AUSTERITY AND DECADENCE - YORK DOES VINTAGE

York Does Vintage at Merchant Adventurers' Hall, Fossgate, York

   York Does Vintage at the fourteenth century Merchant Adventurers' Hall in York this weekend encapsulated both  the austerity and decadence of the last 100 years.
Glance at the photos and travel back in time.

The hall is also a museum

Racks of colourful dresses

The impressive entrance

The gardens are beautiful - even in February

And coffee too....

Oh, how I remember the days of Ossie Clark...

I have just rediscovered this wonderful 'Ossie Clark for radley' dress that I bought in the mid-sixties, and suddenly I'm overwhelmed by the memories of an amazing era. The dress is made of heavy moss crepe (this was the radley influence) in a beautiful emerald green with a neckline that plunges almost to the waist. (I used to attach a corsage, for modesty, even in those daring days!) It  is also, more discreetly, slit to the waist at the back, and always made me feel like a million dollars. I only wish I had a photograph of me wearing it...

Does anyone else have a photo of their favourite vintage outfit?

If I could turn back time...

One of the pleasures of writing historical fiction is getting  into character. Growing up in the sixties I longed to go back to the days of majestic staircases and sumptuous ballgowns, though the reality may have been quite different. 'Be careful what you wish for,' my mother used  to say, 'Or you might end up as a scullery maid.'

I spent a wonderful day yesterday at Hope House Costume Museum and Restoration Workshop in Alstonefield, near Ashbourne, Derbyshire, run by longstanding family friend Notty Hornblower.This beautiful museum is the realisation of a lifelong dream for Notty who has gathered together a unique collection of outfits and

accessories dating from 1790 to the 1970's. My favourite display  is 'Brides  Revisited' showing exquisite vintage wedding dresses, hand-stitched veils and  bejewelled satin shoes dating back to the turn of the century, some with the original photographs of their owners wearing them on their special day.

Notty has appeared on BBC's Antiques Roadshow, ITV's Heart of the Country and various other TV channels, as well as being regularly featured in several lifestyle magazines. Most importantly, her love for all things vintage has benefited  many different charities.

If you want to know more visit http://www.hopehousemuseum.co.uk/