Category: visits
I am Lucky..
Because I have fabulous neighbours, which is one seriously important cog in the life’s life-enhancing machinery. Take this Christmas card, drawn by the visually inspired Jane of her dog, Zsa zsa and all her wonderful puppies taking a leaf out of the Great British Bake Off..Talent, verve and festive giggles..
On Friday I spent the day with another neighbour, Doromy, an ex-actress who knows all there is to know about London and is a visceral, witty joy to be with..we headed to Radio Days on Lower Marsh Street, just by Waterloo to check out vintage dressing gowns for Charlie and to buy deco shot glasses as a present to go with the Sloe Gin I made at Creative Coffee…the place is an absolute treasure trove and well worth a visit if you’re ever in this part of town..
In fact the whole of Lower Marsh Street is a little gem: Vintage shops, food stalls, chi-chi pubs..the gnarly mixed with loftier intentions. Further down and just off to the right is this..the underground tunnel leading to The Vaults, a multi-use underground venue and a spray-painted canvas of guttural dipthongs..
Including female graffiti artists..
And a female fire-eater to boot..
We ended our day, setting the world to rights, eating takeaway kedgeree from Konditor and cook, sitting in Waterloo Station and watching the world go by. There’s not many people you can do that with..simple, effortless and full of the unexpected. It was bliss.
Laters, Kate x
Revolution..
The other night The Husband and I, breathless with anticipation, headed to the Olympic velodrome to watch some of the greats in cycling. I am a self-confessed cycle-head..every summer the Tour de France is always a must-watch..but I love the drama of the track as well. This arena, made up of 4,000 individual pieces of wood is like entering a gladiatorial games, a place where heroes still roam, oozing comradery and confidence, earnt through guts, guile and hard work – the joy about cycling is it’s not just about the individual or being the fastest..sometimes you have to be the most cunning. Laura Trott was the star of the night, winning every single one of her events, beating her great rival Marianne Vos into submission each time..Ben Swift won the men’s big event…how I love that magic touch of satisfaction..
Whilst we were cheering on the edge of our seats, the man in the row front of us wasn’t quite so happy..
I think next time perhaps he needs to read the small print…
Laters, Kate x
Streetwise x
It was a full day yesterday..picture travelled to the exhibition in Covent Garden ready to be hung for the 12..it’s in the Seven Dials area of Covent Garden..a rather whimsical collection of little streets beyond the main thoroughfare that holds some true hidden gems for any shopping aficianado..to be recommended..
Then onto to South Ken to meet the lovely Julie from Vintageattitude, stopping by to check out the swimming pool ice rink at the Natural History museum..it’s a fabulous situation – but I’ve never actually seen ice-skates create their own wakes before..
We were going to the Horst Exhibition at the V&A…I love the V&A but they miss a trick by banning photography – and to outlaw sketching seems somewhat narrow-minded and draconian. Having said that, it’s a wonderful exhibition, highly evocative of a by-gone era, leaving you wanting to for-go champagne flutes forever in favour of silver cocktail shakers and crystal rounded coupes…but you’ll have to take my word for it.
Time for a pit-stop at the magnificent cafe..
Julie’s fabulous bag..she is a true original..and that’s just Julie..
Then it was home for fireworks..
Charlie tried to tell me it was to celebrate Guy Fawkes night..
But I knew it was the warm-up for my birthday today. Cue the rude cards..
Another year older, another year gone..I was talking to a lovely mum in the playground the other day when her daughter came rushing up and said ‘My Mum’s 43 now’. ‘I told her’, she sighed. ‘My Mum’s 30 on Saturday’ piped up Bella..’I didn’t’ said I….
Laters, Kate x
Life through a Lens..
I don’t normally post on a Sunday..but unless these go out now, I fear they ever will…Pictures from our half-term week away to the Kent coast including Camber Sands, Deal and Kingsdown…
Laters, Kate x
Our Day x
We wore the leather off our soles and the skin off our feet with our trip yesterday..I thought it was such a cunning and devious plan to link the Mexican shop and the Tower of London together – they’re both on the same side of the river after all – but sadly there’s no transport link between them..we ended up pounding the streets of London. Although, having said that – it’s a good place to pound. First stop was Milagros in Columbia Road – at the weekend this is a bustling, heaving flower market with much more besides (well worth a visit – there’s a Spanish restaurant at one end that does the best breakfast ever..) but during the week all the old shop fronts literally close their shutters – we were very lucky our destination was one of the few that was open..
We indulged..Frida Kahlo is my favourite..
It’s a fascinating area bridging hip Shoreditch and lively Brick Lane.
The kids took pictures of each other..
With varying degrees of success…
The Tower was magnificent. It’s such an iconic part of London with it’s foreboding stance against the march of time, combine that with the pure brilliance of this installation ‘Blood Swept Lands and Seas of Red’ to commemorate the allied fallen in the First World War and it’s a combination made in heaven. Tom Piper is the designer, Paul Cummins the ceramicist, both have captured something utterly unique: Is it Art..or is it theatre?
Each handmade ceramic flower represents a fallen soldier.
It’s as if the very stones of the Tower are bleeding.
It was a brilliant decision to allow the planting to happen gradually in waves. It started in August and by the 11 November, Remembrance Day, 888,246 poppies will proudly stand, filling the moat – it has made this edifice to death into a living, breathing structure both celebrating and mourning loss.
At 4.55 every day – dusk – a solitary trumpet plays the Last Post and a roll call of 180 of the dead are read out.
I so wanted to hear the trumpet …but there’s always a limit with children and mine – after a long day and with 25 minutes to wait – had reached theirs..
We headed home..
But if you think my two are always angels..
Think again…
Laters, Kate x
Elegant Edinburgh..
For the last four days we’ve been visiting the glorious City of Edinburgh, oozing with life and culture and it’s row upon row of gorgeous Georgian architecture…we stayed in a flat on the top floor of this row..complete with 64 steps up..
But worth it for the view right out to the Firth of Forth. Situated in a little road at the end of Princes Street, it’s hard to believe this is the middle of a capital city..another of Edinburgh’s many charms..
We were up there for family celebrations which took place in Edinburgh Zoo….
My Uncle Jake (now based in California..the shirt is the give away) was celebrating his 75 birthday, along with his 25 wedding anniversary and the fiftieth wedding anniversary of his best friend..
My father, our Scottish connection and proud of it.
It gave a chance for Bella and Charlie to meet the scottish cousins (I doubt Charlie will ever live this photo down..forever immortalised..)
Who got on like a house on fire..
And danced the night away!
After the party we had a chance to explore the City..
And Charlie was thrilled that he got a chance to finally try zorbing..
And talk to a stormtrooper in a kilt..
A beautiful, beautiful city..we’ll be back..
Laters, Kate x
Serving strawberries and cream..
Dressed up to the nines and on a bike, heading to somewhere in South West London..
Where everything is very English and rather civilised..
Including the lunch..
A little clue..
Getting warmer…(in fact it was a scorcher..)
Yay! No.1 Court at Wimbledon to watch athletic Federer gracefully ease his way to victory..
Wimbledon has always had a special place in my heart and it has been particularly thrilling as an ‘adult’ to watch from the best courts….every year, with my best friends, we used to bunk a day off school to go and queue at the crack of dawn for tickets. The cheaper Court 2 tickets were our favourites: you got a guaranteed seat plus in the first week when the timetable was chocca you were guaranteed to see one of our idols fighting their early gladiatorial battles: Boris Becker, Stefan Edberg, Jimmy Connors, Martina Navratilova, John McEnroe, Martina Navratilova, Chris Evert..we were in seventh heaven..
Happy memories.
A StarWars like camera man..
The finish of the day was probably my highlight..a game of veterans doubles: Patrick McEnroe and Peter Fleming against the effervescent Mansour Brahimi and the unforgettable Henri Leconte..my youth re-lived, they had us crying with laughter..crawling on their knees to the line judges, nicking all the balls, taunting the opposition – and the ball boys and girls, spinning around before hitting shots, catching tennis balls in their pockets…it was pure class and showmanship..and for all their tricks..they still won!
The perfect way to end a perfect day..before we cycled off into the sunset..
Laters, Kate x
Weekend Wanderings..
On Saturday Fairy, Bella and I headed to Shoreditch to the Jumble and Pearls vintage and more sale at the Book Club. (A fab cafe in it’s own right with loads going on…and it’s own table tennis table..)
Shoreditch is an eclectic, buzzing, creative, urban area with stories and something different round every corner. Looking with eyes wide open is a must.
(I was thinking of you, Su..loved the retro letters..)
Opposite the light shop was this fairytale-like Reclamation Yard…we were immediately sidetracked (it doesn’t take much..). Set in an old church it was like stepping through the wardrobe into Narnia…..
I didn’t think so much space existed in central London…
In my dreams this old French haberdashery unit is pride of place in my kitchen holding bowls and plates..and anything else..
We were at Jumble and Pearl to see my wonderful cousin Nathalie (her story here) and see her new merchandise for Sam Says Enjoy Life.
(My sister swears by these bibs and is always being asked where she got them from)
I also had Bella’s portrait drawn by the lovely Jenny Robins.
I’ve always fancied having a wall of framed ‘street art’ portraits of the kids, drawn across the years, seen with different eyes and marking their growth into adults.
Jenny has said she’ll help, so this is the first one…I like to think the finished collection will be like an Installation in it’s own right..
We headed home, very happy with my purchase from Nathalie – one of her new up-cycled denim bags, perfect to hold in style the daily detritus I manage to accumulate and lug around.
I particularly like the pockets..that little bit of embroidery is heaven.
Laters, Kate x
JPG Forever! x
Last week Julie (from Vintageattitude) and I met up with hopes aloft to see the John Paul Gaultier Exhibition at the Barbican in London. We walked in, immediately drawn to a collection of iconic Bretons – the stripe so representative of Gaultier, when Julie grabbed my arm…Did you see that? She whispered..I’m sure that mannequin just winked at me….
We were laughing and totally entranced….As we appraoched each mannequin they came to life and spoke to us….so very clever and such a witty touch – a bit like the man himself.
Who was in on the Act to just welcome us. That accent…..sigh.
The whole exhibition felt very intimate – possibly helped by the tube strike – but everything was open and accessible. Human.
Inspiration for espadrille competition?
Around every corner was another legendary memory – from Madonna’s underwear as outerwear tour clothes to championing skirts for men. And you began to realise how many fashion ideas this man has creatively planted over his long, long career- digital printing on the Can-can Dress aka Mary Katrantzou (which has to be the most perfect wedding dress ever. White and demur for the service…outrageous for the first dance!)
Upside down Eiffel Towers’ for heels on shoes aka Charlotte Olympia (yes, the tights had Eiffel towers too..)- Punk, Eurotrash and the first example of a skort I’ve ever seen. And worn by a man…it went on and on..
This was ingenious..a tulle skirt with the waistband being the very top of a pair of white jeans.
Despite additions such a camo, bullets and desert boots..all the outfits for women were always very feminine.
And even with sequins, furs and skirts..the men’s outfits always remained masculine.
Throughout the mannequins were like celestial beings beamed down from planet Gaultier, each one with their own unique, witty outlook on life. There’s no-one here, right? I exist because I speak. I don’t want to be here, but I can be who I want to be, I am because I am, I am a dream – They were more than sentences on repeat. They were a persona. Just like the Exhibition itself….
Laters, Kate x
Go Ape! x
We’ve been soaking up the joys of Hampshire spending a delightful Easter with relatives, eating and drinking far too much with lovely people we haven’t seen for a long time which is what life should be about. On the last day we dragged ourselves away from the festivities to meet up with good friends to ‘Go Ape’ in the New Forest trees…
Aged between 4 and 7 our kids were impressively fearless…
Tackling high-wire tracks with gusto that had many adults swaying with pure terror..
The end reward was a huge zip line..(Charlie was NOT convinced it was a wise idea the first time round – he was persuaded by the staff to give it a go..loved it – and went back for more!)
Sometimes you only realise how high they all were when you see the little things down below..
(Photo by Filip)
(This photo by Filip)
Serious fun for all the family!
Except with every Yin there’s alway a Yan…like returning home to the joys of sorting the holiday laundry and getting everything ready for back-to-school ..this is what my Barometer of Life looks like today…
Pay back…
Laters, Kate x
Maison Bentley Style 