The Unconventional Adventure

As the previous post stated, Character Kit and Company (well, me, which counts as company when the boredom sets in) journeyed down to Northampton's Unconventional Market. It was, in the Proprietor's words, very representational of the "very glamorous life" I'm getting myself into. (I have the odd urge to muse upon the irony of my own title Costume Mercenary - after all, if one was truly mercenary, there are many many more lucrative ventures.)

The Market was held in the Captain's Suite of a Rugby Club. We were based right at the end of the long room, right next to the toilet and the only logical space to position the chrome clothing rails ended up... well, the picture tells the rest of the tale.

The mixture of hope, pessimism and nervousness - all of which manifests as butterflies in the stomach and sheer sleeplessness - soon waned and it was all replaced by a sort of tepid boredom.

The rest of the post (under the cut with many pictures) will be chronicling our most splendid adventures (it's even more dull than it sounds, so readers beware):




The Proprietor of Character Kit and myself were on an early afternoon coach to Milton Keynes, where we stayed overnight and then taking an train to Northampton at an ungodly hour. It was not a difficult journey, or a particularly unpleasant one, merely lengthy and occasionally dull. Remarkably, throughout it, we didn't actually kill each other and survived all uncomfortable silences, cold walks dragging luggage and assorted scavenged food.

The proprietor and all our luggage in Durham Coach Station. Note the lack of wheel on the suitcase.

The Proprietor on the bus (an exciting action shot of him checking his pocket watch). We were seated next to the toilet so that the giant that is the Proprietor could have space to stretch his legs. This set the tone for the rest of the adventure.

The Proprietor at Milton Keynes station. Despite being the veritable coach hub, we found little shelter. This is yet another exciting action shot of the Proprietor deploying his phone.

The tangle of swords on our stall. Character Kit uses business cards as price tags.

The Unconventional Market. To the Left are the local Vikings. Visible in the right hand corner are the shoulders of the Steampunk Coat.

Another photo of the fair.

The Mercenary at the stall. The Proprietor was getting a little sick of being photographed at this point in time.