Young at Heart and Out of Africa

We're going to be a grandmother again!

Our lovely Australian daughter has confirmed that she is expecting her second child, due in early January 2011. We are so excited and have started saving for our airline tickets.

And look who's going to be a great-grandmother for the sixth time:

Home and recovering well from her op

Today my mother was looking cool and channeling safari style from "Out of Africa" - quite topical in more ways than one. Her linen dress is from M&S and she accessorised it with a wonderful chunky blue and silver bead necklace. (Sorry that I forgot to remove her Aid-call pendant for the photo.) She is happy to be home and very much enjoying the tennis from Wimbledon. She also followed the football and has a lot to say about Wayne Rooney.  

In case you have been missing me (!) I haven't been able to blog or comment on others for a few days, partly because I've been away in London but mostly because my Internet connection suddenly became very erratic. Happily I think I may have discovered the cause. It seems that I had somehow become attached to the unsecure BT Openworld instead of my usual connection. Quite disturbing and I'm trying to find out how this happened.   

I now have some catching up to do - especially about Clerkenwell vintage fashion fair, Chelsea antiques fair, and most recently, Newbury Racecourse fair where I met the lovely Tracey of The Vintage Bothy.

I leave you with this Thought of The Day from the London Underground at The Oval last Tuesday.

Duty, Honour, Sacrifice or cheating millionaire footballers

The RAF ensign

21st June is usually the longest day in the northern hemisphere. It precedes Midsummer's day which is celebrated around 24th June. But for me it is the night my father was shot down from his aircraft when returning from a bombing raid on Germany in 1943. He survived thanks to his ingenuity and the help of brave young Dutch resistance heroes. I wrote about this last year and you can read it here.

He survived, married the young woman who became my mother, and served as an RAF career officer travelling his young family around the world including Australia. He died aged 73 suffering from Parkinson's disease. My mother was the love of his life as he was hers. My loyal followers will know from reading my blog recently, that she is now 90 and currently in hospital and recovering well from her second hernia op. The white rose is flowering beautifully and we shall take it to my father's grave as soon as she is sufficiently recovered.

And as for spoilt cheating millionaires pretending to play for the honour of representing our country and not the £150K per week they earn for running around a field being outsmarted by third world teams paid peanuts but who love the game ( and the honour etc).

"Football is a gentleman's game played by ruffians, and rugby is a ruffian's game played by gentlemen."

The England football team is a disgrace, especially to hundreds of fans like my own daughter and friends who have saved and spent thousands of £pounds to fly to SA to support the home team only to watch a laughing stock. Thank goodness SA offers more to enjoy as a holiday destination than the p**s poor showing of most of the leading national teams in the World Cup.

Watch the cricket and the rugby say I! No falling over in agony because an opponent player breezed close by. It's unbearable. Watched Brazil and their dirty players against the Ivory Coast and theirs, this evening. Brazil should be ashamed at their tactics, Ivory Coast - I shall be buying your bananas! You did well and could probably beat "Engerland" who have yet to score in this dismal contest.

All Well!

Not out of hospital yet!

Happy to report that my mother is recovering well from her op this morning. She was propped up on pillows and despite the oxygen nose thingy and countless tubes, she had a huge smile on her face when we visited this afternoon. I had brought flowers and other bits and bobs, but when I asked if she would like me to get anything else she grinned like a naughty schoolgirl and said, "Chocolate!" I put an order in with my brother to bring this evening, although I'm not sure she is allowed to eat it so soon. She is still pretty high on morphine at the moment, so not feeling the pain thank goodness. She has a lovely young surgeon too - actually all the medical team there  look as if straight out of central casting. So she's happy, and I'm relieved. She'll be in good hands there for three or so days while I'm away in London at various Fairs and my siblings will visit until I return and take over again. Thank you for all your kind wishes yesterday:)

Off now to London to be ready for this Vintage Fashion Fair tomorrow.

Clerkenwell Vintage Fashion Fair, London

I've been wanting to do this Fair for a while but had too many clashing dates. Now is my first chance so I'm hoping for a good day meeting lots of new enthusiastic vintage fashionistas.

90 Not Out

Lovely mummy last week

My mother aged 90 who is also a great-grandmother, has always been a terrific fashionista.  She's channeling Chanel here. Slightly arthritic (two replaced hips) and a minor stroke and a daily drug mix of seven tablets at different times. She copes so well with the (to me) bewildering mix of tabs, sorting out the 'before food' from the 'after food', and the 'dilute in water' from the rest. So well in fact that she recently caught out the Boots dispensary with two separate mistakes. (We go elsewhere now). 

But tonight she is in the local hospital awaiting surgery tomorrow morning after a sudden recurrence of a hernia which was operated on last October. She had been distressed for a couple of days then suddenly experienced considerable pain, as I tried to ease her symptoms. Luckily the GP, who eventually made a house call, immediately called an ambulance and referred her back to the surgical unit at the hospital. 

She is so brave and so sweet. I will visit tomorrow lunchtime-ish as soon as I am advised after her surgery.

Book Learnin' and Pants to the Boys!

Striking endpapers in The Pictorial Guide

Practical 19th and early 20th century books for the ladies 

Exciting 1950s/60s books for the boys  

High Standards for young girls starting at 6 years old

Barrowcoat - wot this?

Well now we know what it's called in the West Country

Time for some Glamour ( is that a ciggy in her elegant hand?)

I want one of these!

Not sure about the woolly swimsuit though!

Blighty this is for you! 

Timothy's Space book 

Boys had the best books (I always wanted to be an astronaut)

Monkeys in rockets, Oo-er. And Woomera - field of lost (British space race) dreams 

Absolutely the BEST explanation I've ever read

From the LADYBIRD Book of London 1964 

Pony-rides at London Airport? Surely some mistake?

Hope you enjoyed this voyage round my recent car boot bargains!

Capsule Wardrobe in London: Sanderson, Zandra, Scallops and Samphire

Scary London construction site

Looks to me like the vision of  a future city from hell - the "artist's impression" photo-montage on the hoarding round a construction site seen on my way to The Fashion and Textile Museum in Bermondsey, south London. It is more or less directly opposite the vibrant, but also historic, Guy's Hospital. I feel for the inmates - patients, doctors and staff alike. Don't they suffer enough? (I will leave my rant about town planners who have allowed the desecration of towns and cities across our once fair land for another time.)

The Fashion and Textile Museum, London

Early Tulips - Very Sanderson

The Fashion and Textile Museum in Bermondsey Street SE1, was the original creation of Zandra Rhodes and now taken over by Newham College of Further Education. Small, but almost perfect in construction, it is huge in inspirational and practical application opportunities for anyone interested in these subjects.  The Very Sanderson exhibition  I visited celebrates the 150th  anniversary of the famous British wallpaper to fabrics to paints, company. I really recommend a visit but it ends on Sunday so you need to be quick. 

'Early Tulips' a 1929 Sanderson design 

"Very Sanderson" brochure and FTM leaflet against an old Sanderson curtain 

While I was there I popped into the shop (as you do!) and found the last three Zandra Rhodes designed handprinted silk scarves from an earlier exhibition. Better still they were reduced to almost half price. As a scarf collector, and wearer, I couldn't resist.  This design was my choice:

Zandra Rhodes hand printed silk scarf

Borough Market fish stall

When near London Bridge the must visit place is Borough Market. More or less under the railway arches this modern gastronomic dream is the new incarnation of the old traditional fruit and vegetable wholesale market that has occupied the site for hundreds of years. I first visited this place as an art student in the 1960s when it was quite different - more rough and ready wholesaler business than high fashion gastronomy as today. However the food on offer is terrific. Mostly British sourced but also lots of top French, Spanish, Italian, Polish and other, lovely fresh foods and drinks.  So what did I buy?

Orkney Scallops

French Samphire

I was delighted to find that the samphire on offer was from France as I was just explaining to the young city gent beside me what it is and how to serve it. He was attracted to it and wanted to buy but never having  heard of it was fascinated when I bought a handful. It is a delicacy from sea flushed marshes and rocks. East Anglia is a good source in the UK where is it also known as "sea asparagus" but I know it best from lower Normandy where it is prolific on the marshy outcrops. There like the French we use it in salads though in the UK it is more usually cooked or pickled.

Grilled Scallops ( Coquilles St Jacques)

The scallop shell is the symbol of  St James ( as well as a certain petroleum company) and for hundreds of years has been the identity badge of pilgrims on their way to the cathedral in Santiago de Compostela, Spain  where the remains of St James are buried. In France scallops are commonly sold and as coquilles or 'St Jacques' -  quite independent from the restaurant chef's classic recipe which involves white wine and mushrooms. I prefer them simply cooked in the shell under a grill with a herb ( tarragon is delicious) and garlic butter as my daughter did here.  

And of course accompanied by a briny samphire salad:

Samphire and plum tomato salad with brown sourdough bread 

 Sourdough bread from Degustibus artisan bakers in Borough market 

Free for the very first time...

After a lifetime of living and working in London and buying the evening paper at the tube station every weekday after work, I picked up my first ever free edition yesterday. To me it was memorable but sad not to hear the street cries, " Evening Standard!".  I don't live there any more (wish we did and lament the day we left) but luckily two of our children still do and kindly welcome and accommodate our visits.  

Capsule Wardrobe Day 4: I wore exactly the same as Day 3 - because it was cooler than expected  when we set off for London and I needed the long sleeves and trousers. But when we arrived in London there was a chill wind so I borrowed a lovely large camel coloured pashmina ( not pictured) from my daughter but that is an accessory so doesn't count! 

So onto Day 5 - the final! 

"Does she ever get off her backside?" ( critical and unpaid photographer) 

M&S linen blouse from last year

Gap chinos from 30% sale last Spring

White buckskin sandals from Pedalos/Padders ( so comfortable after a day in heels!)

1930s long silk scarf 

Basket, bracelets etc as yesterday.

I have so much enjoyed Jane's Capsule Wardrobe Challenge. It has really made me think again about what I wear in terms of working my existing wardrobe. During the Challenge I was quite taken aback by a friend who remarked that I always wore lots of new clothes.  I certainly did in my high profile PR career, but that was then, when I was much slimmer as well as much richer. Nowadays on a limited budget I am much more circumspect and search out lots in sales, charity shops, car boots.

What are your favourite special fashion 'finds' I wonder?

Day 3 Capsule Wardrobe and Lunch

The photographer is getting creative

On the way to lunch at Tea at The Top we just happened on this Honda Shadow cruiser ( had to look that up though my photographer aka Mr EM  identified it immediately - funny I thought he was a MOD not a Rocker when I met him in the '60s lol!)

Today wearing:

Gap linen cutoffs ( as yesterday)

Fairtrade organic cotton dress I wear as a top because it's a bit thin for someone of my tender age to wear on it's own. Bought at the India Shop for £10 last year. Very cool to wear and great sleeves for the mature lady!

Accessories galore

Lovely gold/bronze leather peep-toe shoes by Van Dal from Russell and Bromley last summer ( must have been the cheapest shoes in that store at only £65!) 

Soft knitted basket tote bag £1.99 from Oxfam two years ago.

Jade ring necklace from Takashimaya department store, Singapore 2006.

Two wooden bracelets from Senegal trader in French market three years ago

My favourite Citrine and silver ring - sitting in toe of shoe!  

My three other capsule items

Just so you know - two tops (one worn today) and a pair of chinos.

Brie and grape salad 

Tea at the Top is the prettiest and friendliest cafe in Salisbury. I often go there two or three times a week, meeting friends or just with Mr EM (when he pays!) They serve the best coffee in town. Far superior to all the national chains. It is furnished with eclectic vintage tables and chairs, surrounded by old paintings and prints and other interesting objets d'art for sale. The food is served on a lovely mix of old china and it is run by the charming Brenda and her beautiful daughter Jessica.  

Fishing for compliments

Look at the plate on which my salad was served. Beautiful old porcelain from Bavaria. Delightful grey flying fish - leaping by my almost finished meal. Adorable.

Tomorrow I shall be in London visiting the Sanderson Exhibition at the Fashion and Textile Museum followed by the Twenty Twenty Cricket match at Kennington Oval - watching free from a balcony terrace that overlooks the ground. These matches are quite exciting as they are fast paced and enjoy great crowd support. Of course a glass of tincture in hand helps to increase enthusiasm...

Wonder how you are all getting on with your wardrobe challenge?

Jane's Summer Capsule Wardrobe Challenge

Today's accessories 

Haha - I thought I'd lead with the accessories as my actual outfit is pictured below and the photo is not so good (or flattering!)

  

Above: straw basket with raffia flowers ( rescued from my mother's charity shop donation bag two summer's ago). Rieker sandals also two summer's old (SO comfortable, especially in the muggy current heat). And notice how the decorative detail references the flowers on the basket.  A dark blue and white 1970s plastic necklace from a local antique market '£1 box', a white plastic bobble bracelet bought years ago, and pretty 1960s citrine and silver cocktail ring from Gunula, my favourite vintage jewellery seller at Frock Me! Happily for me she has the neighbouring stand and I can't resist browsing her fantastic stock of vintage costume jewellery from 1920s to modern day, unsigned and designer. Sadly she doesn't have a blog or website so if you want to see for yourself you will have to come to Chelsea Town Hall on 18 July. Email me if you would like complimentary tickets. I will be blogging about it nearer the date.

I blame the photographer

First two items out of my five:

Monsoon dress, bought in their spring sale this year

Gap linen cutoffs - bought in sale three years ago and worn every summer since including the Australian summer during our visit in December 2009. Now sadly wearing very thin at top of legs (!) so best underneath a long top or dress as here. 

I have also chosen another pair of trousers and two blouses to complete my five items. 

I also wore the dress on its own yesterday but didn't bother photographing because I have been having trouble with my internet connection for the past week. Also with Bluetooth and couldn't upload photos from my phone - it's taken ages to just get these up.

If you want to see what this challenge is all about go to Jane's very entertaining blog The Small Fabric of My Life.

Good luck to my fellow participants - will be checking your blogs to see what you've all chosen and how you'll manage.