A vintage-free weekend....

I admit I did go into a charity shop this morning and nearly got off the 134 bus so I could check out a shop on the Archway Road but other than that, this weekend is vintage-free.  A girl can only take so many fairs/shops/markets and I need to get my house back in some sort of order.  At the moment it resembles a student hovel so work has to be done.

So today, in view of the fact I'm doing nothing involving shopping or eating, I thought I'd ramble a bit about my new manor, Crouch End.  (See how how North London I am with my street speak!).

It goes without saying that I'm happy to be here.  Crouch End is just about one of the nicest places in London I could dream of living in, on a par with Highgate & Muswell Hill for me.  Yes, the rent is extortionate but with everything a girl could want in the way of grocery shops, cafe's and necessities just 5 mins away, I'm not complaining.  Buses are regular and take me everywhere I need to go and there are trees not housing estates!

I'd read about The Haberdashery (http://www.the-haberdashery.com/Home.html) before I moved here and couldn't wait to check it out.  In Middle Lane, it's a lovely little cafe' open 7 days a week from breakfast til 6pm.  They use vintage crockery to serve huge slabs of homemade cake on and sell handcrafted items among other things.  The nice thing about The Haberdashery is they really seem to be involved in the local community, putting on art exhibitions and once a month, Bar Boot where several shops in Middle Lane join forces and open up in the evening, putting on stalls which sell a variety of things.

One thing I'm certain of, Crouch End has no end of places to eat/drink/watch the telly folk go by.  Having said that, why do I never see OB from Hollyoaks or Tony Hadley or even Simon Pegg!  The best I've managed is Bob Stanley and Paolo Hewitt, and they're not even off the telly!  Anyway, I digress.  Everyone knows I'm a huge, huge fan of eating generally so I've probably moved to one of the best places imaginable!  There are at least 5 bakeries around The Broadway, another one of which opened up this week and another one which I will no doubt be purchasing from very soon.  I've learnt that Dunns Bakery (http://www.dunns-bakery.co.uk/) is a bit of an institution in this area and the smell of freshly baked scrumminess first thing in the morning must surely drag people in for their lunch before boarding the W7 to Finsbury Park and Victoria Line hell.  You'd think that all this competition with other bakeries would have a detrimental effect on these shops but it seems not - they're all busy all the time it seems.  Greggs seems to have an audience, as does Gails.

Shouts out to Sable D'or Patisserie (cakes in takeaway boxes), Adore Patisserie and now Gails Artisan Bakery.  Only opened this week, I dare you to walk past without drooling in the window at their award-winning cakes & breads.  I will be dropping by, with a large bag in hand, next weekend & I will be reporting back.

Today I am mostly writing about clothes & food!

Another weekend gone in the blink of an eye.  So much going on in this part of the world that I hardly have time to do grown up stuff like cleaning & grocery shopping anymore.  Thank goodness for online supermarkets.  Maybe I should hire a home help to deal with the other issue!

Saturday started off at the little pop up vintage fair in The Railway Tavern in Crouch End...a mere 5 mins from the house so always worth looking at.  It's a tiny room so don't expect hours of rummaging or anything of that sort but there are a few stalls there that caught my eye.  Only the odd 1 or 2 60s items so no purchases for me this time but I did see this lovely jacket:

Back to my new favourite cafe' for lunch.  Scandinavian Kitchen in Great Titchfield Street (www.scandikitchen.co.uk) is just lovely!  Expect a smorgasbord which you can choose from and cakes to die for.  For anyone who hasn't tried one before, semlor are a must!  Perhaps I should find a recipe so I can make my own and not have to wait for this time of year before I can get my fix.  Scandinavian Kitchen are now doing Sunday Brunch and it's fab!  I had the veggie option last time as I can't face pickled herrings but maybe one day soon, I'll be big & brave.  Here are some pics of nicely arranged food for you:

Had a little trip to a pub called The French House in Soho after cake consumption and very nice it was too.  Lovely little old fashioned place with walls covered in black & white pics of film stars and actors/actresses.  I liked the weird mix of old folk, tv folk and hipster folk.  I will return!

Was looking forward to great vintage buys at The Bloomsbury Vintage Fair on Sunday but was disappointed this time round.  I did find one lovely dress which you will either like or hate immensely but the majority of stalls there this time were full of what I would call 80s tat.  A real shame as the last one I went to was packed to the gills with interesting pieces.  Perhaps there was something good on telly on Sunday as the fair was a lot quieter than previously too.  I'll go back but perhaps in a couple of months when the 80s clothes have been binned through lack of interest!  My purchase is below:

I finished off my Sunday goings on (after lunch at The Goodfare of course!) with the Wills Moody Jumble Sale.  The jumbly is on the 1st Sunday in every month, in a little social club off Eversholt Street in between Camden & Euston.  I'm a big fan of social clubs.  They're an establishment we desperately need to keep hold of.  I thought you could only find them 'up North these days but oh no!  I love everything about them from the lonely little old men who spend their lives in them to the entertainment.  Think someone wearing a bad fitting wig in their 70s playing a hammond organ, or this:

See you at the Bacon & Cabbage Dinner Dance.  The porky scratchings are on me!

New Start, New Frocks

It's been one hell of a long time coming but I am back, feeling totally rejunvinated, with a new home, a new job and a clear head.

Home is now a beautiful flat with a beautiful view in Crouch End, land of bakeries, people off the telly box and babies.  For someone who quite adamantly said they would NEVER come back to London, the move has been successful and sadly, Brighton seems a long time ago now.  I think I'll go back one day in the future, one day when jobs pay more than £18k and when I am sick of public transport again.

So, Frock fans, I don't quite know how often I'll update this but I'll do my best!  I'll start with goings on from this weekend and we'll see how it goes. 

I've been lucky enough to move to a part of London where people have an interest in all things vintage and little markets/shops pop up all over the place, several times a month.  They must have known I was coming!  Yesterday started off to a visit to a little Pop Up Shop called Curiosity Cabinet in Avenue Mews.  If you can get there before it possibly closes in a couple of weeks, definitely do.  A fascinating little shop with something for everyone I'm sure. Not a huge place but lots to look at in a small space. I spotted a dress which unusually fitted my weird shape and here it is:

The Curiosity Cabinet is a little venture from the lovely Can't Buy Me Love folk which leads me nicely on to my next stop off on a rainy Saturday.  Can't Buy Me Love hold gorgeous vintage markets in The Boogaloo on Archway Road in Highgate.  I've been a few times and love it.  When it's warm enough the courtyard opens up and the inside room has lots of great stalls with everything from clothes to household items, and the best cake stall I've ever been lucky enough to buy from.  I stupidly forgot to take pics but would recommend the blueberry cake.  I'm not sure how long CBML has been running but they know their stuff and obviously really love what they do.  Definitely check it out as prices are good and there's something for everyone.  The next one is Saturday 26 March when unfortunately I'll be away so have a slice of cake for me!

Yesterday afternoon was a long-anticipated and awaited visits to The Icecreamists ice-cream parlour in Covent Garden.  I'm positive I don't need to say too much about this place as the press has just gone MENTAL in the last week, all due to the Baby Gaga breast milk ice-cream.  I'm a funny so and so and instead of being shocked, was actually fascinated by the idea of it.  Unfortunately the Gaga had sold out but it's on my list for next time.  Mothers donate the milk and it's screened before used but I'm sure they have lots of willing volunteers who get paid for their "time".  Anyway, I digress....I'd suggest everyone visit this place as an afternoon treat.  Do not expect £3 cones with flakes, this is high class ice-cream!!!!  Myself & 3 friends all had the £12 very alcoholic ice-cream cocktails to start with.  This is the "Priscilla Cream of the Desert" (I think), dosed with cream liqueur and A.M.A.Z.I.N.G

and one of us, who obviously has a larger stomach than the rest of us (!!!!) went for the Firebomb which has 80 per cent proof vodka and 3 week steeped chilli in it.  It's set alight at the table and takes the skin off the back of your throat but is sooooo worth it:

I finished off a wet old day with a lovely walk round Soho, stopping off at my most favourite Soho shop - Gerrys Wines & Spirits in Old Compton Street.  I could spend hours looking their window.  Hey, one day I might even buy something.  (I wonder how Alison & Jimi are feeling today after their purchase!)

My god, I can certainly ramble.  Bye Frock Fans, it's time for lunch x

All good things must come to an end

It's been a crazy few weeks, so much so that I couldn't concentrate on any blog type things, or anything much really.

Today is a new chapter in my life and I'm trying to feel enthusiastic about that, on this wet, cold day in Brighton, after having sat in the Housing Benefit Office feeling like a scrounger!

Our lovely little office & our even lovelier little team at work is no more.  I didn't think I'd be as sad about that as I am but we'll be ok & hopefully good things will come to all of us.

So....let's do this.  Let's find a great new job in London, let's find me that flat I want in Crouch End, let's start those trampolining classes!!!!!!  After a few weeks of no response from anyone anywhere, next week is looking a bit more promising for yours truly & I have some agency meetings and a real interview - fancy that!

I don't really enjoy dealing with agencies but needs must I think & hopefully these ones will be better than the ones I saw the other week. One (I shall mention no names) actually looked at my CV and said "so you're not an academic then?" and then "If I'd have known how much money you were looking for, I wouldn't have seen you".  My response (apart from the two fingered one I'd have liked to have given her) was "yes but if you look at my CV, you'll see that I've actually been working since I was 17 and have only been unemployed for about a month in my life......you rude cow".  Ok so I didn't add the rude cow bit at the end but I felt like it.

I should really find a suitable picture to put up on today's ramblings I guess but then again....

Watch this space blog-readers x

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!

Going back to my roots

The urge to get back to North London is growing by the day.  Who'd have thought it?  I just have the tricky job of finding gainful employment now - a minor hitch in my plans!

Yesterday I took the 134 bus along a route which I'd taken many hundreds of times before - but not for at least 10 years.  For any bus geeks out there who might happen to read this, the 134 starts at Tottenham Court Road and finishes up in Finchley (I think).  This was a route that went past my old flats and into Camden so a pretty important bus all round.

There was a reason for me taking the bus - I wanted to suss out areas that I hadn't visited for a long time, areas I may or may not want to live in again.  I'd been considering Kentish Town and upwards towards Highgate but have re-thunk!  Neither Kentish Town nor Tufnell Park did it for me yesterday.  Tufnell Park was great to live in for a while after moving to London from the sticks but I've grown up & want somewhere a bit more "me".  My little studio flat in Tufnell Park saw a lot of people come & go - mainly the likes of Tina & Dawn who stayed pretty much every weekend.  It also saw boys come and go - great ones, swedish ones, and other ones.  It did the job for a while but then I wanted bigger & better - I'm talking about the flat here by the way!

Highgate felt positively posh compared to Fortess Road....well it is I guess.  I moved into a flat that was pretty darn lovely, apart from the odd old furniture that the landlord insisted I kept and the fact I had to share a bathroom, but it was lovely nevertheless.

I'm rambling again. Anyway, it's a no to Kentish Town & Tufnell Park, a vague possibility if it was great as far as Archway is concerned, but a definite yes to Highgate or Muswell Hill.  My wishlist is topped however by Crouch End.  Lee was a great font of local knowledge yesterday and told me lots about public transport etc.  which, although boring to anyone else, is a necessity to me.  I need to know I can get places.  So Crouch End it will hopefully be.  Crouch End with it's lovely little cafe's, boutiques, delis and interesting little shops.  I know EXACTLY where I want to live but that'll be dependent upon the job and availability at the time.

Now...if anyone could just find me the job that I need to help me achieve this new found dream.....I'll love you forever.