“What isn’t fair?” asks Zack, sitting next to me. He’s sent Marcy to the bar – this is one of the most useful aspects of your child technically being an adult, I’ve found. You might lose the cuteness of baby teeth and cuddles and bed-time stories, but you gain a slave who can legally purchase booze on your behalf.
“The fact that Henry Cavill isn’t here!”
“Ah. Right. Well, yes, I can see why you’re upset about that. Do you want me to call him and see if he fancies a pint?”
My eyes pop wide, and for a moment I dare to dream.
“Really? Do you know him?”
Zack grins and shakes his head.
“Nah,” he replies, “sorry. I probably know someone who does, but we’re definitely not on night-in-the-pub terms.”
There is a communal sigh of disappointment around our table as Cally, Sam and myself give up on the idea. At least for the time being – I’m sure there’s a way!
I introduce Zack to Sam, and start counting in my head. It takes less than twelve seconds for the words ‘I have a great concept for a show’ to come out of his mouth. I meet Cally’s eyes and she laughs – she was obviously doing the same.
To give Zack credit, he doesn’t even flinch. I’m guessing that he must get pitched to by random strangers everywhere he goes. As soon as people find out who he is and what he’s involved with, he probably stops being a human being and starts becoming An Opportunity.
“Go for it,” replies Zack. “But I need it in less than two minutes, or it’s too complicated.”
“Really?” I say. “Too complicated if it takes more than two minutes?”
“Absolutely. We’re not talking Oscar-winning documentaries here, are we?”
“That’s fine!” says Sam. “Mum, time me!”
She nods and gets her phone out, waits until it hits a minute on the stopwatch screen, and signals for him to go.
“It’s calledCharity Shop Challenge,” Sam announces confidently. “You assemble a panel of expert judges drawn from a variety of fashion backgrounds – haute couture, street style, urban, a cross-section. What they all have in common is that they’re looking for originality, and a fresh eye. Then you bringin your contestants – either individuals or in teams – who are given a budget, a geographical location, and a theme, and they have to create a runway show from their findings. Example: two best friends with an eye for style are given £200 to spend in the charity shops of Liverpool, with the theme of ‘Somewhere Under the Sea’ – models are provided, but they have to source the clothes, accessories, anything extra for stage design.”
He pauses, even though he obviously has more to say, glancing at the stopwatch on the phone. Under a minute – not bad.
“The charities get loads of free publicity, plus maybe video segments on what they are and who they are helping. The experts get to find new talent, and get their faces and brands on telly. The contestants get… well, that could be flexible. It could be cash. It could be glory. Or, if it played out right, it could be even better – it could be the chance to get a job or an internship with one of the experts. A life-changing opportunity, plus fantastic entertainment! It’sBargain HuntmeetsProject RunwaymeetsThe Apprentice. What do you think?”
Zack sips his orange juice, now delivered by Marcy, and seems to be weighing up his words. Personally I think it sounds great, but what do I know?
“I think,” he says eventually, “that it has some potential. It draws together a lot of formulaic elements, but in a different way. It could even expand – you could have the same concept for interior design, for example. Let me give it some thought, Sam. I’ll make sure I get your contact details before I leave.”
Sam stands up, does an ornate little bow, and moves further along to join the rest of the Young People. Cally is staring after him, shaking her head.
“That was actually pretty good, wasn’t it? Probably because Sam’s been livingCharity Shop Challengefor years. It’s one of the reasons he started his TikTok and Insta.”
“Does he have a lot of followers?” Zack asks, looking even more interested. I guess this whole influencer generation has changed the way everyone looks at stuff, certainly in the media.
“He does,” Cally tells him. “Nearly twenty thousand on TikTok now. Mainly people who are interested in sustainable fashion, plus watching Sam tart around in a new hat or whatever. He curates his own little collections – when we moved here, he raided George’s wardrobe and did a whole run of stuff called ‘country classics made fresh’. He’s genuinely very passionate about it all.”
“That’s a good thing,” Zack replies. “You can fake a lot of stuff these days, but viewers tend to be able to spot it when people are authentic. I’ll have a think about it all, anyway.”
Cally looks a little befuddled by the idea, and decides on the only sensible route – getting stuck in to that bottle of Prosecco. She pours herself one, then says: “I’m getting another glass from the bar. I feel like a proper alkie.”
“Will you drink less if you have two glasses?” I ask.
“Nope, but it’ll look like it, and that’s what counts!”
As she heads over to the bar, I notice Zack looking on as Marcy shares a story at the other end of our row of tables. She looks animated, and everyone is laughing.
“It’s nice to see them all getting on so well,” I say.
