One of my regular customers is Trafalgar Lighting (www.trafalgarlighting.co.uk) a Theatrical Equipment Hire company based in North London, for whom I make all manner of bits and pieces.

One of their popular hire items is Illuminated Makeup Mirrors used for films and fashion shows, and over the years I have made them quite a number. Following a request from one of their customers I have just made them two full length illuminated mirrors. These stand at just under 2mts high by 750mm wide, supported by sturdy metal wheeled frames to withstand the rigours of touring, with a total of 14 brass lamp holders per unit seriously big and I am rather pleased with them, as are they.

However I found making them very disconcerting, too much looking in a mirror.

Whilst it is accepted in our house that I am undoubtedly a trend setter in fashion, my family are just  too polite to admit it.  I have been wearing Bib and Brace overalls for years long before The Guardian declared them the look for this summer. I have had ripped jeans for as long as I can remember, and I didn’t need to pay trendy prices too get them.  Despite being such a Hipster, I only tend to look in a mirror once a day and then not very closely. What I found building these was I was getting lots of close encounters with a strange person as I bent over to fit things or do up screws, and discovered that my hair seems to be a magnet for sawdust even if I hadn’t  been sanding something.

I tried brushing it out to no avail, and then I made the horrendous realisation that most of my flowing auburn locks have fallen out and what remains has  mysteriously changed colour whilst I wasn’t paying attention. My father who had a similar hair style use to joke he had a chauffeurs haircut ” a trim up the wings with a polish on the bonnet” I think I am really funny asking for a Mohican every time the barber asks what I want, although the barber may not agree.

Too much reality creeping in. I might need to admit to my thirtieth birthday soon,  but I think I will stick to my sawdust story for now