Attic rummaging

Whilst I was in the country over Christmas, I also spent hours up in the attics of our house; the one over my bedroom in particular. It’s a glory hole full of unpacked cartons from 28 years ago when we first moved to Northamptonshire, rammed with the detritus of past decades: I came across bashed up Globetrotter suitcases, records, books, photographs, bric a brac, glorious old linen from my Great Aunt’s house, and clothes including a pristine 1930’s lace wedding dress, a silk top hat in its original case, my original 80s Cure & Smiths T shirts, and all the clothes I wore between 1988-1996. From the ikat jackets and silk skirts I bought on my GAP year in SE Asia when I was 19, to my Leaver's Ball (equivalent of Prom) evening dress, I was in memory lane seventh heaven.

I found lots of great stuff for the dressing up box I’m planning for my goddaughter Amelia’s fifth birthday in two year’s time. Everything else went into the one neat trunk which is now acting as an archive for key pieces from my mother’s and my old wardrobes. Not sure what I will do with these eventually, but I just cannot bear to give or throw them away

But, for all the archiving, I also managed to fill maybe eight ginormous garbage sacks (bye bye to all our bashed up childhood toys) which went to the municipal tip, and another ten of the same with clothes for the local Hospice shop.

Goodness I love purging.