FOUND - A Coach Trip to Childhood

I found this red Coach tote last week.  I find myself nostalgic for the brand.  When I was a kid, a friend of my mom's - Joan Forkin - carried a caramel coloured Coach; a chunky rectangle with brass hardware on a long strap. Mrs Forkin was half hippy child, half tough broad.  She had a wonderful vegetable garden and swore like a sailor. I can still see her over-stuffed Coach, always unzipped, with makeup, cigarettes and checkbook (now a museum artifact) sprouting from the top of the bag. Her Coach had a patina akin to washed silk, and I felt happy when I was near it.  It meant my mom and Mrs Forkin were near by too.  I've found a few Coach bags, circa Mrs Forkin, but none thrill me like this ole' red tote.  Its wear and tear connect me to women I admire and enjoy remembering.  I picked it up at the Ealing Oxfam for £14.99.