Gisela and Mim get Kinky!

Gisela, Vix and me

Yesterday the splendid Gisela (Miss Magpie) came to Bath as Vix was in town - Kinky Melon were trading at Judy's Affordable Vintage Fair and we both fancied a bit of shopping. I met Gisela from her train, and we both headed off to Bath Guildhall for the fair.

Over the past year or so I've become a real convert to shopping at Judy's. It's cheaper than Etsy, and has more actual vintage than I'm likely to come across in a year of charity shopping. Vix knew I was after a velvet jacket, and had found a chocolate brown one in fatgirl size for me. I really fancied some Welsh tapestry, and Baboushka always have a brilliant selection as owner Tina is a serious collector. Gisela and I made a beeline for Kinky Melon to say hello, and to admire Vix's amazing teal maxi with enormous chiffon sleeves, then had a really good browse round all the other stalls too.

Some of Baboushka's stock

As well as my jacket from Kinky Melon, I got the most amazing Welsh tapestry cap and bag from Baboushka. As soon as I saw it I loved it. I'm a sucker for this set, and I don't think I've ever seen Welsh tapestry in this sort of khaki-plus-neon colourway. Mr Robot really doesn't like it, but I knew he wouldn't. He's not a massive fan of either colour or pattern and this set is loaded with both. That said, he did say, "The cap's the sort of thing that ought to be worn for a ride in an open-topped vintage car." Well, if he's offering...

How splendid is this Welsh tapestry set?

I also got a nice summer dress from Weekdayz of Porthcawl; it's missing the original belt, but for a tenner who cares? After we'd finished at the fair, Gisela and I went to the Raven pub for pie and a pint, then on to Bath's main vintage shop, Vintage To Vogue. I used to shop there years ago, but then they changed hands and got massively more expensive and, to be honest, snooty. However, when I moved magazines, my former colleagues got me vouchers from there, so I went in. The pricing is still, in my opinion, above odds, for certain things. I don't think I saw a dress under £100; fair enough for a flawless 1930s day dress, but ridiculous for a 1960s party dress that's not from a major designer label. Of course, I may be biassed because my experience there has never been the best in recent years, and yesterday was no exception.

Here's a thought: if you're running a vintage shop, and a plus-size customer stands in front of you wearing top to toe vintage, and asks if you have anything in their size, DON'T GIVE THEM A DISMISSIVE GLANCE AND SAY, "NO, IT'S REALLY DIFFICULT TO GET THINGS IN LARGER SIZES"

1: I know you're lying. I'm wearing plus-size vintage that cost me a third of your prices AS NEW OLD STOCK WITH TAGS and I've got a bag containing a dress that cost me a tenner. I know exactly hard it is (or isn't) to get this stuff because I wear it. I'm not stupid enough to expect plus-size 1930s, but if you're selling 1960s clothing, it is out there.

2: You have someone in front of you who is clearly prepared to spend money on vintage clothing. Even if you don't stock clothes for fat people, a better response would be, "I'm afraid we don't have anything in your size at the moment, but you clearly love midcentury [or whatever] styles and we've got some great hats [or whatever]!" Don't dismiss me, find a way to take my money. It won't make YOU fat, I promise.

Anyway, I bought a coral velvet hat to use my vouchers, but I can think of one shop that won't be receiving my Round Pounds again any time soon. This is why I shop at Judy's or on Etsy.

Gisela and I weren't done with Bath after that. We had a good look round Bartlett Street Antiques Market – if I win the lottery, I'm going to be doing the jewellery equivalent of a trolley dash in that place – and then went to Bea's Vintage Tea Rooms up near the Assembly Rooms/Fashion Museum for refreshments. I had a cream tea and Gisela had a slice of their very good looking coffee cake.

All in all, it was a fantastic day, one that even dismissive shop assistants couldn't spoil, and I'd cheerfully do it all again. If YOU want to do some of it, Kinky Melon and Baboushka are both in Bristol with Judy's today, so you can go and get your own excellent Welsh tapestry and Kinkilicious vintage from them.

SOMETHING SERIOUS

On a serious note, over lunch Gisela told me that Jessica Cangiano's house burned down on Friday. I'm sure most people reading this will have come across Jessica (Chronically Vintage); she's an active and incredibly kind member of the vintage blogging community. Not only have she and her husband Tony lost pretty much everything, while they were able to get out with their dog, their kitty Stella is still missing, and I can't begin to imagine how anguished they both are. There's a Facebook page set up for news on ways to help Jessica and Tony, and a page for cash donations. I've made a donation, as I figured that way they could get the things they need straight away, and I wanted to wait till I was sure sending a package wouldn't result in lots of customs fees for Jessica. I'm mentioning this here as I wasn't sure how many people would have heard the bad news, and I do believe the vintage community will want to rally round Jess and Tony and help them through this dreadful time.

(I'm pretty sure blogs are the last thing on your mind right now, but if you are reading this, Jessica, I am sending you both my very best wishes.)