It's The End of the Road!

That's it - our final festival of 2022, done and dusted.

Hello Sailor! On Thursday Jon wore a captain's hat (Corfu) & an Anokhi scarf (Mumbai) along with a charity shopped snazzy shirt, espadrille & short combo

What can I say? Yet again End of the Road was phenomenal. After leaving home at 7am we rocked up at the Larmer Tree Gardens in Dorset just after 10am on Wednesday morning, set up in time to open to the general public at 1.30pm on Thursday and were so insanely busy that we didn't even leave the stall until  midnight on Saturday.

It's falling apart but I still love it - my 1970s Bernshaw maxi with my Asbeau headdress

You'll recognise Amelie, our mates Shilpa Silver's gorgeous daughter, from previous festival posts. She and boyfriend, Papine, were our first customers on Thursday morning, snaffling (amongst other things) this vintage jumpsuit & fake fur coat. Aren't they a gorgeous couple? I was never that cool at 16! 

It was gone midnight when we shut up shop on Thursday, already smashing all previous years sales.

Wearing: Topshop 1990s sequin bustier, vintage psych maxi skirt (courtesy of Ann & Jos)

Between customers we were visited by friends we've made over the years we've been trading (and partying) at End of the Road, including Nicky. 

Friday: Jon wears a 1960s leisure shirt & 1950s Levi Panatella denim shorts (flea market, Goa, 2010)

We know Jenny from both previous EotRs (HERE) and the much-missed Indietracks who introduced us to her beau, Russell (a fellow 1966 baby), he kept us hydrated with a few Pimms.

These cousins are only 13 years old and they've already got amazing style and excellent taste in music. Their vintage black leather jackets were Kinky purchases. They were very excited to learn that their idols, The Idles, had visited our stall at Glastonbury, 2019.

Rachel started off as a customer but is now a friend I regularly "chat" with on Facebook. The Indian block printed maxi used to be mine and I can't think of a better new owner. Check out her amazing handmade jewellery HERE. Freya was a little girl when we first met, now she's taller than her mum (and an ace skateboarder) - the vintage Kangol hat was just one several of her Kinky buys.

These ladies are part of a gang of regulars who buy dresses from me each year (HERE they are in 2021). The black cape-sleeved floral maxi was this year's buy. 

Last year this young woman bought two psychedelic maxi dresses which both previously belonged to me. I was so excited to see her still wearing (and loving) them - and looking like an absolute goddess.

I'm sure you'll recognise these two beauties, they visit and buy every year (check them out HERE). The vintage Panda hat has been worn and loved by me for over a decade and I couldn't be happier for Dawn to give it a new life.....

Saturday's outfits - Jon's in a 1980s Danish-made rayon shirt printed with prancing horses and Moghul emperors whilst I'm in the mermaid dress purchased a couple of days before we left (strangely, both came from the same Walsall charity shop exactly a year to the day apart). 

This chap is part of a group of four - they never fail to impress with their outfits.

Luckily, we're positioned right opposite the main stage, so had a prime viewing spot for The Pixies f*cking awesome headline set - can it really be thirty-three years since I bought Monkey Gone to Heaven on 12" vinyl? - and after the thousands had dispersed, we rolled down the shop front, stuffed a bag with booze and headed into the woods for some fun.

1960s psychedelic maxi by Louis Caring (nicked from the Kinky stock), insane sequin kimono (Larmer Tree festival, 2018)

We danced and hung out with some of our favourite customers (and made a few new friends) to Tom Ravenscroft's brilliant DJ set at the Boat Disco,  rolling home at 2.30am.

Beautiful Adele from Tallulah escaped from her stall for a chat and a cheeky purchase (or three) several times over the weekend. Here we are on Sunday morning looking bright and a bit battered. 

Vintage maxi dress, made in California by Hollywood Charmer (courtesy of my friend, Cheryl)

Jess and Stuart are some of the new friends we'd made in the woods a few hours earlier when we'd bonded over bastard massive sequins, it was lovely to see them again (Jess bought this divine mallard green velvet blazer).

Helen and her beautiful daughter Grace have been shopping with us since Grace was a schoolgirl. She's studied painting in Florence and is now in her second year at university and her talent is astonishing (check out her website HERE). This year Helen bought the vintage Welsh wool cape and Grace purchased two pairs of stompy boots (including the ox-blood leather flatforms she's wearing).

 

We met Dom and her partner Paul at Truck in 2016 and they've been popping by to visit ever since (including this year's Glasto). This year Dom bought a psychedelic print cotton maxi skirt. We blamed them for keeping us out until the early hours. 

We rolled down the shopfront after Sunday's Bright Eyes set, packed up what was left of the stock (we sold more than half) and headed off to the Teepee stage to catch Yard Act who were expected on stage at 11.15pm but, due to a particularly violent electrical storm, we were evacuated before the gig started and went for a wander in the deserted woods. 

 A friendly security guard tipped us off, saying that Yard Act were just about to start so we rushed back to the Teepee tent. If you're not familiar with them, they're a raucous, post-punk guitar band from Leeds, think The Fall meets Sleaford Mods. We were wildly excited to spot the bass guitarist wearing the vintage Levi's Panatela jacket he'd bought from us earlier in the weekend on stage. 

Check out their latest single, Fixer Upper HERE.

On Monday afternoon, after embracing our trader family for the final time this year, we headed back home stopping at Gloucester Services for a tea of posh sandwiches & crisps on the car park (after five days without showering it was probably for the best).

What an amazing summer.....and it ain't over yet!