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BLOKE L e a d e r

Rules are there to be broken

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Articles and information contained in this publication arethe copyright of Bloke Publications and may not bereproduced in any form without the written permission ofthe publishers.

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As we have seen from the proliferation of the once taboo brown shoes with blue suits and an

abundance of tweed in cities where – traditionally – it has no place, rules are there to be broken.

So, when we proudly announced that our magazine was going to be a celebrity free-zone, we

had not allowed for a chance encounter with the elegant, erudite thespian that is Richard E.

Grant. And when he agreed to pen an article on how he took time out from being an actor, writer,

TV presenter and national treasure to start his own fragrance, well it would have been churlish to

refuse. (And if either David Beckham or Tom Hardy are reading this, we’d probably make an

exception for you too).

In truth, our previous (and launch) edition was a shot in the dark; a punt; a suck it and see

venture that was dipping its toe into the publishing water to see if there was actually a demand

for a magazine like this. Well, readers sucked it and – much to our delight – they enjoyed the

taste. And so we’re back, bigger, better and bolder than before.

As you will see in the pages that follow, we are still not a fashion magazine and we are still not

aimed at anyone for whom a 28-inch waist is not just a dim and distant memory. What we are is a

magazine that is aimed at men that like the finer things in life, whether that’s an Aston Martin on

the drive, a handmade shirt, or a quality suit or jacket liberated from a local charity shop.

We sincerely hope that you enjoy this issue and that you share it with your friends, family and

colleagues.

The Bloke

BLOKE C o n t e n t s

Crisis? What Mid-Life Crisis?

With the economy on the up,

we decided that the time had

come to try out a car from

the more luxurious end of

the market. It proved to be a

near-religious experience.

Man of the Moment

Harley Peters,

welder/fabricator and

owner of

www.equipped1928.com

specialising in 1940s' style

t-shirts.

Don’t

know

Jack

The ever-eloquent and

erudite Richard E Grant. In

this exclusive article, the

debonair actor and author

tells – in his own words - the

story of how he came to

create his own signature

scent.

Whole New Bag of Tricks

Leather jackets have always

been a staple item of any

man’s wardrobe, and most of

us will have one lurking in

the back of our wardrobe we

can't bear to part with.

However there is now an

innovative way to upcycle

your precious jacket, rather

than hand it over to the

charity shop

Thrifty but Nifty

the thrift store or charity

shop has become the go-to

destination for many of the

most dapper individuals.

www.wizardJeans.com/mens.html

BLOKE O b j e c t o f D e s i r e

With the economy on the up, we decided that the

time had come to try out a car from the more

luxurious end of the market. It proved to be a

near-religious experience.

Have you ever had that

feeling? You’re in a top-class

restaurant; you are suitably

attired; you have brushed up

on your cutlery etiquette; you

have learned the menu in

both English and French; and

stuffed into your pocket is

sufficient money to pay for

the meal several times over.

And yet, for some reason, you

feel out of place; like the

maitre d’ will suddenly twig

that you don’t belong and

lead you to the door, asking

you never to return.

Well, multiply that feeling by

about a hundred and you have

some inkling of how I felt

climbing behind the wheel of

an Aston Martin Vanquish. It

is like being handed the front

door key for Buckingham

Palace. It is quite possibly the

most daunting and yet

sumptuously inviting place I

have ever been.

C r i s i s ?

W h a t

M i d - L i f e

C r i s i s ?

COILED COBRA

In truth, the exterior of the

Vanquish doesn’t really

prepare you for what lies

within.

For while it is low and sleek, it

suggests stripped down, raw

power.

Don’t get me wrong – It has

power to spare. The six-

cylinder V12 engine lurking

beneath the elongated hood

is like a coiled cobra, ready to

strike and ready to roar

through all six gears to a top

speed of 188 mph.

But airline-style dash and

flappy-paddle gear controls

aside, the interior could quite

easily be from a high end

Mercedes, such is the level of

comfort.

Even the driving position – sat

erect rather than lying

horizontal – speaks of a luxury

car rather than a supercar.

Where others make do with

bare metal, Aston Martin has

leather peeled from cows that

have been to finishing school.

But make no mistake. This car

goes. And it keeps on going.

JOHN RILEY CLOTHING

07715 38 38 69 · 07730 539428johnrileyco@gmail.com

www.facebook.com/johnriley

100% TRADITIONALLY BRITISHAND MANUFACTURED IN THE UK

ESTABLISHED 1942. BRITISH HERITAGE

BLOKE

The car goes from 0 to 60 in

roughly the time it takes to

utter the fourth syllable of

“Dear Sweet Mother of God”.

It is about the same time it

takes to realise that – in

addition to steering and

providing a home for the

flappy-paddle controls – the

steering wheel serves a third,

equally important purpose. It

is something to hang onto

while 550 horses and a huge

dollop of G-Force is trying to

suck you out through the rear

window.

And that feeling never

subsides. With each gear

change comes another burst

of whiplash-inducing

acceleration that pins you to

the seat and squeezes the air

from your lungs. Indeed, I

have never felt more

conscious of my chest than I

did in the Vanquish. The

acceleration works like a boa

constrictor on your lungs, and

when you apply the brakes,

the seat belt catches like a

swift kick to the sternum. In

tests, the brakes have stopped

a car from 100 mph in less

JOHN RILEY CLOTHING

07715 38 38 69 · 07730 539428johnrileyco@gmail.com

www.facebook.com/johnriley

100% TRADITIONALLY BRITISHAND MANUFACTURED IN THE UK

ESTABLISHED 1942. BRITISH HERITAGE

than 50 metres. This is only

marginally less efficient than

hitting a wall. A comforting

thought, until you realise that

the person driving behind you

is unlikely to be similarly

blessed in the braking

department.

SAFETY FEATURES

That said, facts such as these

are reassuring, as are the

heaps of safety features

including a hardworking

traction control system that

makes the car more forgiving

when you’ve been a little

eager on the gas. In fact,

although it is unquestionably

exhilarating, I felt constantly

secure, safe in the knowledge

that this car had my wellbeing

at heart. The same cannot be

said of a Ferrari or, as I prefer

to call it, a near-death

experience.

Does it have any drawbacks?

Well yes, of course it does; and

chief among them is the

asking price You could buy

Wales for less than the asking

price of the Aston Martin

Vanquish but believe me,

you’ll never have this much

fun in Wales. The Vanquish

doesn’t so much use fuel as it

inhales it. Then again, if you

have spent that much on a car,

the hourly visits to the petrol

station probably hold very few

fears for you. And think of the

Nectar points.

But all these are petty niggles;

like discovering that your

supermodel wife leaves the

cap off the toothpaste from

time to time.

Then, of course, is the fact that

its sleek shape and outrageous

speed scream midlife crisis

just as loudly as a

questionable tattoo or an ill-

advised piercing. But, as a

reformed Porsche owner, I

disagree.

Driving a Porsche in your 40s

– I now see - is a desperate

and vain attempt to be young,

carefree and careless one last

time. A middle-aged man in a

Porsche is Rod Stewart,

milking past glories long after

they ceased to be cool, even in

an ironic way. “Do ya think

I’m sexy?” No Rod, not for at

least 40 years. Driving an

Aston Martin speaks of

aspirations realised, goals

achieved, mountains scaled, a

life lived. A middle-aged man

driving an Aston is Keith

Richards, still vital, still

relevant, looked up to by his

peers, and yet not caring a jot

what others may think.

So yes, it is expensive and yes,

it will make you the envy of

just about everyone you meet.

But I assure you that driving

an Aston Martin Vanquish is

about the most fun you can

have with your clothes on.

And if, like me, you’re in your

40s, it is as much fun as a

good many of the things you

can do with your clothes off

too. So go on, treat yourself –

You’ll thank me for it.

BLOKE

OttelyB E S POK E L EATHE RWORK

B E LT S • BAG S • ACCE SSOR I E S

Handmade from oak bark tanned bridle hide, a belt to last a lifetime*.

*Subject to waistline!

T: 01452 771012www.ottely.com

BLOKE P e o p l e

Name? Harley Peters

Age? 27

Location? North London

Occupation?

Welder/Fabricator & owner of www.equipped1928.com specializing in

1940s style t-shirts.

Style Icon? Steve Mcqueen seemed to get it right.

Favourite gadget/device? My record player

Favourite book or film? ‘The Birth Of Hot Rodding – Story of the dry

lakes era’ it has it all, the best in cars, clothes and 1940s styling.

Dream car? Far too many to name and definitely not enough time to

build them all. Mainly 1930s/40s era.

Dream holiday destination?

A road trip around the back roads of America, buying a 1940’s truck,

filling it full of stuff and then bring it back home.

Do you have a daily grooming regime?

Only when I get told I look like a scruffy git

How much do you spend on grooming products each month?

Not a lot, unless my pomade runs out.

How much do you spend on clothes each month?

More than my wife knows about.

Do you have a favourite clothing brand?

LVC Levis Vintage Clothing

Do you have a favourite grooming products brand?

Generally blue Dax or Black & White but have started using Murray’s

Super light which I found whilst in California recently.

M a n o f t h e M o m e n t

How often do you get your hair cut? Every month

Who cuts your hair? A good friend Steve ‘Deluxestyling’

Favourite item of clothing?

Has to be my Carolina engineer boots that were resoled by Brian

‘the bootmaker’ at Role Club in LA

Most expensive item of clothing you own?

My Rising Sun ranch hand duck canvas jacket.

Most ridiculous item of clothing ever purchased?

Pretty much all of them if you ask my wife!

What clothing item in the world would you most like to own?

At the moment its a Palomino horsehair/hide jacket.

What grooming product could you not live without?

Does a penknife count?

What, in your opinion, is the greatest fashion crime?

Wearing a Belstaff or Barbour jacket and not having the

motorcycle to go with it!

If you could have anyone’s wardrobe, whose would it be?

Just send me back to post war California and I’d have everything

I want to own right there.

Who, in your opinion, is the world’s best-dressed man?

That’s a tough one, Paul Newman

M a n o f t h e M o m e n tIn honour of our

unrequited love of

Twitter, in each edition

we will bring you a

Tweet-style interview

with a notable BLOKE.

BLOKE W h i f f

Rules are there to be broken. So when we said in our first

edition that Bloke would be a celebrity-free zone, we had

not allowed for a chance encounter with the ever-

eloquent and erudite Richard E Grant. In this exclusive

article, the debonair actor and author tells – in his own

words - the story of how he came to create his own

signature scent.

Setting up my ‘One Man Brand’

JACK perfume business was the

result of being encouraged by

handbag and accessories

supremo Anya Hindmarch who

said “just do it”.

We were fellow house guests

in Mustique and she had

noticed that I missiled my

nose at everything in sight.

“Are you going to do

something about it?” she

asked when I had my head in a

gardenia bush. “Do you mean

psychiatrically?” “No, create a

perfume of your own.”

This prompted me to confess

that when I was twelve years

old and had a crush on an

American girl called Betsy

Clapp.

Y o u D o n ’ t K n o w J A C K

Y o u D o n ’ t K n o w J A C K

BLOKE My pocket money couldn’t

stretch to buying her scent for

her birthday, so I stole all the

gardenia and rose petals in my

parents’ garden in Swaziland

where I grew up, boiled them

in sugar water, sealed them up

in jam jars, and then buried

them underground, in the

mistaken belief that they

would transform into scent.

PASSION IS EVERYTHING

Anya whipped out her iPhone,

pinged me a list of contacts to

approach back in London and

declared that, in business,

passion is everything.

I met with perfumier Lynn

Harris of Miller Harris, who

was very encouraging, whilst

detailing the pitfalls of the

industry.

Then onto Marigay McKee,

head honcho at Harrods, who

basically read me the Riot Act

of how the business operates.

She introduced me to

perfumier Roja Dove, who has

been a benign Svengali to me

ever since.

He set up a meeting with

Catherine Mitchell at IFF, one

of the big five fragrance

MET WITH THE NOSE

Catherine took me seriously,

said that Liberty were looking

for a bespoke unisex British

scent and set up a meeting

with head buyers Gina Ritchie

and Sarah Coonan.

Felt like Dragon’s Den meets

The Apprentice. Twenty

minutes later, we emerged

with a deal to produce a

perfume in the months ahead

that they would launch

exclusively at Liberty, if it was

good enough.

Met with ‘Nose’ Alienor

Massenet who transformed my

ideas into multiple ‘test’

options, crucially adding a

base ‘note’ of Oud to give the

fragrance “va-va-voom”. Back

and forth testing sessions over

six months, and ‘road testing’

it on all my friends, I finally

had a Eureka moment in the

middle of the night,

combining two of my ‘almost-

but-not-quite’ tester

favourites into a bottle,

phoned Alienor at dawn and

declared “this is it!”

Asked Dylan Jones at GQ if I

could write a monthly diary of

my A-Z journey into business

in lieu of having no

companies on the planet, who

asked if this was to be a

‘celebrity fragrance’? When I

said ‘No’, she ordered me to

sit down, asked what the

ingredients would be and

what the packaging would

look like.

“Financing this all yourself?”

“Entirely.”

“Risky.”

“I know, but my accountant

worked out what I had ‘saved’

by never drinking or smoking,

and I decided to take a punt

starting a business with that

money.”

I wanted a unisex,

quintessentially British brand,

which is why the packaging is

pillar box red, whilst the

bottle is ‘sleeved’ inside a

vintage-style Union Jack

calico bag with a luggage

label attached, so that it can

be personalised once opened.

The ingredients – lime,

marijuana, mandarin, vetiver,

nutmeg, pepper and tobacco.

I wanted the scent to be

addictive and almost lickable.

advertising budget, which he

generously agreed to, before

asking “what’s it called?”

Stumped for a name, he

suggested ‘JACK’, as it’s British

and comes in a flag bag.

Applied to get the name

patented and at the 11th hour

was issued with a lawsuit by

an American company who

claimed it was too like one of

their perfume brands.

Felt like David fighting a

corporate Goliath. Took legal

advice and encouraged to

stand my ground. They finally

conceded just before going to

court, exempting them from

paying my legal costs.

AWARD WINNER

Approached Swallowfield

company in Wellington,

Somerset to produce the

perfume in relatively small

volumes as a start up

business, which they

generously agreed to.

Mid-January 2014, I hand

delivered bottles of JACK to

30 magazine editors in the

hope that they might give me

editorial coverage. I am as

‘hands on’ as it’s possible to

Fragrance Foundation.

This has enabled me to launch

a second scent JACK-COVENT

GARDEN in the spring of 2015.

The third incarnation JACK-

PICCADILLY launches later this

year. I now employ my

daughter as our business

expands.

As it says in very small print

on the back of the box: “JACK

is my signature in scent.”

Richard E Grant

www.jackperfume.co.uk

get in every aspect of the

business and respond directly

to customers via the website.

Launched online and at

Liberty in the Spring of 2014

with a party crammed with

every famous face I could

persuade to show up and

within six months, JACK

became a best seller and my

fledgling company went into

profit. Topped off with the

award for Best New

Independent Fragrance at the

perfume ‘Oscars’ given by the

Meccanica

Classic British clothing

with a contemporary twist.

Born out of a racing heritage our

classics are inspired by

individuality, speed, style and the

beauty of things with two wheels

or four.

We fuse a passion for British engineering with

Italian design; our aim is to celebrate both

nations’ rich cycling and motor racing heritages.

Available sizes small to 4XL

while keeping a great cut and style.

www.meccanica.cc

+44 (0) 1565 651155

BLOKE G e a r

T h r i f t y y e t N i f t yThere was a time when the very thought of wearing second-hand clothing would have

been considered unthinkable for all but the least fortunate in society. But with the steady

decline in the quality of modern clothing, a growing desire for longer-lasting menswear

and an uncertain economic climate, the thrift store or charity shop has become the go-to

destination for many of the most dapper individuals. The Bloke reports.

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BLOKE

We live in austere times. The

recession might be over – for

now, at least – but neither my

pockets nor my wallet feel

suddenly swollen with excess

cash to splurge on throwaway

fashion items. Little wonder

then that an increasing

number of people – including

some of the best-dressed

people you’re ever likely to

meet – are eschewing the high

street in favour of charity

shops and thrift stores.

And before you voice your

concerns about “dead man’s

clothes” or the vague whiff of

mothballs, it is worth bearing

in mind one important point:

If an item of clothing is of

sufficient quality and

distinction to be sold not once

but twice, the chances are that

it is an item worth owning.

Thrift stores do not generally

sell t-shirts from Primark as

these are made – effectively –

to be disposable.

07971 853172

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that will breathe life back back into a treasured jacket.

BLOKE

FINE AND FRUGAL

Many years ago, I was having

lunch in an up-market London

restaurant. There was a man at

the table beside mine who

was sporting a really nice

window-pane check blue

blazer.

The jacket was clearly good

quality. Besides the surgeon’s

cuffs that he wore open, the

buttonholes were just so; the

buttons themselves even

more so. Despite my usual

English reluctance of striking

up conversation with total

strangers, I complimented the

man on his jacket and he

quickly admitted that he had

bought it in a charity shop in

West London. “I would rather

spend £25 on a quality jacket

and £50 getting a tailor to

adjust the fit to my liking than

buy something of lesser

quality off the rack,” he said.

I can relate. I have shopped in

charity shops regularly for

many years, partly out of

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BLOKE

narrow nor wide, it is just…

right. It is beautifully lined

and sufficiently thick to take a

proper knot, not that awful

four-in-hand excuse for a knot

favoured by tattooed

footballers and TV

newsreaders and which look

like the work of a four year-

old. It has been cleaned a few

times over the years but it has

retained its body and lustre.

And it has been tied so many

times now that the cloth

almost knows where it needs

to go.

SIGNS OF QUALITY

Of course, a designer label is

no guarantee of quality

(although it often helps).

Many so-called fashion houses

outsource the production of

clothing to low-end

producers. In addition, it is not

unusual for designers to have

a variety of quality levels and

brands to match: a genuine

Armani suit is always going to

be better than an Emporio

Armani number.

With that in mind, the thrift

store shopping experience is

more a matter of what you

know than who you know.

frugality but, more often, out

of a desire to own something

different, unique and

noteworthy. My wardrobe

currently contains at least six

blazers and sports jackets that

arrived home wrinkled and

crinkled in a bag with Oxfam

emblazoned down its side.

These include a ginger

number in cashmere that is a

talking point whenever I wear

it; and a tweed shooting jacket

– trimmed with leather at the

cuffs - I tried on in a Glasgow

charity shop and which fitted

every bit as well as any of my

hand-made, bespoke suits.

Although I do not have what

you might call a favourite item

of clothing, I do have one

piece that I return to time

after time after time. And it

too came from a charity shop

about 35 years ago. It is a

black silk Nina Ricci tie with

the designer’s name brocaded

repeatedly into the weave.

I originally bought it to go

with a suit I inherited from my

grandfather when I was going

through my thankfully short-

lived New Romantic/film

noir/European cinema phase

and it has been a wardrobe

staple ever since. It is neither

BLOKE

There are innumerable signs

of quality, but here are a seven

basic guidelines:

* Look for trousers with

quality details. Split or fishtail

waistbands, pick stitching in

the fly, buttons to carry real

braces, side adjusters, and a

closure with a generous tab

are good signs of a quality

piece.

* Look for shirts with mother-

of-pearl buttons. They’ll look

more lustrous and feel cold on

your lip. They’re more

expensive and are prone to

chipping, so they’re only used

on high-quality shirts.

* Better jackets will have three

discrete layers in their chest -

an outer, a lining and a canvas

in between.

Pinch the cloth to distinguish.

If you only feel two, they

canvas and outer are glued

together, a sure sign of a

lower-quality jacket.

* Shoes that have a shiny,

plasticky look are made of

“corrected” or “polished”

leather.

Because of imperfections, the

top layer is sanded off, then

replaced with a plastic

coating. This is cheaper than

picking undamaged hides, so

it’s most of what you’ll find on

the thrift store shelf.

* Never buy synthetics. If you

see a label that reads

polyester or nylon, put it back

on the shelf.

* Don’t buy third-world-made

goods. The words “Made in

England” (or Italy or the US or

Canada or Switzerland or

Germany) don’t guarantee

quality goods, but the words

“Made in Bangalore” generally

paint a rather more telling

picture.

SHOPPING SERENDIPITY

One of the main pleasures of

thrift store shopping is the

sheer serendipity it

occasionally affords.

There are few things that give

me greater pleasure than

spotting a rose among the

thorns; an undiscovered

diamond in the rough.

And of course, no amount of

heritage or luxury can replace

that feeling that an item is

just, well, you.

But, as a further protection, it

is worth knowing your brands

so you can recognise a gem

when you see it.

Many thrift store enthusiasts

are armed with a physical or

mental brand list that sorts

the wheat (a Brioni jacket)

from the chaff (a Baroni

jacket).

And, in the age of smart

phones and eBay, don’t forget

that you have a constant and

well-informed ally. Search for

completed auctions on the

web or in the eBay app and

get a sense of the market.

Some brands fly under the

eBay radar, but for larger

brands, it’s an easy way to

distinguish between the good,

the bad and the somewhere

between the two.

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BLOKE G e a r

Leather jackets have always been a staple item of any mans wardrobe.

Whether you are a fan of the blazer, biker or bomber style, most of us will have one

lurking in the back of our wardrobe we can't bear to part with.

However there is now an innovative way to upcycle your precious jacket, rather than

hand it over to the charity shop

W h o l e N e w B a g o f T r i c k s

W h o l e N e w B a g o f T r i c k s

by Martha Stewart about how

to make a leather bag by hand

- so I tried that but ended up

using a machine.

"I made that bag very badly,"

she says with a slightly

embarrassed laugh. "I still

have it though; it's an upright

messenger bag with a flap.

"A few people spotted my bag

and asked me to do one for

them, so I started collecting

leather jackets and my

addiction was born!

"Now it's a full time career

which I can do working from

home, although now I have

the industrial sewing

machines which makes it all a

bit easier."

Most customers send a coat

for Aly to create a bag from,

but if someone would like a

bespoke bag and likes the

idea of upcycling, but doesn't

have their own jacket, then

Aly has a collection for them

to choose from, usually

sourced from charity shops

and ebay and kept until they

are needed.

"The style and size of the bag

is then chosen and I

deconstruct the coat, but keep

original features such as

buttons, zips and other

details," said Ally.

"I line the bags with old shirts

and I have a number of nice

old Ted Baker ones, but I can

use one a client has. am now

The jacket may have been a

second hand find you

treasure, a present from a

loved one or snaffled from

family member - you may

even have one your dad or

brother used to wear before

they passed away.

For Aly Ashton, that's the

point. Creating these bags

from leather jackets is actually

a way of upcycling your

memories.

"Every bag has a memory,"

says the 49-year-old mum of

two simply. "It's a way of

finally making use of that

jacket which is sitting in your

wardrobe.

"The first bag I made was

about ten years ago and it was

from my own coat which I had

worn forever, through my late

teens, twenties and even

thirties. It was second hand

when I got it, which made it all

the more loved, but it was

getting pretty threadbare.

"I had seen a YouTube video

BLOKE

Along with selling her work

through her online Etsy shop,

they can be found at Wears

London at Greenwich Market

London and The Royal

Exchange Theatre Manchester

who stock Aly's work.

It takes eight to ten hours of

work on average to create one

of the bags which can cost

anything from £50 to £250

depending on the size and

detailing.

"I have been sewing since the

age of 12 and always used to

make my own clothes, but I

really feel like I have found my

niche now with leather.

"In the past I have worked as a

receptionist, building printed

circuit boards and making

lycra leotards and other

stretch clothes. Making the

bags has been a real learning

curve, and it has been difficult

at times but I have got there

now.

"I do love doing this; I bounce

out of bed knowing I have a

day of doing something I

love.I get such a buzz out of

making something that

someone will keep forever, out

of items of clothing of loved

ones - not just those who have

very recently lining some bags

with Liberty and Laura Ashley

fabrics too."

Aly doesn't follow fashion, but

after consultation with the

client, lets the details of the

jacket guide her design. She

believes one of the most

interesting aspects about

repurposing the leather is the

fact that before it landed in

Aly's hands, it had a whole

other life, something she can

then preserve as a memory

bag for someone to cherish.

As well as the bags, Aly also

creates coin purses, pencil

cases, laptop bags, basically

anything which can be

created from leather.

battered look and I thought

he might like what I do, so I

sourced an old vintage blazer

and lined it with levis,

contacted him and he's

agreed to use it in the series,"

she says proudly.

So far Aly has made around

500 bags, plus lots of smaller

items and has a waiting list of

a few weeks for customers

who want Aly to make them a

bag of their own.

She was even contacted by a lady

from Adelaide who has turned

into a loyal customer,

commissioning her to make two

bags as well as a handbag tidy.

"It's nice to think of my bags

going across the world," she says.

"I hate waste and throwing things

out....the loft is getting very full,"

she admits. "I can't look at

anything without wondering

what else I can turn it into.Up-

cycling has become a bit of a

passion for me, I'll do it until I die!”

passed away, but from old

clothing of children and

husband too.

"The winning thing for me and

for customers is that each bag

is one of a kind. The shops are

full of beautiful bags, but they

are all the same type of thing.

These are original. They are

also earth friendly as we are re

using material."

One of Aly's bags is due to make a

TV appearance later in the year

when Drew Pritchard uses

Salvage Hunters on Quest TV.

"He's into the very old vintage