Ooooo Aaaaarrr.
Or whatever it is stereotypical Sussex country people are supposed to say.
This weekend has been distinctly short on glamorous frocks and cocktails and disturbingly high on the stinging nettles and crawling things scale.
We own a small patch of woodland in Sussex. There is an old hut on it, that Mr Chick is trying to maintain and he works, looking after the woodland while I lounge and read a book. It’s useless to anyone for anything else, and therefore worth nothing, but we can go camping in it and generally do as we please, so we like it. Then we were offered a static caravan, for free, to put on it.
Far more comfortable than a tent for our occasional visits I’m sure you’ll agree, and also far more secure in the event that we need to use it to hide when the Zombie Apocalypse starts. The only downside is that before we moved it we had to spend several hours cleaning it. So on Saturday we did this…..
The caravan dates from the 70s and is therefore technically vintage, but that’s irrelevant and really an attempt to crowbar my weeekend into a vintage context. I have no intention of restoring it to it’s former glory as it’s former glory includes these cushions.
I have something far more glamorous in mind!
Manual labour prompted me to do something not seen on this blog or in real life for a very long time. Wear jeans.
I hate jeans. I find them really uncomfortable and restrictive and every pair I have ever found makes my thighs look hideous. It makes other people more comfortable to see you in jeans as they are the very definition of “casual wear” and people who are “dressed up” without a party to go to make people nervous. I pretty much stopped wearing jeans completely when I realised that I didn’t care if they made other people more comfortable when I wore them to the pub, I would rather *I* was comfortable and I would therefore wear a pencil skirt if I darn well pleased.
They do, however, have the advantage of being bramble, thorn and stinging nettle proof, and I can also roll them up (short legs = all my trousers need wearing with heels) so jeans it was. Plus, of course, a headscarf to protect my curls.
On Sunday some big burly country folk helped us move said caravan from the farm to the woodland. (for “helped” read, “did all the work while we looked on nervously”) and it now lives here.
The weekend may have been short on glamour, but now I get to get on with the fun bit. Decorating.
It’s also not that the weekend wasn’t without it’s upsides either. It’s nice to get away and do something a bit different and Sussex is full of lovely views. I also got to stay in a gorgeous B&B and some wildlife is quite cute, mostly those with less than 6 legs.
Here are some of the weekends highlights…..
Comments
23 responses to “Retro Chick Goes Rural”
How lovely to have a bolthole away from the stress of every day life! I bet you can wait to make it look pretty!!
I am jealous of your Zombie Apocolypse bolt hole. With its, what looks like, wondrous wooden floors? How glorious to have a get away? And a project. I am envisioning a vintage camping club with portable gramphones and croquet.
Yes, wooden floors! I’m so excited!
I want it to look rubbish outside, but inside will be a wonderous bolthole of vintage glamour. Squeeeee!
I love it! Mr doesn’t *do* camping or caravanning of any sort but my childhood was mostly spent in fields on weekends away- you can’t beat the sound of the rain on a tin roof. I’ll keep working on him. How lovely to have your own bit of woodland! Have you named it?
This looks fun! Will you be posting some pics of the caravan when you’ve done it up? I totally agree with you on the jeans front, by the way (thouh I do own a couple of pairs of flares and a few capri style!!) 🙂
Looking forward to seeing how you decorate your new holiday hideaway. My weekend was soggy (the weather that is) and jeans-clad (useful for running after my two children).
Ooh, I live in the Sussex (East) countryside – wonder if you were anywhere near me! It looks a lovely place to escape to.
Sympathise with you regarding jeans – I hate the things. I have an old, scruffy skirt for things like gardening, decorating, etc, which gets worn out fairly quickly, and is then replaced by the next scruffiest one! Not best vintage!!!
I discovered your website some time ago, I think when I was looking up things to do with buying clothes in charity shops. It’s great, I love reading what you have to say!
That is just TOO amazing. I’m sure it will look fab once finished.
I love Sussex, one of my favourite places in the world! My sis lives there so I often kip in her spare room (aka her cat’s room. Her cat is v spoilt) and we go gallumping round the place looking at old/arty stuff. And drinking cider. Middle farm has the national cider collection and is SO worth a visit, especially if someone else drives you as they have free tasters!
I know you don’t like jeans but I think you look jolly good in those! Not scruffy in the slightest- more 50s minx. I’m the opposite to you about jeans though- I love vintage (60s-70s) denim, mind you I still get funny looks for my flares-tank-top-and-old-skool-trainers (maybe it’s the jumping over cars and shouting ‘you’re goin’ daahhn’ in the style of The Sweeny/Shaft/Starsky & Hutch) – I can’t stand ugly jeans that people wear (usually the wrong shape for them because it’s ‘in’, or – shudder- jeans, fleece, generic white trainers). They give the whole genre a bad name.
I’m wearing jeans today! I wore them to the tashes too, with a small hive do and a bandana. Sure that is why someone bit me in Soho. I don’t like them either and I don’t know why I am wearing them…you look nice in yours though. Love the froggy!
Minn x
What a great project to take on! I know what you mean about jeans- I’m really struggling to replace my favourites at the moment (discontinued- thanks Topshop) and I can see myself giving up on them completely! My new favourite trouser is a pegleg dark green, high waisted pair of cords from Zara of all places- think landgirl and thats what I look like!
I did the Yanks in Saddleworth event this weekend- very 1940’s!
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My name is Clare and I am a jeanaholic ***hangs head in shame*** However I love reading/viewing your non-jean wearing blog.
What a lucky caravan. Instead of being left to rot it has been brushed off and distined for a full and glamorous make-over. Hope to see the results soon.
Clare
x
The first sheep in the photos was found as a lamb in a lay-by and was rescued from culling by our farm lady friend. The second sheep was also taken in by her because it was starving to death because it is allergic to GRASS… Yes, grass. Visit my, work in progress, site to learn about the man that lived in the wood for 60+ years.
Sounds like this project is going to be a lot of fun.
So nice that you have a place to spend quiet time -or all the opposite if needed- and even better that now you will be protected from six legged friends, or zombies.
I love your phrase “people who are ‘dressed up’ without a party to go to make people nervous”, it really made me laugh, and even though I still wear jeans every once in a while, I totally understand what you mean with it.
Can I just say that I LOVE the paragraph where you say that I HATE Jeans and about dressing up.
I decided to have a glamorous weekend & I dressed up for a surprise birthday party & than again on Sunday to go & listen to the Jazz band at the local park.. It was so nice.. and when people asked What are you SO Dressed up for? The answer was For Myself… It really does feel good to say that and know its true..
What a lovely retreat! Even the sheep are charming. I love your observation about dressing up for no reason causing discomfort, I’m a dress girl and tend to feel that I have to explain myself. Have fun with your project and the rest of your summer! xx
I don’t like jeans either; they somehow make me feel fat, like I can feel my legs fill up the jeans. Hmmm, but lately I’ve been secretly dreaming of a pair of bright blue jeans folded up by the ancles.
Must be great fun and satisfaction to get to decorate the trailer!
VERY impressed with you owning some land and a caravan, wow! I’m actually pretty jealous, i think you can do amazing things decorating that little space and once you do you need to share 🙂
I’ve been celebrating my birthday, even though it’s tomorrow hehe, I’ve already had silly amounts of cake and ice cream, got absolutely plastered on Saturday as it’s the feria here in Malaga, which is a street party every single day, crazy amounts of sweet wine, thousands of people, loud music…I really should write a post about it, so hopefully after I calm down celebrating my favourite time of the year I will share it with everyone 🙂 xxxx
Ah so nice to find someone else who hates jeans as much as I do. They are the single most unflattering item of clothing on me. Ever. I’ve given away all my remaining pairs so it’s skirts and dresses all the way. I love your caravan by the way, it’s huge!x
Wow, what a wonderful place to hide from the world. I’m looking forwards to seeing pictures of your decorating!
I always love getting out to the country and good honest work is great for the soul! You did a great job on that caravan!
Wow the outside sure scrubbed up well! (Apologies for that terrible pun)
Can’t wait to see how you glamourise the interior 🙂
Also, you look fantastic in a hair scarf! I’m a big fan of that look, it is the perfect casual, yet vintage influenced, style I reckon. And the jeans look great too!
A sheep allergic to grass? Blimey that is mighty unlucky! This looks fab. How wonderful to have more storage space for china and all things vintage….I shall look forward to watching this transform. I’d be tempted to make it theatrical and opulent. Something like the Orient Express (without the murder…)