Cloak & Dagger

This is what I wore to see Tinker, Tailor, Solider, Spy last night.

I do love a good spy thriller and this didn't disappoint. No high speed car chases or special effects, just well-dressed men in austere rooms, beautiful cinematography, an intelligent plot, subtle '70s touches (Trebor Mints, jumbo cord and Aqua Mander talc) and an absolute credit to Le Carre, one of my all-time favourite writers. Pure class. I watched the original BBC drama with Alec Guinness as a teenager in 1979 and this version is equally brilliant. If Gary Oldman's performance as George Smiley doesn't get him an Oscar he'll have been robbed.

ABC picture house, circa 1975 

 Until 1995 our town centre boasted a magnificent Art Deco cinema. An opulent picture house with potted palms, sweeping marble staircases, velvet seats, doormen in dinner suits and usherettes with wooden trays and torches selling chocolate limes & cigarettes during the interval. The entrance price for every film was just £1 and up until the day it closed I saw at least three films a week (which makes me a bit of an asset in a pub quiz). When the bulldozers tore the building down to make way for Woolworth's (and now, like much of our town centre, empty) I stood and watched, shedding a fond tear at memories of childhood trips to see Walt Disney films and bad behaviour on the back row with dodgy blokes.

Glass 1960s clip-on earrings (the divine Desiree)

These days we have to drive to a hideously utilitarian out-of-town multiplex which reeks of processed meat and where the air conditioning is so icy cold that a coat is pretty much essential all year round. It's rare they screen anything remotely intelligent or arty, most locals prefer a diet of lame Rom-Coms, cartoons and Hollywood shoot 'em up action flicks. Still I'm on the Orange network and get Two for One film deals on Wednesdays so at £7.20 for the two of us it's a pretty cheap night out especially as we don't feel the need to guzzle junk food while we're there which would whack the price up something stupid.

Vintage maxi cape (40p, jumble sale) worn with 1960s psychedelic pussy bow blouse (20p, jumble sale), high waisted acid wash jeans (£2, 2009 sample sale), thigh high boots (£2, car boot sale), Polly Piglet (free)

I like to think that my huge hair annoyed the idiot sitting behind me as much as his texting, seat kicking and nacho munching annoyed me.

It was another glorious day here so we went car booting again. We usually get there at around 8.30 to 9am, not too early, according to the regular traders we like "weird stuff" so most people wouldn't look at our finds twice.

Clockwise from top left: 1960s suede skirt (£1), Crown Devon Art Deco "Perky Pup" (50p) , Italian high-heeled 1970s wellies (£1), BBC pattern book from 1976, unused and intact (£1), 1970s Crimplene midi skirt (£1) , A pair of Dallas Simpson hideously miserable kids (£1 for the two), Alfred Tucker Crafts snakeskin & Sheffield steel choker, circa 1969 (£1.50), 1960s unused Lady Sunbeam boxed shaver (50p)

I'm most excited about the choker and the perfectly fitting Woodstock-era suede skirt, it looks like being another Cher-inspired outfit. 

See you soon.