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November 20, 2025

Being outside, whatever the weather (well most of the time) is a great way to gather inspiration – clearly it’s a mantra The Cape Queen agrees with as she sat in a local park gathering ideas for some writing. Old-school Bic four-colour pen in hand, …

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A return to Macclesfield

by Pluvmantelo

November 17, 2025

Back to Macclesfield and Clair the Cape Queen was given a true Derbyshire wet welcome. But did she care? No! Thanks to her recently-acquired PVC cape the rain was a mere nuisance and nothing else. And the grey cape really looked the part with The …

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Hypnotised by The Cape Queen

by Pluvmantelo

November 13, 2025

On her many walks around nearby towns Clair The Cape Queen’s really looking at the architecture and her belief that you should look above you is true. She enjoys older buildings and came across this unoccupied shop, complete with show poster in the doorway. We …

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Blue cape, yellow van

by Pluvmantelo

November 10, 2025

Since autumn started there’s scarcely been any sunshine, which suits The Cape Queen admirably. It gives her more opportunities to select a cape from her collection, get out and do some exploring. That was the case on a very wet day a few weeks back …

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A cape mix and match

by Pluvmantelo

November 6, 2025

As the end of the year draws ever closer it’s time to have a look back at some of The Cape Queen’s shoots. We went to (among other places) Congleton, Macclesfield and Stone and, of course, to Magpie Mine, a location that’s so good we’ll …

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Back at Lytham

by Pluvmantelo

November 3, 2025

There’s so much of Britain’s coast that isn’t cheap and tacky and that’s the case with Lytham which, while close to Blackpool, lacks its neighbour’s in-your-face good-time-gal image. But, like Blackpool, Lytham has wonderful sands: Clair The Cape Queen loves this part of the North …

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WaHaHa – The Cape Queen’s All Hallows ‘Eve special

by Pluvmantelo

October 31, 2025

With All Hallows’ Eve upon us Clair The Cape Queen donned a suitably pumpkin-orange cape to mark the observance of Allhallowtide. Far from the corrupted way Halloween has changed to, courtesy of those on the other side of the Atlantic, Allhallowtide is a time to …

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Capes on tour: Back to Stone in black and white

by Pluvmantelo

October 30, 2025

Yes, we love colour images and especially when they have the air of those 1970s processed prints: the shade of those colour prints is really evocative. But so too is black and white, as we see here from The Cape Queen’s trip to Stone railway …

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Capes on tour: Yet more (yes really) Magpie Mine cape goodness

by Pluvmantelo

October 27, 2025

Not again you might say, but who’s going to complain when we’re reminded of The Cape Queen’s Magpie Mine outing? And here’s a mix of black and red cape goodness in one post. The black cape’s definitely an old one, we think coming from the …

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Capes on tour: More from Magpie Mine

by Pluvmantelo

October 20, 2025

Looking back to our ‘summer’ shoot there was very little difference from the weather in west Wales in mid-October. Wet and windy: ideal conditions for cape-wearing then. One of The Cape Queen’s older oilskin capes certainly came in handy for some industrial archaeology exploration and …

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Capes on tour: Back in Stone

by Pluvmantelo

October 9, 2025

Stone – a smaller Midlands town with some top-class older architecture. Clair the Cape Queen likes urban exploring and she was back in Stone for a further look around. On this day the weather was grey and damp – what better excuse to don her …

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Capes on tour: Leek (again) a cape and the Bic pen

by Pluvmantelo

October 6, 2025

Clair The Cape Queen enjoys writing and does so on a regular basis. But not for her the tippy-tappy of the keyboard but the more traditional way: a pen and paper. And Clair’s favourite pens are the Bic four-colour types, which she uses not only …

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Capes on tour: Blackpool

by Pluvmantelo

October 3, 2025

Ah, the great British seaside, a peculiar mix of the subtle and the quaint and the downright in-your-face vulgar. At Pluvmantelo we like both and especially the latter. And there’s no better personification of the jaunty old-school British seaside than dear old Blackpool, home of …

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Capes on tour: Magpie Mine, part 3

by Pluvmantelo

September 22, 2025

There was no mistaking where Clair The Cape Queen: her red Rukka cape stood out against the grass and the old buildings that were once part of this busy mine. Now, other than the sound of the stiff breeze and the birds, the only thing …

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Capes on tour: More from Magpie Mine

by Pluvmantelo

September 18, 2025

What an afternoon that was and looking back it’s hard to believe that was in late July. Still, Clair The Cape Queen’s historic exploration of Magpie Mine wasn’t postponed, despite the rain. And yes, her 1980s clear red cape meant she was protected against the …

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Capes on tour: Magpie Mine

by Pluvmantelo

September 15, 2025

Looking back at all our posts with Clair The Cape Queen it’s clear there haven’t been enough red capes. Blues and greens and yellows tend to be the most featured shades so it’s time to give the red capes more of a look-in and especially …

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Capes on tour: Leek. Part 2

by Pluvmantelo

September 11, 2025

Compare and contrast – here are black and white versions of the last post and there’s no es-cape-ing just how good they are. Yes, colour images, suitably knocked back to re-create those colour prints of the 1970s work well, but so does black and white. …

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Capes on tour: Leek. Part 1

by Pluvmantelo

September 8, 2025

Staffordshire called once again for The Cape Queen who went in search of stationery to complete some much-needed correspondence. But before buying the necessary pens and paper – and some pencils for her drawing hobby – there was time for a stroll around the town. …

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Capes on tour: Stone in black and white. Part 7

by Pluvmantelo

September 3, 2025

We’re continuing or visit to Stone thread but, this time, in monotone. And why not? A black and white image conveys something quite different from a colour one and there’s a real link with the past. Anyway, Clair The Cape Queen is looking to return …

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Capes on tour: Stone, Staffordshire. Part 6

by Pluvmantelo

September 1, 2025

It’s a return to Stone railway station where Clair the Cape Queen had donned her Klepper cape for some industrial architecture exploring. Mid-summer it might have been, but the skies were grey, there were intermittent showers and the breeze strong, the latter causing Clair’s heavy …

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Capes on tour: Stone, Staffordshire. Part 5

by Pluvmantelo

August 28, 2025

There’s something intriguing about a properly traditional Midlands town that then surprises with Brutalist-style concrete, and that was the case here. Clair The Cape Queen discovered this canal path under a bridge, complete with latter-day urban graffiti. We know that capes and concrete go well …

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Capes on tour: Magpie Mine. Part 2

by Pluvmantelo

August 25, 2025

Clair The Cape Queen’s at home in the great outdoors, whatever the weather. Of course a cape makes that out door enjoyment even more so. And as we’ve already seen the weather wasn’t so good the day Clair made the long journey to this top-class …

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Capes on tour: Stone, Staffordshire. Part 4

by Pluvmantelo

August 21, 2025

Back to Stone and Clair The Cape Queen came across a proper car accessory shop. Once a common sight in almost any high street many have suffered as motorists go online to buy their car’s needs. Of course, that means a motorist doesn’t get that …

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Capes on tour: Magpie Mine

by Pluvmantelo

August 18, 2025

Head into the heart of Clair The Cape Queen’s domain and you’ll find Magpie Mine, Derbyshire’s last working lead mine. Situated high up in the Peak District it’s a fantastic survivor and one that’s a reminder of the nation’s past, closing in 1958. But while, …

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Capes on tour: Stone, Staffordshire. Part 3

by Pluvmantelo

August 14, 2025

Railway station architecture: the earlier British station design was a thing of majesty, sometimes taking styling cues from churches. And in many ways railway stations of the Victorian and Edwardian eras really ways cathedral of steam, moving people and goods en masse before the internal …

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Capes on tour: Stone, Staffordshire. Part 2

by Pluvmantelo

August 11, 2025

The Cape Queen doesn’t mind a bit of shopping every now and then and while in Stone she came across this excellent emporium. As you can see, she was especially taken by the selection of brushes and brooms – and you have to agree shopping …

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Capes on tour: Stone, Staffordshire

by Pluvmantelo

August 7, 2025

Stone’s a proper, traditional English town and it’s the template for what a town should be like. It’s bustling, courtesy of its variety of shops (independent and chain) and there’s plenty of car parking. Its architecture adds to the traditional town feeling that there’s no …

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Caped gardening with Miss Pluv’

by Pluvmantelo

August 6, 2025

Whatever the time of year Miss Pluv’ will always have gardening jobs to tackle and this time rain was threatened. No excuses, she went into the hallway and picked up her red Bormax cape – after all, why should the bad weather stop her getting …

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Capes on Tour: Longnor – part 3, the village bus stop

by Pluvmantelo

July 28, 2025

It’s time to be controversial but Clair The Cape Queen and the editor have a strong feeling this is the best shoot to date. Sometimes it’s hard to know why, but with such an elegant rain cape to the fore, combined with the excellent post-war …

Longnor Rain capes

Capes on Tour: Longnor – part 2

by Pluvmantelo

July 24, 2025

You’ll find Longnor nestling in the Peak District and, if you’re lucky, you might spot the Cape Queen there too. Clair took to the highways of Staffordshire for some architectural exploration and took a cape with her, in this case her heavy 1970s one. And …

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Capes on Tour: Longnor

by Pluvmantelo

July 21, 2025

A friend of Pluvmantelo told us ‘the shinier the cape, the closer to God’ and it’s certainly a sentiment we’d agree with. And The Cape Queen took that shiny and God theme further as she explored Longnor’s church. The day was bright, the cape was …

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Capes on Tour: Back in Congleton

by Pluvmantelo

July 10, 2025

Sunny, yes: but is that any reason not to be wearing a cape? Clair The Cape Queen needs no downpour-induced excuse to get caped and on a bright sunny day her longer Rukka cape really looked the part as she swished through the streets of …

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Capes on Tour: Macclesfield, part 4

by Pluvmantelo

July 7, 2025

Looking back just a few weeks to that VERY wet day in Macclesfield it’s lucky Clair The Cape Queen was more than adequately prepared for the deluge to come. And rain it did, to paraphrase Sister Rosetta Tharpe. But the 1970s plastic cape did the …

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Capes on Tour: Congleton in black and white

by Pluvmantelo

July 3, 2025

We’ve decided there aren’t enough black and white images of The Cape Queen, so it’s time to make up for that. And here’s a selection from our recent Congleton trip. No further comment’s needed from us, but what do you think? Should there be more …

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Capes on Tour: Moving stuff

by Pluvmantelo

June 30, 2025

Clair The Cape Queen’s been out on the roads of Mercia moving things and with the weather being uncertain was suitably caped (Rukka, no less) – just in case there was a downpour. We caught up with her between load-shifting and the results were, let’s …

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Capes on Tour: Coing the Congle…. Ton (part 2)

by Pluvmantelo

June 26, 2025

What a contrast to that cape-right rainy day in Macclesfield, but while Congleton was bathed in sun that didn’t stop The Cape Queen getting, well, caped-up for some town-centre shopping. This time it was a short Rukka number that’s not been worn very much but …

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Capes on Tour: Back in Macc’ (lesfield)

by Pluvmantelo

June 19, 2025

That Macclesfield day more than summed up the usefulness of an old-school cape, whose rain shrugging-off prowess came to the fore as the skies opened up. And in the homely surrounds of Macclesfield, Clair The Cape Queen’s cape laughed off the rain as it fell …

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Capes on Tour: The Cape Queen in Congleton, part 1.

by Pluvmantelo

June 16, 2025

A few days after The Cape Queen had the biblical-like dousing in Macclesfield she set off for Congleton, accompanied by much more friendly weather. The town’s filled with fine red-brick architecture and many buildings date back a few centuries – these made a top-class backdrop …

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Capes on Tour: The Cape Queen in Macclesfield, part 2.

by Pluvmantelo

June 12, 2025

An author’s picture on the back of a paperback novel As we’ve already seen The Cape Queen’s trip to Macclesfield was, to say the very least, very wet. But who cares? Certainly not Clair, who brought a few other capes to show off their rain-shrugging …

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Capes on Tour: The Cape Queen in Macclesfield, part 1

by Pluvmantelo

June 9, 2025

Just how wet could it be as The Cape Queen headed into Macclesfield for a shoot? With the sky grey as possible – and dark too – it was as if the town had engineered a welcome custom-made for The Cape Queen. Macclesfield is great …

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The Cape Queen on the other side of the tracks – Part 2

by Pluvmantelo

June 5, 2025

The expression ‘back on track’ might sound corny but here’s the second part of our shoot with Clair The Cape Queen exploring an abandoned railway line – and using it as an excuse to get caped up. And why not? An old cape like this …

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The Cape Queen on the other side of the tracks – Part 1

by Pluvmantelo

June 2, 2025

The Cape Queen’s appreciation of Mercia’s industrial architecture continues and she recently showed us an abandoned railway line that apparently went somewhere, but where she had no idea. But the tracks, as well as the dappled sunlight by-passing the leaf-laden trees, made a wonderful setting …

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The Cape Queen explores post-modern architecture

by Pluvmantelo

May 29, 2025

As we already know Clair The Cape Queen has a strong interest in architecture, and especially that found in urban areas. She always adopts the mantra of ‘look up’ when you’re in a town or city centre as that’s where some of the most interesting …

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Cape Street explored by The Cape Queen

by Pluvmantelo

May 26, 2025

A trip to one of several Cape Streets has been on the cards for quite some time and Clair The Cape Queen recently put that idea into practice. Yes, it was sunny, but who can deny just how cool The Cape Queen looked as she …

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Rukka, part 2

by Pluvmantelo

May 22, 2025

More Rukka goodness brought to you by The Cape Queen, who just can’t get enough of this 1970s cape she bought ages ago. It’s definitely a well-loved item but the Rukka quality shines through (no pun intended): it’s glossy dark brown colour is pleasingly different …

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You can’t beat a Rukka

by Pluvmantelo

May 19, 2025

In the pantheon of raincape brands Rukka is certainly up there with the best and both The Cape Queen and Miss Pluv’ favour a Rukka cape over almost any others. And that was the case when The Cape Queen decided to give her 1980s/1990s blue …

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Short ‘n’ smoked

by Pluvmantelo

May 15, 2025

Raincapes – long or short, full-colour or tinted – The Cape Queen always has one to suit the occasion. And that was the case a couple of weeks ago when the meteorological mystics – the weather forecasters to us – couldn’t seem to make their …

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The Monochrome (photo) Set

by Pluvmantelo

May 8, 2025

Hand up who remembers the Monochrome Set? Well we did – it’s an age thing – and the band’s appearance on The John Peel Show. Founded in 1978 as a post-punk, new wave outfit, the group’s still going today. So it’s good to link The …

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The Cape Queen seen in green

by Pluvmantelo

May 5, 2025

It’s a small cape, but what it misses in size it more than makes up with its oh-so-green PVC. Adding a cheeky early 1970s air it’s a bit different from the other capes in the Pluvmantelo collection and it’s certainly one of the greenest we’ve …

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A new, yet retro-looking, PVC number

by Pluvmantelo

May 1, 2025

Fresh from the cupboard, yet surprisingly traditional in looks, Clair The Cape Queen’s back of the shelves re-discovery is our gain: While it certainly doesn’t look like it’s from the 1950s or 1960s, its early-1980s get-rich-decade image is smart and streetwise – and Clair loves …

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