50kg

Did you know that this is how much one year of life weighs? I'm able to come to this scientifically rigorous conclusion as I recently took delivery of all of my worldly goods from London after they had a leisurely 70 day cruise over the high seas. I lived there for five years and the total weight of my delivery was 250kg, so after some complex calculations (250/5) I arrived at the final figure.

Of course this doesn't take into consideration the bag full of precious holiday luggage that got stolen in Marsucks, the old cameras, globes, fake blood, and other miscellany that were too oddly shaped or liquidy to find a place in the tea chests so found a new home in the East End, my much loved and much missed bike Diana Ross, and all the housey stuff that I flogged on Gumtree, but I suppose that many things in your life come and go so I deemed any further calculations unnecessary.

My goodness though, when I opened those boxes today for the first time since I packed them up in a mad rush all those months ago, the memories of that life weighed so much more. Pulling out my furry jacket and holding it to my face, I could smell the city and I cried. It reminded of my friends, Old St, St John raisin bread, lock ins, night buses, walking to Colombia Rd, the green after work, cycling along the canal, white winters, boozy dinners and everything that I left behind. Funny, it would just look like a jacket to anyone else.

You're probably thinking "Yeah yeah, boo hoo, what the hell as this got to do with your shop dreamer?". Fair point, enough reminiscing. The real reason for unpacking the boxes was to get my hands on all my feathers and sinamay and other fun millinery things, so I can finish what I bloody well started in London and get my headpieces done. There is an interesting looking market that happens a few times a year in the big smoke called the Perth Upmarket (hhmmm that name rings a Brick Lane bell) and I thought that I would try and get a stall and, you know, start making and selling things. Just like I promised I would!