Meet my new boyfriend, Alfred.

Afternoon Campers,

Well this week has been pretty ridiculous. As you may have seen in my previous post, I was asked to write a guest piece for a local blog. I have written said guest piece and it has been published on their website http://www.jpfestival.com/p/festival-fashion.html. It is a piece about what one should wear if one were to frequent the Cheltenham races this year. It was kindly published by jpfestival.com - you should all check out their website for tips for the upcoming racing events.

The above blog proves that when you are starting out you have to take chances wherever they present themselves. This has turned out VERY well for me and will hopefully lead to future collaborations with jpfestival. Never did I think that one of my first experience with the fashion world, outside of uni, would be mingled with horse racing. But then I expect gown designer Bruce Oldfield and former Red or Dead designer Wayne Hemmingway didnt think they would be adding "McDonald's Uniform Designer" to their CVs. If this week has taught me anything, it is that we must step outside the box, because you get nowhere if you dont. In fact I was getting dangerously close to having to live in said box because lack of money seems to be an awful side effect of being unemployed.

One of my friends once told me the world would be better off if we all went back to trading goods and services, making money obsolete. I always thought this was a bad idea, mainly because I am not interested in growing a tomato bigger than my head to swap for someone's equally big swede as they do in some surrounding Cotswold areas...but now im thinking I would clean all the fake tan out of Donatella's bath tub if she lent me a dress. See, always thinking about new ideas. The one idea I cannot get my head around however is 'signing on'. We have all had friends who have done it and we have all mercilessly ripped them to shreds because of it. However, this is becoming a reality for university leavers; even getting a part time job, especially in the beginning months of the year is a struggle. Therefore we are left with two choices - wear items in our wardrobes MORE than once...or sign on so we can buy new things. Personally I think we should all just move to London and partake in swap-shop parties where you swap lightly worn/unwanted goods with other people of your age and fashion persuasion. I say we must move to London for this, because im not sure about you, but I have no interest in swapping a Moschino skirt for something with the word 'Kappa' on it - yes Gloucester we get it, it is much easier to run away after shoplifting if one is wearing a tracksuit instead of a properly tailored pair of cigarette trousers.

So, the dole, jobseekers, signing on, part of the Monday crew, post office mafia, whatever you call it, there is stigma attached. Why has it gotten to the point where we are afraid to sign on? The only things I am likely to get out of it are bruised ankles from the death on wheels trollie basket and a 70 year old boyfriend named Alfred who I have taken a shine to because he drinks JD in the queue at the Post Office and I am partial to whiskey. Sigh. The government needs to make it more accessible to people of our age as we are the ones in trouble at the moment. "Wait" you are saying, "before you pick up the wondrous cheque, dont you have to go to a meeting"? Yes my friends. Apparently you sit with a man who thinks because you arent working you are therefore a regular on Jeremy Kyle and perhaps a glue sniffer. Actually sir my education cost more than your house and im just a bit down on my luck at the moment. What job am I looking for? Anything in fashion please. I can get you a M-F 9-5 job as a game shooter or weekend work as a Rabbi (im not Jewish). Oh good, im all set. Perhaps a little more post education help would be the thing to look into.

Anyway, the Six Nations is on later so no more need to rant. Rugby shorts and the legs that fill them have always cheered me up. So Shalom friends, speak tomorrow.

Becky xx