When I was cleaning up my mother’s possessions after she went into the home, I found this belt. It belonged to my eldest sister, Gill, who received it as a gift from a boyfriend, 54 years ago.

The belt was bought in Austria when said boyfriend went there with his family. I have to say I’m surprised she ditched him!!

How amazing is that embroidery? It is still as bright as when it was new.

The buckle is really beautiful – I’m not sure what it’s made of.

My sister was really, really slender (not any more – hehe!) and had to punch her own holes in it (sacrilege!) We measured the internal loop and her waist was somewhere between 17 and 18 inches.

[Later update – I found her working out where the belt would fit, and it now goes round her lower thigh!]

The leather on this belt is still beautifully soft and supple.

I pulled the belt out of Mum’s belongings to return to my sister one day (I wasn’t prepared to post it in case it got lost) and as she is currently visiting from the UK I reluctantly gave it to her. Firstly we have no idea how my mother got hold of it, then we exclaimed in amazement over the size of her waist and I demonstrated that I could still wear it (on the last hole with waist sucked in!) and she gave it to me! Let me say this again, my wonderful sister gave me this amazing belt (er, quickly put it away before she could say “give it back”!). I am now sworn off the chocolates to make sure that I fit it easily and you might see it wrapped around a skirt or a top very soon.