I APPLAUD the creativity, flair and gumption displayed by the entrants in the Ag Art Competition at Elmore "Wild, whacky and wonderful," (WT, October 14).

My old high school headmaster used to continually implore us to use our "gumption" and these girls have done just that, as well as the other adjectives you used - "gob-smackingly classy", "entertaining", and "witty".

I have been so disappointed to see the desire to create and dress up has diminished in our society.

Years ago, fancy dress frolics, dances and balls were such a source of fun and creativity, especially throughout the country.

Whenever such an event was announced, we would start to plan what to make and wear.

Many years ago, my mother dressed as Big Chief Little Wolf for a dance in the Millewa. She gathered turkey feathers from the yard to make her headdress, made trousers and moccasins and fringed them with hessian and gathered sheep skulls from the scrub (there were often plenty of those during the recurring droughts!).

She boiled these to get rid of any odour and strung them around her belt. A few dashes of lipstick and a wig made from dyed horse hair completed her outfit.

One year, my husband and I dressed as the Old Year and New Year for a New Year's Eve dance.

Our children always had a different fancy dress theme for their birthday parties each year and friends and relatives were happy to enter into the act.

The parties ranged from swagmen, red indians, bushland creatures to flies and grubs.

Some of the costumes were extremely innovative. Gradually, more affluence has seemed to translate into less creativity and very conservative fancy dress costumes were hired for the few opportunities available for "dressing up."

When we dip into our dress-up trunk - we can't quite bear to part with it and its contents - for a very occasional function requiring fancy dress, we are often the only ones in costume.

We certainly won't miss the Elmore Field Day next year.

Goodonya, girls!

Melva Graham, Harcourt