quincylampshades

20,000 squids for an octopus hat? An eye-watering amount of money for a skin-tone over-scrolled pretzel. Yup, that’s what the eBay bidding has reached for the inspired Philip Treacy hat that our beloved Princess Beatrice wore to Will’s and Kate’s wedding. And, with proceeds being donated to Unicef and Children in Crisis, even the Dragons’ Den Duncan Bannatyne has bid £5,000. How can Beatrice top that for the next Royal wedding, eh, Harry? I’m hoping she’ll have a lightbulb moment and plump for a lampshade. No, not one by an internationally renowned hat designer, but one by me, ‘lil ol Ruth McAllister (say it in a Devonshire accent, please). I’m thinking a 20cm diameter Blakely by Alexander Henry, or a huge Jungle Paisley by Kaffe Fassett. I’m gonna tweet Theo Paphitis about it on Small Business Sunday – see what he reckons…