A down the rabbit hole fantasy

Those who have had the privilege of entering my bedroom at Purbeck House will know of the Mad Hatter poster stuck to the door of my en-suite shower room. The reason his face stares at me every single day is not because I am a secret exhibitionist, but because the crazy attire of Johnny Depp's Mad Hatter is something I genuinely admire.

As soon as I saw the trailers for Tim Burton's modern take on Alice in Wonderland, the Mad Hatter immediately inspired me. His dress - an infusion of extravagancy and the apparel of costume drama - appealed to me from the instant I laid eyes on him. I agree he is an odd source of inspiration, but although the Mad Hatter may be an embodiment of unconventionality, his look is also particularly classy - at least in my view anyway.

During last summer, I yearned for an Alice in Wonderland style picnic in the gardens of Windsor Great Park, for which I could dress as my inspirational figure. But alas, there came to be no fancy tea party among the rhododendrons. Perhaps this year, I shall fulfil my little fantasy with a top hat perched upon my head and a blanket beneath my bottom. Would anyone care to join me?