The discovery of the Spangle Collection.

The first time I saw these glittering little garments hanging in the dark corner of a market stall I knew that we had to explore the possibility of buying more! But let me first go back to the beginning of the whole story.We had conducted our business in the North and in Bangkok and had decided it was time for relaxation in what had been a very hectic couple of weeks. The south of Thailand is totally different to the north. Lush green jungles are replaced by swathes of golden beaches. Beautiful islands and one very unwelcome addition – mosquitoes! Thousands of them descend on any bare limbs that happen to be in their path. At night they lay in wait especially around water or any green plant life. Our first stop was in a small town called HuaHin several hours south of Bangkok. Although small it is a vibrant place with sophisticated hotels set out in beautiful grounds along the long straight golden beach.

We stayed at the Sofitel Hotel which was once the old railway hotel. A graceful building standing in its own gardens. Beautiful original wood panelling and elegant sweeping staircases make this a truly relaxing place. It did not take long for us to recharge our batteries and we set off to explore the town at night.It is difficult to fully describe the magical experience of a Thai market, particularly when the sun has gone down and dark descends. Everywhere there are sounds and smells and sights to fill the senses. Fascinating foods stuffs are displayed. My son tried to persuade me to try a deepfried cockroach but somehow I just could not bring myself to crunch on this delicacy! Up and down the narrow alleyways we walked until I suddenly spied the small sparkling tops which were to become one of our most popular selling items. Beautifully crotcheted in silky cotton these little tops come in many colours. My next task was to source where these exquisite garments were made. The search was on.Inevitably the search led us to a small cramped shop in Bangkok. There are thousands of wholesale outlets in this city that seem to merge into one sprawling mass of alleyways. Dark doorways lead to shops displaying a myriad of clothing, ceramics, leather goods, jewellery and food stuffs. The smells are intoxicating and the sounds of chatter resound as the shopkeepers bargain with their customers. Having ordered what we needed in Bangkok we then set off once again down south to explore Phi Phi Island and the other beautiful islands in that region. What a memorable trip it was and when the Tsunami struck some years later we could only look in awe at the images on the television news. What once had been an idyllic group of islands set in a shimmering sea was a scene of devastation. We are determined to return to this paradise to see how the Thai people have repaired their islands.