Testing, Testing!

Despite both of us having been double-jabbed since May and not having any symptoms, we've been taking lateral flow tests* every 72 hours for over a week now and they've all come back negative. I must admit that we were a bit twitchy about going to a festival in these strange Covid times but I'm so glad we got over ourselves, put our grown-up pants on and did it. I'm still on a high.

* A lateral flow test is a coronavirus test you take yourself at home, it gives the results in 30 minutes. They're available for free and can be picked up at most UK chemist shops

Last weekend we came to the epic decision to knock the vintage fairs on the head and concentrate our efforts on online sales and festival trading. We've had tremendous fun selling at fairs for the last decade and made some true friends along the way but in all honesty, the festival scene is just more us. Give me Little Simz and cans of gin over cupcakes and Elvis any day of the week. 

This week we've reorganised the stockroom, filled 6 sacks with stuff that isn't cool enough for the festival crowd (or photogenic enough for eBay) ready to drop off at the charity shop on Sunday. I'd put the eBay shop on holiday whilst we were away and it took the best part of a day to trawl through the listings and remove anything we'd sold at End of the Road. With no festivals until next Summer, we'll be ramping up the online sales. In the past I've done the photographing & listing, answered any customer queries, printed off the postage labels & wrapped our sales, we've shared the laundering and mending and Jon's done the Post Office run. Jon's now agreed to become photographer-in-chief enabling us to increase our output.

 We've listed over 50 items this week - here's just a few of them. We might have sold two-thirds of the stock we'd taken with us last weekend but there are still plenty of cool clothes in the Kinky Shed and I've donated more of my own gear to the cause.

On Thursday morning the stock hunting restarted in earnest and straight after breakfast, we drove over to our favourite Black Country town for a rummage. I jokingly mentioned to Jon that I hoped Barnardos would have another designer garment in my size, having bought a Wyse, London dress, a Marithé et François Girbaud bomber jacket and this incredible organic cotton maxi dress by Pitusa on previous visits.

Well, would you believe it! What did I spy on the rails this time? Only another Pitusa maxi! Funnily enough, when I bought the last one I'd looked at their website and fell for this very dress, their Inca sundress, made in Peru from burn-out, organically grown, pica cotton & featuring Pitusa's signature Inca trim. I'd scoured eBay for it ever since. All I can say is that there must be a charity shop goddess up there!

I'm beach-ready, or I would be if the rules hadn't changed under bloody bastard Brexit, rendering my passport invalid despite having another ten months left on it. Not having a driving licence, I can't even prove my identity until the passport office sends me a replacement. Brits, check yours HERE and don't get caught out like I was.

WEARING: Pitusa sundress with a Mexican maize hat (Shilpa Silver, End of the Road, 2019) and Roman coin necklace (charity shop)

I sat on Frank's favourite chair before posing in it, hence the cat fur on my arse. It's since been washed with the rest of my finds.

Talking of which, it wasn't a bad morning for them. We also got a 1980s silk C&A bomber jacket and a 1980s green leather pencil skirt by Lorraine "Luton Airport" Chase. The spy novel and vintage belt decorated with Kashmiri woolwork are for us. There's a 1980s sequin embellished mohair batwing jumper, a 1960s Dereta waistcoat, a vintage Bondress by Odermark gents belted wool overcoat, a 1980s wool shirt by Viyella and a Nepali hat.

A 1980s jumbo cord waistcoat from the days when Next was cool, a Nils Olsson Swedish Dala horse (a keeper!), another Nepali cap, a 1970s John Kent for Crombey velvet blazer, some NATO issue combats, a pair of 1970s vinyl gloves (made in Macao), a 1950s Hungarian pyjama jacket, another 1980s C&A silk bomber jacket and a 1980s Ciro Citterio silk shirt.

I also found these limited edition *Supercolor* Pharrell Williams for Adidas trainers for Jon but a day later I snaffled him another pair of Clarks' Bank Robbers from eBay so these have been relegated to the Kinky Shed.

Away from eBay Jon's mowed the meadow ready for us to plant some spring bulbs next week, Lynn's Auntie Gladys' sunflowers are still blooming like mad and it's been so warm that I've finally been able to wear the vintage Anokhi top my mates Old's Cool Retro found for me on their travels last month.

The temperatures have been fabulous, hovering in the upper 20°Cs for days. Despite the summery feel the light is different and the colours I'd normally wear in June, July and August don't look quite right. Hooray for the spicy shades of my Indian clothes.

WEARING: Vintage Anokhi top, Cotton Cottage block printed, organic cotton wraparound maxi (Goa, 2018), vintage Yemeni tribal pendant & bangles (Facebook selling page), Berber bangle & French Connection sunglasses (eBay) and Kuchi earrings (Rajasthan) 

We've been dining on home-grown patty pan, onions, chillies and courgettes, pickling nasturtium seeds to make Poor Man's Capers and catching up on BBC4's latest Scandi Noir, The Hunt for a Killer.

Reading-wise, I finished The Electric Michelangelo (wonderful stuff), started and finished The Resurrectionist (realising a quarter of the way through that I'd read it years ago) and shall start this next.

It's almost rum time - hooray!! Apparently, Jon says we've got to have cheese for tea as it's going mouldy. Fingers crossed that I see you soon!