The romance of film noir

Looking for a night out with a twist? Look no further than the Evans & Peel detective agency in Earls Court, London.

My friend, who has fabulous vintage style and can always be relied upon for a good night out, announced that the theme of her birthday celebrations this year would be film noir. Apart from the obvious translation to ‘a black film’, I’m ashamed to say that I knew little else about this, but Google is always on hand to help.

Film noir is a genre, retrospectively assigned by film critics, to Hollywood crime dramas from the early 1940s to the late 1950s. The Big Sleep, This Gun for Hire, The Maltese Falcon and Double Indemnity are a few of examples of classic film noir. The films tended to be quite pessimistic as was the general mood in post war America. They are usually saturated with cynicism as well as using stark light/dark contrasts and dramatic shadowing, as a visual style.

For the occasion, I wore a black pencil dress from Pretty Kitty Fashion with wartime seamed tights and a cream faux fur jacket from New Look. I set the outfit off with red Sarah Jessica Parker shoes in a classic t-bar style and a black vintage frame, clip top bag which incidentally, was bought for me years back by the birthday girl. I styled my hair using a Heidi roll tool also from Pretty Kitty Fashion and topped it off with a burgundy pill box hat from Kiss Kiss Heart.

On arrival at the venue, you would never guess in a million years that it was a bar. You are greeted by a simple door with Evans and Peel detective agency written on it and a buzzer. After pressing said buzzer, you follow the stairs down to a dark office, where you are asked to state your case. One of our group stated that their wedding ring had been stolen and they believed the culprit to be someone in our group. The agency agreed to take the case on, at which point, a bookcase opens to reveal the bar. Menus in brown case file envelopes are given out which list aptly named prohibition radiator moonshine beer amongst a selection of cocktails and it’s there I’m afraid, that the theme sadly ends.

Not for us however, as our case had been thought up, based on prior knowledge of the evening’s events that were still to come. Suddenly a member of our group pointed at my friend’s boyfriend and said “it was you who stole the ring!” To this, the smartly dressed ‘doctor’ dropped to one knee and proposed to my friend who was dressed as the classic Coco Chanel. Her expression was priceless, she was completely shocked and clearly not expecting it, but very quickly that turned to pure joy as she accepted.

It was a beautiful moment between them that I feel very privileged to have been a part of. I am so happy for my friend as she so deserves the happiness she has clearly now found. I await their wedding in June with anticipation – I know it will be another beautifully styled vintage event.

Congratulations guys – who says film noir is dark and pessimistic – it certainly brought you guys great joy and happiness.

‘It’s so much more friendly with two’

Apr2

Like me, I’m sure many of you grew up with the stories of three great bears – Rupert, Paddington and Winnie-the-Pooh.

AA Milne himself could not have predicted the popularity and enduring love of Winnie- the-Pooh when he created him, based on a Harrods bear his son, Christopher Robin was given on his first birthday.

In 1926, Milne published his first collection of stories about Christopher Robin, Winnie-the-Pooh and his friends, who he based on other nursery toys. The stories were brought to life by EH Shepherd’s illustrations. Milne and Shepherd had worked together previously on the magazine, Punch but their collaboration on Winnie-the-Pooh produced some of the nations best-loved children’s books and is what they are most famous for.

Reproductions of Christopher Robin’s toys used as props in the film Goodbye Christopher Robin (NB Owl and Rabbit were purely figments of Milne’s imagination and not actual toys)

Milne who was a Londoner, bought Cotchford Farm on the edge of the Ashdown Forest in Sussex, as a holiday home in 1925 and the area provided the perfect backdrop for the stories, referred to as The Hundred Acre Wood.

Winnie-the-Pooh was always one of my favourite characters and I was often taken to Pooh Corner, a shop in Hartfield, Sussex, mainly of course as it was en route to my fathers favourite place, the Bluebell Railway. This shop, opened in 1978 and is dedicated to all things Pooh.

A short distance from the shop, you can indulge in a game of the famous Pooh sticks yourself at the bridge where Christopher Robin and his father played the simple game. The bridge was built in 1907 and then partly rebuilt in 1979 and later completely restored thanks in part to funding by Disney, who had of course by then acquired the rights to the characters and dropped the hyphens in Pooh’s name.

If you are feeling energetic, why not also visit the Enchanted Place, where there is a plaque is dedicated to Milne and Shepherd.

After all that walking, as Pooh would say, it is time for a little something. Head back to Pooh Corner for a traditional English cream tea.

Last year, the film Goodbye Christopher Robin was released, once again bringing Winnie the Pooh to the fore of popular culture. If the film is to be believed, it is rather ironic that the characters and stories that made so many people’s childhood’s happy, had the opposite effect on Milne’s own son, Christopher Robin. He took none of his father’s royalties.

The V&A museum is currently running an exhibition, Winnie-the-Pooh – exploring a classic, until 8 April. I visited the exhibition with my friend. It is cleverly designed to appeal to young and old, just like the characters themselves. The collection includes original drawings and some of the families photos, along with a trail for children to follow with lift up flaps to discover things, a slide and a table with pencils for them to unleash their own creativity. One of the main things I learnt was where the name Winnie-the-Pooh came from. Winnie was the name given to a bear at London Zoo whom Christopher Robin visited, while Pooh was the name he had given to a swan he fed.

Entering the exhibition

Is Pooh at home?

The stairs Christopher Robin bumped Pooh down

Tea set given to the Queen

Table for children to create their own drawings

Mock up of the famous Pooh sticks bridge

Slide

One of the original drawings

Eeyore’s house

Plate used to print the drawings

Christopher Robin’s bear and EH Shepherd’s son’s bear

My favourite drawing

because the forest will always be there…and anyone who is friendly with bears can find it

At a time when war was a recent memory for many, Winnie the Pooh transported readers into a magical world where the only threat was time. The characters transcend time however, remaining as popular with adults as they are with children. The stories have been translated into many languages and Pooh, for a bear with very little brain, provides some great philosophical quotes.

The exhibition includes a large array of merchandise, including a dress from a collaboration with Cath Kidston in 2016 and a tea set given to, the now Queen, in 1928. The most recent collaboration is with Pandora, as part of their Disney charm collection and my husband kindly bought me one for Valentines Day this year.

I am sure Pooh will continue to enchant lots of children for many years to come and always remember ‘you’re braver than you believe and stronger than you seem and smarter than you think’ and of course when all else fails, ‘it’s so much more friendly with two.’

Stylist Live

Jan7

As a London commuter, every morning I leave the station to be greeted by a barrage of people handing out leaflets, magazines, newspapers and free samples as well as the odd one collecting for charity, Sometimes it is an impossible task to walk at any pace due to this, lost tourists and people who cannot be parted for a second from their phone screens and thus get slower and slower.

Having said all this, by chance a few years back I did pick up the weekly free copy of Stylist magazine and was instantly hooked. I now actively look out for it each Wednesday and feel rather cheated if I miss out on it.

The magazine launched in October 2009 and is now the leading UK weekly fashion and lifestyle magazine. It’s target audience is women aged 20-40, who commute, and it is distributed in major UK cities as well as some major French cities (since April 2013).

In November, a friend and I attended the Stylist Live event which was held at Olympia London for the first time. This was the third of these festivals but the first in a new location and the first one I had ever been to.

For the day I wore a floral dress from Topshop with a pink shearling jacket from Zara, boots from Miss Selfridge and a tan bag from Accessorise. Now black tights wouldn’t have worked so I searched high and low to find some adult cream tights and finally managed to track some down. Unfortunately they were huge and I ended up looking much like Nora Batty for most of the day! Since, my friend has advised me to buy M&S age 13-14 ones and they are much better – great life hack Nina!

I wasn’t quite sure what to expect from the day, but I certainly wasn’t disappointed. There were all manner of stalls to indulge the shopaholic in you. Among these were my favourite Swedish fashion brand – Kikki K, Lucy Love This, the Benefit Brow bar, Solely Original and Stella&Dot.

Lucy Loves this makes lovely prints based around different areas in London and I purchased my Mum the Putney one.

Solely Original allows you not only to design your own shoes online, but also ensure they are a bespoke size to fit your foot and they are a fraction of the price you might expect for something that is so customised. I had my foot measured so it can be kept on file for future indulgence!

A walk around the stalls called for some light refreshment. Now this was my only slight disappointment of the day, in that the only alcohol on offer was gin which I am not a big fan of. I did give the fruity, pink special a try as it was included in the price of the ticket and whilst I wasn’t a great lover, it was surprisingly refreshing and the bar and stand were fab.

Also included in the cost of the ticket was a manicure at the perfect 10 nail bar. I felt suitably pampered and chose a natural pinky Essie shade so as to not highlight the shortness of my nails.

It was then time for a bite to eat and I tried The Cheese Wheel, which is freshly rolled pasta, dunked into a wheel of cheese. This first came to the UK in March this year at Kerb in Camden Market and has really taken off. It was delicious and very filling.

The highlight of the day has to have been the fashion show. It was unfortunate that we were quite near the back but what I loved about it was it was all available on the high street and you were given a sheet, telling you where each item on each look was from. Shearling jackets featured quite heavily as did sparkle and stars.

More than just a day of leisure, my friend made the first step to a new career and signed up as a Stella & Dot rep. Launched to empower women to be their own boss, the reps sell accessories online and face to face at parties. The key is the flexibility which the company offers. I couldn’t resist this gorgeous clutch with the mantra every woman should aspire to, ‘I am strong’ printed inside.

Finally, we had the opportunity to mock up a cover of Stylist, featuring our good selves.

It was a fantastic day and I would highly recommend it to any fashion lover. 2018’s dates are yet to be confirmed, but it is looking likely to be 9-11 November at Olympia. Book early to avoid disappointment! I fancy a VIP ticket next year which includes a lounge, a bar and access to certain exclusive talks. See you there!

Pearls are forever

Dec3

Coco Chanel once said ‘a woman needs ropes and ropes of pearls’. Pearls have long been associated with royalty and wealth due to their rarity and difficulty to harvest. Thankfully the advent of the artificial pearl has made it possible for everyone to wear them.

Gone are the days of pearls only being used in jewellery, the Spring/Summer ’17 catwalk was filled with clothes adorned with pearls. The association with pearls and twinsets is a distant memory with pearls often being added to grungy items such as boots and leather to give a softer, feminine edge.

I couldn’t resist these pearl embellished flip flops from Zara and what better time to wear them than a trip to Buckingham Palace, followed by tea in a Cinderella carriage!

Buckingham Palace was first opened to the public in summer 1993, as a way to raise funds to repair Windsor Castle following the fire the previous year. Since then, the palace, which is one of the few remaining, working palaces in the world, has welcomed over six million visitors.

The changing of the guard was in progress when we arrived, with the Old Guard leaving Buckingham Palace for Wellington Barracks accompanied by the band. I immediately felt very proud of our country’s heritage. We had chosen the State Rooms ticket, which includes the 19 rooms used for official engagements. I particularly enjoyed seeing the Throne room and the Ballroom. We entered through the porte-cochere or covered carriage entrance and admired one of the royal carriages. The Grand Hall leads to the magnificent staircase that is a masterpiece in gold. Displayed on the staircase are various portraits of Queen Victoria’s family. Each of the State rooms has various items from the Royal Collection, given to the Queen from countries around the world. There was a special display for Princess Diana, curated by her sons, as a tribute, being that 2017 is 20 years since her death. Princess Diana was a great lover of pearls, mainly due to their versatility. She made pearls appealing to a younger generation during the eighties.

dianainelvisdressandpearls

Pleated skirt Asos, lace sleeved t-shirt New Look and sandals Zara

I was a little disappointed that the view of the gardens was literally a quick glimpse on the way out and you have to buy an additional ticket to see more.

After the palace we made our way to Hyde Park and enjoyed lunch overlooking the Serpentine followed by a walk around Diana’s memorial fountain.

The last activity of the day was by far the best and that was afternoon tea at the Tea Terrace at House of Fraser Victoria. A friend had shared with me on Facebook the fact that they had a golden Cinderella carriage there that you could book to have tea in. This was right up my street given the carriage I chose for our wedding and my love of all things princess – fairy-tales do come true after all!

There is a usage fee and you can only occupy the carriage for one and a quarter hours, or it turns into a pumpkin, but what an amazing experience for all us girly girls. The Tea Terrace is designed to give a traditional afternoon tea experience, painted in baby pink and blue with inspirational quotes on the walls. There is a self playing piano to provide atmospheric music and the crockery is all Royal Albert fine bone china. We indulged in the Celebration Afternoon tea that was served with prosecco. There was a choice on sandwich fillings, which is often not the case with afternoon tea packages and beautiful warm fruit and plain scones served with the traditional jam and clotted cream. A selection of cakes was also included although these were a little disappointing given that they were banana cake and lemon cake which are two cakes I am not keen on. It felt amazing to sit in the carriage while enjoying this lovely British classic. As Henry James said ‘there are few hours in life more agreeable than the hour dedicated to the ceremony known as afternoon tea’.

The pearl trend is going nowhere, with autumn/winter catwalks again filled with them. These pearl embellished jeans from Zara were a fabulous purchase.

Pearl embellished jeans Zara, pink shearling coat Zara, grey frill shoulder jumper Oasis, shoes Oasis and bag Asos

Why not share with me how you are rocking the pearl trend? I’d love to hear from you!

A birthday washout

Nov4

July saw my birthday come around again – they are coming around far too quickly lately for my liking. However, not one to miss an opportunity to celebrate, I arranged numerous events as has become customary.

The first of these was a family BBQ. Now it seems you only need to think about a BBQ in this country and it rains. The BBQ had just heated up when the heavens opened. It wasn’t just a shower either, it was torrential so plan b had to come into play and the burgers went in the oven. It was nice to have the family around to celebrate though and my sister in law made a fantastic cake and got me the best present – a framed drawing of my Manolo Blahnik wedding shoes.

Sex and the City cupcakes that I made

My actual birthday started fabulously, with Kelly Jones of Stereophonics fame guest staring on the radio, with the first play of their new single, All in one Night. I can’t believe I have been a fan for the last 18 years. They are still just as fab as they were then.

I met my Mum in London and we went up the Sky Garden. It wasn’t long before the rain clouds moved in and they closed the outside viewing platform. Thankfully they eventually opened it again. The view was amazing, although it was probably one of the most expensive glasses of prosecco I had ever had. We then went for lunch and browsed the shops on Oxford Street before my husband met us later in the day.

T-shirt Topshop, Skirt Asos, ballerina pumps from Italy and heart bag by Floozie

We then headed to an open air cinema screening in association with Stylist magazine and M&S. Picking up the free Stylist magazine on a Wednesday is the highlight of my working week and it seemed like it was meant to be when they had one of these screenings on my birthday and showing Captain Corelli’s Mandolin, very apt as I went to Kefalonia this year. It was an absolute bargain of an event, with tickets only costing £20. That included an M&S bbq, three free drinks, popcorn and a goodie bag which of course included the famous Percy Pigs! It was a wonderful evening until it started to rain and then it really rained. They handed out ponchos and we managed to get an umbrella up but it wasn’t pleasant. Many people left but I was determined to see the end of the film. By the time we got up to leave it felt much like I had wet myself as the water had run down my back and into the deckchair!

The following day I went for a picnic in the park with two of my best friends and you’ve guessed it – it rained again, not long after we arrived.

Celebration muffin

Surely I would have better luck with my final planned celebration? My husband and I headed up town for cocktails in the city with friends. Luck was definitely not on my side as yet again it tipped it down. I wore flip flops so ended up with very muddy feet. It was a fun afternoon none the less. It’s the second time I have attended this event and I highly recommend it. Some of London’s best cocktail bars have pop ups and there is music and fun games to take part in, including giant draughts, coconut shy and darts. The welcome drink was called The Cointreau Fizz which consisted of Cointreau, lime, soda and pomegranate and was served in a cute bottle.

T-shirt Topshop

Channelling art deco at Fontaine’s whilst enjoying Moet

Photo booth at Fontaine’s

So my birthday was what you might call a wash out and as the song says ‘it’s my party and I’ll cry if I want to!’ I did feel the love though; everyone was very generous and thoughtful. It just goes to show that a summer birthday doesn’t guarantee good weather, perhaps next year I should plan indoor celebrations!

Presents including iconic coat from Zara

Diana: Two Decades on

Aug31

All little girls love princesses and Diana certainly was the fairytale princess. The Royal family has always been admired the world over and is quintessentially British but Diana challenged their old-fashioned ways and appealed to a whole new generation.

I was 14 when my Mum woke me one Sunday morning to tell me Diana had died, aged just 36. The whole world went into shock and there was a huge outpour of public grief.

I went to see the sea of flowers at Kensington Palace, signed a local condolence book, queued at Woolworths for Elton John’s Candle in the Wind tribute single and was glued to the TV for the funeral. Along with most of the nation, I mourned the people’s princess. She was someone who was so compassionate and gave so much to so many.

Flowers at the gates of Kensington Palace September 1997

It’s hard to believe that it’s 20 years ago today that Diana was tragically killed in a car crash in Paris. The world has moved on so, that Diana would scarcely recognise it – social media for one thing, but still today people remember the wonderful Diana. She is one of the few people who can still sell a paper 20 years after her death.

Diana loved fashion and an exhibition which opened in February at Kensington Palace, shows her transition from shy teenager to style icon. In April, my Mum and I went to visit Diana: Her Fashion Story.

Many of Diana’s dresses were auctioned in June 1997 to raise money for her charities, so this exhibition has relied on the kindness of collectors to lend the dresses for it. One of those dresses is the Catherine Walker dress she wore to the Christie’s dress auction.