The End of the Road, 2021

When we took our stall down after End of the Road 2019 little did we know that it would be two years to the day before we sold to the public again. In the height of the pandemic, we couldn't get our heads around the thought of ever being around crowds of people again but happily, last weekend, we were back in the Dorset countryside alomgside 15,000 festival-goers, drinking, dancing, hugging strangers and selling vintage clothes like the last nineteen months had all been a bad dream. I'm still wearing my festival wristband just to remind myself that it really happened.

We left home at 6am on Wednesday morning, it was still dark with a distinctly Autumnal nip in the air. When we stopped at Michaelwood, halfway into our journey, we realised that it was the first time we'd visited a motorway service station in two years and the furthest Jon had driven since 2019. We arrived at Larmer Tree Gardens at just after 10am, showed our vaccination status and ID to the box office staff and, after catching up with our long-time trading neighbours, Shilpa Silver, spent the rest of the day setting up our pitch. At 9pm, after a bowl of noodles and a stiff drink, we collapsed into bed and slept until 8am. 

The End of the Road festival opens to the public on Thursday afternoon. Usually, we don't see many customers before 6pm and spend the day exploring the site & hanging out with our trader mates but, from the minute the gates opened at 1.30pm, we were inundated with customers. By the time we'd rolled down the shop front at midnight, we'd smashed all previous first-night takings records.

Friday continued in the same vein and we were busy as soon as we rolled up the shop front at 10am. It was so exciting to catch up with regular customers, many of whom were wearing clothes they'd bought off us two, three, four and even seven years ago!

Festivals are a bit like airports, it's never too early for a beer. The Kinky Melon bar opens at 2.30pm and the first drink of the day always tastes so good!

The vast majority of shoppers leave wearing their purchases (that's why I'm so particular about laundering our stock) although we were so busy we only had time to photograph a handful of festival-goers in our wares. The shaggy cardi, bought along with an early 1970s Topshop at Peter Robinson maxi dress, was one of the first sales. The 1990s faux suede maxi coat was purchased from us back in 2019 and the beautiful buyer has worn it non-stop, this year she snapped up some 1970s heeled wellies and a 1980s cotton velvet bolero with puffed shoulders. We loved how well our 1850 Viyella tartan waistcoat went with Roro's Vivienne Westwood kilt and so did he, he left the shop wearing it.

This couple fell for this pair of 1960s Sammy pure silk pyjamas and some 1950s braces and agreed to share them. Simona snapped up one of our 1980s mohair hand knits which matched her gorgeous 1970s printed cotton dress a treat and the lady at the end always buys something from us, this year it was a 1980s sequinned silk cocktail top.

Dean bought the boots from us in 2019, this year he snaffled a 1950s collared waistcoat in worsted wool. Our blonde bombshell bought another of our 1980s mohair jumpers along with a limited edition Adidas top and this incredible 1960s plush pea coat in retina-searing lime green.

I bet Grayson Perry would have loved how cool this chap looked in this 1960s sugar pink maxi dress he bought from us.

These gorgeous girls are regulars. This year Frances purchased the strappy Estevez for Saks, Fifth Avenue maxi dress, a 1960s Tissavel fake fur and a Welsh wool tapestry maxi cape. Her friend in the middle bought the silk chiffon Jean Allen number (which was mine for many years). The lady on the end bought the cherry blossom chiffon maxi back in 2016 and still gets inundated with compliments every time she wears it.

Saturday was another busy day and with having to take our lateral flow tests and wait 30 minutes for the result we didn't even manage to take a photo of each other outside the shop. (Result? Negative!) Here's another regular customer, lovely Nicky, who we've known for a few years. This year she treated herself to a 1970s Sears' cotton prairie blouse and an incredible 1970s London boutique label sundress printed with hydrangeas, dahlias and dandelions. 

Like the previous evening, by the time the main headliners came on stage (Damon Albarn on Friday, the wonderful Sleaford Mods on Saturday) business had slowed to a trickle so we rolled down the shop front and spent a couple of hours exploring the festival.

We love wandering and spotting all our old favourites. Mr Fox, the bear on a bicycle, the ship bar, the stage in the forest set up like a grandma's front room, the karaoke kiosk and the woodland disco.

The art installations are always gorgeous. The origami birds were made from the EotR 2020 festival programmes which, of course, never happened. The plants in illuminated test tubes, suspended within the Victorian folly opposite the Garden stage, were particularly magical.

 Despite the forecast being abysmal, the weekend's weather turned out to be utterly glorious - as it often is at End of the Road. I'd packed Autumnal gear and boots but with the front and back of the trading tent rolled up it was deliciously breezy in our little spot between our living space and the shop and, despite the 24°C heat, I was just right in my cotton dresses. 

 

Traditionally festival Sundays are slow but not this year. People came back for clothes they'd fallen in love with on Thursday night and when they'd discovered they'd sold had another look and bought other things instead. 

The Woods stage is directly opposite our pitch so although we get a brilliant view it's lovely to wander down further and be in the thick of it, all the more so after nineteen months spent in near-isolation. How I've missed crowds! 

Sunday's headliner was British rapper, Little Simz, who was phenomenal.

At 10pm we rolled down the front for the last time, packed what little stock we had left (we'd sold over two-thirds of it) and tumbled into bed. On Monday morning we counted the takings, squealed with delight (best festival trading ever), took the stall down in 27°C heat, hugged our festival friends goodbye and at midday headed back home to Walsall (and the lads). 

What an incredible weekend! We loved every moment and I think everyone else did, too - next year's tickets sold out in ONE MINUTE!!!

See you next year, End of the Road.