A VERY sunny Saturday

It's been a freakishly warm weekend - a weekend warm enough to leave the house without sleeves!  I won't go on about the weather however (ooh that rhymes) incase I tempt fate!

Yesterday was Tweed Run, something I'd been looking forward to for what seems like forever! This was the third Tweed Run held in London and it's basically an excuse to ride vintage bicycles around the tourist spots, dressed in tweed (obviously - hence the name!). As much as I would have loved to join in the dressing up and riding of bikes, I wouldn't fancy my chances on London's streets, having not ridden a bike since I was 12!

Everyone had obviously made a huge effort to look the part and if riders don't usually dress in the styles of the day, they did well searching out authentic items in readiness.  After seeing all the lovely photos that are floating around today, it seems Ewan McGregor took part too and he looked amazing.

It proved quite difficult finding out where Tweed Run started from but the organisers suggested good viewing spots along the way.  We headed to Trafalgar Square and just caught the riders going by.  I was hoping that they'd be stopping off there for photo opportunities but no joy on that front.  The photos I'll include here were about the best I could manage.

I finished off a sunny afternoon with a glass of rose' outside The French House.  Definitely one of my favourite little pubs - no idiots, no mobile phone conversations, and the aroma of gorgeous food coming from the restaurant upstairs.  Who wants to come and sample the menu with me?  http://www.frenchhousesoho.com/index.html

Last night I resurrected Lipgloss.  I will say no more other than Lipgloss R.I.P!

Have a spiffing rest of the weekend x

I've got a brand new combine harvester....

I obviously don't but I was trying to think of a suitable title for today's blog!

I was in the deepest, darkest depths of Wiltshire for the weekend, in the village I lived in from the age of 2 until early 20s - Rushall.  My Gran still lives there so I venture back about 3 times a year. 

If you google Rushall, it takes you to a probably much bigger village 'up North.  My Rushall is really just a hamlet where there are no shops and you're very lucky if you see a bus once a month!  My school consisted of 32 children at most.  This made for a great education with lots of fun, nature walks, playing outside etc.  I smile when I tell the story of how when you are 7, you walk through the screen from the little kids classroom and are then a big kid!  I think I enjoyed my school years but it was a huge culture shock going from 32 children up to 600 or so at the age of 10 when I went to secondary school.  (I don't know if I was lucky or not but due to my birthday falling at a funny time and obviously because I was incredibly intelligent (!!!!!), I went to secondary school a year early).

A lot has changed in Rushall since I was small.  Our beautiful haunted house, located in a wood, with trout lakes, a river running through the bottom of the garden, and a hammock, got completely knocked down and rebuilt.  I wondered about the ghosts and worried for the tenants!  That house was so haunted, I could write a book on it.  The sound of babies crying coming from tvs that were turned off, lights turning on & off, my Katie Copycat flying across the room, and the little girl's voice saying "I'm 4" over Roger Daltrey's "I'm Free" track!  My second house in the village isn't recognisable these days either but there is so much more space for my two scooters that I owned back then!

Rushall is very, very pretty but a tough place to live when you're a teenager with no money and no transport.  My Lambretta gave me a lot of independence and I no longer had to rely on my poor Grandad to take me places and come out in the middle of the night to pick me up from Mod Nights in the back of beyond.  Rushall is still a tough place to live if you don't have transport & I can't see that changing unfortunately. 

If you happen to be heading between Swindon & Salisbury (or vice versa), take a detour through Rushall, have a look round the pretty little church, have a photo taken in the stocks, and...say hi to my Gran.

http://www.rushall.org.uk/

Lazing on a sunny afternoon....

As time goes on, I'm realising that perhaps the title of my blog is misleading as I don't think I've mentioned a single frock in weeks!

This weekend the clocks went forward which means lots of shenanigans in the evenings hopefully.  I will report back!

Saturday saw one of my regular trips back to my old homestead, Brighton.  Strangely, I still don't have any pangs or sadness that I've left....but it's still nice to go back every few weeks.  I visited a nice little craft fayre in Fabrica called Brighton Craftaganza.  I was expecting the same old tosh if I'm honest - jars of stuff no-one wants, candles that look like they've seen better days, that sort of thing, but it proved to be a pleasant surprise.  I put it down to the fact that younger people are now knitting, sewing, patchworking etc.  No longer Nannas that knit!  Lots of lovely things I wanted but couldn't afford at this time in the month, so close yet so far from payday.  I really wanted this, but it wasn't for sale.  Such a sad face.

And for Kinks fans, last night saw the launch of Peter Quaife's book, Veritas.  The launch took place in The Clissold Arms in East Finchley & where better place?  It was the first time I'd ever been to the pub, although obviously I knew all about it.  Although now a gastro pub it seems, there's still fantastic Kinks memorabilia everywhere.  I'm sure Peter would have been chuffed that so many of his friends, relatives & fans turned out for the launch.  His brother Dave's speech brought a tear to my eye but the night was definitely one of celebration rather than any sadness.  The best part of the night was the Kinks singalong around a Bontempi organ.  The sound in the pub was amazing and I actually thought the Crouch End Choir had turned up before I saw what was actually going on!  I raise a glass to you Mr Quaife!

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