Trendspotting

Having had some positive feedback following my recent post, I thought I would keep up the efforts and write something to fill the gap between now and Nick returning home and us eating dinner, which incidentally, I'm tres excited about as it's from M&S simply food and we don't often get M&S treats down here in the Toe.

It's been a most satisfying couple of days. Tank and I have clocked up the miles, journeying to Swindon via Tidworth where last night I enjoyed a rather lovely meal with the Charnocks. Shout out to the Charnocks for their (always) fabulous hospitality.

Today was spent in Swindon at head office. I have decided to rename my team the Fashion Police following a series of interesting discussions about work wear and the perils of getting it oh so wrong. I am, incidentally, always getting it oh so wrong and have been doing so from the beginning when I got a bollocking in the first three months of my first proper job for wearing a too short skirt. In fact, I got a similar rollocking in my last job so let's face it, it's only a matter of time before I make a similar fashion faux pas.

There are various tribes of style at my new workplace. At my usual place of work the theme is either smart (trousers, skirts, sometimes a colourful scarf, sensible leather boots cos you never know when you're going to have to trudge through a pile of mud) or 'country', a look which is not possible without a corporate branded gilet or sweatshirt or both depending on whether or not the radiator in your office is broken.

Head office is another matter however. Most people go for the similar smart casual look (which is slightly more Boden than at regional level), though there are also tribes of tweed, cool looking skinny girls with colourful tunic dresses, leggings and ballet pumps (God knows why they're not working for some super cool media type company in London) and the odd, well shall we say 'individual' who sticks out like Lady GaGa might at the Cameltoe and District WI meeting. Clearly, these people do not know who they are.

So, a useful and educating day. I will continue to not quite fit in in my uniform of converse, smart (ish) trousers and layered t shirts (clearly my days working for Gap have made their mark) and will live in the knowledge that, rather than trying to change my outfits to fit in, I will gladly accept that the next time I choose to wear a very short skirt (yes, there will be a time), I will get monumentally told off. I will of course always check in with the fashion police first. Occasionally, a short skirt is a useful and not to be ignored fundraising tool.

On a completely unrelated topic, a drove past a place called 'Hurden' the other night. Only a matter of time methinks before the Bodmin Moor graffitti genius kicks in...