Night all

In all honesty - if someone grabbed me against mt will - it'd be a knee in the nuts and a slap around the face - I'm sure that does happen. Some of the grabbing appears to be consensual - a bit of a snog and cuddle which is otherwise frowned upon!

Night to all who are leaving!

How those 20st wedding gowns have made Gypsy dressmaker her fortune

Thelma Madine and Paddy Doherty

Weighing 20 stone or more and covered in mechanical butterflies and flashing hearts, the wedding dresses featured in Big Fat Gypsy Weddings  cost as much as £50,000 and can leave their wearers with scars they regard as a badge of honour.

Dressmaker Thelma Madine, 59, is behind the outlandish creations and has become such a star she has her own spin-off show in the pipeline. 

Dubbed the Elizabeth Emanuel of the gypsy world, she is the only designer for traveller brides who want to make a show-stopping entrance. 

There is little doubt Thelma is now making a fortune. She began dressmaking 16 years ago after a divorce. 

She sold christening outfits at a Liverpool market while claiming benefits and was jailed after being convicted of false accounting in 2001. 

The judge accused her of using the money to fund her ‘lavish lifestyle, expensive flat and BMW car’.

‘I did four months but it was the making of me,’ she has insisted. ‘I’m not proud of what I did but I learned when I was inside not to judge. That’s why I’m supportive of travellers.’

After her release, her work became popular with traveller families and eventually she was asked to make a wedding dress with a 200ft train.

Her business took off and she opened her Liverpool shop, Nico’s, now the favoured destination for young gypsy brides-to-be. 

‘They all want something better than anyone else’s dress,’ says Thelma.

Wedded to fantasy: Thelma Madine puts the finishing touches to bride Bridget's lavish dress

Big and bold: The girls take great pride in their lavish wedding dresses

Among her most famous creations have been a 20st dress covered in fairy lights worn by Sam Norton, one of the brides featured in the first series of Big Fat Gypsy Weddings, and another for tiny Carly O’Brien, weighing 25st and consisting of 30,000 Swarovski crystals, 400ft of silk and 5,250ft of tulle. Ten guests had to push her up the aisle.  

Most of the weight of the dresses is borne by the girls’ hips, which are scarred as a result of the boning cutting into their flesh. 

Most brides wrap themselves in bandages to make the dresses less painful to wear, but the series has spawned the catchphrase ‘The more bleeds, the better the dress’.

Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/new...e.html#ixzz1niXx2w9Q

Soozy, it's because they watch M.T.V. all day, and that is where they get their ideas from. The "belly dancing" is from Shakira videos, and the Sweet 16 was a show that showed very, very wealthy Americans buying their 16 year olds expensive cars and high class venues for their parties and Cartier jewelry etc..

You couldn't buy PR like this.

C4....feck off!

You'd be surprised at the amount of money they make from the horse trading.

  That was my exact reaction too.

I know I'm late adding to this, but I watched it late last night when I went to bed.

oh God, you have to show us a pic

Trying to find a pic Saz but seeing as my mate has deleted all hers it's proving difficult!

I need bleach for my eyes after trawling the net trying to find this pic

Right, in ye's come!

Is it tonight?

Jeebus, Mary and Holy St Joseph it's posh yea are after getting - anyhow boil the kettle and lets have a sup of tae 

Just checked ..............I won't be able to join the discussion - I'll be +1!

Has the kettle boiled yet?.....Evening

ok Sooz x

Pengy, only the best for us!  Just don't ask how I can afford it!

Evening Kaytee.....kettle's boiled!

Pulls up plastic chair by the campfire......Aaaaaaaaah!

say nofink to no one is my motto 

Jeebus she's a rake of clothes for the childer 

You'll melt!!!  

Nah....me bones need the warmth to be sure

oh big writing!

I hope she's had the sense to buy different sizes

How do you do that?....I can't see a size thingummy on the toolbar

I want more actual weddings!

sure there's no need for that - the child will have different clothes for every day - isn't his father a scrap dealer after all- he'll just have to nick work a bit harder 

Yes....bring on the frocks

by accident!

Of course.....I forgot

fair enough

You mean they may grow up educated with good jobs eh?

I found what that guy said very offensive - "When you marry outside of your breed"   Breed!!!   Breed!!!  If a gorger spoke about a traveller like that there'd be merry hell to play 

racist innit?

so he has 3 other children by another traveller woman - doesn't sound as if he was married to her so doesn't that go against gypsy ways?????

My caravan is better than theirs

He's a bit of a renegade

isn't yours the height of poshness 

I'm getting a bit of a camp vibe of George.  

Not saying there's anything wrong with it but I'm just wondering how well it does down with the other travellers.

he does sound a bit camp and protests just a little too much!!!  Be interesting to know how that does play out