Monday 4 January 2021

The Distancing Diaries - 3rd & 4th January, 2021


 On Sunday the heavy snow that had fallen the previous evening had all but thawed and, for the first time in days, the lads were happy to go out. I made tea, took it back to bed and we lay about reading, getting up just in time to watch the Andrew Marr Show with a couple of slices of toast & a mug of coffee. Bored by the buffoonery we switched off the TV, buttoned up our coats and set off on a walk.

Back in the nineteenth century Walsall's rich industrialists resided in grand houses in leafy Highgate (where we live) with both their businesses and employees in the neighbouring village of Caldmore, the two areas connected by this cobbled alleyway just behind our house. Caldmore is pronounced Kar-ma. You can always tell when someone isn't a local when they call it cold-more!


From the 1950s until the early 1970s, Caldmore changed, with many Indian families making the village their home, bringing with them the culture and traditions of the Sub-Continent. I have many happy memories of this time, the secondhand shop Mum used to run always packed with ladies desperate for warm jumpers and coats to wear over their flimsy saris and of the kindness shown to us by shopkeepers who'd welcome Mum, Grandma and me into their sari shops, offering us glasses of pop and freshly made samosas whilst we marvelled at their beautiful exotic fabrics and trimmings. When I left home it was Caldmore where I rented my first flat, a front room in a condemned Victorian terrace, a house crawling with cockroaches accessed by an alleyway strewn with used condoms, all for just £11 a week. I loved every minute!


Those were the days. Me as a 19 year-old in 1985 with flatmate, Gill and at a house party dressed in a 1940s gent's evening jacket I'd picked up from the church jumble sale hours earlier. 


I last wrote about Caldmore six years ago (HERE) and still get messages from people who grew up there sharing their memories of bustling Hindu temples and all-night curry houses, including the brothers who own the popular clothing company, Seasalt.

 

Sadly in these Covid times, Caldmore has become even more rundown, with yet more boarded up shops and deserted streets piled high with litter but with its well-stocked Asian supermarkets and delectable sweet centres it's still worth a visit.





 





Forget what they tell you in the media, there's no Brexit shortages here! Ten limes for £1 - I wish I'd bought my purse.







In the centre of the village you'll find the White Hart, a Caroleon-era manor house, built by George Hawe (d.1679) and Walsall's oldest brick building.  In 1643, Queen Henrietta stayed here on her way to visit her husband Charles I during the Battle of Edgehill. 

The White Hart Circa 1890

During restoration work at the end of the 19th Century, workmen made a grisly discovery, an arm hidden in an attic chimney. The arm was said to be a Hand of Glory, traditionally a hand cut from a hanged felon and dried in the prescribed manner.  Then, either by lighting the fingers themselves or using the hand as a candle holder, the Hand was supposed to stupefy any person seeing it, thus enabling a burglar to ransack a house without being caught.  


The arm is still on display at Walsall's Museum.








Back at home we thawed out our frozen fingers with steaming bowls of noodles. Jon did some music stuff and I went outside and took more stock photos, spending the rest of the afternoon uploading listings to eBay, it was so cold that I kept my hat on!

We had half a pizza (with fresh, home-grown basil) & some potato lattices for tea and watched another couple of episodes of Spiral. 

After a week of not knowing where I was, Monday felt like a normal day. Before I'd gone to bed I'd put the tea towels on a 90°C wash and hung them up in to dry in the utility room when I got up. After my Wii Fit workout I took down the Xmas cards, removed the lights from my festive cheeseplant and wrapped up the eBay items that had sold overnight.


After our fruit and yogurt breakfast we dropped the accounts off at the accountants and called at the post office within the local Co-op to drop off our parcels. Whilst I waited outside, Jon noticed a big sign pinned up on the counter saying that they were no longer accepting mail for Europe. Thank goodness I changed my eBay listings for UK addressees only. 


I took some more stock photos and uploaded the listings to eBay,with a break for noodles in between. 

Monday's outfit. I buy clothes because I love them and not because they're cheap, but occasionally it's fun to tot up the cost of what I'm wearing to remind myself of what a cheap date I can be.

Today's outfit cost me a tenner!


The 1960s hooded, fake-fur trimmed maxi coat was £5 from the same secondhand clothes stall as my ugly Tori Richards maxi dress. I think it might be Biba as, back in the olden days BC (before coronavirus) when I used to go charity shopping in town, older ladies would frequently stop me and asked if it was. The 1960s-does-Edwardian leather and suede lace-up boots were £1 from a car boot sale and my Radley leather bag was £2 from the clearance chazza last week. The hat cost £1 to make. The hand-made wrist warmers were a birthday present from Liz.

This vintage 1960s padded, pure silk Cheongsan was £1 from a house clearance stall at the Thursday car boot sale. It's like wearing a duvet. 


I've only worn the cheongsan once before, to go out partying into the small hours after a long day's trading at the End of the Road festival, 2019. How I've missed the festivals and the fabulous friends we've made over the years (and my festival wardrobe!)


I spent the rest of the afternoon catching up with blogland and steeling myself for BoJo's announcement at 8pm. I'm expecting another lockdown although to us it probably won't make a scrap of difference. We have booze, books and each other!

Keep safe and see you soon.

71 comments:

  1. Your posts are often a trip down memory lane when I spot an item I wore 'back in the day'. That lime green and the navy short Kaftans are very similar to several I had in my wild child days. The local market used to sell them in all colours.

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    1. I love those dashikis, they suit everyone. xxx

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  2. Oh, how I love Cheong Sam dresses! That purple padded one (never seen one of those before) looked fabulous on you and so warm! I had a cream linen one with black frogging and a patterned maxi one in the 1990s - neither would fit me now unfortunately. I also loved your possibly Biba coat; such lovely colours.

    Cardmore looks a very interesting place; we have a similar area in Bedford called Queen's Park. Originally settled post war by Italians; they were followed by African Caribbeans and people from the Indian subcontinent in the 1950s and 1960s. Since then Eastern Europeans and people from African countries have settled also; but the sweet shops, jewellers and sari shops are still there.

    As we are still engrossed in 'Before We Die' we've decided to defer gratification and wait until next Saturday before watching Spiral - but today's expected lockdown announcement might change that!

    Take care
    xxx

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    1. The lady selling the cheongsan also had a fur-lined one, but I left it behind. I bet it would look really odd seeing fur through that side split! Certainly scare the pervs away!
      Caldmore's gradually becoming more Eastern European, there's several Polish supermarkets but the Asian flavour is still the majority.
      Great idea to delay Spiral. Jon wants to watch all the new series in one hit but I don't want it to end too soon.
      xxx

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  3. Thanks for the tour, I loved it. If I felt safe I’d do one of Rochdale for you. It has a super ghost walk. I’ve not been down to town for at least a year, so don’t think I’ll be going just yet.
    Your purple outfit is stunning. You look like a jewel.
    I’ve been working on our books today and updating our financial summary so this afternoon I allowed myself a play and faffing session in my studio.
    Listening to the news it looks like I’ll be doing a lot of faffing xxx

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    1. I'd love to see Rochdale through your eyes. If it's anything like Caldmore (or indeed Walsall) I bet there won't be a soul about.
      Oh, I like being compared to a jewel!
      I'm glad you've earnt some playing time, I like to get the grown-up stuff out of the way so I can play, too! xxx

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  4. Hi Vix, So interesting to hear about the history of Caldmore! Although we love travelling to the other side of the world, we also have so much history and culture on our own doorsteps! Love the photos of you at the house party, reminds me of my student days at Leeds Uni and the (in hindsight) grotty accommodation we used to share in Headingley, but loved every minute of those days, feel quite nostalgic now!Love today's outfit, spectacular, beautiful colours! Just out of curiosity, (call me nosey Parker) as a fellow book worm, was just wondering how many books you read in 2020, looks like an awful lot!! Keep safe, lots of love from Barcelona! xx

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    1. Hello Diana! I must go back and count up what I read in 2020. How did you get on?
      My friend Fiona was at Leeds Uni and I spent many a happy weekend going up to visit her on the coach (couldn't afford the train fare). She lived in Headingley and we went to many a mad house party in Hyde Park. There was a really good vintage shop, if I remember rightly. Loads of love to you. xxx

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    2. Hyde Park, gosh, I remember well, those were the days!! I set my reading challenge at 50 but only managed 35,but thoroughly enjoyed them.Most were ones I already own so that was good!

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  5. the arm. uhg.
    wonderful purple outfit - the stunning long coat and that beauty of a dress!! style is not about the cost - its how you do it. and YOU do it fabulous!
    thanx for showing me around your neighborhood. sadly here in königstein - kingston(e) ha! - no lovely people from india will take over the deserted town center....
    our lockdown will get elongated until end of the month instead ending on the 10. i guess.
    xxxxx

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    1. Thanks, Beate! That's a fabulous compliment from such a stylish woman as you are.
      Imagine finding that arm! I quite enjoy scary things like that in museums but I'd hate to find one.
      The best thing about Walsall is it's multicultural community, I might not have spectacular scenery but I can get a kilo bag of moong dhal at 8am in the morning!
      We've been told to expect lockdown to last until March, whoever said 2021 would be better was seriously deluded! xxx

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  6. I will hunt for a new to me incredible coat. Between you and Sheila, I am craving something for when I can get rid of my negative temperature warm coat, and wear fashionable, at least for me, clothes outside of the house. I heard the Scotland news and wondered if it would spread farther south.

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    1. Even if a coat is expensive it's worth buying if you love it, it's all people see you in for months, isn't it?
      They say that one in 50 people in England have Covid, we're all doomed! xxx

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  7. Thank you for taking me along to Caldmore, which sounds a fascinating area, and reminds me of the area in Antwerp where I had my first digs. Only, instead of Indian families and shops, we had mainly Turkish and Moroccan ones. I haven't been back there for years, but I'm hearing that while parts of it have been upgraded (there's now a trendy new park near where I lived), others have deteriorated. The White Hart looks quite spooky, even without the arm!
    I'm loving your £ 10 outfit, and that possibly Biba coat is stunning. As is the padded Cheongsan.
    I've read about your upcoming announcement. It really never ends, does it. We're reasonably OK for now, but not sure for how long, as we've had over 40,000 people returning from red zones over the weekend. They'll have to quarantine, but the question is, will they? xxx

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    1. How interesting that your old area of Antwerp was home to Moroccans and Turkish people. I wondered if you had many people from The Congo, there's a few Congolese ladies I used to chat to in the charity shops, they were always so friendly (and loved their colourful clothes!)
      I'm glad Belgium is doing okay, the numbers here are horrific. I'm more than happy to stay in until it all blows over. xxx

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  8. "We have booze, books, and each other." My absolute FAVORITE quote of the week, Vix, and it comes on a Monday. Who would have thought?! :-D Reminds me of my standard line, when asked once in awhile how I stay so "youthful" *ahem*... I always respond with "Whiskey, tattoos, and motorcycles." Here's to a good week, my sista. ~Andrea xoxo

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    1. I love your words, too! Brilliant. We've got a lot to be thankful for, being different to the norm is one of them! xxx

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  9. Evening Vix. We're in lockdown again as from mid-afternoon today. To say that I'm furious about it is an understatement! Schools not returning until perhaps sometime in February. The children in this family are so disappointed about that. My Mum will be 90 years old on Thursday and nobody can celebrate with her (I will produce a cake as if by magic in the confines of her garden because we've been 'bubbling'. You really suit the colour purple and is that Jon sitting next to you on the carpet in the old pic?I love that last pic with you and your friend. Beautiful smile! xxx

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    1. Bojo's like the kid who looks over your shoulder in school and copies all your work. Where Nicola leads, he follows.
      I'm so sorry that your poor mum won't get to celebrate her milestone birthday but I'm glad that you're able to see her and magic up a cake. Send her a virtual Happy Birthday hug from me, I shall raise a glass in her honour later and, while I'm at it, one for Catmac's Mum, too!
      That's not Jon, we didn't get together till we were in our twenties, Not sure what happened to that bloke, he was the first boyfriend I travelled abroad with. xxx

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    2. Thanks for the toast, Vix!!!

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  10. Evening Vix! well you sure do suit purple! I am drooling over that glorious outfit.the fact the whole outfit is for a 10er wow love it. You are taking me back now with perms and blazers yeah that was the 80s for me too. Your photography and writing is second to none. So enjoyed the tour of what some I can think of would be saying why would you photograph that but we here your readers get it. Blimey I hope that makes sense. Your childhood with all that colour and happy memories was intereting to read too. Lovely post as always lovely lady. Shazxx

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    1. Thanks, Shaz! Perms and blazers were the way to go in the 80s, weren't they? I don't know where those pointy shoes came from, I spent most of the decade in Doc Martens!
      You are so kind and generous with your comments. I bet a lot of people read my blog and are horrified with my fascination with dereliction and Black Country life!
      Lots of love to you! xxx

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  11. Well we're already in lockdown - bummer. I missed my mum's 87th birthday so understand how you feel, Between Me and You. Vix, I absolutely LOVE the tours of your home town and its surrounds, warts and all. I also enjoy pronunciation of local names that don't make sense to incomers! You always feel so smug when someone is caught out (childish, I know!). How fabulous is White Hart? Gorgeous design, gorgeous brickwork. Is it a hotel now? Good to see old buildings in use. Hope there are some original features inside. You look lovely as ever in your outfits which are ALL priceless!!! Isn't it amazing the difference it makes wearing a hat indoors? When my house is unheated during the day I pile on the layers (two pairs of long johns, often) and stick a hat on my head and hot water bottles up jumpers and down trousers. Now we're in lockdown, only the postie or delivery drivers are likely to see my sartorial elegance!

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    1. We weren't far behind you with lockdown, Catmac! Where Nicola leads you-know-who finally decided to follow.
      As I've said to Between Me and You, I shall raise a glass to both your mums and hope they'll be able to have a belated knees up with their nearest and dearest in the Spring - they can be like the queen and have two birthdays!
      I'm glad you enjoyed the Caldmore post, I reckon you'll all know Walsall like the back of your hands when we're finally allowed to leave our immediate areas again!
      The White Hart, after years of being a pub with a very dodgy reputation, is now converted into rather nice flats. Luckily the building was listed years ago and has a blue plaque so it's all original and very sympathetic.
      Your layered attire sounds very much like mine. I've had my hat on indoors all week! xxx

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    2. Keep the Walsall tours coming! I think they're great! And thank you for the toast! My mammy will enjoy being queenly!

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  12. It was so much fun learning more about Caldmore. I would have never guessed that it is pronounced Kar- ma. How interesting! The area looks lovely, it is sad that it is a bit run down but good to know it is still worth a visit. It was nice reading about you living in the area and judging by that photo, those were some really fun times. It makes sense you know so much about Indian culture and traditional wear, growing up in an area where there used to be a strong Indian community.

    You always have great outfits and these are no exception. Purple suits you so well. You look so dazzling in that silk padded dress. The maxi coat is so gorgeous!

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    1. I'm so glad you enjoyed the post, Ivana! I love to know how places names are pronounced, just in case i ever end up there! There was a notorious killer caught in the 1970s, the police found him because when he telephoned the station to taunt them he pronounced Caldmore "Kar-ma" so they were able to find him, knowing it was a local! xxx

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  13. Thank you for the tour of Caldmore. It looks a little like Rusholme in Manchester, which my late night bus used to pass through after partying in town. The driver would routinely stop the bus to collect his kebab! I loved the sari fabric shops.

    What a macabre item to find in the chimney!!! I have a feeling I’ve seen that story on the TV before (?) (unless it was another chimney, with an hanged man’s arm-turned candle holder!)

    I watched Bojo tonight and am braced for a couple of months of home schooling, whilst also trying to do my day job… mental, but necessary. I agree with Ivana, you really do suit purple Vix, especially with those sparky blue eyes! Lulu xXx

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    1. That's exactly what I was thinking!! I used to love the Curry Mile and all the fantastic shops in Rusholme and Moss Side which I lived on the edge of. Magical days.

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    2. Hi Lulu, I love that the bus driver used to stop the bus so he could collect his kebab! People are often a bit wary about areas like Caldmore, but they're often really friendly and welcoming. When my other flatmates left the condemned house my landlord continued to charge me £11 a week, despite the rest of the house being empty - he didn't want me to feel under pressure to move out. Bless him!
      I think that arm has been on the tv!
      Lockdown won't make much difference to us but I don't envy any Mum & dad with the task of home schooling! xxx

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  14. Wow your first place sounds amazing to live, our first home was also quite strange, we had a Vauxhall caviller remember those. I was pregnant with Connor and craving KFC. I didn’t realise they were quite popular as taxis back in our old town. And whilst Paul was waiting to get it. Two drunks decided they wanted a ride home. I instantly locked the doors on sheer panic!!! Paul soon realised what was going on ran out and gave them chase. It wasn’t the first time it time it happened neither. Our poor car ended up getting broken into whilst we slept and it’s steering broken in the drivers seat. Then we got a new car and that ended up getting the windscreen broken into by a family of chavs. Who rented three doors down.
    I did love the house is it was Victorian but not the area. I was so glad when we got the offer. As I felt as if I was going potty. I used to help out my mum at scout jumble sales when I was 17, I loved them, but what has happened to the humble jumble????
    I love cheap outfits, I feel proud as punch when I put something together that costs less than a fiver. I am sorry you have gone back into lockdown. But I suppose needs must. Looking beautiful as ever. Keep safe and keep sane you two. Love and huggs

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    1. Hello, Allie! I loved reading your recollections. Mistaking your car for a taxi was priceless. It reminds me of when Jon sold a skanky bloke his old Citroen "Barry the Barracuda", he explained how it didn't work and he was told, I don't want to drive it, I want to live it in!
      We were going to jumble sales up until a three years ago, they still have them here but they're always on a day when we're trading at a fair or festival.
      Stay safe! xxx

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  15. What an interesting place Caldmore is! Thank you for the pronunciation guide too. Wouldn't want to look like a yokel! I love that arm - so grisly!

    Your purple coat is AMAZING. Forget asking you if it was Biba, I'd be fighting you for it! Good thing you are so small, Vix! ;-P I love adding up my cheap outfits too - it's so fun.

    Good luck with the announcements!

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    1. Thanks, Sheila! You'll be fine if you come and visit what with your Midlands made car and knowing how to pronounce Caldmore! xxx

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  16. What fascinating history around your area, Vix. I love Indian food shops and spice shops - honestly I positively drool at the smells. A real Indina holy man told me that digestion begins with the smell of our food being prepared as this stimulates saliva and the digestive system.

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    1. The holy man wasn't wrong there, was he? I'm instantly salivating when I smell Indian food cooking which is pretty much all the time with so many Asian neighbours. xxx

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  17. I enjoyed reading about the arm, I love gory stuff like that! We used to live next to Southall (large asian community in West London) (I took my driving test there and that was quite an experience!) I loved the colourful sari shops, exotic veg and spices and all the interesting pots and pans, costume jewellery and of course the gold shops - looks like you have a little oasis like that in your town. Your purple coat looks like Biba but whatever it is, it's quality :)

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    1. I reckon Southall is exactly like Smethwick, which is so much like some of the back streets of Mumbai it's unbelievable! xxx

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  18. I love your tales of the local area, the pronunciation made me smile as is Merseyside we have a few. Gateacre is actually pronounced GAT AKAR and Kirkby is KIRBY. But the best was when one of our uni student friends came to visit and saw The Liver pub.
    "Why would anyone call a pub after an internal organ?" he asked.
    We had to explain it was pronounced LIE VER as in the Liver Bird.
    He was from your neck of the woods!
    I love the handwarmers - do they actually work or do your fingers stay cold?

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    1. I've driven past both those places in the past so it's great to know how to pronounce them properly! The Liverbird Vs Body part pronunciation is hilarious.
      I love my hadnwramers, they're great as you can take photos when you're out and about or hold onto a pint of beer at a festival late at night (hence the reason we call them beer mittens!) Just make sure they're wool and not acrylic, they just aren't warm enough. xxx

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  19. Oh dear joy, what I wouldn't give to have access to the Asian food shops that are on your doorstep.

    My wide open countryside and stunning views are great - but they don't add much to a palate which adores well spiced food ☺️

    Such interesting photos from Caldmore. Given that Boris & Sunak have likely condemned us to another ten years of 'austerity' if/when we ever get this virus under control, it is probable that many of those old buildings will just continue to decay. Such a shame, such a loss.

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    1. What we lack in picturesque vistas we make up for in amazingly well-stocked shops and no Covidiot tourism! xxx

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  20. So it won't do me any good to write and send a letter to Sutton Coldfield, West Midlands for awhile from the USA? I mailed her Christmas gift on November 30th and by the tracking it is stuck in London. I received her gift to me on January 4th that she mailed December 3rd. I love reading your blog, your home, your clothes and your adventures!

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    1. Hello Claudia! Sutton Coldfield's only five miles away from Walsall!
      The post is getting through but it is really slow, even next day delivery is taking up to a week. Thanks so much for reading and for your kind words. xxx

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  21. Dear Vix,

    I have been following along as you zoomed through your birthday, X-Mas, and New Year's! What a nice one you had. I have suffered from COVID fatigue, shamefully, and struggle a little bit. I have always had a "so much to do, so little time" attitude that I get sad. I think it comes from when I was sick with cancer -- I took life by the balls! I'm trying my best to behave!

    I loved the ending to this blog post -- and I would also love a padded cheongsam like you. I find they fit narrow, so they don't accommodate the hips well when you're a little on the big-butted side (me).

    I wish you luck in lockdown and will drop by again! I read faithfully!

    xo xo Mei

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    1. Lovely to hear from you, Mei! I'm so sorry to hear about your struggles and hope this year is brighter and better in the end (although it's already got off to a poor start!)
      It's always lovely when you drop in and say hello, but never feel under pressure to do so! xxx

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  22. I loved your local tour. Everywhere I've lived from Newcastle in the north to down here in the south there have always been places that trip people up when they don't know how to pronounce them, I love the quirkiness of different local accents, it's one thing that makes our small country interesting. Your childhood stories are lovely and I'm not surprised you love India and its culture so much.
    Your coat does look very Biba-esque and the whole outfit for a tenner can't be bad!! xxx

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    1. Hello Sally! I too love local accents and how there are such differences in our language for such a small island. xxx

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  23. We see your Radley bag is already a wardrobe staple! I, too, prefer a cross body style when out and about. It frees one's hands and makes it easier to keep an eye on the bag itself (lumps stuck in back pockets scream "pick me"!). * I envy you those Indian markets, Vix: their produce, their grains and cereals, and their spicy smells! When the pandemic is history, I shall be staging a stock-up raid at Jungle Jim's in Fairfield, Ohio that will entail multiple carts...

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    1. I feel much more purposeful with a cross body bag, I usually wear it under my coat but thought it worthy of showing off!
      We are really lucky with our Asian shops and supermarkets, no curry recipe is impossible, even the most exotic sounding ingredients can be ours within a five minute walk from the kitchen door! xxx

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  24. Love a blog tour, though most don't come with a mummified arm!
    Looking at your local produce stall's price on cabbage with envy. Cabbage is practically a luxury item in Nebraska (over $1.00 a pound now).
    I need a padded dress. I have a quilted skirt, but a padded dress is far better.
    Stay safe, and well.

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    1. I said to Jon that I wonder how many other towns there are that can boast a mummified arm as one of their star attractions! As if Noddy Holder isn't enough!
      people seem to think supermarket fruit and veg is loads cheaper than the corner shops. I can't believe ten limes for £1! xxx

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  25. I just loved the tour of your home turf Vix, a place with meat on its bones, much prefer such a place than dry, posh places hence my harking back to Small Heath every now and again, my home turf. I love a good jumble sale, last one I went to was a Christmas one 2019, ran the stall selling Xmas stuff and made £22, for funds, did manage to find some bargains as they let everything go at three for £1,all a distant memory now. So this is it for the next few months of our lives, I ain't complaining, apart from the fact that after two long sessions on the phone to Apple support, a call to my broadband provider and endless phone calls to my tech savvy son I'm getting nowhere fast with my I pad, what a time to have problems! Still it's not the end of the world, Ive got plenty of things to do and good company, can even mug him for his Ipad every now and again! Carry on keeping warm and giving us your great blog to follow. Brummie Sue. Xx.

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    1. Hello Sue! There's something about these rundown areas of our youth, they really get under your skin. Give me Caldmore over some hideous indoor shopping mall any day of the week!
      I haven't been to a jumble in three years! How I miss them. Jon and I used to help with a church one in Darlaston. We used to go as buyers but the lady who ran it loved us as we never argued over prices and didn't try to nick anything. It was great!
      I'm really cross that you're still being given the runaround with the Wifi. gah!
      Stay safe and well - I'm quite happy to be locked down with all this snow and ice! xxx

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  26. Hi Vix,
    So glad to see you and John are staying well, life has been very hard for you all in the UK. I loved your tour of 'Caldmore' and the interesting old buildings, something we lack here in Australia, it must be amazing having buildings built in the 1600's on your doorstep!
    What an amazing outfit for 10 pounds!!! The coat and dress are lovely😍😍😍
    Love your posts, you inspire me with your positivity and creativeness. I am a vintage lover also so please promise me to continue with your blog as I would miss it so much!
    Stay safe and I hope things improve for you all in 2021 xxx

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    1. Lovely to hear from you Vicky and thanks so much for the kind words of encouragement!
      I promise faithfully to keep blogging! xxxx

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  27. Your posts are so entertaining Vix!

    I too am a 'cheap date' and love totalling the cost of my much loved outfits. I especially love your purple
    silk Cheongsan -stunning.

    I heard the UK lockdown has extended. Is that right? X

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    1. Thanks, Jess! I'm happy to spend on vintage stuff too, but you can't beat a bargain, can you?
      Almost all of the UK is now under lockdown - no non-essential shops, schools, universities, pubs, restaurants, gyms, hairdressers or entertainment venues. No visitors to your house or garden and only one person can meet another person from a different household in a public space. We're allowed out once a day and have to stay in the area (unless it's for work or medical reasons). Bring on the vaccine! xxx

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  28. Many thanks for the tour of Cadmore Vix and for the lesson on correct pronunciation. The Indian stores look wonderful , I can literally smell all the spices and the produce so good.
    Purple and you are just made for each other , both the Cheongsan and that coat are just stunning. Hopefully the new lockdown and the start of vaccine will have the desired result. Meanwhile make the most of the books, booze and each other. Take care. xx

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    1. Thanks, Jill! It's not the most attractive of areas but brilliant for exotic spices or bargain fruit and veg. xxx

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  29. What a brilliant tour of your stomping ground, I would definintely have pronounced the name of your town wrong ... I am very good at that!!

    That photo of the blonde, flirty you is delightful and at the complete opposite end of the scale I would travel far to visit a museum to have a look at the mummified arm, what a gory but brilliant thing. I used to loiter around the Egyptian section in Manchester museum as I found the bodies and the descriptions fascinating.

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    1. I'm glad you enjoyed your Caldmore tour, Sue! I thought the arm might horrify everyone but it seems like there's a lot of us who appreciate a bit of goriness! Blogging is ace for uniting us weirdos! xxx

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  30. Interesting that ancient house, even a little impressive ... The cities have changed .. with Covid even more shops closed here .. I hope the situation really improves ... I love your outfits and the wonderful colors !! Be safe !! A big hug!
    Carmela

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    1. Thanks, Carmela! Lovely to hear from you! x

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  31. I'd pronounce it 'cold-more' :)
    I just commented to Kezzie that being in a crowd again will feel weird at first. Mixing with others seems like an alien concept now but I can't wait to be free of the worry of Covid, and to be allowed to roam free.
    xx

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    1. It's going to feel so strange when we finally get back to normal, isn't it? xxx

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  32. Enjoyed the tour of Caldmore - I hope I get to see your neighbourhood in person at some point. What an excellent deal on the limes - they are at least $1 each in my local market.

    I've never seen a padded cheongsam before but I bet it is so cozy! Your coat is very cool, and could well be from Biba.

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    1. I hope you get to see it in real life one day, too!
      The limes were such a bargain. xxx

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  33. I'm glad to see those colourful shops and the distinctive brick architecture (I'm a huge fan) even if it's sad when streets are so deserted.
    Curiously, limes are not so unexpensive here!.
    Love this photo of you at your desk, looking so fabulous.
    I'm in love with your purple fabulousness, love the stunning coat, the padded cheongsam which fits you like a dream and looks so damn cosy! and love your cute mittens and leather bag!. Looking gorgeous! and Warm!
    besos

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  34. Another lockdown isn't making any difference to us either!

    Another possibility for the coat is Elgee. They did some absolutely gorgeous ones in that late 60s/early 70s period too.

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  35. Your Flashback Images were Adorable, you can tell you were having the time of your Lives.

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Thanks for reading and for leaving a message. Please don't be anonymous, I'd love it if you left a name (or a nom de plume).

Lots of love, Vix