Last week I travelled to New Zealand for a four-day trip to Christchurch and Mt Hutt. Sadly, I’d never visited Christchurch before the devastating earthquake in February 2011, but the signs of destruction were immediately apparent on the drive from the airport: countless churches with missing spires; buildings surrounded by rubble and “danger” signs pinned to construction sites. I felt an emotional connection to the city as the earthquake occurred just days after my son was born last year, and I distinctly remember clutching him in my hospital bed as the tragic events in Christchurch unfolded on the TV screen.
Fast forward 18 months and I find myself perched on a stool in a cafe on Cashel Street, just metres away from the rubble of the Cathedral in the middle of the city’s no-go red zone. But this is no ordinary bricks-and-mortar cafe – in fact, there’s no bricks and mortar at all. The cafe is in a shipping container, and it’s part of a clever initiative called Re:START, offering many of the retailers dislocated from the devastation of the earthquake an opportunity to rebuild their businesses, as well as bringing people – and a new community – back into the the centre of the city.
The shipping containers themselves look fantastic, adding a level of excitement and edginess to the city’s historic centre. There is some subtle landscaping around the village, giving it green urban vibe. At the moment there are 27 retailers, including banks, cafes and gift shops – and there is free wi-fi throughout (a boon for a travelling blogger). I spent Sunday afternoon browsing through the temporary village, and discovered quite a few wee gems.
Here are my top six must-visit shops at Re:Start:
1. HAPA: design-led gifts, art, jewellery, toys and homewares by local designer-makers (including the Kia Ora mugs in the top pic).
2. The General Store: delightful gifts, homewares, toys and art by local and international designers.
3. Johnson’s Grocery: imported sweets and goodies from around the world, including haggis, Stilton and Maynard wine gums.
4. Infinite Definite: local and international fashion for men and women, including Riddle Me This, Salasai and Stolen Girlfriends Club.
5. Scorpio Books: fabulous independent book store with an extensive New Zealand and Maori collection including fiction and natural history.
6. Ballantynes Contemporary Lounge: local and international contempoary fashion designers for men and women, including Karen Walker, Scotch & Soda and Ketz-Ke.
I’ll be showing you some of these shops (and some of my wee Kiwi finds) in more detail over the next few days.
Wee Birdy travelled to Christchurch courtesy of the good folks at Tourism New Zealand and Air New Zealand. Head to www.newzealand.com for more information about visiting New Zealand.
According to Instagram, this is what the last two weeks in my life looked like. What it doesn’t show is one grizzly toddler, numerous piles of dirty laundry, three separate cases of head colds and two unpacked suitcases.
But let’s rewind a little, back to my walk through Camperdown Cemetery, where I found myself recently after another fruitless attempt to find childcare in Sydney’s inner west. It’s astonishingly beautiful for an inner-city cemetery, just metres from the endless traffic of Newtown’s King Street, and many of Australia’s earliest colonial settlers are buried there (including several of my ancestors). I really loved the little cottage with a lovely shingled roof within the cemetery grounds (top right).
I also went to the launch of the new IKEA catalogue and textiles collection in Tempe (hurrah! the new IKEA catalogue is out now!) and I got the most incredible care package from London courtesy of Miss B from A Girl, A Style (Jubilee tea canisters! a Liberty hankie! London souvenirs!), before heading to the airport for a family trip to New Zealand.
At the beginning of last week I found myself in the heart of Christchurch, pottering around the marvellous new shipping container stores which are part of the Re:Start initiative. More on that later. I also punted down the River Avon and admired the early spring blooms before heading to Mt Hutt for a bit of snow action. The scenery was spectacular and I don’t think we even took a particularly iconic ‘scenic’ route. Just before flying back to Sydney, I spotted a few penguins at the International Antarctic Centre in Christchurch.
Back home, I stumbled across a garden crammed with gnomes, Mr Birdy made me proud with his shiny new trophy for a mobile app he designed, and I bought some strawberries at the Farmers’ Market in Taylor Square.
Busy? Why yes, just a tad.
What have you been up to?And if you’re on Instagram, find me @WeeBirdy.
It’s Father’s Day in Australia and New Zealand on September 2, so I’m going to totally embrace the number one Father’s Day cliche – SOCKS – and show you some of my favourites. The vibrant patterned collection above are by American brand Richer Poorer, and in Australia you can get them from Incu (both in-store and online) for AU$15.
I also rather love Sydney fashion label Vanishing Elephant‘s Scandinavian-inspired intarsia print socks, which look wooly but are actually one hundred per-cent cotton. They’re $15 from Incu stores (in-store and online).
And if it’s fancy socks you’re after, you really can’t go past Swedish Happy Socks, which have attained cult status in recent years. For a pair of socks, they really are rather delightful and make wonderful presents. From AU$14.95.
But if you want to be a tad more original and creative in your Father’s Day gift-giving, look no further than the 21 totally awesome presents I rounded-up for Kidspot – and not a pair of socks or undies in sight. Promise!
I found out this morning that I made the #DECOREX100 list of the top 100 interior design influencers on Twitter, and I’m delighted to represent Australia along with fellow bloggers Interiors Addict, Amanda Talbot and The Design Files. Many thanks to those who voted for me.
The list of Twitter users includes interior designers, design brands, stores and websites as well as industry organisations, bloggers and magazines. It’s a great line-up of interiors insiders – check out the top 100 here.
Decorex International is a luxury interior design show and it will be held this year at the Royal Hospital Chelsea, London, between the 23rd and 26th of September.
It’s the last day of the London 2012 Olympics so my blanket British coverage on Wee Birdy is drawing to an end. I couldn’t think of a better ‘Birdy of the Week’ than British artist Luke Stephenson‘s series of show bird portraits. Obsessed with Britishness and the “eccentricty of Britain”, Luke’s series of birds attempts to capture the slightly bonkers world of British hobbyists, while also demonstrating a sensitivity to the individual beauty and personality of his subject matter. He’s the British show bird world’s answer to Martin Parr, and the series, titled ‘The Incomplete Dictionary of Show Birds‘, is an ongoing project, with the idea that it will one day be ‘complete’. New installments of photographs will be released every few years. You can purchase limited edition prints of Luke’s work from The Photographers Gallery in London.
This is what my week looked like, according to Instagram. I found the first daffodils of the season; I spotted a London Olympics-themed window at Sydney toy shop, Monkey Puzzle; I found some cool vintage Olympics stamps and a beautiful vintage Melbourne Olympics souvenir scarf; and I had an incredible lunch at Momofuku Seiobo with fellow bloggers and ex-Londoners Gourmet Chick and Vintage Macaroon (the spanner crab and the donut filled with chocolate and pork fat were amazing).
And now, with the London 2012 Olympic Games drawing to a close this weekend, I present my top 30 non-crap London souvenirs.* But really, can you blame me?
* It’s actually 31 non-crap London souvenirs, with Charlotte Olympia’s magnificent perspex clutch pictured at the top. It’s sold-out on Net-a-Porter, but her London 2012 Union Jack clutch is still up for grabs!
Legendary British fashion editor Hilary Alexander once described London’s state of style as “fantastic coloured tights, fancy legs, colour, print and pattern… London is free.” (You can watch the video here – you might also spot a certain Wee Birdy giving her perspective on London style at the beginning of the video.) Fast forward to Spring/Summer 2012 and Hilary’s still on the money about London’s penchance for “fancy legs”, with London creative consultancy Patternity‘s limited edition collection of hand-printed tights. The brainchild of East London duo Anna Murray and Grace Winteringham, Patternity creates tights that are more pieces of art than ladder-resistant nylon accessories for your legs.
Patternity’s understanding and masterful manipulation of pattern has caught the attention of the likes of Céline, Central Saint Martins and the BBC, and they have recently collaborated with The Barbican to create a limited edition collection of tights inspired by the Bauhaus exhibition. Inspired by the Bauhaus aesthetic of bold geometric shapes, the ‘Totem’ tights have been hand screen-printed in three primary colours associated with the movement. £48, patternity.co.uk.
I was actually considering doing an Olympics souvenir tea-towel round-up but then I spied these incredibly lovely specimens by Custhom for Anthropologie and I decided to call it quits. (If you’ve started to fret at this sorry news, cheer yourself up with my fabulously nerdy Top 10 London Olympics Souvenir Mugs.)
Whoever made the call at European Anthropologie’s head office to collaborate with British design studio Custhom deserves a big pat on the back, because it really is a fabulous collection, featuring Custhom’s signature hand-finished prints, vivid colours and a retro aesthetic.
Custhom is the brainchild of Nathan Philpott and Jemma Ooi, who are both graduates of textile design at the Royal College of Art. They were inspired by 1930s vintage textile repeats in the design of their Games print collection. Each print represents a specific sport: diving; hockey; cycling; sailing; and athletics, and they are hand screen-printed on cotton drill tea towels. There is also a collection of five postcards as well. Athletics Hockey Tea Towel, £10 from Anthropologie.
It’s back! By popular demand! My Secret London! This is where I pin down prominent London style/design/food insiders and ask them to share their favourite London addresses and secret destinations with Wee Birdy readers. This is London by locals – and knowledgeable, super-stylish locals at that. Here we go…
Sarah Drinkwater (pictured top right) grew up in the countryside with a postcard of London above her desk and moved there to study. After careers as a vintage clothes buyer and a journalist, she turned her favourite hobby – exploring London – into a career and now works as a community manager for Google Plus Local, helping users find great new places to go to through their friends. Sarah also blogs (sometimes, honest) at www.theenchantedhunters.com.
Best shops for vintage homewares?
I love coloured glassware, and Vintage Heaven on Columbia Road is, as the name suggests, rammed full of pastel glass ice cream glasses, deep green vases and piles of mismatching saucers. The Old Cinema in Chiswick is one of those treasure troves where they have everything from red velvet rows of cinema seats to industrial steel lockers and kitsch Seventies porcelain. And I’ve picked up some great midcentury bargains at The Peanut Vendor, a tiny shop on Newington Green.
Best shops in London for clothes?
I feel like high street fashion’s never been better for us early thirty-somethings who are simply not into Topshop’s mesh crop tops anymore. I own lots of Whistles, who balance great quality basics with quirky prints and luxe leather jackets. Cos lets me pretend I’m an extremely trendy architect with their sculptural shapes and great jewellery (I love oversize jewellery) and Hobbs’ NW3 range can be cool, too – I just bought a grey merino wool tight-fit jumper in the sale with an orange paperclip print.
Aubin & Wills also turned up some sale goodies, like a balloon print silk shirt dress, and Liberty has the very best selection of pricey brands including Carven, which I wish I could afford. I’m also pretty excited about Folk‘s new womenswear range…
Best shops in London for accessories?
The only jewellery I wear are necklaces, but I wear one every day, and I’m always looking out for them! Tatty Devine is the classic quirky London jeweller, and I own plenty of their cheerful pop art pieces. Luna and Curious on Calvert Avenue stock some really unusual items by independent designers, and they’re right opposite the queen of enormo jewels, Mawi. My burger locket necklace by Lazy Oaf is my current favourite, and I’d love one of Jessica de Lotz’s wax seal initial pendants.
Best shops in London for buying gifts?
I really like giving books as presents, and both Broadway Bookshop and Daunts in Marylebone have the best recent novels and those gorgeous coffee table books you don’t buy for yourself. I just bought a friend a design-your-own-banner kit from Nook on my local high street, too. They do craft workshops which I think make a great gift.
Best shops in London for perfume, make-up and skincare?
At the risk of sounding poncy, I wear Diptyque’s Vetyverio, which smells like the velvet-lined inside of a wooden box, and their Marylebone shop is a bit of a treat. For most of my beauty and skincare products, I head to Space NK, a micro-chain that stock both unusual brands and big hitters like Laura Mercier and Nars.
Best places in London for food?
Between my job and my insatiable curiousity, I’m a bit of a tart and always keen to try new places. I’d definitely take any visitor to two places; Bob Bob Ricard, a luxe restaurant dishing up Brit classics that’s decked out like an Edwardian gentleman’s club, and Spuntino, a cool-as diner with bourbon cocktails, bone marrow sliders and peanut butter and jelly icecream for pudding. I’d also nudge them in the direction of Pitt Cue Co’s trailer on the Southbank which is dishing up macaroni cheese and pulled pork patties, and Mark’s Bar below Hix in Soho for some mighty fine cocktails.
You’ve got 24 hours in London. Where do you go? What do you see? What do you buy?
That’s so hard! I’d start with breakfast at Towpath Cafe overlooking the canal and then pick up a Boris bike so I could avoid the crowds. First stop would be the Barbican, a Brutalist arts centre that’s endlessly interesting, whether you want to see their current Bauhaus exhibition or just wander around the grounds. From there, cycle to the Southbank and stroll past The Globe, The Royal Festival Hall and the London Eye.
Grab lunch at Pitt Cue’s Trailer and haul your bike over the bridge to Liberty in Soho, for the best collection of British design in one place. A nice cup of tea at Kaffeine will prepare you for cycling up to Hampstead Heath for a ramble with the best view of the whole city. I’d pick up a beer and a burger at Dach and Sons, then head to the Everyman Cinema there to watch films how they should be watched; on a sofa, with waiters bringing you mojitos!
Where do you go for a good coffee in London?
I’m a coffee fanatic so this changes all the time; my current favourites include Ozone Coffee Roasters right by Silicon Roundabout and arty cafe The Russet. But for the best coffee and breakfast, try the avocado on sourdough (so hard to get in the UK!) at Wilton Way Cafe, where they run London Fields radio in the corner, or the bircher muesli in a jam jar with passionfruit at my beloved local, Mouse and de Lotz.
Your number one London shopping secret?
Never judge a book by its cover; the shop next to Wilton Way cafe looks a little challenging from the outside, but sells an amazing collection of vintage glasses (for not junky prices).
I’ve always thought that the savviest and most stylish souvenir one can take home from London is a Liberty scarf. On my first trip to London I didn’t have quite the budget to stretch to a proper Liberty scarf, but I made do with a large cotton Liberty handkerchief, which I subsequently wore knotted around my head.
The iconic London department store is renowned for its iconic prints and textile design, and their scarves have been in demand throughout its considerable retail history. In 2009 Liberty acknowledged the importance of scarves to its heritage and opened a dedicated Scarf Room on the ground floor, showcasing the largest variety of scarves in London. Liberty’s Scarf Room is a must-visit on any fashion-lover’s London itinerary.
In this extra-large and super-patriotic scarf, Liberty has taken three of their classic floral prints (red Christelle, blue Retro Flower and blue and white Felix) and worked them to represent the Union Jack. If you’re a Brit, show your support for Team GB with this large silk chiffon scarf draped around your neck; and if you’re not, snap it up anyway – it’s one of the most stylish souvenirs of the London 2012 Olympics I’ve come across.
Best of all, if you buy the scarf before 12 August, you’ll receive a complimentary set of scarf styling cards valued at £15, featuring 12 ways to wear your scarf.
Liberty has also created a series of how-to videos demonstrating the various ways you can tie a scarf. Here is the Oversized Scarf: The Liberty Way To Tie a Scarf.
I get asked a lot of questions about the best places to go in London. And one question that keeps cropping up time and again is where to take kids. I visited London and travelled around the UK several times throughout my childhood – when I was two years old and when I was 10. In these snaps from our family album you can see that (a) I look rather pleased with myself in my natty pinstripe shirt with bow tie in front of the Tower of London; and (b) the duckpond in St James’s Park proved to be a popular destination for toddlers and tweens alike.
There are the obvious tourist attractions such as The Tower of London (can’t miss the Crown Jewels and Henry VIII’s plus-sized armour), The London Eye and Madame Tussaud’s (it’s ridiculously expensive and tacky but I remember loving it when I was 10-years-old), but there are loads of other things on offer in London that offer a real point of difference for kids than any other destination. I’m not sure if I was a particularly nerdy child (this is a real possibility) but I adored visiting museums, and was particularly fascinated by archaeological discoveries. And London has no shortage of world-class museums and galleries. Best of all? They’re free.
So with the London 2012 Olympics in full swing, I thought it would be a good time to take you on a little tour of London for kids, Wee Birdy style.
1. Need to let the kids run wild after a morning at the museum? Head to the Diana Princess of Wales Memorial Playground in Kensington Gardens for one of London’s best playgrounds. There is an enormous wooden pirate ship to explore, as well as tee-pees, sandpits and sculptures. Don’t miss the darling Peter Pan statue further along the garden path. Check the website for opening hours, which vary throughout the year. Image via Playground Adventure UK.
2. For a museum that the whole family will enjoy, check out the V&A Museum of Childhood in Bethnal Green. You’ll rediscover your old childhood favourites and there is always a schedule of events and activities for kids. Admission is free.
3. Got a late-tween/teen girl who loves to paint her nails? If you’re OK with manicures (go on, Mum, you’re on holiday!) make a beeline for London’s legendary Wah Nails for the coolest nail art in London – and let her choose the design of her dreams. Wah Nails has a concession located in Topshop’s flagship store at Oxford Circus, so she can go shopping for mad accessories after her nails are done. Bookings are recommended.
4. Afternoon tea is a British institution, but sometimes kids get bored in the more traditional London hotels. For a family-friendly afternoon tea, head to the Mercer Street Hotel in Covent Garden where kids can enjoy the Stupendous Afternoon Tea. Inspired by the Roald Dahl children’s classic Matilda (the musical version is currently playing in the Cambridge Theatre opposite the hotel) the tea includes Ludicrously Lovely lemon-loaf cake and Tremendously Terrific trifle. Prices are £13.75 per child and £29.50 per adult, and every child takes home a complimentary copy of Matilda. Bookings are essential.
5. Older girls will love a more sophisticated afternoon tea with a playful twist, like Prêt-à-Portea at the Berkeley, which includes exquisite cakes and biscuits inspired by the latest fashion collections. Meanwhile, the Sanderson has launched a Mad Hatter’s Afternoon Tea (pictured, above) that takes guests on a fantastical food adventure, including blueberry lollipops that turn your tongue from hot to cold and hazelnut praline ice cream lollipops that explode after a single bite. Fabulous. Bookings are essential for both afternoon teas.
6. Keep it simple and head to St James’s Park for a picnic and some squirrel-sighting. The grey squirrels may be one of the UK’s biggest pests, but you could almost forgive them for keeping young ones fascinated while they scamper around and chase each other. There is also the popular duck pond and you can play ‘spot the species’ thanks to the handy bird identification charts. The cafe near the duck pond, Inn the Park, is also very family-friendly and you can either eat in or get takeaway. The park makes a good pit-stop to break up some serious sight-seeing, as it’s right in the middle of the Buckingham Palace//Westminster/Trafalgar Square triangle.
7. Go treasure-hunting on the shores of the Thames! This is one that’s strictly for older kids and tweens, as it involves negotiating broken glass and jagged rocks. Just make sure you go at low tide and take the right precautions (wellies, antiseptic wash and rubber gloves are essential as Weil’s Disease is a real threat). Read more about mudlarking on the Thames – including how to declare treasure (!) – here. One of my favourite spots is the little beach right in front of the Tate Modern on South Bank. Over 10,000 years of history gets washed up on the shores of the Thames, and you can easily find Tudor roof tiles, Elizabethan clay pipes and Roman oyster shells. It’s best to go with a tour group, so you know what you’re looking for. London Walks does a good Thames beachcombing tour. Image via My 5 Boys.
8. Bounce on Stonehenge. In the middle of London. Really. The brainchild of artist Jeremy Deller, this life-size inflatable replica of Stonehenge, named ‘Sacrilege’, is touring around London during July and August 2012. Under 12s must be accompanied by an adult. For all locations and dates, check Time Out London.
9. It’s hot, tempers are frayed and you’re knackered – nothing a good ice-cream can’t fix. For a real retro treat, take the kids to The Parlour Restaurant at Fortnum & Mason for a Knickerbocker Glory (pictured above), which they’ve been serving to Londoners since 1955. The £12 ice treat boasts vanilla bean ice-cream, strawberries and 12-year old balsamic vinegar, as well as frosted strawberry and shortbread ice-cream with raspberries, pineapple chunks and raspberry coulis.
10. Get your Hogwarts on and head to Warner Bros. Studio for the Making of Harry Potter tour. Located around 20 miles north-west of London, it’s easily accessible via public transport. See all the original sets and learn how some of the Harry Potter (film) magic was created. Want more Harry Potter? Check out this free self-guided tour to the film locations around London. Kids will love discovering the real-life Potter landmarks, and you could also squeeze in a bit of real-life London history. Win-win.
11. If your daughter is interested in fashion and accessories, include these must-visit London shops in your itinerary: Lazy Oaf (pictured above, for pop-tastic graphic tees and playful accessories); Tatty Devine (for the most original and fun perspex jewellery – think giant watermelon necklaces, bow rings and cat bangles); Urban Outfitters (for cool clothes and awesome gifts); and Topshop‘s flagship store at Oxford Circus (it’s the biggest fashion store in Europe and has an entire floor dedicated to accessories). Image via Time Out London.
12. Take the kids to The British Museum and make a beeline for Rooms 62, 63 and 64. These rooms, located on the third floor, are home to the museum’s extensive mummy collection, and the exhibits are guaranteed to interest the most jaded of tiny tourists. Don’t miss the mummified animals – especially the cats. Kids are fascinated by them. (I also liked the peat bog man.)
Have you seen Wee Birdy’s Facebook page? I’ll be posting more amusing photos featuring questionable ’80s fashion from the Wee Birdy family album this week. Come over and say hello.
N.B. All details are correct at time of publication. Some exhibitions and events included in this post are temporary or for a limited time only. Please double-check all details, (especially opening and closing times) with each exhibition or event at the time of your visit, as I’d hate to hear about disappointed little ones.
This has the potential to be the worst blog post in the history of the blogging. Seriously, London Olympics souvenir mugs, you’re asking? But apparently they’re one of the fastest-moving souvenirs that visitors to London (and lovers of London) take home, and there are some truly wretched examples out there. So as the unofficial ambassador for all things lovely about London, I’ve taken it upon myself to find 10 excellent specimens that tick all the right boxes for design, originality and quality.
