It’s been very lively at Previous this month, with lots of visitors of all ages. We were a bit low on stock after Christmas, so we’ve reordered some of the most popular ranges and have sought out some new ones too – we are now the local stockists for the lovely Bath House bath and beauty products, with the gin and tonic lip balm the most sought after element so far… Also new are gorgeous Katie Leamon hand-printed cards and stationary, very funky with pineapples, dragonflies, flamingoes and bees; the foiled ones are everso glamorous.

We also have quite a few really interesting vintage pieces in, though they are selling fast: fab mid-century lamps, planes, boats, glasses, 50s china, flags, botanical book plates and great small furniture, but my favourite, the ‘Mangling Done Here’ sign, is already sold. Some things are hard to let go!

We are very eagerly anticipating the arrival of paintings by the wonderfully named Victor Moody, but in the meantime we’ve been to London to find more lovely new things and there are forthcoming deliveries from several exciting new stockists, so watch this space.

But you know what they say about all work and dull boys, so we treated ourselves to a meal at the new ‘Mutha’ restaurant further along Corsham High Street and can report a wonderful evening with old friends and really good, tasty Italian fare, including a spot of Prosecco, octopus, pizza, aubergine parmigiana, tiramisu AND fresh doughnuts. All excellent, with a great atmosphere – top marks. The pizza oven there is quite a thing, cooking the pizzas in about a minute.  And now I need a little lie down.

It’s back to work week, the decs are down and it’s stopped raining at last, hurrah! Wonderful to see the sun and all sorts of new (and familiar) faces in the shop this week. We have a few items in our mini-sale: some cushions, owl money-boxes, red-spot purses and hand-crocheted baby boots, but they’re going fast.

Mostly this week I have been selling furniture; perhaps everyone feels like sprucing up their home once the tree goes and it suddenly looks much larger. We’ve had lots of new vintage items in this week too from flags to Concorde – I think my current favourites are the fab 50s gold plates at £2.50 each. And as for the ‘Mark and Moody’ sign, what can I say? – perfect for above someone’s bed? Coincidentally, we have also bought several wonderful mid century oil paintings by listed RA artist Victor Hume Moody, (no relation), which I’m really thrilled about. They are currently with the framer/restorer, so watch this space.

New in this week are more cashmere items (we need cosy at this time of year and they’re so reasonably priced, you know it makes sense!), gorgeous cards and little suede notebooks (£3.50 each!). We have also begun ordering from the new spring ranges, so all sorts of goodies are on their way – perfect for presents and treats – which we probably need more at this time of year than any other.

There’s been a lovely buzz in the shop lately, with lots of excited children and even a Christmas wedding at St Bartholemew’s around the corner, church bells pealing in the gloaming. It’s been increasingly busy at Previous, with a high percentage of male customers buying jewellery in the last few days. We’ve almost sold out of Moroccan slippers, fancy French pants and specs, bath and beauty products and carnival lights and we’re getting low on stocking-fillers, but we’ve had new deliveries of our ‘winter scent’ candles, felt/suede slippers and cashmere. Plenty to cosy up with over the holiday period and beyond. Full of festive spirit, we loved giving one of our super-soft fur pompom scarves to the Big Issue seller in Corsham on Saturday.

Thrilled at the idea that we’ve passed the Winter Solstice and Summer is on its way, we visited several local hotels today to distribute our glossy new Previous flyers and have a cheeky afternoon tea – it would be rude not to. Seated in a narrow space behind the enormous fireplace at the Red Lion in Lacock, we were fascinated to see a panel of painted plaster, which may pre-date the advent of widely available wallpaper and which was presumably in a reasonably important space at one time. We found a smaller, less elaborate panel under layers of wallpaper in our own house (dating from 1604) a mile away in Lanes End.

Previous is open up to and including Christmas Eve, for last-minute goodies or just a good seasonal mooch, and open again on the 29th. From then, our opening hours will be 11-4 till New Year’s Eve. Closed on New Year’s Day, we return to our usual hours of 10-5 Monday-Saturday thereafter. And now we’re off in search of a Christmas tree.

I had been warned: ‘It’s a bun fight!’ they said. In for a penny, we thought, as we opened the Previous doors for the annual Christmas Lights celebrations on Friday. There was a bit of car-clearing and walk-talky action mid-afternoon, and before we knew it, the mulled wine stall had very handily been set up directly opposite, the actual real-life reindeer were installed outside the post office, the ‘snow’ was falling and the lights were twinkling. Magical.

There was a wonderful turn-out, an almost tangible buzz in the air and the shop was bustling with young and old alike, (not to mention the middle-aged), which is how I like it. It was great to see so many friends in woolly hats greeting each other and so many smiling faces. Apart from all the stocking-fillers and the carnival lights, top sellers were the Parisian specs (from See-Concept) and the fur-topped bobble hats, which together is quite a look, if you can pull it off.

So thank you for popping in, thank you to our lovely staff, thank you to the organisers and thank you to Claire and Simon for the very welcome Xmas drinks afterwards. We never saw any buns though.

ps. Lots of vintage goodies, new stocking-fillers, carnival lights, cushions, slippers, baskets, jewellery and cashmere (wraps, jumpers, ponchos, jackets and hats) are coming in the next few days – the last ones flew out, so it’s worth coming by soon if you can. And the fancy French pants are getting low too, fna.

It’s almost December and time to do the Previous Christmas windows! After a spot of wood collecting and some experimental gold spraying, we set off with a car full of sparkly twigs and all sorts of golden balls. My able assistant Tilda, (home from studying Art at Uni), was a fantastic help – once she’d tried on the new clothes and accessories ranges. She never could resist cashmere.

A little bit of invisible thread and some twinkly lights go a long way in a window display and we soon had it sorted. Pop in and see what we’ve dangled: silver eggs, cubist matt gold decs, vintage glass santas, cherubs and churches,  even jewel-coloured pants. All ready for the Grand Corsham Christmas Lights Switch-on, next Friday 4th December 5-7pm – we look forward to welcoming you.

It may be freeezing cold outside, but we’re keeping warm, because we’re busy, busy, busy (and we are wearing Ruby Brown’s marvellous felt slippers (almost sold out, but about to order more). We’ve had quite a few new ranges in this week and they are already selling well. Choose from:

Gorgeous all-natural bath and beauty products (for men and women) from Priddy Essentials, all made by hand in small batches in great packaging – and most importantly, they smell divine! From £4.50.

Probably the nicest pants you’ve ever seen! Cotton lawn undies from Paris company ‘Germaine des Pres’ in jewel colours with contrast trim, which come beautifully packaged in matching drawstring bags. At £12.95 each they come in small, medium and large, so we can all have some.

Fabulous reading specs, also from Paris, by See-Concept, in all sorts of wonderful colours, including red, green, navy, black and tortoiseshell; they are top quality, unisex and are available in the full range of strengths, from 0.1+, to 3.0+, and in sunglasses. They come in grey felt pouches and lovely boxes – super-stylish and only £22.50. Why pay more?

Also new in are artisan-made cushions and lamp-shades from Caernarvon-based design company Peris and Corr. They are spare, but decorative ‘Welsh blanket’ tapestry prints on quality linen in amazing colours, perfect in a traditional or contemporary style home and you can be pretty sure no-one else will have them. We can take orders too, if we haven’t got the colour/size you would like.

We’ve also re-stocked on low-cost, but funky stuff for kids, from whoopee cushions to clockwork ballerinas and bow and arrows, as well as some very funny cards and our gorgeous silver jewellery dipped in 18 carat gold (in great boxes) from £14.

And lots, lots, more…..come in and say hello, or call us if you’d like anything sent. It’s only a month away!