Mother's Day

Today, 14th October, would have been my Mum's 80th birthday. She died in May, 2010 at the age of 67. Jenni wasn't like my friends' mothers, she was flamboyant, erratic, unconventional and loved by all. We were brought up in a messy house, lived on convenience food and were often left home alone. I grew up unable to cook or to sew on a button but, through her, learnt to march to the beat of my own drum and not to give a hoot about what anyone else thought. I owe my independant, free spirited nature to her. 

She wasn't keen on photos (or mirrors) saying that as long as she felt good she required no validation. These photos are taken pre-1966 before she met my Dad and had me.

As a 5 year-old, my brother & his classmates were asked to write about their mothers for Mothering Sunday. Marcus's piece ended up being published in the school magazine and she became legendary amongst the parents and teachers. Men whistle at my mummy when she walks down the street because she looks nice and she wastes all her money on clothes and cigarettes. She wore leather trousers & leopard print and painted her nails red right until the very end. RIP Jenni!

Anyway...back to me. I've got a bit of a thing for suede, the older and more knackered the better, so I was thrilled to unearth this 1950s peacock-y green suede coat in the clearance chazza on Tuesday morning. Made in Belgium, like many of the best things are (hello, Ann & Jos!) and sold via Richard Shops, it's certainly seen some life over the last sixty-odd years but at £3 I ain't complaining. I'd left the house in another of my suede jackets but this went so well with what I was already wearing that I came home in it.

 If photography hadn't been so cripplingly expensive back in the 1980s I'd have been able to show you pictures of me dressed almost identically to this - down to the crimped hair, lashings of black kajal & Doc Martens (although mine were the shoe version, I couldn't afford the twenty-hole ones until someone offered me the pair I'm wearing for a tenner a few weeks ago!)  Who says you shouldn't revisit the styles you wore in your youth? Probably the same killjoy who wouldn't approve of a 55 year old having hair long enough to tuck into her knickers!

And talking of charity shopping - here's Tuesday's finds.

 Clockwise from top left: 1970s cord waistcoat, made in Derbyshire; 1930s Wemco Regd., rayon smoking jacket; 1980s Hamills cocktail dress; An utterly amazing handmade quilted coat (made from a military sleeping bag & a tapestry panel); Paul James heritage all-wool English-made cable knit cardi; William Morris & Co X H&M Snakeshead tunic dress; Adidas 2002 track top; New with tags, Hammond & Co Italian fabric teal overcoat, designed by Patrick Grant; 1980s Jin-Fizz, London midi dress; Monsoon mohair jumper; 1980s Canda moleskin waistcoat; Tiger English-made punk bondage jacket; Indian brocade bell bottoms; Moss Bros tartan print velvet jacket.

As usual, we've been swimming twice this week. It was raining on Monday, I was busy with eBay and my roots needed doing so I didn't bother posing for a photo. Here's Thursday's walking to the baths & having breakfast in 'Spoons outfit - my Dollyrockers "paisleys on steroids" printed cotton maxi dress (courtesy of my lovely pals, Lynn & Philip) and a secondhand Zara gilet. These charity-shopped Clarks' Orinoco Club boots are ideal for the brisk walk down to the baths and back and, as they're Chelsea boots, there's no faffing about with fiddly fastenings.

Friday was another morning of charity shopping....

Clockwise from top left: Nautica merino wool jumper (for Tony); 1990s Wrangler clogs; All-wool fringed scarf; AllSaints leather fronted tee-shirt; 1980s Nepali jacket; 1980s St Michael suede jacket; 1980s satin cheongsam; Harley Davidson leather biker boots; AllSaints "Regan" denim jacket; Italian designer Antony Morato screen printed tee-shirt; 1980s Mansfield, London red tailcoat.

 In the first chazza we visited the manager told me that they'd voted me their prettiest customer, I didn't get a prize but it made my day (it doesn't say a lot about the other shoppers!) 

I wore my £2 bruise-coloured Rawhide suede coat as we were visiting the shop I'd bought it from and I wanted to show the manager how much I loved it. Keeping it company was my 1970s Hindu Kush Afghan dress, my Doc Marten Diva boots (secondhand), charity-shopped Aldo fedora and a vintage Banjara necklace bought in Rajasthan in 2020.

Other than shopping, swimming, 'Spoons and Ebaying, we've been to Liz's latest exhibition (in conjunction with her Mum and her brother who are also artists), visited Shugborough Hall (see my last post HERE) and have been watching Danish cop thriller, Those Who Kill which is nothing especially groundbreaking but watchable enough. I've finished Other People's Secrets by Louise Candlish (her books always have a surprising twist) and I'm halfway through Richard Osman's The Man Who Died Twice, the sequel to The Thursday Murder Club, which is laugh out loud funny.  

On Saturday night we're meeting with the gang and are off to the pub and for a curry afterwards, something we used to do every weekend and, what with lockdown, now feels intensely thrilling. 

See you on the other side!