Fifties Find

I've been looking for some curtain material.

I had an idea I wanted splashy yellow roses 

on a grey background.

I could picture it, but I couldn't find it.

All the usual avenues having been exhausted

and prices per metre being shockingly high

for anything I quite liked,

I turned to a well known auction site.

And sitting there on the haberdasher's counter

 was a bolt of 7 yards 16 inches of unused

1950s Bevis fabric made for Simpson and Godlee.

Priced at £1 6s 11d per yard when new,

this would have cost me the equivalent of almost £200.

There was one other customer, eyeing it speculatively.

I turned out my purse for sixpences, threepenny bits,

florins and half crowns.

I opened my wallet for blue fivers, brown ten bob notes

 and green pounds.

I thought I might have enough.

The auction ended this afternoon.

Mine for £25. Happy me.

I'll have it sent. It's quite heavy.

But will I dare cut into it?