Day-ay-ay, yes it's a fantastic day....Haircut 100
Well, it was for me.
It's kinda amazing when you reluctantly drag yourself out, after a morning of tedious-but-necessary-admin, to your nearest branch (tweet tweet) anticipating the worst - because of my last visit - which involved a miserable cashier and an obnoxious customer (that would be me). Not so much obnoxious as irritated, I could not help myself from loudly drawing attention to her 'anti-customer service technique' and made a few jokes at her expense, after which I had decided not to visit the branch for a while..at least until she no longer worked there, and I had corrected my manners : )
As luck would have it...today she was gone. Phew. A really gorgeous blonde lady served me and she could not have been of more help. Relieved, smiling, and complimenting her, I went on my merry way (box ticked)
After mission complete...I spotted a familiar face. Cathryn, my ex-hairdresser (when I lived there) she was with her dog, we had a brief chat. It was nice to see her after about 11 years.
There was a vintage shop, that I had noticed on the in route to branch and I had to go back. There was some beautiful printed artwork in the window. Turns out the art work was by the very shop assistant in the shop. Turned out, we both know the same printmakers in Brighton and had both learned to print (etching) in the same studio off the Lewes Road, at around about the same time.
I had seen an orange paisley swim-suit fro around the 1960's. It wasn't too good on, a bit bleugh and mumsy. I had an Oh NO moment, in the back of the shop surrounded by vintage gorgeousness. Then...well, I had three things to try. A Scots guy came in and started to chat about 'Morph' and he was joking around noticing an item that had reminded him of that little plasticine model, from the 1970/80's. Being the curious and nosey person that I am, I could hear him trying to explain the origins of 'Morph' to said assistant..... Tony Hart...I offered up...and then into a discussion about the curious plasticine man.
It was only as he left the shop, I was wondering why his voice and manner seemed so familiar. Shop assistant lady (who's name I did not pick up) She pointed out that it was Mr J S, the singer and performer.
I realised that it probably was and recounted the time that I had met him, when I was assisting with a Charity Fashion Show (an AIDS fundraiser) in 1990 at Battersea Arts Centre. I had turned around, while in a busy crowd of many AIDS research supporters. He was right behind me, and since he's about the same height as me, our noses were nearly touching. I said, "Hi", and smiled having immediately recognised him from TV...because what else do you say? He smiled, as I recalled and said "Hello" in a decidedly Scots accent. I remember thinking at the time that I had not realised that he was Scots.
So, funny. 28 years and seven months later, I saw him again today...and I think that he probably saw that I was in a semi-state of undress, which is fine because my summer bra looks like a very short top. It is summer.
After he had left I could not help but to reflect on the time that I met him, 1990, and how surprising it was.
The clothing rails distracted me, back to now.
One or two outfits (vintage satin) later, that made me look like a cross between Jacqueline Onassis and Joni Mitchell (weird mix) I found a 1970's maxi dress that was immediate love. Blue floral print on a cream poly-cotton. A huge floor scraping tier at the bottom. and on or off the shoulder sleeves. The thing about 70's prints is that they are really pretty and probably taken from an original hand painted design. That's what makes them more beautiful.
So, I know how it goes from here. I went to show shop lady, because I wanted to know her view. Yep. She looked stunned...because it looked perfect.
Really, although I hoped - and joked - that it would not be my 'death dress' (like the 70's dress my mother was laid out in) I knew that I would wear it as a 'life dress'...and probably this weekend. Saturday 6th. Celebration day.
After this, the rest of the day followed suit and I am looking forward to Saturday.
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