'Ullo Jon, Gotta New Motor?

It's been a strange old week, the pool has been plagued with technical issues and we've not been able to swim since last Monday, an absolute age! With the issues still not sorted we're planning to use another of the borough's pools tomorrow. 

Our annual membership gives us a choice of four but only the Gala is within walking distance and I hope it's only temporary as our two mile walk (there and back) is part of our fitness regime, not to mention that there isn't a Wetherspoons round the corner for our post-swim breakfast. 

 This week its been so misty that I've barely been able to see down the garden when I've been doing my Wii Fit workouts but by mid morning it has burnt off and it's been deliciously warm and sunny. When I walked into town to do my parcel drop-offs I didn't even need a coat.

I found this amazing vintage Indian dress in the £2.99 charity shop last year. The handloomed cotton is a bit too thick for the Summer but it's perfect for now.

I swear these tulips are multiplying, I only planted a dozen (Wilko's bulbs, planted during Lockdown) and now there's 17. Not that I'm complaining, nothing says Spring more than a red tulip.

On Thursday, for another walk to the various locker boxes and drop off points around Walsall I wore a vintage Oasis Trading wrap skirt with one of my All About Audrey blouses and my vintage denim waistcoat. 

 

Meanwhile Jon went off on a mission to find a replacement for Patrice (below), our 22 year old Citroen in Lucifer Red, which has reached the end of his life...not bad for a car that cost £500 as a stop-gap five years ago!

Here's our new car, a gunmetal Nissan Qashqai (yes, just like the carpet bag I bought last week and the troal people I blogged about!)  and compared to Patrice she's a mere whippersnapper at just 15 years old. The vendor couldn't believe Patrice was still on the road. 

Her registration contains the letters XAP so we've named her Pax after the Roman goddess of peace, 'cos we all need a bit of that in this crazed world we currently find ourselves in.

Meanwhile I picked up a Vinted parcel..a gorgeous tooled leather bag, listed as Satisfactory and priced at  just £3. And how's about this for weird...the seller was from Yorkshire and inside the bag was a 1970s bus ticket for West Midlands Transport, our local bus company and, even more bizarrely, it was issued on my birthday! I'd intended to sell it but I think it's a sign it's a keeper, don't you?

On Friday we tested out Pax and headed to the charity shops in a suburb of Walsall where we occasionally find the odd gem, although aside from a chores jacket for Jon on this occasion we came back empty-handed, a rare occurence! 

I withdrew some of my Vinted money and treated myself to a dress from All About Audrey's sale. I think my friend Betty might also have it. It needed taking up by about 5" and the belt loops were in a very weird position, both easily rectified, and I'm very pleased with it. One of those easy on, easy off, non- crease dresses which are perfect for travel. 

This has been my favourite spot all week and I'm powering through my reading pile like a thing possessed, I've just started my 5th book of the week.

Saturday was another beautiful day which kicked off with a walk in the sunshine and was mostly spent outside.

Aside from my Frye boots, whuch were from eBay 10 years ago, my entire outfit is from Vinted, an original 1970s silk maxi skirt, a contemporary art silk wrap top (last seen in Tenerife dancing with the locals) and a vintage velvet Afghan waistcoat.

I nearly put the necklace I was wearing on Vinted as I'd not worn it in years (given to me by a old neighbour) but wanted confirmation as to its ethnicity and so posted a few photos on a well respected tribal jewellery forum of which I'm a member. Apparently it's Saudi Bedouin and quite desirable (over 200 people liked it!) so I'm giving it another chance!

Bedouin Woman with child, 1948 (Source)

Bedouin Woman, 1910 (Source)

This week we've finished Landman (already desperate for season 3) and watched Gone, a murder mystery on ITV which was enjoyable but left a lot of loose ends. We've started season 3 of The Capture on BBC which is riveting and mind-bending in equal measure. 

We've also seen a film, Good Boy, which stars one of Britain's greatest actors, Stephen Graham. It's one of those absurdist films (like Bugonia) which I love, where a family capture a teenage deliquent in the hopes of retraining him. 

After another walk to the lockers and parcel shops, today has been another day of pottering. I'd not worn this vintage Chelsea Girl cheesecloth maxi in ages and yet again, it's been warm enough to just throw a waistcoat over the top.

Thanks for reading, see you soon!