Nia: Do you have a favourite item?

Gwenfudd: Oh! You've caught me now. I have a lot. I could never pick one out from another, it would be unfair on the clothes so I can't give an answer to that question I'm afraid.

Nia: When did you start collecting?

Gwenfudd: It all started when my Mother decided to keep all of my Grandmother's clothes. I've inherited those now and my mothers. I've more to come too.

Nia: Where will you keep them?

Gwenfudd: With the rest of them of course. There's enough room. Don't you think Nia?!

Nia: I've never seen such a thing in my life. Suits, dresses, hats, it's unbelievable. It's obvious that Gwenfudd is extremely passionate about her clothes but not so passionate about their storage! There's also patterns and fashion magazines all over the house.

Nia: You can't even open some of the doors upstairs because there are so many clothes there!

Gwenfudd: Yes, I have tried. I tidy them every now and again!

Nia: It seems to be a little more organised in one of the rooms - there are clothes on hangers in there!

Gwenfudd: That's the emporium! I used to work in Theatr Felin Fach looking after the costumes and I came to know about a lot of things whilst working there. I used to hire clothes then and I still hire some of the clothes now but not as much as I used to. I have one regular customer that designs book covers for novels. He hires clothes and models for photoshoots for various covers. I'll go into a bookshop then to look for the book. If I mention to someone there that the clothes that are on the cover are actually mine, people tend to just look at me strangely!

Nia: Is it a nice little earner to hire clothes out then?

Gwenfudd: No. I'm hopless! People don't like to pay to borrow them. Cleaning them costs nearly as much as how much someone pays me to hire them.

Nia: So would you prefer that nobody else wore them?

Gwenfudd: No, I wouldn't say that. As long as they look after them. Sometimes, clothes are returned in bin bags which gets under my skin because they are not rubbish, they are nice clothes.

Nia: Is there a fashion era that you're particularly fond of?

Gwenfudd: I was a child during the 40s so I was very fond of that era. Another reason for liking that era is because my sister had lots of nice clothes then too.

Gwenfudd: This pink frock came from the Salem area and it was given to me by a lady that nearly threw her out! I said that I'd take the frock seeing as it's an original wedding dress from the 40s. The 40s details are so evident in her. I'd have imagined the bride carrying a big bunch of flowers when wearing the dress.

Gwenfudd: This frock's material is from Liberty in London. The frock has a kind of 'Mrs Simpson' shape to it.

Gwenfudd: This outfit is called a riding outfit. There's a waistcoat to go with the suit but people hire it without as a Victorian costume too.

Gwenfudd on clothes...
My two daughters think that the clothes have got the better of me but I don't believe that. I don't listen when I hear that, it's through one ear and out the other. I don't know what my life would be like without them, I'd be lost. Life might not be worth living. I think the world of my costumes.