Rosanna Cole, 19, on her London dreams, living a Cornish existence and enduring a filthy work life.
‘It is all about old and comfortable clothing. No make-up required. The job is hard, sometimes vile, but it’s good pay. So I brave the mess’
I am neither an early riser nor the typical teenage laze. I usually wake up around 10am, unless I am going to work, requiring my alarm to sound at 9am. I will wrap myself in the fluffy rose red dressing gown because my house can be quite cold, even in the summer, and go immediately downstairs to the pantry.
Being a cereal girl I appreciate that my mother runs a bed and breakfast in the second part of our house because there is always a vast selection to choose from. I rarely have toast unless I am eating at my boyfriend’s house where chocolate spread is hoarded. As a child I often used to eat this for breakfast. Sitting in front of the TV – chocolate smeared around my lips. I still have this routine at 19. Instead, however, now with cereal, accompanied by a glass of Tropicana ‘no bits’ orange juice. It’s not orange juice if it’s not Tropicana.
As well as orange juice, I also have a passion for fashion. After breakfast I will often read from my pile of fashion magazines that accumulate under the coffee table. Paying particular attention to my Vogues, which make up a large percentage of the stack. I love to flick through the glossy pages of campaigns, trends, and photo shoots. The photographs are my pass to the places and parties - a world where I can act sickeningly cool in a short sharp Gucci minidress while still sporting my humble high street, or I can pretend I have written the feature about Giorgio Armani. All of this whilst still in my soft red wrap nestled in my rural Cornish existence.
I enjoy the ritual of getting ready for the day. The order that I put my make-up on and getting dressed. Clothes give me my identity, so they are very important to me. Even if I do get lost in my squashed full wardrobe.
At the other end of the style spectrum is my job as a holiday cottage cleaner. I will not pay so much attention to what I wear on these days. It is all about old and comfortable clothing. No make-up required. The job is hard, sometimes vile, but it’s good pay. So I brave the mess. Working with a friend makes the job much more entertaining. We will girlishly scream for each other if we find something revolting and laugh as we try to cope with the ordeal. My working hours depend on how many people choose to holiday in Cornwall. From a money perspective I long for many tourists yet I will immediately moan about their presence when they clog up everywhere.
Occasionally during the days when my girlfriends and I are all not working we try to meet for lunch in town. Like me, one of the girls lives in the countryside and we’ll often share lifts to the gatherings. I enjoy these shared travels as it gives us time to catch up before the chaos of four talking girls. The two of us usually meet the rest at a surfer-style diner. We will pretend to be healthy and sophisticated by ordering salads before ruining this perception with a large side helping of curly fries. We will catch up and of course gossip before returning to our busy working lives.
I normally spend evenings with my boyfriend, usually relaxing in front of the TV. However, when the long summer evening weather is kind, we take the short trip down to the beach to either surf or just for a quick dip. Wetsuits are necessary if not flattering. So we march, waddling like penguins, over the stones towards the sea. Moments like this in beautiful Cornwall suppress my guilty urge to move to the city and live out my London fashion dream.
I usually stay up late, until about 12am. I sit at the computer or watch the late night TV mush. Before bed I like to have a bath for the warmth and relaxation – this is a ritual that I don’t like to break. I’ll put on the dressing gown again and climb into bed with a book or magazine. I find it helps me sleep as I enter my exciting escapist world. A place I am not just reading about, but I am part of.
