The engaging – and eccentric – Phyllis the curtain lady has been round again. I found her via the local parish magazine. She’s of advanced years, always beautifully turned out and with her silent husband, Ted, in tow. He’s the driver.
Phyllis has done amazing things with the curtains from my previous house, making two pairs into one, one pair into two, shortening, lengthening and tweaking. She has also conjured full piped window seat cushions out of fragments of fabric.
 In all honesty this tiny dot of a lady, a bundle of energy, has saved me thousands of pounds and transformed the house. I swear some of the curtains weigh more than she does.