Archive: Feb 2010

1. Birdy pick of the week

   February 28, 2010 6:00 am 4 Comments
   
   'London' and 'Sammy Seagull' 16" x 20" silkscreen prints, US$35, by Wayne Pate. I'm also a little bit in love with his 'Jacques' print, below... Click here for more of my favourites by Wayne.
   

   

2. Best of London shopping: Bernstock Speirs*

   February 26, 2010 6:00 am 2 Comments

   

   There is something seductive about a milliner's boutique and the allure of dozens of different hat styles that promise to transform your look. And at Bernstock Speirs’ bijou boutique on Brick Lane, it’s hard to resist playing dress-ups with their endearingly quirky range of around 40 different hat styles for men and women.

   

   

   

   The talented duo behind the brand, Paul Bernstock and Thelma Speirs, have been stalwarts of the London fashion and club scenes since the ‘80s. In fact, their very first creation was that iconic open-brimmed hat for Kylie on her eponymous debut album in 1988. 

   

   
   
   

   These days, traditional and wearable styles are given the signature Bernstock Speirs twist, with an unexpected and eclectic use of materials.

   

   Take, for instance, their classic black trilby, which has been updated with a slash of orange around the base (£97), or their fabulous range of winter beanies with netted veiling and pom-poms (£45). Definitely worth a trip up Brick Lane.

   Bernstock Speirs
   234 Brick Lane
   London E2 7EB
   Tel. 020 7739 7385
   Nearest tube: Liverpool Street
   Click here for a Wee Birdy map.
   
   Opening hours:
   Tuesday to Friday 11am – 6pm
   Saturday and Sunday 11am – 5pm
   
   For more shops in East London, click here.
   

   * Please bear with me - I'm flying back to my Sydney nest so I'm digging into the Wee Birdy archives for a couple of weeks. Normal posting (and ace new London shops) will resume shortly. xx

3. Best of London shopping: G Baldwin & Co*

   February 25, 2010 6:00 am 2 Comments

   
   Cross the threshold of this unassuming South-East London shop and you’ll catch a whiff of the old-fashioned herbal remedies that made it London’s leading apothecary in its Victorian heyday. 

   

   And whilst they no longer peddle bottles of the extremely popular Touch & Go (for “Warts, Corns and Hard Skin”), you can still purchase a refreshing pint of Sarsaparilla for 30p.

   

   In 1969, G Baldwin and Co moved from 77 Walworth Road to its present location at number 171, but the shop retains much of its charm and original features including a long counter, apothecary wooden drawers and glass jars.

   

   

   

   Today the family business is divided into two stores: an excellent health food shop on one side, and the traditional herbalist next door. I was given a sneak-peek behind the scenes, and discovered the fragrant oils room where all of the bottling is done on-site, as well as a thriving mail-order business.

   Part of the attraction of Baldwin’s these days is its affordable range of essential oils, natural products and aromatherapy products. I swear by their organic Rosehip Oil, a total steal at £7.99, which I use as an inexpensive glow-giving face serum at night. Rosehip oil can be found as an ingredient in many major beauty brands' more expensive anti-ageing products, due to its high levels of anti-oxidants and collagen-boosting Vitamin A. It's also excellent for healing blemishes and acne scars.

   I also love their range of old-fashioned amber bottles and jars, which come in a variety of sizes that would look gorgeous lined up on your bathroom shelf (in manner of Aesop chic). In fact, Baldwin’s is an excellent source for all sorts of crafty DIY beauty ingredients, including bulk packages of dead sea bath salts and silicone soap-making moulds.

   Each visit reveals interesting new finds (Stuff in a Tub icecream; English honey cappings; Dr Bronner's soap) and budget buys (luxury handmade soap for £2.89) – making Baldwin's one of London’s true hidden shopping gems.

   
   

   G Baldwin & Co
   171/173 Walworth Road
   London SE17 1RW
   Tel. 020 7703 5550
   Nearest tube/rail: Elephant & Castle
   Click here for a Wee Birdy map.
   
   Opening hours:
   Monday to Saturday 9am – 5.30pm

   For more shops in South East London, click here.

   * Please bear with me - I'm flying back to my Sydney nest so I'm digging into the Wee Birdy archives for a couple of weeks. Normal posting (and ace new London shops) will resume shortly. xx

4. Best of London shopping: Melt*

   February 24, 2010 6:00 am 9 Comments

   
   

   I couldn’t resist poking my head inside the doors of Melt Chocolates in Notting Hill, just in time for Easter. As you can imagine, it’s a hive of activity at the moment, with all chocolate handmade on site in the small kitchen out the back. And with their recently opened concession in Selfridges, demand has never been greater.

   

   

   

   The kitchen is headed by Chika Watanabe, who conjures up sheer chocolate heaven in the manner of award-winning Maldon sea-salted caramels, peanut butter and raspberry jam truffles, and exquisite single-origin hot chocolate dipping blocks.

   

   

   

   For Easter, there’s a delightful bunny mug designed by Lisa Jones with a milk chocolate egg (£17.50), traditional paper eggs filled with Swiss milk chocolate drops (£8.50) and egg cups with milk chocolate eggs (£9.50). Click here to see the full Easter line-up.

   

   

   If you’ve left your Easter shopping ‘til the last minute, resist the calls of the supermarket aisle (and bad-quality, sugar-laden chocolate) and head over to Selfridges instead. Right now you can hand-pick your own selection of fresh chocolates and watch as Melt’s chocolatiers seal them inside a hand-finished egg. Fun and yum!

   Melt
   59 Ledbury Road
   London W11 2AA
   Nearest Tube: Notting Hill Gate
   Click here for a Wee Birdy map.
   
   Opening hours:
   Monday to Saturday 9am-6pm
   Sunday 11am-4pm
   
   For more chocolates and sweets in London, click here.

   * Please bear with me - I'm flying back to my Sydney nest so I'm digging into the Wee Birdy archives for a couple of weeks. Normal posting (and ace new London shops) will resume shortly. xx
   

5. Best of London shopping: Lapin & Me*

   February 23, 2010 6:00 am 3 Comments

   

   For those who may have missed my story in Time Out, here are some more pics from my latest fave shop in London, Lapin & Me. The newest arrival to the independent shopping haven that is Columbia Road (well, it's actually just around the corner on Ezra Street, but near enough), Lapin & Me stocks a fanciful and French-y range of limited-edition dolls, design-led products, stationery, homewares and children's clothes.

   
   
   

   Wee Birdy is also super-chuffed to have served a tiny role in the creation of the real bricks-n-mortar shop. Apparently owner Madeleine James was inspired by the Columbia Road Christmas Wednesdays post last year, and started looking around the area for the perfect premises.

   
   
   
   
   

   On my shopping wishlist is the hand-stitched "one-eyed" doll (see top pic, £36), Nathalie Lete's illustrated "Parisian shopper", and a Fatina doll brooch (£21). There are also glass jars on the main counter brimming with the most delightful pocket-money goodies, like Alain Gree labels (£3.50), vintage stork & baby sets (£2) and Tooth Mouse boxes (£3.50).

   

   Don't fret if you're out of London - you can dig into this whimsical treasure trove online at www.lapinandme.co.uk.

   

   Lapin & Me
   14 Ezra St
   London E2 7RG
   Nearest tube: Liverpool Street
   Click here for a Wee Birdy map.
   
   Opening hours:
   Friday 11am-2.30pm
   Saturday 11am-3.30pm
   Sunday 9am-3pm

   Click here for more shops in East London.
   

   * Please bear with me - I'm flying back to my Sydney nest so I'm digging into the Wee Birdy archives for a couple of weeks. Normal posting (and ace new London shops) will resume shortly. xx

6. Best of London shopping: Shop at Bluebird*

   February 22, 2010 6:00 am 8 Comments

   

   I finally paid Shop at Bluebird a long, overdue visit last week, and I’m delighted to report that it’s looking better – and dare I say more accessible  – than ever. But it’s difficult not to be impressed and a little over-awed by the listed art-deco location alone (the former Bluebird garage), let alone the beautifully edited collection of fashion, books, music, homewares, vintage, and skincare products.

   

   While it’s loosely divided into departments, all sorts of found objects, accessories and artworks are scattered throughout the 10,000 square foot space. Here, for example, you’ll find 1950s American glass milk bottles (£18) sitting on an oversized French farmhouse table, next to a rack of glorious Erdem frocks.

   

   

   I really loved the selection of vintage greeting cards as well as the fabulous brioche mould pendant lights by Sally and Mark Bailey. The range of playful pastel-coloured ceramics by Berlin-based Kuehn Keramik was also a highlight.

   

   

   
   The women’s fashion department is extensive and carefully considered, with labels ranging from Jasmine de Milo, Alexander Wang, Peter Jensen to Elizabeth and James, Luella and Richard Nicoll. Shoe-wise there’s Rupert Sanderson and Vivienne Westwood, while the jewellery cabinets are stuffed with Marni gems, vintage fob watches and Nymphenburg porcelain pendants.

   

   

   There’s also an excellent spa with Micheline Arcier (Prince Charles’ aromatherapist of choice) joining this month along with an exclusive treatment menu. Right now you can pick up skincare products by the likes of Malin + Goetz and Ole Henrikesen, but keep an eye out for Aesop and Bigelow, which should be arriving over the coming months.

   

   What’s most appealing is that the shop is constantly evolving, with new designers and pop-up spaces keeping it fresh and relevant. Launching its international project in the pop-up room this week is French label Kitsune (next stop is Colette in Paris). Then there’s Atelier Abigail Ahern, the new homewares concession which brings Islington interiors (and some rather lovely Jonathan Adler ceramics) to the Kings’s Road. I was also (predictably) excited to discover that Rob Ryan will be curating the Christmas shop this year.

   

   

   Whatever you do, don’t leave without a twirl around the spacious dressing rooms, which are in the process of being decorated by individual designers. I’m looking forward to seeing the Bobby Dazzler dressing room (think hand-crafted creature feature!), but I rather liked the room with the incredible sepia photo collage.

   

   Shop at Bluebird
   350 King’s Road
   London SW3 5UU
   Tel. 7351 3873
   Nearest tube: Sloan Square
   Click here for a Wee Birdy map.
   
   Opening hours:
   Monday to Saturday 10am-7pm
   Sunday 11am-6pm

   * Please bear with me - I'm flying back to my Sydney nest so I'm digging into the Wee Birdy archives for a couple of weeks. Normal posting (and ace new London shops) will resume shortly. xx
   

7. Birdy pick of the week

   February 21, 2010 6:00 am 4 Comments
   

   

   

   

   Animal portrait digital archival prints, starting from US$10, from Berkley Illustration's Etsy shop.

8. Goodbye London, hello Sydney

   February 19, 2010 6:00 am 72 Comments

   

   Well, it’s an end of an era here at Wee Birdy. I’ve decided to move back to my hometown of Sydney. It was a heart-wrenching decision that I've agonised over for months, and although I'll never tire of this wonderful old town (never, Dr Johnson!), things seem to have come to their natural end. For the time being, anyway.

   So what will this mean for Wee Birdy? Well, not much will change as I have been very busy squirreling away loads of London shop reviews, which I’ll be posting about once I’m settled in Sydney. And eventually I’ll introduce you to some of my favourite Australian shops. I guess Wee Birdy will take on a more global feel in time, and I'm already planning regular trips back to London to 'top up' my posts. 

   In the meantime, I will be posting “The Best Of’ London shop reviews over the next two weeks, before normal blogging will resume.
   
   But it's goodbye London for now...
   Goodbye riding in the front seat up the top of a double-decker bus
   Goodbye getting mugged
   Goodbye marvellous weekend newspapers
   Goodbye hot air vents on the buses in summer (oh why oh why?)
   Goodbye Tatty Devine, Rob Ryan and Alex Monroe
   Goodbye 2am bagels on Brick Lane
   Goodbye foxes crying like tortured banshees in the middle of the night
   Goodbye proper afternoon tea with clotted cream
   Goodbye Sherlock Holmes tiles at Baker Street tube station
   Goodbye eternal queues at Monmouth coffee
   Goodbye University Challenge and the ever-excitable voice of Roger Tilling
   Goodbye perfectly formed snowflakes that sparkle in the weak morning sun
   Goodbye Central Line, you served me well (most of the time)
   Goodbye narrow lanes and hedgerows in the countryside
   Goodbye Sunday roast dinners with Yorkshire pudding
   Goodbye sugar mice and Parma Violets
   Goodbye brilliant, wonderful Guardian mini mag supplements
   Goodbye wild buttercups growing outside Greenwich park
   Goodbye picking over 400-year old clay pipes on the banks of the Thames
   Goodbye incredible museums and art galleries
   Goodbye Time Out (and thanks for employing me in the middle of a recession!)
   Goodbye lazy Saturday mornings trawling the stalls at Broadway Market
   Goodbye skidding on icy streets because the council couldn’t be arsed to grit
   Goodbye daily repeats of Friends on E4
   Goodbye 'three for a fiver' bunches of flowers at Columbia Road
   Goodbye dusty old bookshops (and rather odd owners) on Charing Cross Road
   Goodbye 4pm darkness in December
   Goodbye glorious Knickerbocker Glory at Fortnum & Mason
   Goodbye pretty little blue tits in the tree outside my window
   Goodbye limescale sludge in my tea
   Goodbye sitting in the bar at the Tate Modern watching the sun go down
   Goodbye walking up Piccadilly in the rain
   Goodbye having ice-creams in Hyde Park on green and white striped deckchairs
   Goodbye robins in the snow
   Goodbye peat bog man at the British Museum
   Goodbye getting lost again in Soho
   Goodbye ring-necked parakeets in Greenwich park
   Goodbye car boot sales
   Goodbye Tunnock's Teacakes, how do they make your marshmallow so soft?
   Goodbye some of the shittiest customer service I’ve ever experienced in my life
   Goodbye installations in the Turbine Hall
   Goodbye Waitrose and M&S ready-made meals
   Goodbye crazy tile mosaics at Tottenham Court Road tube
   Goodbye Selfridges’ Christmas windows
   Goodbye people who don’t move down into the carriage
   Goodbye geese and squirrels in St James’s Park
   Goodbye London sales
   Goodbye coots on Regent’s Canal
   Goodbye Charbonnel et Walker powdery-pink champagne chocolates
   Goodbye shiny mahogany conkers in autumn
   Goodbye pink petal showers in spring
   Goodbye cheese, coffee and cake at Borough Market
   Goodbye grey squirrels - I know I'm not meant to like you, but I do
   Goodbye South Eastern trains coming to a standstill within inches of the platform at London Bridge
   Goodbye to all my wonderful, wonderful London and UK friends, hope you all keep reading… maybe I can treat you to a coffee in Sydney some time?
   
   Goodbye London, thanks for having me. It’s been a treat and I'll miss you terribly (sob!).

9. Wee find: Colporter

   February 18, 2010 6:00 am 6 Comments

   

   Colporter is a new London-based online interiors shop, specialising in vintage items such as Routemaster bus blinds, suitcases, trunks, school maps, antlers, advertisements and European shop signs.

   I love the Hungarian grain sacks, which can be stuffed with fillers to make rather lovely bench cushions, as well as the framed Routemaster bus blinds, which start at £125 (I've seen them elsewhere for over £200).

   

   A wee birdy told me that Colporter are currently looking for London premises to open up a real bricks and mortar shop. Exciting news, indeed, considering their competitively priced stock.

10. A wee trip to Copenhagen, Part 2

    February 17, 2010 6:00 am 7 Comments
    
    Stilleben
    Dedicated to ceramics and glassware, this bijou boutique has a strong emphasis on Danish design, representing around 30 local designers. If Royal Copenhagen china isn’t quite your thing, you’ll find plenty of gorgeous alternatives here. I love this rather organic collection of coloured vases - so very pretty.
    Stilleben
    Læderstræde 14
    1201 Copenhagen
    
    Ida Davidsen
    

    

    

    

    A trip to Copenhagen isn't really complete without sampling smorrebord (Danish open sandwiches), and nobody does them better than the legendary Ida Davidsen. Offering a mind-boggling 250 different types of open sandwiches, it's a cosy little restaurant to stop and refuel.
    Ida Davidsen
    Store Kongensgade 70
    1264 Copenhagen
    Tel. 45 3391 3655

    Christiania
    

    

    
    
    

    Home to a hippy community since the early 70s, Christiania is an autonomous neighbourhood just south of the city. Tourists are welcome to walk around and take in the markets, street art, galleries and vegetarian cafes (not to mention the heady whiff of weed in the air). I took these pics just outside the ‘no photography’ zone.

    Lagkagehuset
    

    

    

    

    

    Row upon row of fresh pastries and cakes line the shelves of this perfect Danish bakery, which is just past the bridge of a pretty canal. It’s all rather overwhelming, but trade is brisk on the weekends so you will have plenty of time to mull over your purchases. If it all proves too much, just point at the nearest, plumpest, juiciest Danish (the pastry, not a person).
    Lagkagehuset
    Torvegade 45
    1400 Copenhagen

11. A wee trip to Copenhagen, Part 1

    February 16, 2010 6:00 am 9 Comments

    

    I spent a short but very sweet weekend in Copenhagen last year, which is an exceptionally pretty town with lots of treats for design obsessives. Everything you've heard about it being expensive is sadly very true (no cheapie Georg Jensen/ By Malene Birger/ Arne Jacobsen for me!), but I would have loved to have spent a wee bit longer and explored further afield. Still, I discovered quite a few gems on my travels. Here are some of my highlights...

    Crème de la Crème a la Edgar
    This utterly gorgeous boutique may be for (very fashionable) babies and children, but that didn't stop me from sighing over the incredible styling as well as the eclectic collection of toys and gifts.

    

    

    
    
    Featuring an excellent (though very pricey) range of own-brand children’s knitwear alongside a selection of niche fashion labels, it’s definitely worth a peep - even if it’s just to catch a glimpse of the vintage wallpaper, floral-print cushions and brilliant ‘70s-style string art.

    

    

    
    Crème de la Crème a la Edgar
    Kompagnistræde 8
    1208 Copenhagen
    Tel. +45 3336 1818

    Noma
    I was just about giddy with excitement when we booked lunch at this double-Michelin-starred restaurant, which is renowned for its Nordic cuisine and innovative use of local produce.
    
    
    

    

    It's been billed as the third best restaurant in the world (behind elBulli and The Fat Duck), but nothing quite prepared me for just how exquisite it all was, from the animal pelts draped over the chairs to the series of ingenious amuse-bouches designed to tickle the senses. A single egg arrived on a bed of steaming straw, followed by crispy pork sprinkled with the prettiest edible flowers and a snowy dusting of powder. Then there was the potted vegetable, which you were invited to pluck from the edible 'soil' in a teracotta pot. It was all rather theatrical and extraordinary.

    

    

    

    I had heard that the three-course lunch menu was quite reasonable at around £30 per head (considering its Michelin-starred status and all), but the wine list was unexpectedly astronomical, with prices starting at around £70 a bottle (the average price was double that). I know this is where restaurants really make their profit, but I was quite scared my dear old dad was going to have a heart attack. Should have stuck to the water. Still, it was an amazing and unforgettable experience.
    Noma
    Strandgade 93
    1401 Copenhagen
    Tel. +45 3296 3297

    FN.92 Vintage
    

    

    

    

    A treasure trove of the finest vintage clothes, FN.92 stocks an impressive collection of frocks dating from the 1850s, as well as costume jewellery, headpieces and bags.I particularly loved the collection of cotton ‘50s day frocks lined up outside the store. But just one thing: mind the (seemingly innocuous) steps on the way down to the shop (don’t ask).
    FN.92 Vintage
    Larsbjornstræde 6
    1454 Copenhagen
    Tel. +45 3313 2050

    Part 2 coming tomorrow.

12. A wee trip to Copenhagen

    February 15, 2010 6:00 am 12 Comments
    

    Here's a sneak peek of my trip to Copenhagen last year. It was a just a weekend break, but I somehow managed to squeeze in quite a few lovely things. Check back for some of my highlights tomorrow...
    

    

    

    
    

    

    

    

    
    

    

    

    

13. Birdy pick of the week

    February 14, 2010 6:00 am 3 Comments
    

    

    

    Bird print leggings, US$45, from Malu's Etsy shop. (Thanks to Beyond the Pale for the tip!)