How exciting!
Not so long ago thrift was for hippies and eccentrics. Everyone else watched, baffled, from the retail therapy sidelines while the weird few made-do-and-mended. But now it’s hit the big time with the UK’s first Festival of Thrift, which takes place where my little brother Jon lives – in Darlington, County Durham – next weekend.
The Festival of Thrift in easy-to-reach Darlington
If you fancy going along, it sounds like there’s a splendid treat in store. It’s easy to get to Darlington by train from more or less anywhere in the UK because it’s right in the middle, half way between Lands End and John O’Groats. It’s on the main London to Edinburgh train line and easy to get to by comfy National coach, too – cheap and cheerful.
Free entry to the thrilling world of frugality
It costs nothing to get into the event, which will include a wealth of brilliant up-cycling and renewing ideas, all manner of beautiful and useful vintage items, ideas for going on foraging adventures, looking after hens, bee keeping, loads of ways to reduce energy at home, you name it.
The last word in fruitful, fabulous frugality, the event kicks off at half ten on Saturday and Sunday 21st and 22nd and runs until half five. Here’s a link to their rather gorgeous website, Festival of Thrift, where you can follow them on Twitter and sign up for more information leading up to the big weekend.
Heavenly stuff
A quick rummage reveals stunning hand-crafted frippery by Jude’s Vintage Treasures, seriously cool vintage clothing by Vintageous Rags, the most glorious cushions on the planet by Kendal Upholstery, the Duchess Emporium’s delightful wooden keepsakes and more, more, more.
A stellar cast including Wayne Hemingway
The smashing Wayne Hemingway, who had a hand in Middlesbrough’s famous independent shopping destination, Baker Street, is involved in the show, as is his wife Geraldine. Plus John Orchard, the talented director of Marchday, one of the country’s top recyclers, Simon Preston, the man behind Newcastle Gateshead’s EAT! Festival, director Stella Hall and co-ordination miestro David Bilton.
A great place to dream up ideas
If you’ve been sitting at home racking your brains for ideas to get creative and make money, it’s perfect. Go along, see what other people are doing and see if anything strikes your fancy. Can you run with an idea and take it to another level, or in a different direction? You never know, you might dream up a life-changing small business opportunity, or at least a way to make enough money each month to make life a whole lot easier.
We think it’s a brilliant idea. And we’re chuffed to be involved in the growing money saving scene in a small way ourselves, through this blog.
Best of luck to everyone involved in the show. If you’re going, we’d love to hear about it.