Bill Savage's Jumble Facts #3

In this final tidbit of Jumble History, Bill reveals the hidden facts* behind an otherwise unassuming pair of shoes.

This pair of handsome brogue style shoes have been donated to the Big Bum Jumble by an anonymous donor who has at last realised that she will probably never achieve her dream of indie-pop stardom. Bought to emulate the lead singer of a second-rate late 90s female-fronted indie band these shoes were worn to band rehearsals, gigs and festivals for many years, the subtle heel giving the owner a much needed lift to see over the shoulders of lanky fanboys. As the 90s drew to a close, stout leather footwear fell out of favour in indie circles, and the 2000s heralded the ubiquity of the Converse sneaker. Our donor  couldn’t bear to part with her trusty gig-shoes though, and they lurked at the back of her wardrobe, waiting for the Britpop revival that never came. Finally, aged 36 she has made peace with her lost rock’n’roll past and has cleansed her soul and her wardrobe by donating them to us.

The shoes are a size 7 and in no way smell like Camden on a Saturday night.

*Which may need to be verified by an independent expert.

Bill Savage's Jumble Facts #2

Bill has been running loose amongst the jumble donations and has unearthed some incredible fashion history* to share here for your delectation.

This fine piece of fuschia headgear was donated to the Big Bum Jumble by a retired MI5 agent. While the hat looks exactly like the kind of thing a teary-eyed mother would wear to an offspring’s wedding, it is in fact an incredibly advanced piece of spyware, and has, over the course of the last decade, averted several national security disasters. The hat’s genius lies in the netting which acts to disguise the true identity of the wearer, much like Clark Kent’s geeky specs. It also functions as a radio-wave scanner that intercepts enemy communications on almost any frequency. The elastic chin strap doubles as a garotte for use in emergencies while the head band is lead-lined to prevent penetration of x-rays. The flower decoration houses an advanced GPS system and homing device which can be activated should the wearer be stranded in hostile territory.

The hat has been fully decommissioned and would fit pretty much any sized head.

By Bill Savage

* Some of these facts might need to be corroborated.

The Big Bum Jumble Countdown Begins

With ten days to go, it's been a frenzy of activity over at Jumble Towers and it's going to get busier as the day approaches. To give you some idea of what's going on, here's a state of the nation talk with Big Bum chief Kay Hyatt.

How's the Jumble going?

It's going well. I feel a bit overwhelmed with all the stuff I still have to do but I also feel confident that it's all going to happen.

What's going on at the moment?

We just had the Sorting Party where people came round to my house and helped sort stuff into sizes. We also used that time to do the final pick for things for the fashion show and identified top quality items for the Special Rail. Through the collective brain power of the sorting volunteers, we came up with an exciting pricing policy: basically, almost everything is going to be £1. Can you believe it? I am really happy about that.

Yay! What things do you need help with right now?

I'm still busily collecting donations from far and wide. I have a lovely volunteer driving up to Newcastle-upon-Tyne to collect a large donation of clothes. Even though we are doing well on the donations front, I can still use more. If you can arrange a collection in your area and bring it on the day, or contact me to come and get it, that can still happen.

I still need people to be publicising the Jumble wherever they can. I have been handing out flyers in Stratford to shoppers and I'd like to do this again this weekend but I don't have time. This is because I am going to Southend to collect some secret jumble merchandise. I would love it if some people would volunteer to take my place flyering in Stratford on Saturday and Sunday this weekend, and anywhere else they cared to go.

On Saturday night I am going to flyer outside Big Girls Paradise, which is a BBW club. I'd love some company for that too.

Another job for now is that I need help drawing up an official budget for the Jumble. I have applied for a grant towards the room hire from Newham council and they might give it to me but have asked for a detailed breakdown of my costs and anticipated income. Do you have Excel spreadsheet skills? Please get in touch.

What about on the day?

I need people to help set up at 10am and take down at 5pm. I need people to work the door and look out for people trying to nick stuff. I'm also keen to have volunteer 'shopper encouragers' who can pull stuff out of the jumble and encourage others to try things on. Get in touch if you can help.

Do you need to borrow any equipment?

Yes! I could really do with a full length mirror or two. Ideally the type that can stand alone, rather than the type we'd have to prop against the wall. I'm also still trying to work out how to set up a changing area in the room so people can try stuff on. One way to do this would be with folding screens, so if you have one of those, I would be very interested. I promise to look after and return anything you lend me.

What's with the pricing?

We will have a Special Rail, with top quality and vintage things individually priced between £3-£15. There will also be a Denim Bar, where jeans will cost £4. Everything else in the whole Jumble will cost £1. This way you could get a whole new outfit for £3.

What's the fashion show going to be like?

John William from Pigeons & Peacocks is our stylist and the super-talented Bea Sweet is doing the make up. John's just getting on with it, I've seen some of the clothes he has chosen and it is going to be fantastic. John is also customising some of the clothes for the fashion show and all the outfits will be for sale on the Special Rail afterwards.

What stalls are going to be there?

So far, two people have approached me to have their own stalls at the Jumble, Jade and Rae. They will both be selling their good quality clothes at reasonable prices. It's a big room so there is room for more people to rent space if they want. Just drop me a line.

Also, Mark from bigclobber.co.uk will be there with a menswear stall and some info about his shop and online business. Mark is really great and has a real passion for meeting the clothing needs of big fat guys.

We'll also be selling badges and taking orders for other Big Bum jumble merchandise.

What sort of refreshments will be available?

I'm not selling any refreshments in the Jumble room but Stratford Circus has a lovely café called Circus Eats that will be open all day. Also, you are free to come and go from the Jumble, there are plenty of places to get food in Stratford. I recommend the Caribbean cafe in the Theatre Royal bar.

What's been the best thing so far?

I think the best thing for me has been the positive comments that I've had from people. It's great to be encouraged by you all. Also, the generosity of people who are giving the Jumble their time and their stuff is really fantastic.

What are you going to wear on the 14th?

Wait and see!

What else do you want to say?

Thanks everyone for all your help and support so far. Keep it up! Come to the Jumble and make it amazing. Love love love!

The Sorting Party

The Big Bum Jumble got a step nearer at the weekend with the grand sorting party. This was where some lovely Jumblers went through the donations bags and sorted them into size and type. This will make Jumbling easier for people when they come on 14 August. Items were also priced up and paraded around the garden. Yes, important work was carried out.

Look! Look! Lauren of Pocket Rocket Fashion was there too and she posted about it an' all.

We'll tell you about Jumble categories and pricing over the next few days.

We're also still looking for clothes. Here's how to donate.

Meanwhile, here're some pics from the party. Many heartfelt thanks to everyone who came and helped.

Oh dear, piles and piles of clothes

Hurrah, busy bees at work

Part of the denim pile

Bill Savage muscles in on Kay's modelling territory.
Big Bum Jumblers please note that Bill and Kay are not the same person,
even though they are both mannish, specs-wearing chubsters.
Also, neither of them should be mistaken for Ruth and Tamsin of Unskinny Bop.

Order is brought forth from chaos, and everybody retires to the garden for a cup of tea

Bill Savage's Jumble Facts #1

We let Bill run loose amongst the jumble donations to unearth some incredible fashion history* to share here for your delectation.

#1: The Dress

If you’re lucky enough to snap up this dress at the Big Bum Jumble not only will you be the proud owner of a lovely summer frock, but you’ll be taking home a real piece of South Devon history. This dress has a provenance steeped in the glamorous worlds of provincial theatre and cutthroat retail. It originates from the legendary Rossiters department store - for over a century a leading light of Paignton’s fashion scene. However, in the recent economic down-turn Rossiters’ fortunes waned and the store was threatened with closure. In a last ditch attempt to save it, staff rallied round and wrote Gussets and Gabardine: The Rossiters Story, a musical based on life in the store’s womenswear department, complete with props and costumes sourced from the store. The dress you see here was worn by the womenswear manager Jean during a scene set in the mid-80s in which the staff are preparing for a visit from Princess Margaret. Gussets and Gabardine played for four consecutive nights at the Prince’s Theatre Torquay in 2008 before poor ticket sales forced it to close. Rossiters department store has since shut down.

Jean’s dress is a size 18. No certificate of authentication is provided.

By Bill Savage

* Which may or may not be completely fabricated, heehee.