Tuesday 16 November 2010

The Royals and a Bit of Charity Shopping

I am very excited about the Royal engagement! I know the Monarchy are very much like Marmite, and of course everyone is entitled to their own opinion, but I personally think they’re an important part of our country and heritage and am a staunch Royalist.


I am quite happy to pay my £1 per year, or whatever it is that the Royals apparently cost the taxpayer, and would be happy to pay 20 times that amount. Yes they are part of a small privileged section of society, but they carry out a difficult and complex role they never chose and I feel they carry out that role admirably. I’m sure William, who seems naturally shy, would rather not attend public engagements and be asked awkward questions by the press, but he accepts it as his duty and I’m sure his lovely bride to be will to. And yes, I’ll probably buy one of the naff commemorative mugs that have apparently been being designed for over two years. Who’d have thought it would take that long to put a few colours and images together to put onto a cup?


On a less controversial note, my mum and I spent Monday charity shopping and she spotted this stack of 1960s Ian Flemming paperbacks for 95p each. The manager was very nice and since we were having the lot he did them for a nice round £10. I also picked up a snugly candlewick blanket and a 80s leather jacket in a lovely colour, which will be going with me to the Bicycle Basket Bazaar at the end of the month. This weekend I’ll be sorting out some vintage clothing and lots of coats and boots to take along with me as the weather’s certainly suitable for them. One of my favourite items is a purple and blue Welsh wool cape which I may end up keeping. Sorry I haven’t put a pic of it up, but it’s tucked away at my mum’s.



I also bought some old maps to put in badges and this full length nylon slip with a bra style top and a side slit to the thigh. At £2 I thought it would be great for fancy dress, ahem when I of course slim down to a size 12…when this will be I’m not sure. The vintage style tea pot was a charity shop buy too and I’m going to find a spot in my kitchen for it this weekend. In one of the charity shops I found a lovely 80s black lace dress but left it behind as I thought it was a bit pricey at £10. I always feel slightly guilty moaning about charity shop prices because obviously the money is going to a good cause, but despite them being charity shops I still mainly see them as shops and really begrudge paying over £7 for something second hand unless it’s spectacular.


Right, I’m off to catch up on ‘Bondi Rescue’ before ‘I’m a Celebrity’ at 9. I’m ashamed to say that after watching a few episodes of ‘Bondi Rescue’ out of sheer boredom the other day I am now totally hooked, mainly because they’re really humorous but also because I’ve taken a shine to one of the lifeguards. As for ‘I’m a Celebrity’, I’m most definitely team Shaun.

10 comments:

  1. I know, it looks fab on 'Betty' the mannequin, lol x

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  2. Great finds, and share your thoughts on the happy announcement!!!
    Hope to see you at the Bicycle Bazaar, I will be visiting.

    Sharon xx

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  3. Hello!

    I have only recently discovered your blog - what a treasure! And a Warwickshire girl too ... I grew up just outside Stratford on Avon and my parents still live in the area .. I miss it sooooo much and am desperate to move back!

    I'm excited about the engagement too! What a refreshing change to have something happy on the news for a change!

    Mr Plum will be very jealous when I show him your stack of Fleming books .... he has a good collection of the 60's editions of the books - but is always on the look out for more!

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  4. Hi Amy! Jon's collected those Bond books for years, we've got so many we've got them in triplicate but there's something rather fabulous about the covers. The slip is gorgeous, it looks lovely on your mannequin, funnily enough whenever I sell those on ebay it's always men that buy them. xxx

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  5. Your finds are fab, the slip is a real beauty but my favourite is the candlewick bedspread, I used to have an oranage one as a kid and it was bald all along the top where I 'plucked' it as I was going to sleep :)
    Kandi x

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  6. Hi love the bedspread and Kandi may have had one but I have one on the spare bed I love it and so does my cat Sophie.
    Beverley x

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  7. Great finds! I'm tean Shaun as well, what a legend he was on the bush tucker trial :) x

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  8. Bondi huh? Nothing to do with all those blonde tanned men wearing next to nothing?! I love those books. Lovely way to spend a day x

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  9. Hi Amy,

    I'm Victoria Plum's husband and I must say that I am very impressed by your collection of 60's Fleming books... all in one hit! It's taken me years to get my current collection together!

    I like the 60's paperbacks because they were the original mass market paperbacks which sparked a cultural phenomenon. They are mostly not worth very much (unless you've got some initial printings there), and there have been plenty of versions since, but I love the covers, love the pulp blurb on the back, love the Beaton photo of a smoking Fleming on the back and love what they represent.

    Looking at your little collection, I think you have all of the Fleming books which is impressive in one stroke. From Russia With Love is particularly impressive because the red cover doesn't seem to crop up as often as the film tie-in cover. I also have them all but I'm trying to find ones that are in a bit better condition then some of mine (someone has scrawled 1958 on the front cover of my Moonraker for instance), and I'm looking to find initial printings now (Victoria Plum bought be a pristine first printing Thunderball which is my prized piece!).

    Your copy of "007 James Bond: A Report" by Snelling is interesting. I've not seen this before but I've read a little bit about it on avclub.com (http://www.avclub.com/articles/007-james-bond-a-report-1964-thrilling-cities-1964,45262/). It seems this is an examination of the Bond phenomenon at this early stage and the book was authorised to compete with Kingsley Amis's James Bond Dossier, which is a book which is pretty hard to find. I have a copy (my mum found it for 10p in an Oxfam) and it's a nice addition if you can find it, as it's also published by Pan and matches the others quite nicely!

    Well done!

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I really appreciate all of your comments even if I don't always get chance to reply to them all x