On our way to an antiques centre at Abernyte, about and hour and half's drive away, Gillian told of us her recent visit with her mother to the Poundsworth Shop in Blairgowrie.
"So, Mum picks up an item and asks the assistant, 'how much is this?'
"'A pound', says the assistant.
"'Oh, right,' says mum and picks up another item. 'And this?'
"'A pound', says the assistant.
"'Oh, right,' says mum and picks up another item. 'And this?'
"'Yes, a pound,' says the assistant.
"'Oh, says mum, light dawning. 'So everything in here is a pound?'"
At the antique centre we find dozens of fur coats and parade around for a while, admiring ourselves in minks and foxes. Gillian settles on an outrageous fur stole. I am more modest and find a mink butterfly brooch:
This however, turned out to be merely an appetiser for the main course yet to come: a trip to meet Janet Eagleton MBE, the only remaining traditional sporran maker in Scotland. A visit to her shop is truly a unique experience as she does not sell to other retail outlets because there are pretenders who try to copy her sporrans by sending photos of her designs to China for manufacture. But these are pathetic imitations lined with cardboard, not leather, that fall apart and often cost twice as much as the real thing - a rip-off for the unwary. Janet's sporrans are all made by herself and her son in her own workshop. http://www.scottish-sporrans.co.uk/
In the window of Janet's unassuming shop in the centre of Perth, hang a variety of sporrans. Big ones, small ones, hairy ones, dangly ones, black ones, yellow ones. Janet is maker for the Black Watch, the Royal Family and Billy Connolly. She is now also maker for Sarah Hawthorn, because Janet invented the sporran handbag which is an exact replica of a sporran but with a handle, rather than belt.
I am now the proud owner of this beauty, fashioned from goat hair:
Eat your hearts out, fashionistas!
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