A Morning in Martha

Today, we went on a trip to Marthas with a camera phone.
The first thing we found was the window full of some kind of bulk buy of Bathroom Scales, £5 each! I can't help but wonder who donated these. But if you're after some, you know where to go.


I found this Doll, I recon some little girls brother drew boobs on her dolly just to be a pain. I think it looks pretty awesome, but I can't say I would buy it for my child. From my past experience drawing on Barbies, I know that you can't wash biro of this kind of plastic, ah well, if anyone fancies this doll, shes still there.

Zombie Bambi

Hey Lustlings,

Another week, another casualty of Martha Trust. This fellow was my Valentines gift, so I don't know how little he cost, I just know that he's feeling a little worse for wear...

He seems mostly Bambi shaped, except for the crest on his head?! The eyes have drooped and his fur is a bit crusty, somewhat as though he's been rescued from a house fire incident. Does this sort of thing happen in every charity shop, or just Martha Trust? Why is every item on sale so terribly abused? It is possible though that that he's a special edition Zombie Bambi. Don't you all remember that scene from the Movie?

Much Lust! - Team Martha

We know an old lady who swallowed a fly...

We've been sitting on this Martha Trust marvel for a while. This beautiful old lady is certainly hand sewn and one of a kind...

She's amazing enough just as she is, with her wiry legs, hunched position and terrifying nose... Is it just me, or does she bear a remarkable resemblance to that evil puppet in the Saw movies?

I was pretty excited as it was, but wait, what's this????!

What horrors lie in her belly? What on earth is that tangle of legs spewing forth from her oversized mouth?

Suddenly it becomes clear! It's the old Lady who swallowed a fly, and all of the other things she swallowed to catch the spider that caught the fly and so on... This is perhaps the scariest Nursery prop ever created, words can't describe the shivering sensation you get from stuffing a cow down her throat. Speaking of which something is wrong with that cow. Did you ever see one looking like this?

Until next time, Much Lust - Team Martha

The Nut Bunny

Happy Valentines Day Martha!

Today we bring you this beautifully hand crafted Rabbit, fresh off the 50p shelves.

Yeah, that's right. He's made of nut shells... and is adopting some sort of Karate pose I think. He'd not only caught my eye, but also that of the lady at the register, who wrapped him up fondly for me, commenting on what a darling he is.

Almost certainly created by an obsessive compulsive with a nut addiction, or an exceptionally gifted squirrel, you decide. Often forgotten by us in these entries, are Martha's mysterious donators, the proud creators of these fine and wonderous objects. The donators whose lives and stories can only be pieced together through the detritus that they leave for Martha in those black bin bags. Who knows what combination of aeronauts, sex addicts, kleptomaniacs, vampires, old eccentrics, lonely geniuses, rodents, train spotters and time travelers have contributed to the shelves of Martha Trust...

We wonder. Much Lust! - Team Martha

Black Jesus!

Hey folks, here's an unusual wall accessory from Martha's frame boxes:

Yup, there he was. Everyone's favourite unconventional representation of Jesus, just sitting there for 30p! Surrounded by scenes from his life and set in a fine gold frame, this guy is totally rocking out on the mantelpiece.

I did a little research and supposedly beliefs that Jesus was black stem from a description of him in the Book of Daniel where his hair is said to be: "Like pure wool". Clear proof then that Jesus totally had dreads and was therefore black fo sho.

According to one website, Jesus was even a bit of a pot-head cum drug dealer, freely distributing cannabis oil amongst the sick and needy, whilst being frequently anointed in the stuff himself... Oh sure. Well anyhoo, this masterfully painted image claims to illustrates the stark truth:

There are also lots of alternative races of Jesus, some even more far fetched... Here's hoping these show up in Martha Trust soon!:

Chinese Jesus:

Indian Jesus:

And even Native American Jesus!:

Until next time! Much lust - Team Martha

Vintage Glamour

I had the craving to get some headscarves yesterday, so where else would I go but Martha! It had some lovely ones for 50p. I wore one today in a cute bow, with some Pearl cluster earrings, also from Martha.

Black and white patterned headscarf - Martha Trust, 50p
Pear Cluster earrings - Martha trust, 50p
Faux fur jacket- Martha trust, £3
Top underneath (red) - Primark

A bargain of an outfit really

Toby Parker's Martha Lusts

Toby Parker got in touch via our Facebook group, and sent us some pictures of himself in fine Martha gear!

Here he is in a much beloved Bomber Jacket from Martha Trust:

And here, pictured in Liverpool Lime St, sporting a most excellent striped jacket. We love this!

Remember to send us pictures of yourself in Martha Lust gear to: marthalust@gmail.com or get in touch on the Facebook group.

Much Lust - Team Martha

Music Review: Great Sex mix tape.

We've recently started plundering Martha's cassette tape section in the hopes of finding obscure wonders. Our best find so far has been this glorious mix tape:

We've been listening to these 20 sensual grooves a lot at college lately, it's been instrumental to our artistic motivations. With such great tracks as "I Want to Sex You Up" and "Slow Hand", who couldn't love it? I'm pretty sure every song has a Sax solo.

It does leave you wondering does anyone really make love to this stuff though? Have you ever tucked your partner in to the sound of "'Bump N' Grind'? Did anyone ever hear 'Sexual Healing' blasting from their parent's bedroom at night? Probably not. (or I hope not anyway)

Actually from the looks of things, I'm guessing 'Imagination' definitely get it on to their own songs...

Much Lust! - Team Martha

Wear with Attitude

I found such a pretty top last week in Martha. I saw it a few times before finally deciding to buy it, mainly because its pink, and i never really wear pink. I finally bought it. Its pretty but understated, and a nice very pale pink that looks cool with some attitude. Fishnets and army boots do the job pretty well and i think it looks pretty awesome. Get your fishnets from primark, for a pound a pair it doesn't matter if you rip them up abit.
Pale pink knitted top - Martha trust £2
Skirt - Love label
Tights - Primark
Army boots - Second hand, gift

Oscar De Winterview (Part 2)

Oscar De Winter returns for the other half of his interview!

Lust: What's the weirdest thing you've come across in Martha Trust, your item of Martha Crust?

Oscar: I have very little time for anything other than the 1p reliquary. It is the only pilgrimage I deem worthy of significant veneration. You can keep your 10p tea cups or 20p coffee maker, if it’s not 1p then to me it is devoid of meaning. This does of course mean that I resign myself to half-burnt candles, Happy Meal toys, and things that definitely shouldn’t have been in proximity to plasticine at one point, but invariably have ended up with just a little bit of the wonderclay encrusted about their fabrics. Best item of Martha Crust for me has to be, for sheer confusion upon seeing it, a small piece of crochet in a pale lemon wool. I can’t even begin to describe it, so I’ll have to allow the photo to do the talking. 

Oscar: It’s got a ring in the middle, but it isn’t a scrunchie. It’s got a couple of layers, so it’s not a doilyesque coaster. It’s entirely impractical for any sensible purpose and aesthetically it is utterly devoid of any pleasing value. Artistic merit is equally poor. It’s almost infuriating how unnecessary the thing is. When something serves no purpose, is it worth existing at all? Questions like this are the reason that the 1p box is the true wonder of Martha Trust. No other charity shop causes
you to leave with an ontological debate on your hands. 

Lust: What would be the Holy Grail of finds for you in Martha? What do you hope to spot poking out from behind an old foot bath?

Oscar: A second-hand truss. I’m going on an “If you can think of it, Martha will have it” theory, and so a second-hand truss would pretty much make my day. Failing that, some politically incorrect porcelain figurines never fail to catch my eye, the more offensive the better. Also, I’d really love to see what passes for taxidermy at Martha Trust.

Lust: Man, so would we...

Catch you soon Oscar! Much Lust - Team Martha.

You can find more about Oscar De Winter in his family album: http://oscardewinter.blogspot.com/

Sinderella

Amongst Martha Trust's limited, but intriguing video and DVD section are such forgotten marvels as Julius Caesar in cartoon and an array of unknown action movies starring Shaq... However, we found Jim Davidson's 'Sinderella' with a capital SIN! An apparently "sell-out" adult pantomime from 1995. The raunchy, dirty and somewhat un-p.c content certainly lives up to the seedy aesthetics of its photocopied cover and yellowed DVD with the title written on in felt tip...

It quickly becomes clear that Jim Davidson and his cast, including an almost certainly drunk Charlie Drake, are making it up as they go along, with little regard for the script (if they ever read it in the first place). In fact we're pretty sure most of the cast are completely wrecked, whilst the audience according to the box are "in tears" allegedly of laughter... Including transvestite sisters, a horse with a giant penis and a prince with half a lob-on, this is the funniest pantomime ever to be forgotten.

Until next time - Much Lust - Team Martha (article by Dean)

Slouchy jumper

I really love slouchy jumpers at the moment, and i found this great one on Marthas 50p rail. I teamed it with some Jeggings, my awesome new American boots and a tusk necklace i picked up in a house clearance.

Jumper - Martha Trust 50p
Jeggings - H&M
Boots - Second hand, Ebay
necklace - second hand, house clearance

The Dinosaur

Here's a real masterpiece of human craftsmanship, a wonderful find in the 30p toy basket this week:

The careful paint job deserves much plaudit. With his big eyes and wonky jaw, he is an outstanding example of our prehistoric friends. Such a fine specimen should really be in a far grander location than Martha Trust surely? Say the Natural History Museum?

But really now. There was actually some debate as to weather he was manufactured, or if he was made by a 3 year old from a mould it and paint it yourself kit? I would be certain it was the latter, if it didn't say 'Made in China' on it, and appeared to be made of proper plastic... Someone help me explain his face?

Just think happy thoughts! Much Lust - Martha

Kids party

Jack is dressed wonderfully for a Kids party, with his sweet little bow tie from Martha trust. It contrasts nicely with the wonderful retro jumper. This jumper is one of my favourite Martha Knitwear finds, great colour and design, it goes with everything really. Jack totally rocks it here, accessorised with a party toy and a plate of party rings and sweets.


Jumper - Martha trust £3
Bow tie - Martha trust 50p
skinny jeans - Topman
Trainers - Topman

Oscar de Winter interview Part One.

This week Gentleman Scholar and chocolate log connoisseur Oscar De Winter, brings us his thoughts and experiences from the bowels of Martha Trust

Lust - You're not in Hereford much anymore, what do you miss most about Martha?

Oscar - The clientele and the staff. The last time I was in there, I was fresh off the boat and had my suitcase with me. The handle on it had snapped whilst I was abroad, and so I had to use a silk tie to fashion a makeshift handle. The case itself still has a few miles in it so I’ve not thrown it out. Apparently the woman behind the till was very impressed by this, if her softly cawing murmur and greedy eye were anything to go by. The old gentlemen who were congregating around her,
their own eyes dulled by too much time amid the Crust, resounded the same opinion, like a Greek chorus. “Waste not, want not.”

Lust - What are your top golden finds?

Oscar - Without a doubt my top find is The Shell Owl, for one penny [pictured
on the here alongside a fellow charity shop owl].



Not since Sandro Botticelli realised The Birth Of Venus has someone so expertly
channelled the beauty of Shell As Art. Whilst one may reside in the Uffizi and the other on top of a stack of books, there is no question that the two masterpieces share a common genius. It is hard to date The Shell Owl; the superglue that is the binding force of the bricolage is heavily yellowed and The Shell Owl certainly shows signs of wear and tear. Where It has been, I cannot fathom, but It has been
places I have no doubt. As to why It exists, I am equally clueless. Is it a quiet, reflective homage to St. James, with the shells having been diligently collected by some wayfaring pilgrim along the Camino de Santiago? Is it a fertility statue, a fetish comprised of symbolic vulvas? An unwise children’s toy made by some unfit mother? Whatever it is, its Minervan mysteries are safely locked away. The Beak Shell, the keystone in this dilapidated assemblage, is missing; no secrets shall come to light any time soon.

More from Oscar to follow!

The best of the Bric a Brac

Martha is pure bric a brac heaven, if you have the time to really hunt through and visit regularly some real treasures can turn up. There is also new stock pretty much every day. So many charity shops just have the same old bric a brac every time i go, prehaps with the addition of an odd china cat if you're lucky!
For instance, Martha had a face sauna in today, if anyone is into that.
Anyway, here is a selection of the best bric a brac i have collected over a year or so, from martha.


Dolls leg (on shelf) - 30p (for whole broken doll)
Green oil burner - 10p
Old glass bottle - 10p
Hard plastic doll in black - 30p
Very old pack of charcoal - 10p
Headless doll - 10p
Mini teapot - 50p
Old book - £2
Jar - 10p
Legless doll (legs on shelf) - 30p
Rag doll - 10p
Photos on wall behind - second hand, from my vintage photo collection


This really old box of charcoal was a great find at the back of the 10p shelf. I love the old yellowing cellotape, its just a great box, and still full of charcoal!



Another couple of great 10p shelf items. Some kind of old rusty oil burner, that i think is just a great object. The jar has a really nice fancy lid, and is a nice shape, looks great with one of my old dolls heads inside.


I got this book so i could use the old paper to work on. Martha has a shelf of older, more interesting books, still only a pound or two, they're good to cut up or use for altered books.
The rag doll is one of my favourites, her embroidered features are lovely and give her a really interesting face, the plastic one is pretty average, but his left eye is kind of sideways which i like. You can see the nice lid of the jar in this picture and the two bits of dolls clothing in the corner are also from Martha Trust, 30p.

This headless doll was in the 10p box, i like her tights and dress, the lack of head is kind of cool. I have enough dolls with heads.


So there you go, Martha is a haven for interesting old items aswell if you keep your eyes out. What don't they have!

Bargain Suit Jackets

The suit rail in Martha occasionally comes up with some pretty great suits, the trousers rarely fit, but for £3 a suit, you can't argue.
These two jackets were the cream of the crop last week. Seemingly a matching pair, one lovely double breasted jacket, and one single breasted. Looking pretty great here with some skinny jeans and geek chic glasses.

Jacket - Martha trust £3
Skinny jeans - Topshop
Check shirt - River island
Shoes - Second hand



Jacket - Martha trust £3
Jeans - Criminal Damage
Silver shirt - second hand, charity shop
Tie - Vintage
Boots - Clarks

MEN!

When searching for presents, we came across this fine fellow:


He seems like a perfectly happy little bear, but wait... What's that embroidered upon his chest?

MEN!!!? His arms out-stretched in celebration of the male gender. Is he outing himself? That sure is a look of pride upon his face.... Or maybe he just has his priorities straight. I mean, where would we be with out MEN? Not even born for starters. I might have to get a full size version knitted for myself, or I could just hope that one turns up in Martha's...

Until next time - Much Lust - Martha

(P.S. Thanks Nancy for letting us borrow your Bear)

Doll Trauma

Martha never ceases to serve up a daily dose of upset and this doll has obviously seen its fair share...

What happened to this poor doll? I'm certain that she has seen UNSPEAKABLE THINGS. With her pink eyes, scorched bib and slightly stained forehead, there's no telling what she's lived through. I think she's trying to tell us something, but sadly her plastic lips are stuck together. We may never know her terrible secrets; we can only look her in the eyes and shiver...

Oh, and thanks to everyone for becoming a fan of Martha Trust on the Facebook page. We've surpassed 50 fans in just a day, your support is much appreciated!

Much Lust - Team Martha

Breast Feeding T-shirt

This little gem turned up on the 50p rack today... The picture says it all really:


Yes, you really are seeing that. Your worst fears can be confirmed by this close up:


I suppose this sort of thing is supposed to make you feel connected with Mother nature, and the beauty of life or something, but I'm not really getting it. I mean those boobs are almost as long as her arms! Are those babies sucking on those pendulus teats, or are they sort of eagle/goat parasites? Wouldn't it be awful waking up with those things swinging from your breasts? And then to have the moment captured eternally in a wearable garment... The ultimate humiliation. I'll be wearing this one to an interview sometime for sure.

Much lust - Team Martha

White sandals and the school run

While shopping in our dear Martha yesterday, I came across an item that brought back long fogotten memories for me. I'm sure most people will have at some point come across some of these sandals!

As soon as I layed eyes on them, I was instantly taken back to my childhood and memories of mothers on the school run in the early nineties. Complete with large t shirts in pastel colours, leggings and of course a pair of these sandals.

That feeling of being so small, and surrounded by such late 80s/early 90s footwear in the mother's waiting area of Cherry Orchard first school. Maybe it was just my town... But these sandals are a sight i haven't seen since then. I just had to buy them, even though I couldn't decide weather they were truly hideous, or achingly cool. There were 3 pairs in the shoe rack in total, £1 each, two pairs in Black, one pair considerably more 'beat up' than the other. I decided to go for this stunning white pair.

I used to play many imaginary games in my garden with my old friend from first school. We required nothing more than a few flower pots for a whole days fun, and her mother practically lived in a white pair of these sandals. I really do wish that my purchase of these sandals could take me back to those carefree days, but I guess it's just a fleeting memory of pure happiness.
That was all abit deep for a pair of sandals!

Ah well, now how to transform them from truly hideous to achingly cool? I thought skinny jeans would take away their frumpy vibe, coupled with a slightly nautical, cropped T-shirt I bought today from another charity shop. Modern with a strong vintage edge. Add a grungy hairstyle and a long pendant for instant cool!

Sandals - Martha trust £1
Striped tshirt - Second hand, customised, charity shop
black skinny jeans - H&M
long tassle pendant - second hand, house clearance store

So there you go! I'm hoping I don't resemble a mother on an early nineties school run, but if Ido, is that such a bad thing?

This week's Martha Crust: Worst item on sale!

While browsing the cuddly toy shelves, we spied something unusual; the corner of a polaroid photograph poking out from under a shabby stuffed Noddy. Perhaps it is an old family photograph? With luck, a real old one where some kid is kicking a clown in the shins or something... But no. This is in fact A PHOTOGRAPH OF NOTHING:

A solitary green square dominates this image. Perhaps it is an extreme closeup of broccoli? Or maybe it really is NOTHING? Has this anonymous photographer truly captured infinity? I'm looking very, very closely at it, and I think I can see some stars, and maybe the face of a bearded man in a white robe? Actually, no. It is just a green square.

When you take a photograph of nothing, don't you usually throw it away? On what planet do you donate it to a charity store? And what charity store would ever think to sell a photograph of nothing?! They weren't even quite sure what it was when I took it to the counter, I managed to agree the fair price of 10p for it. Oh Martha... please never change.

Much Lust - Team Martha

Gabrielle Brace interview

Illustrator, songstress and warrior princess Gabrielle Brace kindly took some time out to tell us about her good times with Martha!

Lust: Hi Gabrielle, what's your favourite thing about Martha Trust?

Gabrielle: It has to be their complete lack of a sense of value or worth. There are loose batteries of indeterminate life on the same shelf as cut crystal glasses, both 50p.

Lust: What is the best item you've ever found in Martha Trust?

Gabrielle: Practically: My brown leather and multi-coloured tapestry bag.
Spiritually: My 1p robin with filthy felt Christmas hat.

Lust: What's the worst/weirdest item you've seen on the shelves of our beloved trust?

Gabrielle: A BUMPER PACK OF TENA LADY PADS! £1! The poor incontinent lady who owned them must have died before she even got to open her bulk purchase...

Lust: What would be your dream item, that you one day hope of finding there?

Gabrielle: Some sort of hand-made Elephant? Preferably by an amature crafts-person. I want it to have been created, not out of a need for money, but out of love or insomnia or misunderstanding.

Lust: How upset would you be if Martha Trust was to ever close down?

Gabrielle: I would be utterly distraught!

Lust: Thanks, we'll catch you hovering around the 1p bin sometime!

Find more from Gabrielle in her trunk of delights here: http://gabriellephant.tumblr.com/

Child Art

Remember when you were in primary school? When you'd come home bursting with pride, a real masterpiece of creation in your bag. You thought you'd cracked post-post-modernism with your poster paints, you'd shown Tracy Emin what for, Charles Saatchi and the Tate will be duking it out with spears for this painting!

Your mother takes it, and stares for a minute."That's lovely, it's a... yes... Why is it so brown?"

No matter how awful it is, every piece of Child art deserves its month on the refrigerator or the mantel piece. But what about when Mum just can't look at it anymore? Where does it go?

Well now we know! Martha Trust came up trumps with these excellent specimens of Child Art:

This piece is by Luke, aged 6 & 3/4 (He says so on the back). I think it's a barnacle, but who can be sure? Is it Morgan Freeman's eye? A sphincter? The Sarlacc pit from Return of the Jedi?



And this piece is by Jack D. At least I think that's his name, it may simply be what this painting was made under the influence of. Either way I applaud this image, as I could tell that it's probably meant to be a Nautilus shell. Rock on Jack D.

Much Lust - Team Martha

knitted flowers and army boots

I found a grungy, short sleeved jumper yesterday, it was part of our 50p rail horde. Its simple but nice, with a cute collar decorated with knitted pink flowers, very understated, i thought it needed abit of toughening up with some bleached skinny jeans and army boots.
The fur jacket was also a Martha find from a few months ago. Its a wardrobe staple, practical and great looking, it goes with everything.



White short sleeved jumper - Martha trust 50p
Faux fur jacket - Martha trust £3
earrings - Martha trust 50p
skinny jeans - H&M
boots - Army surplus store

Hard Plastic Children

My Martha highlight would have to be my vintage hard plastic figures, for 30p each. The figures come in different types of costume, there are welsh national costumes, but my two welsh dolls have parts of the costume missing, so look more like witches! which is a plus for me. We also have a medieval princess, a sailor and some kind of boy with no trousers on and a felt hat! Pretty cool i thought, the boy is a particularly great figure, his face is all dirty with cute tinted cheeks and a sweet expression. The sailor is more sinister in appearance mainly because of his close together, slightly too large eyes, that blink really fast. These figures are now my army of children that stand on my desk, looking completely awesome, here they are!

They don't yet have names, any ideas?
Note the painted shoes and socks on the boy, the detailed beading on the princess' dress, and the brown waterstained tshirt on the boy, tatty chic!