is evident right throughout the Seabrae, they have reproduced a helpful newspaper article from the '50s. It is called The Good Wife's Guide and while it was intended to be quite serious and helpful in its time, these days it provides a great laugh — particularly for women.
THE GOOD WIFE'S GUIDE
Have dinner ready. Plan ahead, even the night before, to have a delicious meal ready on time for his return. This is a way of letting him know that you have been thinking about him and are concerned about his needs. Most men are hungry when they come home and the prospect of a good meal (especially his favourite dish) is part of the warm welcome needed.
- Prepare yourself. Take 15 minutes to rest so you'll be refreshed when he arrives. Touch up your make-up, put a ribbon in your hair and be fresh looking. He has been with a lot of work-weary people.
- Be a little gay and a little more interesting for him. His boring day may need a lift and one of your duties is to provide it.
- Clear away the clutter. Make one last trip through the main part of the house just before your husband arrives.
- Gather up schoolbooks, toys, paper etc. and then run a dust cloth over the tables.
- Over the cooler months of the year you should prepare and light a fire for him to unwind by. Your husband will feel he has reached a haven of rest and order, and it will give you a lift too. After all, catering for his comfort will provide you with immense personal satisfaction.
- Prepare the children. Take a few minutes to wash the children's faces and hands (if they are small), comb their hair and if necessary, change their clothes. They are little treasures and he would like to see them playing the part. Minimise the noise. At the time of his arrival, eliminate all noise of the washer, dryer or vacuum. Try to encourage the children to be quiet.
- Greet him with a warm smile and show sincerity in your desire to please him.
- Listen to him. You may have a dozen important things to tell him, but the moment of his arrival is not the time. Let him talk first — remember, his topics of conversation are more important than yours.
- Make the evening his. Never complain if he comes home late of goes out to dinner, or other places of entertainment without you. Instead, try to understand his world of strain and pressure and his very real need to be at home and relax.
- Your goal: Try to make sure your home is a place of peace, order and tranquility where your husband can renew himself in body and spirit.
- Make him comfortable. Have him lean back in a comfortable chair or have him lie down in the bedroom. Have a cool or warm drink ready for him.
- Don't ask him questions about his actions or question his judgment or integrity. Remember, he is the master of the house and as such will always exercise his will with fairness and truthfulness. You have no right to question him.
So there you have it — the blueprint for a happy and harmonious home.
