Car boot sale season starts

Being somewhat of a wuss - a fair-weather car boot saler if you will - this weekend marked the start of the season of early morning bargain hunting for me. And I wasn't the only one brought out by the sun - BHASVIC was buzzing with seller chatter, good natured haggling and excited exclamations when gems were unearthed. I was very happy with my haul:

Hornsea pot - 50p
Iron mirror - £2
New Schuh boots - £7
River Island striped dress - £3 (similar to the £95 Whistles dress I've had my eye on)
M&S leopard print tunic - £3.99 (actually picked up at British Heart Foundation charity shop)

Bargains - a/w10

A selection of bargain buys from recent months, along with some old favourites and retro homewares.

Dress: £20 Topshop sale
Boots: £16 Traid
Bar: £30 Spiral charity shop
Cat: £1.50 Spiral charity shop
Couple figure: £2 Spiral charity shop
Ice bucket: £4 North Laine flea market
Roberts radio: £6 BHASVIC car boot sale
Lamp: £4 Shelter charity shopAs above
J letter necklace: £10 Tatty Devine at Clothes Show London
D&G little black velvet dress: £40 Oxfam charity shop, Western Road
Lou Shabner framed print: £25 Oxfam charity shop, Western Road
Long gold bird charm necklace: Handmade
Faux fur coat: £20 Upper Gardner Street Market
Red Formica table: £30 Spiral charity shop
Fur coat: As above
Purple court shoes: £15 H&M
Telephone table: £10 BHASVIC car boot sale
Joker painting: Commission Vicky Roberts
Floral H&M jacket: £5 charity shop in Crouch End
Black Topshop jeans: £6 Traid
Bird print shirt: £15 River Island sale
Small leather satchel: £10 Ebay
Typewriter: £15 Age Concern George Street
Mui Mui glasses: £175 Specs opticians
White coat: £5 BHASVIC car boot sale
Russell & Bromley boots: £30 Vintage @ Goodwood
Chair: £15 Spiral chairty shop

1960s telephone table

Today I went to BHASVIC car boot sale, looking for small things - a old but working watch, some desk storage, perhaps a little something pretty...I bought a 1960s telephone table.

I ummed and ahhed about how I was to get it home, but luckily the man selling it was a friendly chap, and offered to drop it round for just £2 extra, bringing the grand total to £12. Take that Snoopers...


Unfortunately, someone had tried to pimp my telephone table (it was always going to be mine) by reupolstering the seat with some ill-advised material - shiny, crinkly and spotty. The colours were all wrong for the flat too, ours being a red and orange home.


However, Mr Table Man told me that this was covering the original black vinyl - and seemed quite surprised when I said that I would much prefer that - so I set to work with my screwdriver and pink jewellery pliers, taking the table apart and performing some arduois staple surgery.


There were moans, there were accusations of drama queening and there was a tiny, weeny tantrum when I screwed the seat back on to the wrong end of the table top.

But the job only ended up taking an hour and was pretty damn satisfying, especially when the staples came out whole (similar to when you're extracting a splinter) and the simple and sleek black seat was revealed.


My collection of winter boots is now residing in the slide cupboards, the BT box is hidden and Irish will no longer have to sit on the toliet lid when on the phone to his family. A happy day.