I love this print. I love Mulberry - but especially this Coral, Patent Leopard Print. It's a few years old now and hard to come by, but I knew that if I bided my time - the missing piece of the puzzle would turn up eventually.
I bought the Oyster (Travel card) holder years ago, and managed to get myself the Long Locked purse to match from the Somerset Mulberry Outlet. The eagle-eyed amongst you will notice that this is missing from the pic. Much to my horror, it was stolen at Christmas time a few years ago and for all the inconvenience of cancelling and re-ordering cards, Driving Licence etc, it was the fact that I wouldn't be able to replace the purse that was the real sore point, especially as I had just received the matching make-up pouch for my birthday.
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| Mulberry Coral Patent Leopard Bag Collection |
Although time has passed, my love of this print has never waned and it is still my first search on ebay, just incase a purse turns up again! Never lose hope is what I am advocating here.
It's winter in South East London (brrrr), I'm meeting friends in Deptford (after food shopping at the excellent Brockley Market) for Tea in the fabulous Blossoming Together Arts & Craft Gallery, 4 Tanners Hill, SE8. After perfectly poached eggs on soda bread toast, and 3 different kinds of tea we set of for the main event - Deptford Market.
The high street is full of fantastic new bargain items, from cookwear, jewellery , scarves, sample sale clothes, rugs, bedding, towels and shoes. Then you turn off toward the Albany and this is where the Flea begins.
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| Tea and Crafts at Blossoming - Tanners Hill Deptford |
With traders offering second hand/vintage clothes, shoes, bags, jewellery, furniture and homewares, it is no surprise that this is one of my regular haunts. BEWARE* If you don't like to rummage - you'll hate it. Nothing is displayed in a 'come-and-get-me' manner, there are no merchandising tricks here (except the occassional 'everything 50p table' - my favourite!) so you will have to get involved and come regularly.
There are occassions when even I leave empty handed, as it is very much down, on the day to the quality of the house clearance stock the traders mostly specialise in. Other days I can barely carry my haul, which is why I always like to bring my friends (so now you know!) & have been know to buy the odd case to drag it home in (it's a good job I'm local).
So, refreshed and laden with food from Brockley, books from the Deptford Lounge, and tickets purchased for John Cooper Clarke at the Albany Arts Centre, what do I come accross but the small clutch bag to match my remaining Coral Mulberry Collection. I could have wept with joy. Not only was it an awful lot cheaper than my purse, but totally genuine, and much the same size. It can be (and is) used as a purse, clutch bag, make-up bag or shoulder bag - so is actually is more wearable than the original.
It is the thrill I just wanted share with you. To let you know about something that I found for myself, and prove that an item, any item, will turn up somewhere, sometime, eventually. However as the Lottery people say, 'you have to be in it to win it' so get out there, to your local markets, search regularly and never give up hope of finding that lost treasure, or indeed something which replaces, replicates or even improves upon it!
