GOING, GOING, GONE

As reported back in August we sold our apartment in the Alps and were awaiting completion, at much the same time  the keys  of our N.I. house were finally handed over, that sale taking a bit longer to complete - definitely the French system is much more sensible and streamlined with the Notaire working for both parties rather than 2 solicitors studying the minutiae. Possibly the best bit about selling in France is if it should go pear shaped the deposit the purchaser has forked out you get to keep (less some fees I guess), the worst bit is the immobilier (estate agency) takes a much larger percentage as commission on the sale. Anyway it is all done and dusted, bar that we are still sitting with removal boxes in various rooms and heaps of clothes here and there as bits and bobs in St.Pons need to be moved to Brittany, ditto stuff in our wee terraced house in Bushmills also should be here or there in France. It'll take a bit of time to have everything relocated as it should be and then the necessary storage to be created where required (everywhere). Moral of the story - we have too much stuff, and especially we have too many coats/jackets.

 

It was a particular wrench to part with a navy wool coat I had purchased in the 'Wallis' shop in Belfast in the new year sale about circa 1978, half price at £40, I always loved that coat but it was worn less and less each year as my 23 inch waistline expanded and buttons can only be moved so far!

 

It looked just like this and I thought I was the bees knees wearing it with red leather gloves and boots and bright red lipstick. I was a fashion design student then so I really did look the part. For me the Dior new look which inspired this shape is the most glamorous line of all time and even the casual clothes of the genre (capri pants, shell tops) were elegant and still really wearable. Yep it's grumpy old woman time if I get started on 'what the young ones are wearing today'. I sincerely hope it went to a good home via the charity shop. Oh how I miss charity shops here in France.