I did an interview with Trevor Anderson, the head of Retail for Oxfam yesterday. It was fascinating, I asked about some of the unusual donations they have had. He told me about an incident a long time ago when someone tethered a donkey outside the first Oxfam shop, in Oxford, and they managed to sell it. I’ll write more about our conversation again.
Right now I am working on a talk for Universettee. Great title… It’s a brilliant event I have wanted to go to for ages, it takes place in London and the visual artist Janice Macaulay runs it. People give lectures (like in University) in people’s homes (the settees part) on unusual and diverse topics, and you bring along some food to share before the talk bit. Some of the topics so far have included: Who the heck is Zizek?, Hunchbacks, lunatics and bio-politics in the work of W.G.Sebald, Volunteering in post-war Liberia, and Signs and wonders: the art of Sister Corita. Oh, and the one I liked the sound of most – a talk about The Cardboard Box!
My talk is called “If I go suddenly – charity shop stories” because the obsession continues! Thanks to Ann Marie for the title, and also for the odd/creepy cat picture she bought in a charity shop which will be a prop. I’ll talk about why I love charity shops and my fears around the old style shops closing. More importantly, there will be a charity shop raffle!
Thanks to Maeve Higgins and her Enlightenment Night I got to do a version of this talk there last November. That is another fantastic event in Dublin, where people give short talks on things they are passionate about. I’ve been to two nights so far and heard about a range of stuff including barefoot running, the art of drumming, starfish, and Michael Fassbender.
I hope to give my Universettee talk here sometime so will let you know. I’m also hoping to launch myself as a quasi- personal shopper for people who like charity shops but never seem to find things in them, or just for people who want to go shopping with me and my beady eye.
The first attempt did not quite work out as envisaged, I took my friend C. to 9 charity shops in Dublin, she bought nothing but I got some bargains, including a Whistles skirt for 1 euro which was great for wearing at Christmas. I found some new shops I want to write about, and went to a flea in Barcelona… (photos of both in this post) but I better get back to writing the lecture now.