WHAT started out as a good idea between three friends has ended up as a very useful social enterprise where women can meet, learn new skills and make new friends.

Vintage Vision is based in Lion Street, Abergavenny and takes in second hand clothes from the 1880s through to the 1980s. But it is more far reaching than that, because 18 months after first opening the business has a nucleus of 30 regular volunteers, 200 members and the website has received a staggering 2,000 hits.

It was set up by Bernadette Kelly, Nicki Needle and Amanda Peters. Said Amanda: "We didn't have volunteers, stock or money but we had a good idea that if you used vintage clothing you could set up a social enterprise for women to learn new skills, share skills and build up confidence.

"All the skills involved in a business are needed like marketing, PR, retail knowledge and setting up a website.

"We have people who do sewing to repair or adapt the clothes we are given and we run classes for that. This property came up and we thought it would be an ideal place because it has a workroom at the back and a showroom at the front."

They have already organised a vintage fair in the Market Hall in March and another one is planned for August. The first one attracted more than 500 people because there was something for everyone, with four fashion shows throughout the day, various stalls selling vintage items and children's workshops complete with the popular dressing-up box. Many of the models were young thespians from Gwent Young People's Theatre, and some of the volunteers did their hair and make up to match the appropriate era.

The three women are amazed at how quickly news of the company has spread. Last week they were donated a blue wedding dress from 1957 and the following day a woman from Shropshire, who had discovered the shop while taking part in the Crickhowell Walking Festival, dropped by with a collection of clothes from the 1960s.

Bernadette said: "We would like people who donate clothes to bring in photographs of themselves wearing the items. And we want anyone who has black and white photographs of themselves or their family wearing clothes from the 60s and 70s to bring them in so we can set up a black and white gallery of pictures of local people wearing fashions of that day."

Last weekend two men's Savile Row suits were sold, and one of them was examined by a tailor who said it was a perfect example of the care and precision taken to make suits in that era.

Many of the clothes are bought by people who are attending a period event, such as the Goodwood Revival to be held in September or the Blaenavon Forties Weekend where everyone dresses up.

Vintage Vision owners and volunteers will be running a stall at this year's Abergavenny Steam Rally in Bailey Park at the end of May. And the week before the Welsh Warrior Festival in Bailey Park Abergavenny on May 14 they will decorate the shop window in that theme.

But they are also attracting mothers of the bride-to-be who are looking for something completely different which no-one else will be wearing at their daughter's wedding, without paying hundreds of pounds. They also stock some beautiful vintage wedding dresses.

Said Amanda: "We are going off in so many different directions with the vintage clothes, the sewing, the classes and the fairs."

A Lottery grant has enabled them to buy six sewing machines and they have also received a grant to pay for tuition for the workshops.

One of the volunteers who said she could not sew made a stunning dress and jacket, using recycled clothes. The volunteers have the chance to learn the additional skills of recycling and restyling.

Another volunteer, Marion Roper, who had little experience of a computer now does a blog which she updates several times a week. She was shown how to do it by her daughter and she has even included photographs of herself as a youngster.

Said Bernadette: "We need people to make donations so we stock a wide range of different clothes, or to volunteer to help just for a few hours a week. The more volunteers we have available the longer our opening hours will be." At present the shop opens Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday and Saturday between 10am - 4pm.

Contact Vintage Vision on 0781 816 8955 or email [email protected]">[email protected] or visit the website on http://www.vintagevision.co.uk">www.vintagevision.co.uk