Monday 28 July 2014

Get On That Groovy Train - Indietracks 2014

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Another weekend, another road trip.


This time we were at IndieTracks, a festival combining jingly jangly indiepop with vintage steam strains.


Set at the open air Midland Railway Museum in Derbyshire, this is the very pretty Swanwick Junction on the old Midland Line, a working station since 1870.


But forget the marvels of the Great British railway system, getting this lot in Gilbert is a feat of engineering in itself.


We arrived at 10am and by 2pm were set up, basking in the sunshine with made-at-home cheese sandwiches and chilled India Pale Ale waiting for the festival to kick off.

Wearing: Vintage St Michael shirt, 1960s Festival canvas pumps & Gabicci tailored shorts (all charity shopped) 

Wearing: 1970s Sea Star beach dress (Kitty's Vintage Kitsch)



Vintage clobber galore along with some funky interior touches, a regular home away from home.


Time for a quick snap of the site before the gates opened.


Here they come, Indie kids ready for a weekend of fun, frolics, live music, late night discos, pop quizzes,


Parrots...



Train spotting...


Amazing food (there were other places but Jon and I have been obsessed with Gopal's South Indian food for years)


and crafting classes...


Mine's the one with the helter-skelter! 


Just like last year the weather was gorgeous.

Wearing: Vintage 1970s leisure shirt and used-to-be red skinnies from a charity shop chopped into shorts

No shoes required (except when we needed to cross the tracks to get to the portaloos).



The site is kept immaculate by the army of railway enthusiast volunteers. Train spotters rock!

Wearing: Me-made maxi skirt (using a 20p 1960s Terence Conran curtain from a jumble sale), fringed leather crop top (Helga the great), Indian gypsy pendant (Edie Pop) 

Day two and selling like a storm.


A handful of customers who insisted on wearing their Kinky buys straight away...
Lots of the festival goers stay in hotels and get the train back in every day so they're a well-groomed lot. Unlike us. Three days of camping beside a working steam engine means my feet are the colour of a Victorian street urchin.




Not only interesting thing to look at but great company, too.


Lovely to see some of our friends there. There's Kiki (in the fab green mini, one half of Kiki & Honey's vintage fairs) and Kitty showing off their art, the very dapper Baron (author of the The Hearing Aid blog) and wife, Jo and Jon (lender of our Glasto tent), Erica and the gang.

Wearing: 1970s Berketex cotton maxi & vintage tooled leather belt (Kinky Melon)

Day three and I'm wearing the merchandise,


We're still waving manically at every passing train.


 Jon explores the West Shed Experience 


 And we're entertained by The Thyme Machine. The leopard-clad lead singer showered the crowd with Tunnocks Tea Cakes and sung about a day out in the Lake District with a zombie, his favourite jumper and Carlisle Football Club.


All in all a fabulous fun-packed weekend and not a bit like work (omitting setting the alarm each morning, erecting and taking down a bastard massive structure and half a day spent unpacking the meagre remains of our stock and hosing down the black grime from Gilbert and the Gala tent).


 The good news? Only three days and we get to do it all over again at Brookestock.
Festival season? We effin' love it! 


Off to shower for the first time since Friday, a scary prospect, no wonder steam trains were phased out, I've never been so dirty. As they say on the railways, normal service will be resumed shortly.....

Linking to Patti and the Gang for Visible Monday.

59 comments:

  1. I AM! You know, I think the family and I should try this festival if it's possible to stay elsewhere and get the train in! I'd love me an old train or two, some jangly guitars, Indian food, and vintage shopping with my favourite traders!
    All your outfits are divine, especially that Terence Conran curtain skirt and the fab beach dress. Your pitch is insanely colourful and delightful, and the crowd and the vibe seems so chilled and friendly.
    Dread to think what colour your bath water was... Victorian Urchin Black! Gluttons for punishment you are, doing it all again - but you've earned something delicious for tea and a wee drink or two tonight, I think!
    Love you! xxxxxx

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  2. Envy! Definitely! ;) Really amazing, wish we would have fairs like that! But I'm happy for you and with you :)

    Check out my curry receipt on my blog, it's vegan :)

    Hippy At Heart

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  3. It does look brilliant fun. I thought that when you blogged about it last year too.
    You both look wonderful, and I'd love to have a mooch through your stock, I really must get to one of your fairs soon.
    Speak soon,
    annie xxx

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  4. Looks a lot of fun. By the way I love the Terance Conran Curtain couture, what amazing fabric! xxx

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  5. I love all these looks on you!!! I kept scrolling down and saying I love that one best and then no I love that one best! This event looks so much fun too and I love road trips! If you were covered in dirt from the trains the clothes must be too! Lots of laundry in your future this week!!
    xoxo

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  6. How brilliant!!!! A great setting for a fair and beautiful you!!! X

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  7. ha - the perfect bahnwärterhäuschen (rail road keeper house) event!!!
    we are waving every time a steam train passes our house :-)
    love the pink maxi! heavenly on you!
    xxxx

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  8. Everything looks great exept the parrot ... one of my bigest fears in life .
    Xx

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  9. Well this has been an education! I never knew such a festival existed - a train spotters dream and there's great vintage clothing on sale! Love the me-made curtain maxi!

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  10. I always think this is a perfect combo for a festie. A curry and a parrot.Fab.
    I'd love to have had a pootle around there.
    You look bloody lush, and your curtain couture is gorgeous. I love that your buyers got their Kinky on there and then. Brilliant.
    Loves yer dirty bits.
    xxxxx

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  11. Trains, sunshine, vintage, music, curry, a parrot - I'm loving it all. xx

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  12. India pale ale which I haven't heard of for ages, Tunnocks Tea Cakes which I adore - you just know how to live!

    Oh and you both look great as well! Oh, and I like trains.

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  13. Just watched The Thyme Machine on Youtube - love them! So funny.

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  14. Great pictorial of the festival. I love how your clothing fans immediately don the gear. Cheers!

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  15. We have a train museum here and it always amuses me when people whinge about the smoke/soot/noise. Stupid people.

    This weekend looks like amazing fun, even I'd go ;-P

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  16. Love to meet you at the Curry Shack. You both look marvelous, and I adore that floral cotton maxi dress. Thanks for sharing with Visible Monday! xox

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  17. I am transfixed by your hilarious big toes! Toes are so weird!!!!
    Ahem.What ahoot of a festival! G loves a good steam train, he would have been in heaven!
    I adore how homey your pitch is. That in itself would persuade me to part with much cash, plus foist myself upon you for a few bevvies and a good snog. I mean chat.
    You looked MARVELLARSE throughout! You just make it look so damned smooth and easy, babies!
    Love Helga XXX

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  18. That Vixmade maxi from a curtain is just the best! Very cool necklace and leather top too. I'm guessing that is one of your favorite outfits.

    Love your writing leading up to packing up Gilbert! Made me smile...

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  19. What fun trains music and vintage clobber! Looking at Gilbert and then at your pitch is like watching 100 clowns get out of a VW bug! I don't know how you do it but you guys have mastered Gilbert. I love seeing the new KM sign hanging with your signature pom poms. I'm even happier hearing you sold loads! Best part is seeing some Kinky Melon customers happily wearing their treasures! You know you love it if it goes on straight away.

    I love the picture of you in that cotton maxi with the train behind you, you are so beautiful!
    LOVE YOU!!!!!!
    XXOO

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  20. dear vix you truly give vintage such an awesome name. you look so beautiful in all your maxi's. you seem to be glowing with happiness. truly an inspiration to me. x

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  21. Didn't you look like a sweet dream in peach and rose in that last maxi with the sun shining behind you? What a glorious shot. And to think you look that good after 3 days of non-stop work/party and no shower. It ain't fair I tell ya.

    bisous
    Suzanne

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  22. As usual, all of your ensembles are fabulous. However, the "Me-made maxi skirt" is the star of
    the show for me. Breathtaking! Jon is looking very handsome, as well.

    Festival season is not only great for you. It's extraordinary for us, through you!

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  23. No wonder you love your life! I love the tour you take us bloggers on everytime you go to a festival. Curtain couture at its best with your skirt!!

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  24. Why is it that we have this undying urge to wave at trains as they pass us by, LOL?

    Great photos and story...again! :)

    You look gorgeous in your me-made dress Vix!

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  25. Looks like a lot of hard work keeping that display clean and tidy, you wore some great stuff on this trip. Betty

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  26. I hate Groovy Train. What a mad combination for a festival! Obviously works though.

    Glad you and Jon continue to have a fabulous season.

    Caroline
    Www.puttingyourlifeinorder.blogspot.co.uk

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  27. Loos like another great weekend was had … those of us with boring weekends are beginning to get a little green with envy :0)
    xx

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  28. Hi Vix wonderful photos of the trains. It looks like so much fun! Love the blue nail polish. Its the color I'm going to wear on vacation next week. Your comments r so funny. I love the comment about feet being the color of a Victorian street urchin, that is fricken hilarious!!

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  29. Loving the look of that festival - am a closet steam train fan - blame small boys and obsessions with Thomas the Tank engine!

    Please book Kinky into Folkeast and Shrewsbury Folk Festival ;) or maybe next year I'll book our festival weekends around you!!

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  30. Vix, what I love about your posts is that it shows how you live life to the fullest. Beautiful photos my friend. xoxo

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  31. We wave at trains because we all watched The Railway Children and there's a bit of Jenny Agutter in all of us! I bet we all hanker after her red bloomers! Love the Berketek dress.

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  32. I'm with Helga....I am rather fascinated with peoples feet! Love the toenails. That's still my fave Barry M colour. Your maxi frocks are divine. I love the idea of a music festival combined with steam trains. Xx

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  33. Wow you have your stall set up down to a fine art and it looks amazing i would love to have a rummage around :-) Looks like another fabulous event for you both. You look gorgeous i love the blue skirt you made and the pink long maxi dress on you looks so pretty. Have a fabulous week, dee xx

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  34. Love sharing your life. You seem to be such fun loving people. It's nice to share some of that. X

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  35. Call me a geek but I love steam trains, not to train spotter standards but they are very interesting. That blue skirt is gorgeous, what a find that curtain was. It looks like a great weekend. Xx

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  36. Thank you, Vix, for a much-needed morning smile! That dashboard view of your Barry-M toes: hah! I'd know those toes anywhere! (You might have closed this post with the same view, toes now steam-trained black...)

    So glad Gilbert carried a much lighter load on the return trip, but that Conran skirt is a keeper!

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  37. Sounds like a lovely festival. I'm amazed that you managed to fit all that gear in Gilbert! I love your me-made maxi skirt - the colour is gorgeous. x

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  38. The you-made maxi is stunning and looks so great on you.
    That festival looks loads less crazy than some you've posted about - and any time I see festival footage on tv I always look for you.

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  39. Your pitch looks like a pretty jewel that you can go inside of and explore. And, best part, something from within can come home with you! I'm sure the festival organizers are thrilled to have you two with them, as you bring so much to the party. Figurative and literally ... poor hard-working Gilbert.

    This may have been my favourite festival post of them all. It sounds so wonderful.

    You guys are the best. I've said it before and I'll say it again ... I sure wish we didn't live an ocean apart.

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  40. Old trains and music is an interesting mix for a festival. You and Jon really have this whole thing down to a fine art, don't you? Your pitch looks so organized! It's a dirty job, but someone has to do it.

    The curtain maxi skirt is GORGEOUS!! You're my DIY idol.

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  41. What a crazy looking weekend ! Your curtain maxi skirt is one of my total favs. V xxx

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  42. again, what a fantastic read! it is definitely one of the best ways to rock the summer!
    loving and adoring your you-made maxi skirt! a dream!

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  43. You two are so adorable and what a beautiful life you have together!

    That maxi you made is super!

    Thanks for bringing a smile to my face today.

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  44. Your packing skills are exceptional! Gilbert looks full but not stuffed at all (the kids have got wellies by their ears and wedged in with pans and socks when we go on holiday) the festival looks brilliant, Dave would love the trains - you look flaming gorgeous in your outfits, I love the pic of you in the Berketex dress, it's a beautiful pic - I'm loving festival season! (I am totally living vicariously through you!!) x x x

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  45. Are you sure that Gilbert isn't a Tardis, he must be bigger on the inside! I love everything you wore, as usual! :)

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  46. Fun! I put my feet up just like you did for a fun trip with you! :) Looove the you-made skirt and the floral dress - unexpected on you, but oh you are so so beautiful in it! I have canvas shoes similar to Jon's - when Justin saw mine, he said that he'd wear them to. :)))
    Have a great week, dear! xxxx

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  47. And my only question is: How on earth does all that stock fit in to that campervan? Are you sure you don't have a ten foot trailer as well?! x

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  48. OOh you do get about.....so pretty in pink!!x

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  49. I though I was well up on festivals but hadn't heard of this one. You look amazing as always - glad you had another cracking weekend :) x

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  50. my first reaction was :She's driving with her feet on the dashboard!!!!! Then I remembered about cars being different in the UK.

    How can a small country have so many fun festivals, fairs etc?

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  51. I did the US driver freak out too about your feet on the dash on the driver's side. HA!! When I open my store next year, we'll be doing festivals too. The only problem is, we'll have to do some serious traveling to get to anywhere my wares will sell decently. They sure aren't going to sell at a friggin rodeo or gun and knife show!

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  52. Toes on the dashboard, tunes in the air. Must be a road trip. Gutted i missed this again, I need a rifle through that stock of yours!! You're looking beautiful in your blue outfit and your pitch looks more and more amazing each time I see it. That place is great. Q's son was one of those train spotter volunteers there a few years ago, he loved it. When you go on the steam train they offer you tea in a cup and saucer. You two are so busy! How are the pussy cats coping? Xxxxxx

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  53. Looks like a lot of fun! It's wonderful the train spotter volunteers keep it tidy. That Berketex maxi is a beauty. Ahh, I'd like some Gopal's in a few hours myself! :)
    Cleaning Haus

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  54. Looks fab, I love your day 3 dress, so pretty
    Twiggy x

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  55. Looks like you had a fab time. I'm guessing your not designated driver with your feet up on the dash. We did festwich at the weekend it was fabulous. X

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  56. I love all your outfits and the Curry Shack looks so delish!!!

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  57. As always you look like your having a total ball! In your element, selling and be stylish! I love your second day outfit! That's skirt is magical on you!

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  58. You don't look dirty Vix!You look amazing in every single picture xoxo

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Lots of love, Vix