broadway market

its an awful rainy day, but it didnt put us off going to broadway market today – robert had never been and although it was not a great weather day to take him he really loved it.   unfortunately they are digging up half the road, so some of the stalls have moved to the side road, but there is still an amazing choice of street food to taste.  we had some lovely mexican tacos that we bought and ate inside the pub adjoined to the stall.

still loved the 1930′s tiles of F.Cooke’s original pie and mash cafe – its beautiful interior still intact and kept up to perfection – i loved everything about it, the tiles, the benches, the way the napkins were displayed – but as the owner said, people like myself dont eat pie and mash and eels – we all go for the cupcakes and the other delicacies on offer!    its a shame, because places like this ought to remain in areas like this, but they only survive if we go in and support them – so i guess i need to start eating some jellied eels.

walking along we passed rebel rebel florists – a lovely selection of flowers, lucky bird – a lovely stall selling foil pressed cards and other stationary items, alice gabb with her collection of paper goods all beautifully displayed,   andrea garland with her selection of cosmetics – some decanted in vintage compacts, which would make a great gift for the girl who has everything,  delicious hand smoked salmon by hansen and lydersen and the most beautiful decorated cup cakes by violet.   these interesting stalls were dotted amongst the various food stalls.  aligning the street are the shops, such as our patterned hand – a fabric and haberdashery shop, selling some vintage fabrics, patterns and buttons – i love the way that all these fashionable essential shops are appearing with all the basics of simple crafts, such as sewing, knitting and haberdashery.  in my days, these shops were run by grannies in the back of a post office selling mainly nylon wool – today they are beautifully presented and the choices are more selective and modern.  absolutely love donion books with its interesting array of foreign, art, vintage and design books.   noticed a new fishmonger – fish and flounder – just what every high street needs – with its lovely interior it really draws you in to buy some fish for dinner.

we stopped for coffee break in Climpson and Sons which was nice enough and the croissants were tasty and light.  stella blunt is a cute vintage shop selling furniture and accesories – retro glasses, metal letter stencils, chairs…  so all in all its a good morning out for a saturday and you can bring home lots of good food to cook – a lot of the same stalls from borough market are also at broadway market.

dont forget to pop into the school yard market, a little extension of broadway market, with more choices of great food and vintage, including a great stall selling vintage cycling badges and books.  there is even a pizza man with a portable wood burning stove on wheels – what a great idea for a party!

i dont look at all the you tube links that people send me, but you will love this one about street markets – narrated by sid james its a perfect end to get you into the swing of all the street markets around london.

love the shop window of cooke’s pie and mash

world book day

today is world book day - if you register online, there are lots of offers and events for children – i am all for children reading more and spending less time on the computer – though i do see that even publishers have had to move into more interactive studies for children.  but how lovely it is to read to a young child just before they go to sleep – it was robert’s highlight of the day, and now its all over – as soon as they reach 9 0r 10, they dont allow you that privilege.

my favourite places to have coffee are in bookshops that also serve you tea and cakes – what a perfect balance, to relax and spend time choosing and discovering new books.  the idler academy not only sells book,  lovely coffee and cakes, but offers a wide range of interesting courses from Latin to embroidery to life drawing!

the society club in soho, is another lovely place to stop by for tea and always has an everchanging exhibition.

Woolfson & Tay was recently recommended to me and looks a great place to stop by if you are in the bermondsey area.

in Cartagena, we stumbled upon a lovely bookshop and cafe, abaco  – so if you manage to get to Cartagena Colombia, do try and stop by there.

just for men

why is finding a gift for men so hard?  why are they so hard to please?  a lot of men hate bits, collective memoirs, so finding something to buy them  can become a bit of a challenge.  a guess this means that you have a limited list;   i now have a few places that i know he will always be pleased to receive from  -any products from  aesop and kiehls, accesories and shirts from john simons, scarves and silk handkerchieves from peckham rye, vintage books and out of print books from glyn’s books,  or anything from the numberous antiquarian book shops on cecil court, poetry books from  daunts, travel notenooks from smythsons – you can even have your own initials embossed on the beautiful leather covers, margaret howell for vases and tops, rapha for absolutely anything cycling, brooks for classic cycling bags, chapmans for classic bags.   if that doesnt help you find a gift on a birthday, then please let me know your great finds……i’d love to extend that list.

my 1000th post!

this is my 1000th post – i cant believe it.  i wonder if anyone would read them all?  anyhow, i have decided that some things are worth reminding, and every now and again, i will do a reminder of some of the things that i still love to do and see.  this post comes from the beautiful writings of Patti Smith, my valentines present from robert.  i enjoyed ‘just kids‘ so much, that he bought me this book of early work.   its beautiful and inspiring – with poems you can just read one at a time and feel utterly satisfied.

wing

I was the wing

the spirits send

I was the feather

yet now offend

I was the sail

a smile formed

wrapping the arms

of the comic one

I was the thrust

a happy shoulder

I was the grandeur

the angels offer

I was the wing

in heaven blue

yet to trod

in heavy shoes

a soldier foot

of mortal worth

bound to earth

bound to earth

this dress is from the ilovegorgeous bridal collection

what a thought….

well i have just finished reading ‘Love in the Time of Cholera‘ – it was even better second time round;  you always think that because you know the storyline, reading a book again is disappointing, because you know the ending, but in fact, I find that you actually enjoy and understand it better – you analyse and think more about the words and what they actually mean.  I loved this particular paragraph -

The day that Florentino Ariza saw Fermina Daza in the atrium of the Cathedral, in the sixth month of her pregnancy and in full command of her new condition as a woman of the world, he made a fierce decision to win fame and fortune in order to deserve her.  He did not even stop to think about the obstacle of her being married, because at the same time he decided, as if it depended on himself alone, that Dr. Juvenal Urbino had to die.  He did not know when or how, but he considered it an ineluctable event that he was resolved to wait for without impatience or violence, even till the end of time. 

Out of context this paragraph sounds like some horrific stalker, but in fact if you read the book, its not like that at all, its just somebody hopelessly in love who is prepared to wait for ever for the one he loves to become free.  In my  romantic world, I thought to myself what a nice thought that somebody out there is trying to make themselves worthy of love and is just waiting patiently for that opportunity.

Its funny how young children can read the same story night after night – they know the ending, but still they laugh with glee and enjoy it as though it was their first time.  I remember that Alfie’s favourite story was Goodnight Moon – he could recite it off by heart and for at least a year of his life, my husband used to read it to him every night – and now he has just turned 16 years old – where have all those years flown?

 

books

take a wonder down to selfridges to the lower ground floor where they have transformed the ultralounge area into a library space as part of their words words words initiative.  its an interesting and wonderful collaboration with publishers to form interactive events.   on saturdays you can get your handwriting analysed and discover what it says about your personality – only on until 25th february.

style me vintage clothes

if you want to know more about vintage clothes and how to introduce them into your own daily wardrobe, then this little book is the perfect thing (and of course, i did the photographs again). its especially a good gift for young teenagers who are just getting into buying vintage.   its a follow on from the style me vintage make up book, that shows you how to get the make up look of 1920′s or 1940′s, but this one shows you the styles and types of clothes that illustrate that era.  it also shares Naomi’s address book and her wonderful sense of vintage.   you can also employ naomi to take you shopping, advising and helping you choose some vintage pieces that will suit your particular style.   her own personal collection is to die for!!

love in the time of cholera

well 3 planes home, 24 hours travelling, lots of sitting in airports and cafes – i managed to read half of the book, love in the time of cholera.  i have read it before, in fact 17 years ago, but my son bought me this book for xmas to take to read on our trip.  i had completely forgotten what an incredible writer Gabriel Garcia Marquez is – his poetic sentences suffuse the atmosphere, colour and heat of cartagena – the characters are compelling, the love and compassion deep.  if you have never read this story, i would urge you to give it a go – you dont need to have visited cartagena,  its a beautiful story of unrequited love that marquez profoundly tells with his usual humour and a touch of magic realism.  strangely, i have never read another of his books, but will definitely attempt to do so after this one.

somerset house and dickens

well you cant help but notice the craze about Charles Dickens this year – he is 200 years old this year!  anyhow, i started to read the book, Charles Dickens a life, by Clare Tomalin and am addicted – {even this months vogue which is posted to me is lying unread),   i try to read at least 4 pages before i go to sleep – its such a big book, at this rate, i worked out it will take me all year!  its a very interesting read, not only about dickens himself, but about london and life in those times.  what is really intriguing is reading about how everyone walked to work through neighbouring fields, even from camden town to the city.  it gets your imagination working, visualising a london of little towns seperated by open green spaces.   the book begins with Charles’ father working at somerset house;  coincidentally i went yesterday to see the spanish drawings at the courtauld institute – Picasso is definitely the master – fewer lines, but they say so much.  you must go to the courtauld,  their collection of paintings is amazing, my favourite being Edouard manet and modigiliani and of course Picasso.  skating is still on until 22nd january, so if you havent had a go, you still have a chance.

one

a lovely new friend lyn kindly recommends to me lovely things to see, buy, visit and  look out for – its one of the pleasures of doing a blog – the exchange of views, new ideas, new places, the meeting of like minded souls.

a recent recommendation from lyn is this book,  one, by victoria alexander  - i havent seen it myself yet, but it looks a lovely present to buy someone.  take a look at her blog, its visually inspiring and interesting.

maude opening presents yesterday!