Bristol Vintage Fair

Me and my swag...

I had a fab day out at Bristol Vintage Fair today with my friends Rachel and Andrea. I'm not normally a vintage fair person, but it'd been a while since I'd seen Rachel and it was being held in the old Victorian engine shed right next to Temple Meads Station, so I thought I'd go along and look.

I am so going back in April with much MOAR MONEY!

There was quite a queue to get in, which surprised me; we've had work events in the engine shed and it's been fairly roomy, but once you get stalls in there, there's less room, and plenty of people wanted to do some shopping, so we had to wait. Anyway, it wasn't raining, so Rachel and I got to have a natter as we queued.

Entry was £2, which isn't much. I was really impressed with the size of the stalls and the quality of a lot on offer – as I say, I'm not a vintage fair person; you may have more experience and find it average. I found lots of things I would cheerfully have bought had they fitted and I had more cash on me.

What there was: lots of clothes, including a decent amount of 1950s and 1960s dresses. Lots of jewellery. Hats, although mostly 1960s and later. People swing dancing. Tea room. Makeover stand (doing a roaring trade).

What there wasn't: many homewares, much for the gents - but, thankfully, also not too much naff 'vintage' jewellery that didn't exist ten years ago, things made out of mutilated books or awful tat made out of vandalised tea services.

The start of the queue. Taken from the very end!

I wish I'd taken my tape measure, as very few of the garments on any stalls had approximate sizes written on, let alone accurate measurements. (Come on, vintage stallholders: sellers on Etsy manage it, why can't you?) I took a stab on a 1940s black crepe dress, having borrowed a tape measure from someone. It's an odd beastie, it definitely feels like 1940s crepe and looks well made, but has no labels and the zip is new. If it's repro, it's bloody good repro. Anyway, usual story, I can't get into the bloody thing, having measured the dress and forgotten to allow for ease*.

MINE! Muahahahaha!

Andrea, however, have me a humdinger of a birthday present, this stunning beaded bag with petit point flowers. I was almost embarrassed to accept it, it's far too nice to be giving away. (Not that she's getting it back, it's mine now.) The strap is fully beaded, and I'm thinking of carefully attaching a chain to the fittings at either end to support the weight a bit more. I want to use it, it's too lovely to have sitting around, but I want to keep it in good nick too.




*Diet talk ahead! Stop reading if you don't like such things



I am on the 5/2 diet and it's very slow but is working – my knees and back are already lots better, and a dress I could get into but felt was too tight last Autumn is no longer too tight. I have a selection of dresses I'd like to get into, so my new black dress will join the queue. Sooner or later it will be worn.