Hello
The UK has just got through another bout of hot weather and while temperatures were not as hot as last time it was longer – four days of temperatures in the low 30s (high 80s). We are so not used to it. And this, plus the drought, is leading to our green and pleasant land having a distinct brown and parched look. I don’t know about where you live but here in the south of England it was a horrible, pulsating, throbbing, humid heat and my south-facing patch was simply shrivelling in the baking air of the mid-afternoon. This is so unlike the hot weather we’ve had in the past. Usually, because we have so few days of sun, most people rush out into it as soon as the sun appears. We sit in our gardens, or the pub garden, but this time you needed serious shade, and even so… Or gardening, impossible, and lots of people drive to the beach to dip into the sea – yes that still happens, but sun-bathing? You’d be daft, and yet some still do. Or, if the weather just didn’t stop raining (remember those summers?) we’d take holidays in sunnier climes than ours.
And people loved getting a tan and possibly still do as we are, most of the year, quite a pasty faced nation. Off come the clothes and into our skimpy beach wear we get, and there’s a certain type of male that loves to take their shirt off. I saw one last week walking through Lewes, glowing with youth and his golden tan. He looked beautiful but as our car slowed as we went past him I saw couple of moles on his back and I went, oh, and you’ll understand why, as you read on.
I used to sunbathe a lot through my teens and twenties – at school we all wanted to look brown. We all wanted to look like Bridget Bardot with her blond hair, tanned skin and don’t forget the blue eye-shadow and pink lipstick! The number of times I burnt myself to a crisp going bright red, which eventually led me to get a nice brown tan. On Brighton beach in my early 30s I even went topless a few times. But in my late 30s this stopped when a close friend of mine died from a melanoma, and as she was of Scottish heritage, it made me think, hang on maybe my pale Scottish skin is not meant for the sun! So no more sunbathing. And ever since I turned 60 I’ve had a mole check at the London Mole Clinic every other year because as one ages, or shall I put it this way, as I age, my skin is just covered in freckles, sunspots and moles. Now you might think that the visits to the not inexpensive Mole Clinic every two years a tad excessive but twice I was found to have a Basal Cell Skin Cancer (on my lower leg) when I had no idea that this had happened. You see the Mole Clinic takes 45 minutes to name every mark on you body – it is so thorough.
This year The Mole Clinic had a deal where there was a reduced price if two people booked together and I was able to persuade Mr F to come along and have his skin checked. And about time too, I thought, as Mr F has far more moles on his back than I have. Like many men he really didn’t see the need to get his skin checked as he never sunbathes, never takes the shirt off his back, and we don’t do vacations in hot countries, so why worry. Well, of course, they found three things to, err, worry about. A report was sent by the nurse to a consultant and the consultant agreed these 3 areas needed action.
Bless our poor knackered NHS because it moved quickly. We didn’t stay in the private lane, the report was sent to his GP, and two weeks later Mr F saw a consultant in the local skin department and yes, one area needed immediate surgery, within two weeks, she said, and actually the next week, that was what happened. And the biopsy result? It was a melanoma in situ. Yes, the most dangerous form of skin cancer. But phew, a melanoma in situ is Stage 0 of this cancer, so phew again. The surgery excised the entire melanoma and despite quite a large scar there is very little chance that anything else will happen. Furthermore, the wonderful skin department is going to do a photo (or mole body map, as this is sometimes called) of his entire back, which will be regularly repeated.
So the message of this blog is not only take care of your skin and get your moles checked, especially if you have pale Celtic skin, it’s get those reluctant males to have their moles checked too! Btw, for your information, the most common place for skin cancers in women is the lower leg, and that’s a tick on my part, and the back for men, and that’s a yes for Mr F.
And here are the factors that you need to check if you’re worried about a certain mole or mark – you need to do an ABCDE check which means:
A for asymmetry – an odd uneven shape
B for border – look for any irregularity
C for colour – more than one colour
D for diameter – look at the size
E for evolving – is it changing over time
On a lighter note, despite the hot weather (which will cool down this week) I am enjoying wearing my dresses. I won’t get up to wearing these dresses 100 times this summer, which is what one should aim for, but I am always wearing the black gingham pinafore dress, and the floaty yellow dress is another favourite. But I thought I might show you a dress that was bought (now sold out) in Seasalt in its summer sale.
I can’t wear it on the hottest days as it is lined, so the dress is slightly too thick for the temperatures we were going through last week. But this coming week I might wear it as it cools down.
Three cheers, as did you notice, the dress has pockets! And those are little fishes on the material!
Btw, that’s not tomato sauce that’s splashed on the print – those really are red speckles on the little fishes and all part of the material. I have however, dropped tomatoes on a white t-shirt, gosh it really does stain!
And that’s all for now folks, but just to let you know I’m working on a piece on My Other Blog on ideas, ideologies and climate change. I’m just at the start of it, but I kind of explain what I mean when I say we need more radical efforts to counter this crisis we’re in. It won’t appear this week though as I have loads on for the next few days, hopefully it’ll be posted early next week.
You all stay safe and cool wherever you are
With love, the Frugalfashionshopper
Dear Penny
Very sorry to hear about Bill’s mole but DELiGHTED to hear it was spotted – thumbs up to the Mole Clinic and two thumbs up to the NHS who were able to treat it so swiftly.
Yes, the weather was ghastly last week. Our garden has suffered badly but, for some reason, our
apple tree has the biggest crop ever. Praise be overcast with a slight breze today here in Banbury.
Hope you get the opportunity to wear your new dress this week – red really suits you.
I’ll look forward to your Other Blog.
All the best, Mary
Yes, you probably understand this more than most, but what a stroke of good fortune that I managed to persuade Bill to get his skin checked. And bless our dermatology department. If you read one of the comments here you’ll realise how lucky he was as in other part of the country the NHS is obviously overwhelmed.
Weather is grey and damp today – huge hurrahs and cheers! Will wear the dress tomorrow when a friend comes round.
All the best to you too Mary
I like you cringe to see sunburnt bodies everywhere. My husband passed away with melanoma, and his demise was so painful to watch. Please, please, keep out of this extraordinary heat at the moment, and always use factor 50. Your beautiful dress is a great asset to your wardrobe, and will probably go into autumn. My lawn too is like straw, and I’m waiting anxiously for some rain!!!!!!
Oh Angie, I am so sorry, what a ghastly thing to happen. With my friend dying when we were in our mid-30s I’ve always been hyper-aware of melanomas. Not so my other half. Very glad I persuaded him and it was such a good outcome.
Thanks re: the dress and it rained for about 5 minutes this morning. Maybe there’ll be more tomorrow, hope so!
Hi Penny
At present I have an incision across my left forehead (will eventually add to the wrinkles!)
from removal of a squamous cell carcinoma last week. Very bruised around the eye
-I look like a drag down knock out fight-(you should have seen the other guy!)
but the cancer is completely removed. Yes to having a thorough skin check every year or two
over the age of 60 by an experienced dermatologist. This one, however, I noticed myself.
Yes to sunscreen and yes to regular skin checks.
I have just converted to wearing dresses after many years of not wearing them, and really like
shift style linen with leggings! As always, you are an inspiration!
Oh good for you for noticing your skin problem, heal well and quickly. And so good it is all removed.
Linen in this weather is the best although it’s grey and damp this morning and three cheers for that!
Thanks Mary
Great that you persuaded your husband to be checked, we are not Sun worshippers either. I sometimes feel a bit sick when I think of how I tried to tan in Edinburgh, in the 60’s. My friend and I went to the public baths on Saturday morning to sit in front of UV lamps. In the afternoon, if the weather was good, we sunbathed in her garden. Then we peeled for a few days. As soon a we could we were back to the lamps. I think people often used oils too, not sunscreen.
As you may remember I live in Nice. Our apartment is opposite an Airbnb let. We frequently get a free strip show. People on holiday don’t seem so conscious of what the nosy old lady can see. I read in the local paper there are fines for being naked in your own home IF people can see you. 🫣🤭
I love your dress, I immediately thought it was ‘vintage’, a good thing. If it’s lined that will look great in the Autumn with a jacket.
Oh the sunbathing we all did with Amber Solaire which had that evocative smell. I remember that to this day, but oh the red peeling skin! And I too at uni used sun beds! What did we know, nothing really, except get that tan!
My Pilates teacher has an Airbnb near her house and its frequently very noisy – hope you have a quieter time than her.
Yes, I think I’ll be wearing the dress through the Autumn – have just the jacket 🙂
Gosh, good thing you caught it when you did. Mr. F should be thanking you every day.
The lower leg?? That’s so interesting. I have pale skin too, and try to be so careful out in our sunny weather.
Love the bright dress Penny. You find the best items. I just love that you enjoy color and fun prints.
XOOX
Jodie
http://www.jtouchofstyle.com
I love your pale skin, Jodie, and the fact that you leave it pale – you’re quite a role model for us pale types, I think! Mr F says he has had a lucky escape and the skin department will keep an eye on him now – it’s so good,
The dress is great, isn’t it – thanks Jodie xxx
Oh yes, I do check myself because I love to sit in the sun. But always use a spf50. But it can be very scary like Mr.F had. Your dress is so lovely! Love the print! Enjoy the rest of the summer!
That’s good to hear about the spf50 – my foundation is that high and I put 30 factor on my arms and legs but tbh I avoid the sun as much as possible.
I know I had to have that dress – it’s so bright and cheerful.
Enjoy the sun if you still have it – grey and raining here at the moment – I’m actually pleased about that! 🙂
Dear Penny…I am so thankful to read about Mr. F’s bit-of-a-surprise skin condition taken care of so quickly. Yes, in Southern California’s Mediterranean climate, we see sun worshipping quite a bit. Our grandkids are all waterbugs and understand the need for sunscreen. Their half-Asian heritage does give them quite a bit of melanin to offset their English, Germanic, Scandinavian heritage. (Heinz 57)
Thank you for this reminder that the sun’s penetration is quite different in the decades since our youth. Do you remember the ozone layer concern? In the sixties, I was out in the sun in my bikini, too.
The red dress is definitely a keeper!! Fits your slender shape perfectly! Cutting this “short” as I must leave for a bone density study which is a concern for the Asian, largely lactose-intolerant pop.
Good to hear from you. Take care…Charlene
Hi Charlene
The thing is that the heat we had was very unpleasant, humid+++ like soup, maybe if you were by the sea or some other waterside, but anywhere else was awful and we felt we had to stay inside next to our fan which is very good. Remember we don’t have air con in our homes or buses, or here in Lewes very few shops have it, and our independent cinema installed a heat pump (which does the reverse in the summer) but it’s not working, so it was closed, so we stayed in, which gets very boring. Our infrastructure is not geared to this weather at all. As for sunbathing it would be madness! However, one evening we went to our daughter’s garden and stayed late in the cooler air – that was lovely.
And today it’s grey and raining – that’s so good!!!!!! The red dress will be worn today! And hope all goes well with your bone scan.
You take care too Charlene.
I love learning about the differences between our locations, infrastructure, countries, cultures, etc. Widens our horizons and, at the same time, confirms that there are still good people on this planet. You do that for me, Penny!
Love the 50’s print on the red dress Penny ; it really suits you and fits well too. Sorry to hear about Mr F’s melanoma but it has been caught early which is very good news. Mine is at stage 3C so a very different situation unfortunately. I’ll never know if waiting 7 weeks for the surgery – I needed a skin graft which was a 3hr operation – contributed to the spread to lymph nodes but it was already stage 2 when identified. A very unusual presentation apparently! However, I feel fine now and we’ll see how the next CT scan goes. The consultant says ‘we travel hopefully’ so that’s what I try to be. I have never been a sunbather either & the risks people take really concern me. Recently I was talking to someone so darkly tanned that I wanted to slap a hat on his head and drag him into the shade but I said nothing. It was an older person and the damage will already be done. In fact it’s childhood sunburn that is the most damaging but why add to the risk. It doesn’t even look very attractive, to me anyway!
Oh Lynda, so sorry, and tbh, I am shocked you had to wait so long. But hey, when you’re feeling fine, you are fine, so that’s brill. What are the chances of another cruise sometime soon? I’m rather regretting my cancellation as I really could do with a break, but Dungeness beckons in a few weeks time.
That red dress was a find and as soon as I tried it on I knew I had to have it and it won’t be wasted as I will wear it a lot.
It’s grey and raining today and I am so happy about the rain – water butts filling up too – huzzah!
It is a worry isn’t it Penny, good to hear you are both alright.
I’ve had to use a cream on my face in a couple of places. They were said to be Pre-pre-pre cancerous and probably wouldn’t amount to anything sinister, but I used the cream and hey presto they have both gone!
Have a super ‘cooler’ week hunny, and enjoy the beach if you can. Jacqui x
Not a beach person anymore but I do love the greener leafy aspects of where I live. Cool weather is just the business and I’m so happy it’s raining!
Thanks Jacqui X
Well, I’m so glad you persuaded Mr. FFS to get his moles checked out. I was very surprised by the outcome especially as you say he never sunbathes or goes without his shirt etc. I have pale Celtic skin and stopped sunbathing in my late 30s or very early 40s. I now burn in the sun so try to cover up as much as possible and stay in the shade. I must look into having my moles checked out; one appeared on my finger about 4 years ago but I think it’s sunspot rather than a mole and goes with my ageing hands…
I love the Seasalt dress. The pattern remind of 1950s geometric prints especially the black lines. You look wonderful in it and the red sandals are a fab accompaniment to the dress. Love the bobbed hair!
Looking forward to cooler and wetter weather,
xxx
Well, of course, these skin cancers occur because of damage caused 30-40 years ago and my other half was out in the sun as a child as it was ‘good’ for you and he did sunbathe in his teens but as he got into his twenties his moles increased on his back so he started to not enjoy beach holidays and then in his mid-30s, he was actually told by his GP to never sunbathe again. So that shirt never came off his back in the summer and we did a few beach holidays for the kids but not as they grew up. So the melanoma would’ve been from old damage – decades back. Also the melanoma was quite high up on his back, maybe his tee-shirts weren’t always completely covering it???? Do get your moles checked, all over, but the ABCDE thing is good and ask questions of your moles including the one on your finger. Over the years I’ve probably been a tad over cautious but it paid off with my OH.
I do love the dress and will wear it today which makes up for the fact it was a new buy – I shall wear it often!!
Today’s grey rainy morning is just wonderful!
xxx
I finally got Nigel to go to the Dermatologist for a skin cancer check. She found several pre-cancerous spots and froze them. He also has seborrheic dermatitis on his scalp which prevented her from really looking at that. So, we go back in a few months after his shampoo takes care of that. He does have huge moles on his back, but none of them were of concern. He’s a ginger with all that entails (though he does tan very easily and early). I’ve at least got him wearing a hat! I passed with flying colors. I was not really big into just lying out for a suntan. Any tans I got when I was younger were from just being outside playing. I hope Mr. F recovers well!
That red dress is fabulous, Penny, and you look spectacular in it! It’s such a happy print, too! It reminds me of koi ponds! Perhaps a visit to a lovely garden with some fish! I do hope your days are cool enough for several outings in it!
https://marshainthemiddle.com/
Ah a ginger, hi there, Mr Banks! My son is a true ginger and I’ve never forgotten that he got very burnt on his back when very young. Thereafter he wasn’t allowed to take his tee-shirt off even when swimming and he’s very cautious about the sun now. Still, even though he’s in his early 40s we have told him to take care of his skin and watch the moles. Mr F is fine as it was just an hour’s op under local anaesthetic, which he said, the administering thereof, was the worst part!
Thanks re: the dress – wearing it today! And the weather is grey and wet – and three cheers for that!
Love the dress Penny.
I have to be careful in the sun and in fact I don’t really like to be hot and uncomfortable!! So I’m always looking for shade.
I know we need rain but our roof is to be replaced (all tiles etc in front garden) so hope it’s not too torrential!
Enjoy wearing your lovely dress Penny xx
Weren’t those four days awful Vivien? Yikes if this continues….. The warmer weather is great when it’s just that warm, but actual heat, nooooo! Hope the rain is not too torrential – I know we had some last night, my fingers are crossed for you!
Wearing the dress today! xx
Love the red dress, it looks very vintage, the print.
I have a bottle of Savers sterilising solution for the job of removing tomato stains from white clothes ie Tshirts. A tiny drop removes the stain, and then you just wash as normal.
It seems to be the law that a white t shirt will be a magnet for tomato stains!
Good advice re skin care btw. As a fellow fair skinned lass I stay out of the sun. My dermatologist recommends using factor 50, even in the winter, especially on the face.
My foundation is factor 50 and that goes on every day, winter and summer. Otherwise it’s 30 all over.
As soon as I saw that dress and tried it on I knew I’d have to get it! I’ll wear it a lot.
And thanks for the tip – the tee-shirt is delightful as it’s a half tee, which is just the business to wear in the heat we had.
Thanks Carole
So far I have been lucky in not paying the price for sun bathing as a younger person but I do need to get checked again soon, it has been too long since a checkup. the last couple of years I have noticed all kinds of new spots on my body. I am pretty good about a CC cream on my face with an SPF of 50 and I wear a hat and sunglasses but I do tend to neglect the rest of me and I do spend quite a bit of time outside doing my volunteer dog walking. Our complex of 100 units does have it’s own swimming pool and it can be nice on a very hot day to take a dip.
I do like that red dress! a real red is one of my favorite colors but I do not see much of it these days. Last year I purchased a red dress online from a local company which makes the dresses right here in the area. I did wear it a few times, but although it looks bright in the photos the color was more a muddy burgundy and the neckline just did not look right on me. I ended up donating it to a local church for their clothing drive. It just made me feel frumpy. Today I will have lunch with some friends I actually went to college with so many years ago and I think will wear one of my Summer dress. It has been very nice weather wise this past week, sunny but with lower temps and humidity but still no rain. everything is starting to look brown. That’s it for now. X Darby
Hi Darby and yes, do go and get your skin checked – I think it’s definitely worth it, if only to be reassured that all is well.
Where you live sounds ideal and I do envy your proximity to a pool. Actually, Lewes has an outdoor pool connected to the river. It’s very popular but since Covid you have to book. We aim to go in September when schools are back.
Your lunch sounds good and fancy keeping contact with people from college! But actually I have kept in contact with old nursing friends and one in particular who lives in London. Enjoy!
Glad you’ve got some good weather, today it’s been pourng with rain and thundering as well. But I’m not unhappy about it as we really needed the rain. And – three cheers – my water butts are full!
It’s always good to hear from you 🙂
My goodness – a melanoma in situ! How fortunate for your vigilance and the Mole Clinic. The things we used to do to get a tan — baby oil, factor 2 Hawaiian Tropic – some even used aluminium foil to reflect the rays back. And now we’re all huddled under huge hats with SPF50.
I know, for me it was always Ambre Solaire and that evocative smell. How we slathered it on hoping to get brown, now it’s avoid the sun as much as possible!
Thanks for this timely reminder about skin cancer. I hadn’t heard about the mole clinic in London but I will check it out and also see if there is a similar service nearer where I live, though being in Kent, it isn’t too much of a hardship to get to London. It’s great that the nhs acted so promptly to get this sorted out, and a bit of a blessing to have this service available when access to gps is so difficult these days. Re the Seasalt dress – it really suits you and will easily carry on into Autumn. I love Seasalt colours but find the silhouette a bit on the large side for me. Having said that I did buy a petite dirndl in lovely colours in their sale in Spring( I think) and I’ve worn it a lot. That’s also good for Autumn but wasn’t really a summer heat weight. At least not the summer we had. Hope the recent rain brightens your garden again. All the best. Trish S
There are several Mole Clinics in London and a couple outside, including Brighton, but not in Kent. I started going to the one near Oxford Circus and have just got used to doing it. I highly recommend the way they look at every mark on your body though – it’s very thorough.
I’m quite new to Seasalt but am quite impressed and do love their dresses.
It’s been pouring with rain here and – yay- my water butts are full!
All the best to you too, Trish
Penny, this really is a serious issue. No telling how many people will benefit from your post. My husband gets a skin check by the dermatologist every year because he is in the sun a lot. Love the dress!
Thanks Jean and yes we all need that checkup, even if we don’t sunbathe.
And yes that dress is great, isn’t it!
That dress is a perfect color for you! My dad grew up in Santa Monica beach, California and spent way too much time in the sun. He has had a lot of moles and little cancerous areas cut off in the past 10-20 years. I really try to wear hats but still like a light tan. I have gotten better at adding sunscreen too.
http://www.chezmireillefashiontravelmom.com
I think if you put on the sunscreen it’ll beOK to go in the sun as you do need it for your Vitamin D levels. It’s a tricky balance. But we older types didn’t protect our skin at all in our youth so the consequences are there already!
Thanks Mireille
Living here in Florida where we are in need of sun protection year round these tips are much needed. But it not only sunbathers who need annual checkups.
Thanks for sharing.
Rosemary
http://www.DistinctlySouthernStyle.com
Thank you Rosemary and hi. How right you are. My other half is a prime example of someone who never sunbathes and yet needed a checkup on his skin. Fortunately he will be more vigilant and even more fortunately he is having a whole body mole map made next month which will be repeated annually.
Thanks again
Such a good reminder to wear sun protection and be diligent on checking out every square inch for something irregular. I love your red dress!!! Hope it cools down enough for you to wear it soon!
Hi Cathy and thanks re: the dress. And yes, my other half is a perfect example of someone who doesn’t sunbathe but still needed a skin check. And it’s great it was caught in time.
Thanks again
That dress is just the cutest! Thanks for linking up with Ageless Style!
Hi Amy and thank you for those kind words 🙂
Whew! So glad you got Mr. Penny to go to the mole clinic with you. Looks like you got it at just the right time. And while melanoma is mostly associated with the sun, I knew a lady whose melanoma started on her labia. She was late in catching it (for obvious reasons). So yikes! Your new fish dress is delightful. I love the whimsy of the fishes.
Michelle
https://mybijoulifeonline.com
Oh my word, what a place to get a melanoma – imagine! Yes, really glad I dragged Mr F to the Mole Clinic – it was so worth it!
Thanks re: the dress, I really love it and have worn it now.
All of our generation were sun worshippers it seems, to our demise. I still love the sun but use 60+ protection and I still get a tan. I’m glad they found your result to be a stage 0. And- must absolutely go check out your other blog! Thanks for linking up xx