WITH beehives (of the hair variety), pillarbox-red lips and furs a-flying, it could only mean one thing: the Bobby's Girl Vintage Fair.
Organised by vintage fan Katy Woodgate, from Chelmsford, Bobby's Girl Vintage was set up last September after the 29-year-old lost her grandfather Bobby last year.
He spent many months on the high-dependency ward at Southend Hospital after a nasty fall in which he broke his chest bone and, because of the treatment Bobby received at the hospital, Katy believes he survived for two more precious years.
"My grandad was on a high-dependency ward and because they worked so hard with him, he lived for a further two years," she said.
Katy, who used to do events management, then took it upon herself to organise her first vintage fair to raise money for the high-dependency unit that helped her grandad.
"I have combined my love of vintage and my love of photography and came up with Bobby's Girl Vintage," she said.
"I have had a genuine interest in vintage – it's just about the individuality of it which I think is being embraced in fashion these days.
"Everything you buy is pretty much a one-off."
And on Easter Monday more than 50 businesses packed into the Marconi Club in Beehive Lane for the event.
"Because I'm selling my own products, I wanted to create a platform for small businesses.
"We all hide behind our laptops but here we can talk to our customers," she added.
Tammy Cole, 26, owns Carnival's Vintage and sells painted china.
"When I moved out I needed a hobby and didn't really know what to do," said Tammy, who works at e2v in Chelmsford.
"Then my nan gave me some tea cups so I thought I would paint them. I have always liked vintage and my mum taught me to sew and knit and I just fell into this."
Another stallholder, Leonora Hayes, 38, set up her own bespoke children's bag company Happy Hayes in March 2013 after being made redundant last year. "Through the redundancy I just wanted to create things that were bright and that put a smile on peoples' faces," she said.
Just over 1,000 people flocked to the fair on the day, including mother and daughter duo and vintage devotees, Caireen and Jennyfer Leach.
"We buy vintage clothes for the quality – and for the smell," said Caireen, 46. "But, also, you can buy a dress from 60 years ago and you can wear it in 60 years' time. You can buy a dress from a high street store for £50 and you'll be lucky if you can wear it in five years' time."
Katy and her team raised £316 for the hospital through donations on the door. She has booked her second vintage fair on May 27 bank holiday at High Chelmer shopping centre.
