Archive: Aug 2009

1. Birdy pick of the week

   August 30, 2009 9:00 pm 4 Comments

   
   Ben Newman's 'Honk Honk' giclee print, £20, from Soma Gallery.
   (Soma Gallery is a Wee Birdy sponsor, so please show it some love!)

2. A week of Kent: Broadstairs

   August 28, 2009 7:00 am 15 Comments

   

   After our morning in Whitstable, we headed over to Broadstairs for an afternoon by the seaside. Following the excellent advice of @circeplum, we headed to Oscar Road Café for the freshest and most enormous doorstop crab sandwich I’ve encountered. (It was actually a difficult choice between that and the bucket of prawns and lobster rolls.)

   

   

   Set back on a side street away from the bustle of the seafront, the café itself was completely charming with bunting and vintage-style décor. They also offered a small selection of retro-inspired gifts. We found a perfectly sunny spot under a tree in the back garden, where we quietly sipped ginger beer and experienced a little Enid Blyton moment.

   

   

   

   The homemade cakes (especially the moreish Victoria Sponge) looked particularly enticing under their vintage glass cloches, but I was particularly keen to check out the legendary Morelli’s, which @IndiaKnight had tweeted about earlier this year.

   

   The icecream parlour and cappuccino bar opened for business in Broadstairs in 1932 and was the first in the UK to offer over 20 flavours of icecream. It was refurbished in 1959, and it’s still resplendent in all its original formica glory, with Lloyd Loom chairs and a soda fountain now stuffed with kitsch plastic flowers.

   

   Having been advised that no visit to Morelli’s was complete without a Knickerbocker Glory, I duly ordered at the bar and was served what can only be described as a sundae spectacle, topped with whipped cream, cherry, Flake bar, a novel teddy bear wafer and a French flag – all in a wonderful old-fashioned hand-blown glass.

   

   As if that (and the location) wasn’t enough, the icecream was pretty damn delicious, too. (Londoners can visit the Morelli’s outpost at Harrods, which offers an innovative bespoke icecream service.)

   Outside Morelli’s, the vibrant delights of the Broadstairs seaside awaited. All that was missing was a Punch and Judy show and a couple of donkeys. (And I wouldn’t have batted an eyelid if either showed up.)

   

   

   

   O scar Road Café
   15 Oscar Road
   Broadstairs, Kent CT10 1QJ
   Tel. 01843 872442
   Opening hours:
   Thursday to Friday 10.30am-5pm
   Saturday 10.30am-5.30pm
   Sunday 11.30am-5.30pm
   
   Morelli’s
   14 Victoria Parade
   Broadstairs, Kent CT10 1Q

3. Thank you, London Paper

   August 27, 2009 7:40 pm 8 Comments

   

   Kate from Little Doodles just sent me this pic of the story that appeared in yesterday's London Paper on London shopping blogs. Thanks Kate, and welcome London Paper readers!

4. A week of Kent: Sundae Sundae

   7:00 am 12 Comments

   

   

   Just a couple of doors down from Frank on Harbour Street is the utterly irresistible Sundae Sundae, a retro seaside shop with a self-styled ‘'ice cream delicatessen’. It’s a delightfully kitsch celebration of nostalgic British summer-time, stocking a fanciful selection of brightly coloured buckets, spades and ‘proper’ seaside toys.

   

   It’s the range of weird and wonderful icecream flavours that catch my eye, like raspberry cheesecake, crème brulle, lavender sorbet, stem ginger and cracked pepper. For an extra-special treat, your scoops can be served in plastic sailing boats, complete with a little sail.

   

   

   The various flavours are all-natural and sourced from small British farms, some as far away as Yorkshire. But the more experimental flavours are made in-house, like the fresh basil icecream, which is apparently very refreshing on a hot summer’s day.

   

   There’s also a tasty line-up of retro English sweets, including the ever-popular flying saucers, love hearts, Dip Dabs, Whitstable rock, sugar mice and (my favourite) Tunnock’s tea cakes.

   

   Towards the back of the store you’ll find a charming collection of vintage crockery and ephemera, like old Beano mags, vintage annuals and retro sundae glasses. I couldn’t resist the vintage saucy postcards, the ultimate seaside souvenir.

   

   

   

   Out the back garden, there's everything you could possibly need to kit out the beach hut of your dreams, right down to the vintage oars and old fair signs.

   

   

   

   It’s a little bit Beach Blanket Bingo, British style.

   Sundae Sundae
   62 Harbour St
   Whitstable, Kent CT5 1AG
   Opening hours: Variable, but usually 11am to 6pm (and sometimes ‘til 8pm if it’s a scorcher)

5. A week of Kent: Frank

   August 26, 2009 7:00 am 19 Comments

   

   I’ve been meaning to post about the weekend I spent in Kent earlier this summer, when my parents were visiting the UK for a couple of weeks. It was by far one of the easiest breaks I’ve ever organised, mostly due to the fact that there was little to no organising on my part. My parents arrived with a well-researched itinerary, and I was also inundated with some extremely good tips when I called upon the UK Twitterati for advice and help (thanks to @circeplum, @cassandracastle, @indiaknight, @maggieA, @I_Like, @LibertyLndnGirl).

   

   

   

   On Saturday morning we headed to Whitstable, a seaside village most famous for oysters. At just 80 minutes by car from London, it’s the perfect destination for a weekend break or day trip. The New York Times visited earlier this year, so if you’re thinking of doing the same, you may want to look up their  suggestions on where to eat, including the “obligatory” Wheelers Oyster Bar, as well as The Sportsman, which was awarded a Michelin star.

   

   

   But I’m here primarily to check out Frank, a former oysterman’s cottage on Harbour Street housing all manner of gorgeous British-made crafts, design and homewares. I’d heard some exceptionally good things about the shop, which is the brainchild of illustrator Mary Claire Smith and photographer Rob Weiss.

   

   It’s the type of place that crafty-peeps only dream about, and people on a gift-buying mission will not be disappointed. On my visit I was greeted by a (very appropriate) bird display in the window, featuring Hannah Turner’s retro-style ceramic birds (from £28), Hannah Waldron’s vibrant canary prints and Abigail Brown’s super-sweet Matchbox Tweeters.

   

   

   

   There are goodies crammed into every corner and hanging from every nook, but it has an overall feeling of space and airiness, befitting its breezy harbour-side location. It’s hard to pick favourites, but you might like to keep an eye out for Becky Crow’s copper fox brooches, Claire Fletcher’s handpainted children’s tambourines, and Cornelia O’Donovan’s softies made from Whitney vintage blankets.

   

   

   

   

   If you’re after some locally-made handcrafts, make a beeline for Kate Erbe’s handknitted angora dogs (£19.50), Keith Brymer-Jones’ milky-toned hand-thrown ceramics (from £7.70 for a jug), and Heidi Butter’s laser-cut jewellery.

   

   

   

   There are more surprises to be found in the garden out the back, where you’ll find potted succulents in teacups amongst a range of outdoor decorative items.

   

   

   And upstairs there’s a very cute holiday flat for rent – ideal for a sunny weekend or mid-week getaway by the sea. But if you can’t make it to this lovely wee corner of the world, some of the loveliness can be found on their online shop.

   Frank
   65 Harbour Street
   Whitstable, Kent CT5 1AG
   Tel. +44 (0) 1227 262 500
   
   Opening hours:
   Monday-Friday 10.15am-5pm
   Saturday 10.15am-5.30pm
   Sunday 11am-5pm

6. Shopping in London: V&A shop

   August 25, 2009 9:00 pm 17 Comments

   

   Over the past couple of years I’ve posted quite a lot about my favourite bits and pieces from various London museums and galleries, but I’ve never delved into any great detail about the actual shops themselves. So naturally, that’s about to change…

   It’s a given that any gallery-goer’s journey will end in the designated shop space – in fact their presence (and the promise of a toy dinosaur) has been used as the proverbial dangling carrot to get many a child through the tedium of an exhibition itself. But some of the world’s greatest and most-loved museums and galleries (New York’s MoMA, London’s Tate Modern, Design Museum and the V&A) have evolved in such a way that their shops are a retail (and tourist) destination in their own right.

   

   
   

   

   I must confess that I’ve been guilty, on more than one occasion, of making a specific gift-buying dash to the V&A shop, without so much as a peep in at any of the permanent collection galleries (I know, shameful behaviour!). But that’s because the V&A, in particular, offers up an expertly-edited line-up of gifts, accessories, books and children’s toys – all perfect candidates for being packaged up and sent away to friends and family far away.

   

   There's also a dedicated bookshop, with subjects spanning the worlds of design, art, fashion, textiles, jewellery, photography and architecture. And they always have an extensive range of the most gorgeous cards:

   
   

   The website is also an excellent source for all manner of design-led products and accessories, and autumn/winter’s new collection has just arrived online. I’m loving the cherry brooch by Francoise Montague, squirrel ring box by Jonathan Adler, and chirpy cicada brooch.

   
   

   
   There's also a really lovely selection of luxe hairbands and headpieces, like this little pleated beauty ...

   
   

   
   The shop is also particularly good when it comes to accessing a clever range of kids’ toys, games and activities, starting at pocket-money prices. I’m particularly fond of the vintage-style wind-up tin toys, like this circus elephant, and these Clifford Richards cat and fairy notebooks.

   

   

   The V&A also have a brilliant prints service, where you can order any print from their vast collection in the size, format and paper of your choice.

   Also keep an eye out for pieces from the Cherry on a Cake collection, a brilliant line of limited edition designer collaborations, making them perfect (read: non-crap) souvenirs for tourists and London newcomers alike. Inspired by the museum’s extensive collections, you can take your pick from a stunning Grayson Perry doll (at a super-cool £4000, wow) or a Concise Book of Patterns necklace by Comfort Station. Art and history has never been so wearable.

   The V&A Shop
   Victoria and Albert Museum
   Cromwell Road
   London SW7 2RL
   Tel. 020 7942 2687
   Nearest tube: South Kensington
   Click here for a Wee Birdy map.

   Opening hours:
   Monday to Sunday 10am-5.30pm
   Late night every Friday until 9.45pm

7. One crafty weekend in London…

   August 24, 2009 6:48 pm 15 Comments

   

   There’s been lots of good stuff happening at the Wee Birdy nest lately, but first, a recap on this weekend’s summer craftiness.

   So it was off to Honor Oak in South-East London for Tea and Make’s debut fete on Saturday morning, which saw the likes of high-profile designers Hannah Waldron and Polly George pitching market tables on the front lawn of St Saviours Church.

   

   I really loved the friendly and relaxed WI feel to the fete, which included a tea and cake stand inside the church hall, (complete with flower-filled vases on all the tables), local produce courtesy of Brockley’s bee-keepers, and an old-fashioned coconut shy.

   

   I was also delighted to catch up with fellow blogger and local girl Basil Exposition (who somehow squeezes in the most amazing knitted and baked creations in between studying and blogging). Here are some of my picks of the day:

   Polly George’s new range of ceramic Victorian-style brooches and butterfly hair grips (plus all her usual tea set loveliness), below...

   

   

   

   Highgate-based Cornelia O’Donovan’s amazingly individual hand-stitched softies and illustrated bunting (below and top)…

   

   

   Selvedge’s stall of covetable textiles and dry-goods (French and Japanese printed linen, Lotta Jansdotta’s tea towels, Liberty-print butterfly hair slides, below) …

   

   

   

   English Design Company’s fresh stationery designs and beautiful paper garlands, below …

   

   

   The Arctic

8. Birdy pick of the week

   August 23, 2009 11:00 pm 5 Comments

   

   Marc by Marc Jacobs 'Flights of Fancy' leather shopper, £335, from Net-a-porter.

9. Pretty in Print, Part 3

   August 18, 2009 4:26 pm 9 Comments

   

   At the risk of making you all reach for your (Betsy-covered) buckets, I couldn’t leave Liberty mania alone without taking a stroll around Etsy for some inspiration. There’s a lot to be said (and celebrated) about some of the small designer/makers/mums at home who sell their handmade wares online, and there’s a whole lot of Tana Lawn love happening right now around the world. Here are my top Liberty print picks:

   

   

   

   Nadinoo’s collection of frocks, tops and playsuits (see top of page) is fresh and flirty, with feminine details like exaggerated ruffles and retro-inspired cuts.

   

   

   There’s nothing subtle at about Jennifer Loiselle’s gloriously girlish (and slightly bonkers) bonbon headbands, which feature super-sized pleated bows in Liberty’s Betsy fabric.

   

   

   And I’m still rather taken by Sareypoppins’ line-up of vintage-style clasp purses, clutches and lavender sausage dogs, all beautifully made in a selection of Liberty fabrics.

   p.s. Remember Liberty's fash mob I wrote about last week? Take a look at the floral-swathed winners!

10. Wee finds: Amanda Fatherazi dolls and brooches

    August 14, 2009 12:00 pm 8 Comments

    

     

    Just thought you might want to see more of the amazing hand-crafted dolls by textile artist Amanda Fatherazi, which she created exclusively for Liberty's Prints Charming Exhibition. These saucy minxes feature incredible hand-finished detail with vintage tulle bustiers and a combination of Liberty prints. The bespoke dolls are currently available on the 4th floor of Liberty for (I think) £400 each.

    

    I've already pounced on one of the brooches, which I blogged about yesterday. Here are some more adorable designs, which are currently available from Liberty...

    

    

    

    

    

    There's a bowl of the limited-edition brooches (starting at £30) on the fourth floor of Liberty, as well as four designs available online (from £35).

11. Pretty in Print, Part 2

    12:16 am 14 Comments

    

    One of the most exciting things to emerge from the Liberty Prints Charming exhibition is the new artist fabric collection, which features exclusive designs by British artists Grayson Perry, Paul Morrison, Mike McInnerney, Michael Angove, Anj Smith and Simon Hart. I’m particularly taken by Grayson Perry’s ‘Cranford’ and ‘Phillipa’ prints, as well as Simon Hart’s ‘Cool Coast’ print, which features a charming Cornish fishing village as its theme.

    
    
    

    Liberty has also released an extensive range of print-covered goodies, from London A-Z books to luggage tags, made-to-order wellies and playing cards. (You can check out the full range available online here.) There were also racks of clothes by A.P.C. for Liberty (look out for the adorable car-print shorts) and Cacharel (the bikinis are super-cute), as well as one-off handcrafted Amanda Fatherazi boudoir dolls, which were dressed beautifully in Tana Lawn fabric. But her quirky fabric lady’s face brooches (£30) also proved particularly irresistible, as you can see here:

    
    

    I've also got my eye on this rather surreal Grayson Perry silk scarf:

    

    I’m particularly nostalgic for the micro-floral ‘Pepper’ Liberty print, which I remember adoring when I was younger. Here it is on a luggage tag, below:

    

    In fact, I remember having a few scraps of the fabric (which was rather like gold in the suburban Australian town I grew up in) and using it to customise some rather eye-catching ‘laces’ for my Doc Martens. (This didn’t go down particularly well with the surfie/stoner crowd, natch.) But these days I really love the striking Art Déco ‘Caesar’ peacock print, which is featured on this journal:
    

     Tell me …. Are you nostalgic about any particular Liberty print?

12. Pretty in Print, Part 1

    August 12, 2009 10:12 pm 16 Comments

    

    It’s print-mania over at Liberty right now, with the heritage department store kicking off a month of festivities to celebrate their iconic print. I managed to nip over at lunch time to take a few photos and to check out the exhibition, Prints Charming. And just look at what they’ve done to their Carnaby Street wall:

    

    

    Bedecked in Betsey fabric, Liberty is looking extremely pretty in print. Oh my! Here are some more pics of the window displays:

    

    

    

    

    

    But the fabric fun doesn’t stop there, with the lifts and stairwells also getting the Betsey treatment. Upstairs at the exhibition, there’s a whole line-up of one-off and limited-edition items that have been rendered in various Liberty prints, including a chaise longue, wardrobe and Skeppshult bike. There was also an art student's Wendy House installation swathed entirely in panels of Liberty print, which I may just have to move into.

    The latest exciting news is that Liberty is hosting a ‘Fash Mob’ tomorrow evening from 6pm. Turn up in your best Liberty prints for a photo shoot and prizes for the ‘best-dressed’…

    

    Check back tomorrow for Pretty in Print, part 2, and the latest Liberty print goodies (including the fantastic Artist fabric collaborations).

13. Wee finds: London’s grafitti knitters

    7:00 am 14 Comments

    

    It was only a matter time before I stumbled across London’s gang of graffiti knitters and their rather splendid handiwork. Armed with (knitting) needles and (crochet) hooks, Knit the City’s Yarn Corps are a posse of purlers whose sole aim is to “reknit your neighbourhood”.

    

    Even if your neighbourhood just happens to be Westminster… Check out the extraordinarily beautiful results when a certain iconic (and tourist-friendly) telephone box gets a rather woolly makeover:

    

    

    

    The stories behind the so-called “yarnstorms" and "knitblasts” also make for hilarious reading, particularly when they involve run-ins with the local constabulary, confronting thieves and rescuing (knitted) victims from their most recent Woolly Web of Woe at Waterloo’s Leake St tunnel:

    

    

    

    Read all about the punk purlers at Knit the City here (and follow their dastardly deeds on Twitter here). Wee Birdy salutes you!
    
    All images ©Lauren O'Farrell, and reproduced with kind permission by Knit the City.
    Thanks to Deadly Knitshade (love the name!).