Emma and Claire are two women from Brighton who share a passion. In their spare time, they visit a certain kind of establishment they call Fashionssss Shops. They initiated Ian Peacock into the joys of this particular hobby According to Emma and Claire, a Fashionssss shop (rather than a fashion shop) is easily recognised. They are to be found in certain South East towns - Hastings, Bexhill and Eastbourne are good examples. They can also be identified by their window displays which sport a certain type of mannequin. "The skin colour is a bright coral orange and usually hands have dropped off and they'll stick it all back on with tape." But the vital element to a fashions shop display are scarf rings which Emma describes as "the holy grail" because they're so rare.
When Ian Peacock joined them on one of their trips, they stopped for a Belgian bun in Battle quite near the Abbey. From their vantage point in the tea shop they spotted a girdle in a distant window.
But the merchandise in 'Lingerie of Battle' was too pristine for the girls' liking. So they moved on to Bexhill where they found a prime example of a Fashions Shop. It sported polystyrene heads, decapitation, displays of hankies in baskets, dead flies, but alas, no scarf rings. Claire and Emma think they'll make very good old people one day. They both like tea shops, visiting stately homes and gardens and everywhere they go on their little jaunts, there's millions of old people there too.
