Swans, Horses, Pictures Of Jesus? I've Been Jumbling!

Despite promises of this being the hottest weekend of the year it certainly wasn't forthcoming here. Yesterday was wet and a feeble 21 degrees and this morning I managed to do an hour of weeding before the heavens opened.

This dead-stock Devonshire Lady maxi dress had been put aside for me by the manager of a local hospice charity as she knows my love of all things full length and 1970s. I had to perform major surgery on it before I wore it as it was four sizes too big but I could hardly turn it down after she'd been so thoughtful.

It has a rather tremendous padded bodice, ideal for a woman blessed with less-than-adequate natural padding.

Leather-lined tapestry boots (£10, Richard House Hospice)

These tapestry boots get cooed over wherever I go. I bought them with the store tags still attached from a chazza three years ago. 

Did I mention Saturday's grand jumble sale? We made it despite a rather raucous Friday night out. As usual the grannies in the queue instruct me to find clothes for their teenage grandchildren as they have the deluded idea that I'm trendy ("don't you get throwing me any of that Primark crap, jumble sales ain't the same since that shit hole opened"). I usually deliver the goods, logo emblazoned sportswear and River Island frocks fly through the air with gay abandon.

1965 The Little Match Girl & 1954 edition of Lucy Diamond's The Loveliest stories Of All  (20p each)

Not much in the way of clothing to tickle my fancy although Dad's been kitted out with good-as-new pyjamas, Farah slacks and a rather snazzy 1950s wool dressing gown. Jumble sales are brilliant when you've an elderly parent in a nursing home, if I had to keep buying new clothes to replace the stuff boiled to death in their laundry I'd be broke.

Three swans-a-swimming (50p each)

I always head straight to the clothes table as the brac-a-brac area is full of idiots thinking they're Tim Wonacott, pulling out their spyglasses and scrutinising the back of transfer-printed willow pattern plates thinking they've found Ming. I head over when they've moved so I can look at my leisure. Yesterday there were 15 swans of varying age & style, I picked my favourites but ,as usual, as soon as I show an interest they're back trying to wrestle them out of my hands and moaning that I get all the good stuff.

Jon found a huge pile of vinyl but most of it was the usual assortment of Jim Reeves, Max Bygraves and Val Doonican. This 1968 album was the only thing he fancied and we were sweetly serenaded by the accordion over brunch.

I've reined in my retro glass buying over the years as teeny glasses , pretty though they may be, aren't much use to pint drinkers like us, but I couldn't resist these beauties.

5 x glasses 50p

They are pleasingly heavy to handle, too.

Religious print (50p), the plaster St Theresa (?) was a 50p car boot buy a couple of years ago and the Victorian crucifix was Great-Grandma's.

I used to work with an elderly lady who said You're one of the nicest woman I've ever met, it's such a shame you live like the devil. Hopefully this Suffer Little Children framed print might help me see the light. Fellow Smiths obsessives will see the sad irony after this week's Moors Murder news.

Devonshire Lady maxi dress (£10, St Giles Hospice), coloured bangles (second-hand/my friend,  Janne)

Enjoy the rest of your weekend whatever the weather chucks at you. 

See you soon.