Ice, Ice, Baby!

On Wednesday, with the previous evening's heavy rain and the subsequent frost, it was lethal underfoot on our 7am walk down to the swimming pool. Thankfully we made it in one piece and were rewarded to having the pool virtually to ourselves.

 I wore this vintage Kate Beaver maxi dress, bought for 99p from a Shropshire charity shop 12 years ago, a rare piece which would have been hand-printed on the designer's Dorset kitchen table back in the early 1970s. I bought my Anokhi riding jacket from their flagship store in Jaipur back in 2019.

The town centre was very quiet and those brave enough to face the black ice were few and far between. I was thrilled when Jon spotted these two huge hardback compilations of my beloved Tales of the City stories at just 50p each.

On closer inspection I discovered that they are American first editions, listed on Abebooks for £54 each...not that they're going anywhere, I love Armistead Maupin. There's a fantastic Arena documentary about him on the i-player HERE, he's such an inspiring man.

On the way back from town I picked up my latest Vinted purchase from the parcel shop and it turned out to be even more beautiful than the photos in the lisiting. The seller had mentioned that it had a couple of loose stitches so I got my sewing machine out and cracked on with the repair. Whilst I was at it I replaced a couple of zips belonging to dresses I'd owned for years, one of those jobs that I put off for ages yet take hardly any time to do.

Despite not being a fan of David Tennant we binge-watched The Hack and I must admit he played Nick Davies, the Guardian journalist who uncovered the backing scandal, absolutely brilliantly. 

On Thursday, with Storm Goretti due to batter the West Midlands later in the day, Jon suggested we pop over to one of our regular charity shopping haunts on the outskirts of Brum. Murky, grey and cold as I'd replaced the zip the day before I decided to wear this vintage lame cocktail dress by American designer, Victor Costa. My stylish blogging friend Sheila also owns this pendant. Mine has a matching cuff, which I'm not wearing, and was a gift to my mum from an ex boyfriend who went travelling in Canada in 1966.

Here's what I bought for me (as opposed to the stockroom)...

New Look recycled metal bangles, originally £6.99, chazza shop price £1.

My usual daytime bag is fabric and therefore not very practical in the rain and snow. At £2, this TopShop oversized quilted bag with a pleasingly chunky chain handle should be a good alternative. 

 Also Topshop, this green velvet boob tube with subtle sparkles was also £2 and will go straight into my festival suitcase ready for the summer.

Topshop, again! I bought the gold version of these 1960s-inspired space boots back in 2016. These were £5.

I've been after a burgundy polo neck for ages with no success. This Mango sweater dress is perfect and being a dress means it'll stay tucked in my skirt or, if I wear it under a cotton dress, eliminates the need for a slip. Another £2 buy.

The threatened snow arrived bang on time and continued throughout the night. We started watching Lucy Worsley's Victorian Murder Club on the iPlayer. 

When I got up at 6am this morning the snow was pretty deep. Too early for a social media update on whether the pool was open, I made tea and went back to bed, starting my third book of the year, Beck.

I read Mal Peet's Tamar many years ago and loved it. Beck was the outcome of a brief encounter between his mother and an African solider on the streets of Liverpool in the early 1900s. Orphaned and shipped to Canada and the sadistic Catholic Brothers, through the days of the Depression, he makes his way westwards, a journey that proves harsh and loveless with only fleeting moments of real comfort. 

 I couldn't resist running outside and posing in the snow, its inconvenient but it does make for a pretty backdrop. The avenue has remained pretty much impassible all day with a car abandoned in the middle of the road. I'm wearing a vintage Afghan dress and this incredible Uzbek velvet suzani-work kaftan reworked into a coat (not by me). Yet again my feet are clad in the charity shop boots I bought last week.

I was supposed to have my nails done but - understandably, the salon was closed so I spent the rest of the day reading Beck with William slumped across my lap.

With icy conditions forecast for the weekend and the pool closed for a sports event I can see this being my position for the next couple of days.

Thanks for reading, see you soon!