It's the final countdown.....

September cometh which means just 4 weeks left at work.  I feel in limbo at the moment and just want to get going but needs must and I'll be here until the bitter end.

This job-hunting in London lark is proving tiresome and I think I was a bit naive to think I'd find a job quickly....as I havn't.  Not only have I not found one but I'm struggling to even get so much as a response from most agencies.  Now I know they must have a huge amount of applications but surely they must see that I have great skills & a good work record - mustn't they??????  So the job hunt continues and my days are filled with Gumtree, Reed Employment and SecsintheCity scanning....constantly....waiting for that one employer to see something amazing in me and give me a call.  I think it'd be a whole lot easier if I just wanted a plain old admin job and a salary of £20k but I want more than that, on both counts. 

September is going to be another crazy social month with 2 nights out next week, Brighton Food Festival, Ace Cafe Reunion (woot), Goodwood Revival, my birthday (not so woot!) and the (badly named) My Generation mod night.

Inbetween all that and closing down our office, I'm downsizing at home so, when the time comes, I won't have so much crap to take to London.  I'm not sentimental about so many things I once was, and have binned tons of things that now mean nothing to me.  It's quite therapeutic actually but is taking forever - only one room down so far.  Some lucky charity shop is going to get a big pile of old stuff that I would keep if I could, but can't....and certainly can't muster up the enthusiasm to post on ebay.

Goodbye August

Did you think I've deserted you?  Life has been too hectic to think about blogging but as I'm having a relaxing Bank Holiday Monday at home, it's time for a catch up.

August has been manic....my head has been full of our pending office closure and my pending redundancy, looking for a job in London (& failing dismally), combined with more fun stuff than usual.  This summer has been fantastic.  The coming weeks are going to be even more manic and I may just combust!

So....where did I leave you last time?  My lovely dream flat in London I think.  Since then, I had a visiting Mother & her friend.  We went to Pride.  I wasn't overly impressed this year - it was ok I guess but the theme (Pride & Prejudice) meant there just wasn't enough dressing up.  I always love to see the emergency services start the parade off (brings a tear to my eye it does) and obviously Michael Jackson loving jazz hands man.

The next week brought a spur of the moment decision to go to Vintage at Goodwood (nice one Sam!).  Goodwood has won best day out of the year so far and despite the rain, I loved it.  Not totally sure about the northern soul lessons but they were harmless!  Also not sure about the Radiohead mix in the Soul Casino but I'll even let that dj off....but just this once.  Plenty of beautiful people in beautiful clothes.  Highlights of the day - the Soul Casino, unexpected lovely toilets, and that guinness & chocolate cake!

Bored yet?  Last week was The Chords up in London.  I used to love The Chords (and probably always will....on vinyl) but, although they played well, I just couldn't get into it.  Very male-heavy crowd and a bit of a weird atmosphere.....or maybe I imagined it.  I left after "British way of Life" and caught the VERY SLOW, VERY DRUNK late train back to Brighton.

....which brings us up to this weekend.  Bank Holiday weekend in Brighton is a weekend I look forward to all year.  A chance to see people I only see occasionally, a chance to put a dress or two on (not at once), and a chance to be around well-dressed folk.  I always get nostalgic for my Lambretta, Sneakers in the 80s, Hayling Island weekends away and all that jazz.  I think next year calls for getting away a bit more on bank holidays.  I may even invest in a little tartan suitcase & duffel bag like I once had.....just for old times sake!

June - better than May?

May wasn't a good month at all for so many people I know - deaths, suicides, break-ups & general upset all round.  I know I'm not the only one who is hoping that June is going to be better - it couldn't be any worse I'm sure.  Jonathan Cainer is the man who knows and he said it is - for me at least.  I'll be going round his house with a big stick if he's lying.

So for today's blog and in an attempt to make my social life sound interesting, I'm just rambling incessantly about things that are on during June.

Firstly, tomorrow I'm meeting up with a friend I met originally on Friendster (remember that?) or MySpace many moons ago.  She moved from San Francisco to Berlin to study for a while and I had a great time out there visiting her.  She's been in Manchester for months now and we havn't had a chance to meet up but tomorrow it's lunch in Brighton for us.  Hurrah!  Kristin:  Hope you don't mind me putting your pic on my blog - don't worry, no-one reads it anyway!!!!!

Saturday is a possible trip up to Carnaby Street for it's 50th anniversary, unfortunately named Summer of Love.  Normally I'd avoid Carnaby Street like the plague as it's not like it use to be - cliche' I know but it's true.  I started going up there in my mid teens as a little mod girl, looking for cheap vinyl in an upstairs flea market type place, and buying boating blazers.  Twas here that I spent so much time - later progressing to visits to Charlies tailors for hipster trousers that stopped fitting me all too long ago.  So back to 2010 - this weekend sees bands playing, no doubt go go dancers in shop windows and probably the odd scooter or two.  Obvious worries concerning Carnaby Street this weekend but I'm hoping common sense prevails and I'll get there.  The Universal, Connett & The Small Fakers (Small Faces tribute band) are playing amongst others:

Also this weekend is the lovely Frock Me vintage fair in Brighton on Sunday.  Not sure whether I should actually go this time round as money is a bit tight in June but no doubt I will and be sorry afterwards.

Now this might surprise some people but I like old things!!!!!  So I'm going to be going along to 75th Anniversary Bus Rally on 13 June, with camera in hand.  I always miss the old vehicle days on Madeira Drive but not this time.

Blimey, June is looking particularly interesting - weather hold out please!  On to 18 June now and two things happening that night, Modesty at The Dorset and The Hush Club at Northern Lights.  Will try to get to both of them - both free & both excellent music:

Finally (phew!) this brings me to the last weekend in June, by which time all my hard earned cash will have practically run out unfortunately but roll on next payday!  26/27 is a weekend in London as one of my best friends is over from NY and we'll be frequenting our old haunts in Camden and the like.  No doubt it'll feel like we've never been gone and much gossiping will be done.  See you soon Dawn!

Over & out.

Hair Today, Gone Tomorrow

This is getting silly now - it's only been 5 weeks and I need a haircut. For those of you who think curly hair is "lovely" - it really isn't. You try living with it and you'll see!

I was unlucky enough to have the nickname "Crystal Tips" as a child - only people of a certain age will understand that. Then I discovered the mod scene in my teens and chopped the whole lot off, going for that mod girl circa 64 look - i.e. like a flat chested bloke with no hair!

I did the bleached thing too - which really is NOT a good idea when you have hair like mine. My one and only time having a bleach job done resulted in a slightly pink tinge and a nosebleed.

So into the 90s, the mod scene where I lived died down, I moved to a hippie town (all joss sticks and standing stones) and got into the grunge/indie scene - Mudhoney, New Model Army, The Levellers blah blah blah - part of this being extremely bad clothes (so bad I refuse to post any pics) and dreadlocks (the only other way to cope with curly hair!). Oh and I did the crimping, pillerbox directions hairdye thing too OBVIOUSLY!

It took two people to cut the buggers out when I moved to London in the early 90s - I remember the look of horror on the poor trainee's face in Kensington Market! By pure fluke, I was left with a nice little pixie mod cut after they'd gone which suited me nicely as by that time I'd got back into the mod scene and had started frequenting the original Blow Up at the Laurel Tree where I can't imagine they'd look too kindly on crusty so and sos like myself!

So here we are again, still stuck with the curly hair, no longer wanting to go down the dreadlocked route obviously. Trevor Sorbie, please sort it out!