Diary of a Vintage Girl | Vintage Fashion & Lifestyle

Vintage London: Shopping and eating!

noreply@blogger.com (Fleur McGerr) — Mon, 20 May 2013 11:18:00 +0000

Morning! Well, afternoon, I started writing this in the morning.

I hope you are all well? I am not. I managed to shake off a chest infection I had for about a month, a week or two back, and today I woke up with a horrible cold. I think my body is trying to kill me.

Anyway, I bring you news of three things happening in London that I think are of interest. I'm only directly involved in one but they are all notable dates for your diaries.

First up, that bastion of 1940s and 1950s vintage repro Vivien of Holloway are having a mega sale in their London boutique over the bank holiday weekend. I am currently completely in love with their gypsy tops, as seen in white here on a foggy day in Brighton...

The used to be cut really small (mine's XL) but they've had them recut and they fit true to size. I just bought myself two more in Medium, in red and black - they are perfect and you can expect to see them worn a lot over here! I will also be snapping up a couple of these stunning new cropped gypsy tops. Just look how cute they are! You know I'm a sucker for Ric Rac...

Anyway, the sale is in-store only (do note they won't be taking online or phone orders) so you'll have to head into town but it's worth it because there's a whopping 25% off for cash purchases for all own-label clothing, plus 'priced to sell' seconds, returns, end of line, remnants, one-offs and the last chance to snap up some of their limited edition fabrics. Time to stock up on their party dresses, summer holiday garb or those practical 40s dresses they do that are great for work! I currently live in their 1950s jeans. Hop over to the Vivien of Holloway blog for the full details and I may well see you there, but get in early as apparently the queues can be understandably immense.

Sale details!

The VoH London Boutique: 294 Holloway Road, London N7 6NJ

Fri 24th & Sat 25th May -10am - 6pm

Sun 26th & Mon 27th May -11am - 5pm

Also over the bank holiday weekend is the Festin De La Fée Verte, which is a fabulous French supperclub run by the London Vintage Kitchen. Taking place on Saturday 25th May, it's a four-course dinner, with canapés and cocktails included in the price (£37) and the most amazing Edwardian rag-time courtesy of Patricia Hammond (who we booked at previous Ric Rac Clubs). Here's what they say:

An evening of Continental opulence, art, and intrigue. London Vintage Kitchen is back, and more glamorous than ever before. Working in collaboration with Pernod Absinthe, this time you’ll be whisked away by the Green Fairy to Paris one hundred years ago, to a time where the Belle-Epoque and the Avant Garde flirted with a passion, and where struggling artistés and well-heeled socialites dined, drank and danced together without a care in the world.

For one night only, free your inner Bohemian or unleash your inner aristocrat, and lose yourself in the dizzying and daring world of Paris in 1913, without even leaving London. In a beautiful secret location, only a stones throw away from the British Museum, you’ll dine in the twinkling light of a hundred candles on an array of delicious period dishes, and be waited on hand and foot by our band of dashing butlers. Sup on delectable cocktails, inspired by the favourite drink of the bohemians’, Pernod Absinthe, dress the part and catch the eye of our wandering photographer, and dance your stockings off to that latest of music crazes from across the pond, rag-time jazz.

Sounds pretty marvellous. Here's the menu!

Go to the London Vintage Kitchen to book. I wish I could go... see you at the next one!

Last but not least is something I am working on myself. The Vauxhall Vintage Bazaar is taking place on Thursday 6th June at the Tea House Theatre in Vauxhall (duh). I am going to be selling a selection of vintage and high quality repro, as will a few other ladies. There will be complimentary bubbly and canapés, proper changing areas, a bar and cakes/food available all night, the Vintage Mafia (aka Bethan, Jeni and I) will be DJing. Here's the blurb:

The Bazaar is a vintage sale unlike any other: a unique opportunity to browse and try on a fantastic selection of vintage and repro in an intimate, elegant setting, without the disheartening chore of digging through endless rails of moth eaten 80s mohair and taffetta.

A Ticket to the Vauxhall Vintage Bazaar not only gives you access to a private sale of stunning clothes and accessories from 1920s-50s, but also includes a free champagne reception, gourmet canapés, swinging tunes from our adorable Vintage DJ duo and a bar serving classic cocktails and delicious home made cakes. Our mavens will be on hand offering styling, hair and makeup advice as well as an on-the-spot alterations service for that perfect dress which doesn’t quite fit and quick repairs.

Tea House Theatre is a beautifully restored Victorian pub set in parkland, five minutes walk from Vauxhall Tube, bus and mainline rail stations and provides a wonderfully discreet location for this glamorous shopping experience. The vendors at The Bazaar include notable pinup models, bloggers and dressmakers from the London Vintage scene, selling items from their personal collections, with prices to suit all budgets.

It's going to be super fun, my clothing will all be priced extremely sensibly as I need it all to go! Come and grab a bargain! There are a couple of stalls still available, priced at £20 each, so if you have some quality stuff to sell (the guys at THT would like at least 20 lovely items per stall - you could always pair up with a friend!), then email info@teahousetheatre.co.uk.

Tickets for the evening are £8 from Eventbrite and include a drink and canapés, as well as all the entertainment - think of it as a night out with the bonus of some shopping! They are selling fast, too. Come!

That's it for now. More pictures of vintage frocks soon! Have a lovely Monday.

Fleur xx
DiaryofaVintageGirl.com

Skirting the issue

noreply@blogger.com (Fleur McGerr) — Thu, 16 May 2013 07:02:00 +0000

...that was terrible. Sorry.

A quick and dirty outfit post today. This is what I wore in my last King's Ginger post, but I took some photos separately of my (new favourite) outfit for showing off purposes. So here it is!

This superlative super high-waisted skirt is from Nicole Katherine's Etsy shop.

I love the pockets! And the fabric!

Swedish Hasbeens from Office as before (scuse the stockings, it was COLD)...

All the red accessories!

I think I like the waistband slightly folded down vs the top pic... what do you think, readerinos?

Aaaand... that's it!

Have a good Thursday everyone.

Fleur xx
DiaryofaVintageGirl.com

The Duke of Ginger

noreply@blogger.com (Fleur McGerr) — Tue, 14 May 2013 07:00:00 +0000

Greetings on this Monday of delight. I can't believe it's been a month since the last one but it has... it's therefore time for another instalment of my King's Ginger adventures. This time I took a little trip to the provinces, funnily enough to the very place I was born - the military town of Aldershot. Come with me and find out about King Edward's military connections on my latest ginger-themed aventure!

Aldershot was a very small and unassuming town in the mid-1800s. Despite a population of under 1,000 people, it did have its fair share of excitement, thanks to some vague association with highwayman Dick Turpin (who had a base nearby) and alleged sightings of Spring-heeled Jack, a supernatural entity (or just a man who was very good at jumping about). But in 1854, as the Crimean War was being waged over in what is now the Ukraine, the British Army decided to establish a base near the town. The population leapt from 875 in 1851 to over 16,000 military men, their families and others in 1861.

As Prince of Wales, Bertie was, of course, very much involved with the army. He trained with them in County Kildare in Ireland in June 1861 at the age of 19. Given his status he was, unsurprisingly, fast-tracked to command... he was promoted to the next rank approximately once every fortnight so that by the time his parents arrived in August, they could watch him command a whole battalion. The Prince was slightly more interested in hanging out with ladies (most notoriously one lady of the night called Nellie Cliften whose liaisons with the Prince drove his father Prince Albert to an early grave in his mother's eyes) than working, with his effort described as 'lacking in energy' by the Duke of Cambridge. But that's a story for another day.

Both the Queen and the Prince were heavily involved with the army and undertook regular military inspections. One such took place in Aldershot in 1856 after the Crimean War which kickstarted the town.

The Queen was such a regular visitor to Aldershot that a Royal Pavilion was built there for her and her family to stay in. Unfortunately, it's now a business park that's simply called 'Royal Pavilion'.

There are two main stories to tell about The Prince of Wales and Aldershot. The first, which is actually the later of the two, was to do with Queen Victoria's Diamond Jubilee, which began in June 1897. She came with the Prince in July 1897 to perform a Jubilee Review of the army at Aldershot, and a total of 60,000 troops lined up across the Long Valley, with 30,000 under arms, for her perusal.

Bertie presented his mother with a picture of himself and his brother Arthur, Duke of Connaught, who had the command there since 1893, taken at Aldershot two years' previously. See the picture in full here.

So that's one story for you. The other big connection with Bertie is the one I travelled to Aldershot itself last week to explore, and it involves a rather large statue. Meet the Duke of Wellington and his horse, Copenhagen.

Wellington was a military hero from the Battle of Waterloo in 1815. So lauded for his exemplary battle record was he that the people of Britain wanted to reward him for his prowess with palaces and all sorts of honours. But the Duke was more modest and only accepted Stratfield Saye as a gift, which was a little less palatial (but still an enormous estate). Coincidentally, it was also where I did my first film extra work, when I did a few days as a peasant on War Horse. How apt!

Wellington bought himself a home on Hyde Park Corner, as his London residence. So, the People decided to build him a statue in the same place. A General Committee for the "Wellington Military Memorial" was formed in 1838, which raised an astonishing £14,000 statue fund in a year. The statue was to be placed on top of the Triumphal Arch on Hyde Park Corner, built ten years earlier by one Decimus Burton. The Queen and the Government were both happy with the idea of a Wellington memorial, wishing very much to honour the man of the moment. Not so Decimus Burton though - he was rather protective of his arch and thought a mounted Wellington on top would be way out of proportion.

He was basically right, because the statue is MASSIVE. Thirty foot tall and weighing over forty tonnes it's absolutely colossal. Making it was no mean feat, either.

It was executed entirely in [sculptor] Matthew Wyatt's workshops in the Harrow Road where he built two great furnaces one capable of melting 12 tons and the other 20 tons of metal, chiefly bronze from cannon captured by the British at the Battle of Waterloo. The plaster cast of the horse's body was moulded round a frame like the ribs of a ship and the whole statue was cast in eight pieces, being joined partly by screw bolts and partly by fusing. Thirty men were engaged in the work which took over three years.

It's very lifelike though (size aside) and I was fascinated by the veins and details. But why is the statue now in Aldershot, you may ask? Well, it was originally put in place, as planned, on top of the Arch on Hyde Park Corner in September 1846. It took twenty horses, a military guard of over 500 and over six hours to hoist the thing onto the top. Hardly had the sweat dried on the men and horses when the controversy started up again. Poor old Copenhagen had long snuffed it by then, so a replacement steed called Rosemary was called in to model. Apparently, those veteran soldiers in the know said he didn't look enough like Copenhagen. Ears were all wrong. And then there were those who didn't like it because of its size (including the aforementioned Mr Burton). It was ridiculed several times in Punch. Queen Victoria protested that it spoiled her view from Buckingham Palace. But nothing could be done while that most honourable hero was still alive, and even after Wellington passed away in 1852, out of respect for him, the mocking subsided for a while and it was left alone.

From Secret LDN

Thirty years later, the terrible traffic congestion around Hyde Park corner was calling for some serious road remodelling and the arch was to be demolished. It seems the whole shebang had grown on the public after so long though, and the people actually didn't want to see it all destroyed, even in the name of progress. Our hero, Bertie, Prince of Wales, was particularly outraged. In 1883, he wrote to Gladstone, suggesting it was moved.

"As regard the old colossal statue of the Duke", he wrote, "I would suggest that it should not be broken up but removed to Aldershot where it will be highly valued by the Army".

Two years later, he got his wish and the Duke made his final journey to Aldershot, taking four days to arrive at a little knoll called Round Hill, where it has been ever since. Bertie came down in August 1885 to attend the handing-over ceremony. The Hantsweb website describes the day thus:

The Prince of Wales took up his position in the centre of the square accompanied by his staff. In a short speech he handed over the monument to Lieutenant General Anderson, the General Officer Commanding, who ordered a Royal Salute of 21 guns followed by the National Anthem. He then thanked the Prince of Wales and led a march past of his staff and the whole military contingent.

Sadly, as these things so often are, it was rather neglected in the last half of last century and was restored not so long ago to its former glory, which is lovely to see.

On a personal note, this was a really fun trip as my dad grew up in Aldershot and, as I said, I was born there, in a military hospital which doesn't actually exist any more. I went to the site of the now derelict hospital to have a look and found one more link to King Edward, this time from when he was actually monarch.

The Aldershot Royal Army Medical Corps Boer War Memorial sits atop Gun Hill and was unveiled in on Empire Day, 24th May 1905 by his Majesty himself. A fitting tribute, I'm sure you'll agree.

And there we have it - some notable events in my birth town attended by our favourite Ginger-drinking monarch. I hope you have enjoyed my little sojourn to what is actually, a pretty horrible town these days, but a little nip of King's Ginger in the sunshine makes everything better!

Read my next blog to find out where my outfit is from!

Bottoms up!

Fleur xx
DiaryofaVintageGirl.com

Sun suit (without the sun)

noreply@blogger.com (Fleur McGerr) — Fri, 10 May 2013 19:14:00 +0000

A while ago, while Britain was gripped in the depths of winter, my lovely friend and sponsor Kim at Jitterbuggin sent me her 1940s swimsuit. We talked about me shooting some pictures for her as soon as the weather warmed up. Well, it still hasn't.

I planned to do some pictures on Bethan's boat, but it rained. It was warm and sunny for two days this week, it's now back to stockings and warm coats. But I really didn't want to leave it any longer before snapping a couple of pictures in the beautiful two-piece. So today, I did.

Now I know Kim wanted (as did I) a lovely swimming pool in the background. I'm sorry Kim. When the sun comes out over a weekend, a trip to the Lido will be the first thing on my agenda. These were done with the front door of my mum and dad's house within dashing distance... it was majorly chilly. Still! I think it adds a certain charm to the pictures. A goosebumpy, wintry charm!

Presenting... (my pasty thighs which need more running and) the Manzanita Swimsuit from Jitterbuggin!

Clogs are Swedish Hasbeens Savannahs from Office

If you can just imagine a scorching Mexican beach behind me, that'd be grand...

On a serious note, I adore it and I can't wait to wear it to lounge by a poolside in when the weather's gone above about 12 degrees again!

No go! Go and visit Jitterbuggin and look at her beautiful things. I thank you (from my warm living room with the heating on).

Fleur xx
DiaryofaVintageGirl.com

Bath time! Bath in Fashion & the Secret Tea Party

noreply@blogger.com (Fleur McGerr) — Wed, 08 May 2013 21:11:00 +0000

Two weekends ago, I had the distinct pleasure of going to the glorious city of Bath for the Bath in Fashion week. Or, more specifically, for the vintage day of Bath in Fashion week. I'd been invited to come and do a little talk about wearing vintage and also being a blogger at Mrs Stokes's Secret Tea Party. I took my lovely Bethan with me as my able assistant/travel buddy, and we had a simply smashing time.

Arriving in the late afternoon, we checked into the Bath Spa Hotel, a rather magical place. Just look at our excited faces when we lay on our beds for the first time.

The night before, we had the most fantastic meal at a place called Bistro La Barrique. Not knowing where on earth to eat, we just wandered around past all the boring chain restaurants until we stumbled across it. The food was SO GOOD I didn't even take any pictures. So unlike me!

We spent the morning wandering around Bath, goggling at the architecture and visiting the Roman Baths. It is such a beautiful place and bathed in warm sunlight, which it luckily was then, it was breathtaking. The Roman Baths were absolutely fascinating. We loved finding out about the Victorian excavations and hearing about Roman makeup from a lovely living history lady (who broke out of character to tell us she loved our outfits... turns out she does 40s as well!) - the pigments and powders used for eyeliner and lipstick, the hairstyling methods... everything. We soon had to leave to head to the tea party though, which was in the equally gorgeous Guildhall.

At the Secret Tea Party, guests get to have their hair and makeup done, while eating a very tasty homemade afternoon tea.

The carrot cake was to die for, but it was all delicious!

There was only one chap present, a very interesting man who runs Australia's biggest vintage fairs. I have lost his business card so if you read this sir, get in touch please! I loved his... brooch? You can't say a man is wearing a brooch... pin, perhaps? Either way, I loved it.

I was, as I always am, nervous about giving my talk. I always make notes then veer off all over the place! The people watching and listening seemed to find it interesting though, so hopefully they did all enjoy it!

We upped the outfit ante for the occasion, of course. Here's Bethan in her late 30s green linen skirt suit. Isn't it (and she) a beaut?

I wore (what else?) a trusty and signature Swirl.

Dress: vintage

Shoes: Swedish Hasbeens

Summer means bangles make a comeback, so here's a close-up... ignore my cut hand, it was my punishment for eating burgers (long story) and my slightly oversized nail salon-done moonicure... I redid them myself when I got back!

Bethan and I with the marvellous Mrs Stokes, aka Catherine.

I would like to sincerely thank Mrs Stokes and Bath in Fashion for having me, and the latter again for putting me and Bethan up in such a splendid hotel - the Macdonald Bath Spa Hotel. It was sheer luxury - we couldn't have imagined a more lovely place!

I wish we'd had a bit more time to look in the vintage shops and potter around generally. Bath, we will be back.

Fleur xx
DiaryofaVintageGirl.com

Vintage London: Eating, drinking & dress up

noreply@blogger.com (Fleur McGerr) — Tue, 07 May 2013 13:53:00 +0000

Oh hi! How are you? You're looking fabulous. It must be because the sun's out in the UK and everyone looks so much sexier all of a sudden.

I still have lots of things to tell you about that I've already done but before I do, I have two awesome things to tell you about that are coming up.

First off, it's that time again... The Vintage Mafia's Ric Rac Club is back with a big (top) bang. Here's the info in full (I wrote this, so copy-pasting it is not cheating, OK?)

Roll up, roll up and join London's most notorious retro party girls The Vintage Mafia for The Ric Rac Club Circus Workers party on May 11th 2013.

Held at The Blacksmith and the Toffeemaker in Islington, the event promises to be a splendid social occasion - more of a house party in a pub than a serious 'vintage' club night.

Throughout the evening, guests can practice their party tricks and dance to toe-tapping tunes from the 1920s to the 1960s, played by the VM girls and one of the finest DJs in the land – the eccentric and fabulous Auntie Maureen. There will be a performance from the amazing Stefanie Valentine, a fresh-faced but already acclaimed contortion artist, who will be debuting a new act.

At midnight, as at every Ric Rac Club, there will be the (almost) famous Ric Rac Raffle, featuring an assortment of ~~useless~~ useful knick-knacks, as well as some real prizes of booze and literature. Luckily for hungry punters, the Blacksmith and the Toffeemaker is a fine establishment selling delicious food from its bespoke deli counter, mainly in the form of pies, homemade scotch eggs and sausage rolls (so Proper Food) as well as even more delicious drinks. Four rotating ales, fine whisky and artisan British gins and an admirable spirits selection plus well-crafted cocktails, mixed by talented bartenders. The team are creating a special circus-themed cocktail guaranteed to improve balance and coordination. General fun and silly games will take place throughout the evening.

The dress code (encouraged but not enforced) is 'showgirls and ringmasters'.

I actually need some help from you guys on what to wear though. I think I might bust out this star-printed playsuit from days of yore and accessorise with a big flowery headdress and heels. What do you reckon?

Pic by Tobias Key from about FIVE YEARS?!?! ago. Jeez.

Thoughts?

Do come and party and hang out with us. We're only charging £6 to get in and it will be loads of fun.

The next thing is something I am pretty excited about. You may or may not know I work part time on the PR for Bourne & Hollingsworth (of big London vintage party fame - Blitz Party and Prohibition, as well as the Chap Olympiad of course). They also have some delightful cocktail bars (the eponymous Bourne and Hollingsworth and Reverend JW Simpson - both good places for vintage-lovers to drink). But they are opening a huge new venture in Clerkenwell which is going to be truly awesome.

Kitchen Party, as it's called, is three storeys of food and drink-lovers' heaven. There will be three-to-four different pop-up food offerings inside, all running for no more than a month or two, ranging from fancy-pants molecular gastronomy and experimental stuff, to Proper Food (see above).

The first run, which starts this Thursday, has Blanch and Shock doing a four-course feast of seasonal British food- foraged greens, dry-aged meats, edible flowers, homemade bread and so on. It has Rack & Ruin, which is essentially Game of Thrones style eating - hunks of meat brine-soaked, marinated and then barbequed medieval style (as opposed to American style) over an open fire, served on bread trenchers with giant bowls of wild vegetables and salad. Taking vintage to a whole new level, eh? It also has the Robin Collective doing weird and wonderful things like edible terrariums and the Bizarrarita (a colour-changing cocktail) as well as an 'Extreme Garnishing' workshop in the basement... Bourne and Hollingsworth will be doing cocktails from their Fourth Wall wandering bar, which is kind of like a film set of a bar - bare wood outside and a faithful recreation of the B&H cocktail bar in Fitzrovia inside - in all its vintage living room glory!

I just hope I will get to go along myself and actually try out all these amazing things, because writing about them is a bit like torture. Check out the Kitchen Party website if you want to beat me to it. It's open Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays from this week but I think it will be pretty hard to get into once the word gets out!

Oh, and if anyone has heard of any amazing new food places in London that you think I should check out then please let me know. I'm always looking for delicious new things to eat!

Fleur xx
DiaryofaVintageGirl.com

Spring outfits and vintage sales!

noreply@blogger.com (Fleur McGerr) — Fri, 26 Apr 2013 15:13:00 +0000

Wahey - it's Friday!

This means it's been nearly a week since I went to Bath for Bath in Fashion's vintage weekend and more specifically, to give a talk at the Secret Tea Party last Sunday.

In Bath! By a cool house/office!

I have a big post to come with loads of pictures of the day but in the meantime, I have a post I promised. Tomorrow there's a vintage kilo sale happening in Bethnal Green, called Seek and Revive.

Now I find these things totally hit and miss - there's rarely anything earlier than 70s in there but I am currently going through a phase of saying 'Sod it - why not!' and popping along in the hopes of having an Antiques Roadshow moment and finding something amazing. I said I would give it a plug so here it is - if you fancy a rummage then come along tomorrow and I'll be there doing just that. Here's the Seek and Revive Facebook.

Stand by for a big post about Bath, but Bethan and I snapped our Saturday outfits so have those instead until the real post drops!

Vintage skirt, Swedish Hasbeens Debutantes, repro cardigan

First day of no stockings! Wahey x 2!

Have a great weekend people.

Fleur xx
DiaryofaVintageGirl.com

We (Tweed) Run the world

noreply@blogger.com (Fleur McGerr) — Wed, 24 Apr 2013 14:42:00 +0000

Those of you who have been reading this blog for a while will know that the Tweed Run is one of the highlights of my year. I have only missed one since I first started going (back in April 2010) and that was last year's, due to me running a half marathon the same day - I went afterwards anyway. In between then there was the Tweed Run of spring 2011, and the Ralph Lauren Rugby special Tweed Run in November 2011 (some of the photos on those posts are broken, which is annoying).

A mere week and a bit ago, it was time to dust off the tweed (or I would if I owned any) and take to the roads on my trusty steel steed once more. It was the Tweed Run's 5th birthday and it was marvellous.

Firstly, here's what I wore! These pictures come courtesy of photographer Roxy Erickson, whose Flickr set is stunning and captured the whole day far better than I could!

With my fabulous Pashley Britannia!

As you can see, I went for a red, white and blue theme, with my American Apparel trousers, red 1940s jacket and a practically vintage H&M blouse. Blue floral pumps for semi-practicality and my trusty Liberty Barbour jacket packed in the basket to shield me from the elements. Rain was forecasted and oh, it came.

Here are some shots of my day, as captured - badly at times - by me.

Zack (in red) and Pandora with some friends

The Vintage News

Frida

Jacqui Tweed, the woman who started it all

Suzy and Frida with Katy Carr

Guy Hills from Dashing Tweeds with a ukelele and a tandem bike which he rode on his own

Briggy!

My Vintage Mafia girls!

We got absolutely soaked in the last half hour and, upon entering the pub at the end, was overcome by a tweed miasma... I've had a horrible cough since. I think it's TB. Tweed Bacteria.

Have you managed to hop along to a tweed ride in your hometown? And if there isn't one, well... start one yourself! It really is the best way to spend an afternoon (as long as it's not raining).

Fleur xx
DiaryofaVintageGirl.com

Vintage London - Guided Walks with Russell Nash

noreply@blogger.com (Fleur McGerr) — Tue, 23 Apr 2013 11:19:00 +0000

A couple of weeks ago, I went on a walking tour given by a friend of mine, Russell Nash (or Guide Russell as he is known professionally). It was fab. I realise I might be slightly biased but really and truly, it was fascinating and I want to recommend it to everyone, tourist and resident, as a brilliant way to learn a little bit about London's past. This one was called The Men Who Made Menswear and it took us around the streets of Mayfair, up St James's and through Savile Row and Jermyn Street, learning all about the chaps who blazed trails through the fashion history of the capital. My old pal Edward VII, his later namesake Edward VIII, Beau Brummell and Henry Poole were all mentioned, as well as more modern names like Tommy Nutter. The walk ended in Covent Garden and did leave me wanting to learn even more!

Here are some pictures.

Russell himself!

Russell knows his stuff and has a real way with words - full of energy and passion for the history. He is genuinely brilliant. I always get people emailing me to ask about non-obvious things to do in London and if you want an alternative to the usual Ripper walks (admittedly I do really want to do one) or tourist tours, then this is a great choice.

The Men Who Made Menswear tour is happening again on June 9th (my birthday!), and this weekend Russell is doing one this very Saturday 27th April called Icons of St James's. They're very reasonably priced for the couple of hours of fascination you get for the money. Have a look on Facebook or Guide Russell to find out more and let me know if you go along!

Fleur xx
DiaryofaVintageGirl.com

Would go, Hasbeens

noreply@blogger.com (Fleur McGerr) — Fri, 19 Apr 2013 07:30:00 +0000

Just wanted to say a big thank you to everyone who left me a comment on my recent post. It's just hiding at the moment but it'll be back. In the meantime, how about some fluff? Shoe-based fluff is just what today calls for.

Last week, the Vintage Mafia got invited to the second coming of our favourite ever pop up shop... the Swedish Hasbeens pop up clog shop! Jeni and I went along last time and had a lovely time, this new shop is even better - more spacious and with even more eye candy.

We were there for a press breakfast and launch of the SS '13 range of summer clogs. It's named 'Call of the Wild' and is inspired by the 1930s and safari fashion! While the original clog designs come from the 1970s, we were delighted to see the designer Emy has drawn her inspiration from the 30s this season. We were hard pressed to find a design we *didn't* like.

The twisty Cobra was a favourite for all of us - so stylish!

The Debutantes are new lower styled sandals, good for every day summer wear!

More Debutants.

Oh, Poison Ivy!

Marocco... swoon.

Anyway, onto the breakfast (delicious), and the fashion show. The models' legs went on for days.

These pink ones are hearts. Hearts!

We also got to meet and chat with the lovely Emy Blixt, designer and finder of the original 70s clogs in an old, abandoned shop. She told us how she remembered an amazing, cig-smoking housewife who was her neighbour as a child, wearing the original braided clogs and how glam she thought they were back then. It was obviously fated that she should find the deadstock clogs and bring them back to life. She obviously adores every second of her work and was so proud of her newest styles, particularly the beautiful Hearts ones...

We were chuffed to bits to get to take away a pair of Debutantes... you can be sure we'll all be wearing them a lot now the westher's finally improved. Doubly so in my case as a week before we got the invite, I bought this pair of red Savannah Hasbeens from Office! 20% off though, can't resist a bargain.

Here's to a cloggy summer. Thank you Swedish Hasbeens and Varg PR for having us along. The VM loves you ever so.

Fleur xx
DiaryofaVintageGirl.com

Blooming gingery, what?

noreply@blogger.com (Fleur McGerr) — Tue, 16 Apr 2013 21:59:00 +0000

I'm very excited about this month's King's Ginger post, because for the first time, I have actually managed to find a descendant of someone who knew his Majesty in person. I got to interview the grandson of one of the King's own warrant-holders! I also got to have a snoop about in one of London's oldest buildings, following in the footsteps of his Majesty and finding out some really interesting tidbits. So here we go, my latest adventure for our favourite ginger-infused tipple!

Still going after more than 125 years, Feltons Florists is a true dynasty. Run by the grandson of R. Forester Felton (1862-1947), they actually no longer have a physical shop, but instead provide flowers directly to many big state occasions and to some of the oldest and most prestigious buildings in London. I went to meet Richard Felton in St Bartholomew the Great church in Smithfield to hear some stories about his grandfather and his relationship to our favourite charismatic King; and have a peek into a rather brilliant heirloom - a book of press cuttings... and handwritten letters from the palaces.

Robert Forester Felton grew up in the Midlands and had his own business doing flowers for big houses. It was quite a new industry in the late Victorian era - only rich people could afford to have their houses decorated with blooms, or they would have them as decorations at big functions or banquets. Before, there were gardeners, of course, but florists were few and far between. In the late 1890s, Felton did a huge display at Packington Hall. It was such a success that he decided to up sticks and move to London to ply his trade there, and in 1897 he opened up what was one of the capital's very first flower shops.

If you can make it out from the cutting above, Felton's Flower Shop quickly attracted business from the very highest class patrons. Kings, queens, princes and princesses from across the world would call upon Felton to decorate their homes and functions. He was described by as 'an expert and enterprising floral designer and decorator' by Albert Rollitt, President of the National Crysanthemum (admittedly in the preface of his own book, British Floral Decoration, published in 1910), but there can be no doubt that he was a chap who knew what he was doing with blooms of all kinds.

Typical Edwardian rose display, by Feltons

His passion and attention to his craft brought him into the sphere of our hero Bertie many times, beginning with the Coronation.

R. F. Felton was passionate about the rose ('the national flower of England') and he was apparently outraged when word reached him that 'certain people' were trying to oust it from its place and replace it for Lily of The Valley at King Edward VII's coronation. It was alleged, he said, by those who led the anti-rose crusade, that Lily of the Valley was Queen Alexandra's favourite flower. Which, he claims in his book, is just not true.

He wrote a stern letter to the press in the run up to the Coronation, expressing his views.

DEAR SIR,

I have seen in many papers, and among them some of the leading 'dailies' that a vigorous attempt is being made to establish the Lily of the Valley as the Coronation flower, and I cannot refrain from taking up my pen to defend the claims of the Queen of flowers, our grand National Rose.

The bare idea of having to defend it seems to me so pre-posterous that I feel I ought to apologise to every good English subject for seriously listening to such an idea as the substitution of any flower for the Rose at the coronation of a King of England. Unfortunately, however, the Lily movement appears to be daily gaining ground, not so much, I believe, with the people as with the great producers, to whom I cannot help thinking the matter owes its origin. Passing over entirely the historical associations of the Rose with the English Crown, hallowed by centuries, and ignoring the fact that the Lily was once the royal flower of France, I will confine myself purely to common-sense reasons why the Lily should not be adopted.

First of all, it is by no means as English a flower, in its natural state, as the Rose. Secondly, more than nine- tenths of the Lilies of everyday commerce are primarily produced abroad, and are only finished, either by forcing or retarding, in England. Thirdly, the comparatively few naturally grown English Lilies of the Valley will be over by the end of June, unless the season should happen to be a backward one, and so we should have to fall back on the foreign growers for our supply, and in that case only those living in towns would be able to get them at all.

On the other hand, Rose-growing being an immense industry in the United Kingdom, the supply in June will be almost inexhaustible ; therefore every man, woman, and child will be able to wear them, even though they have to go out and pluck wild ones from the hedgerow.

Yours, &c., R, F. FELTON.

And he should know, because he did indeed do Coronation flowers for King Edward and held the Royal Warrant thereafter. They actually become friends. Richard recounted a story to me which had Felton Snr. making up a billiards team at Sandringham, playing against our hero! Let's hope he pretended to lose...

Feltons window - April 1909
' This is an illustration of wealth of colour rather than artistic treatment.
The window was arranged in this way by desire of the photographers,
who were anxious to see the effect of the process through glass.'

Felton describes in his book how he once put together a table of sweet peas which was so successful that he was called back no less than three times to repeat it for the King's birthday dinner at St James's Palace. He says the display consisted of 'bowls of various heights, commencing in the middle of the table with "King Edward" and "Princess Alexandra"'. Very aptly named varieties of sweet pea... what else would do though? Do note, however, that salmon-pink sweet peas on the dinner table are, he says, to be avoided at all costs.

Painting of the King and Queen at the Royal Box at Olympia International Horse Show in 1908

The Royal Pavilion at a Garden Party - Marlborough House - 1909

Feltons also made plenty of bouquets and posies for the Queen, both during her reign and after, when she became the Queen Mother.

Court bouquet for Her Majesty Queen Alexandra

It wasn't just the big two who loved his work, though. The Prince of Wales did as well, even feeling moved to write (not using his own hands, come on) to tell him so.

As far as foreign dignitaries go, in 1909 he did the floral displays at Claridge's where the Ambassador of Japan welcomed His Imperial Highness Prince Nashimoto. There's no record of the Prince's reaction, but I'm sure it was favourable.

Claridge's with Felton decoration, circa 1909

And it wasn't all done at home, either. Felton's work for the King actually took him abroad several times (in a roundabout way). In an anecdote told to me by Richard, the Emperor of Germany was so taken by the beauty of the display created especially for his visit to London's Mansion House, that he not only mentioned them in his speech, he invited him to Berlin to 'strike an English note' in the decorations that greeted his Majesty on a reciprocal visit! Felton was less taken by the standard shown by his German counterparts though, describing their efforts in his book as 'funereal'.

Back to the present day and Richard Felton, his grandson, is carrying on the family name in splendid fashion. There may not be so many visiting foreign dignitaries, but he still provides beautiful displays for churches like St Barts, livery companies and for banquets. I accompanied him to Drapers Hall in the City, where he was taking five very traditional posies for an evening event.

He proudly told me that these are just as they would have been in his grandfather's heyday, with a mixture of roses and freesias. They looked wonderful, as I'm sure you'll agree. As we passed through the big hall, look who I found watching over us, casting an approving eye, no doubt, on Mr Felton's work, over 100 years later.

Here's one final shot, with me clutching a posy and the marvellously dapper Mr Felton himself. Even if it does look a little like we're walking down the aisle!

Outfit:
Repro knitted cardi
American Apparel trousers

Sweaty Betty ballet pumps (with ribbons!)

('Scuse my hair - it was damp!)

I can't thank Richard enough for showing me his precious cuttings and letters, and telling me his stories. It was fascinating and too much to even put in here! Please do check out Feltons Florists if you're in the market for flowers - he does some amazing floral arches for weddings and so forth. The passion for his work and the pride in his grandfather's legacy just shines through. He's kindly invited me to come and see some other, bigger displays going in and I hope to take him up on that offer soon as I love flowers nearly as much as his Majesty, King Edward (albeit I don't have quite the budget)!

As always, do check out the King's Ginger site as well... in fact, may I encourage you to visit the KGL Facebook page, which has lots going on it at the moment - fab period photos, events and tastings you can go along to and try its gingery goodness for yourself... and more importantly, some cocktail recipes!

I leave you with this poem, which R. Forester Felton modestly claims in his book is by an author unknown and 'from memory'... but which Richard told me he wrote himself.

A Rose in the garden slipped her bud

And smiled in the pride of her youthful blood

As she saw the gardener passing by--

"He's old, so old, he soon will die,"

Said the Rose.

And when morning came with sunshine bright

She opened her warm red heart to the light,

And sighed as the gardener passed the bed--

"Why he's older still, he'll soon be dead."

But evening closed with a cold night air

And the petals fell from that rose so fair,

And when morning dawned came the gardener old

And raked them softly under the mould.

And I wove the thing to a random rhyme--

For the Rose is Beauty, the gardener Time.

From memory, Author unknown.

R. F. FELTON

Fleur xx

DiaryofaVintageGirl.com

Mussel Up

noreply@blogger.com (Fleur McGerr) — Fri, 29 Mar 2013 14:47:00 +0000

London is a smorgasbord of pop-up food ventures at the moment. I've been to a few, but my favourite so far has been Mussel Men. I heard about them ages ago, then got contacted by them out of the blue for something business-related. I've been trying to get down to actually sample the shellfish delights myself and tonight, finally, the planets aligned.

Thanks to my computer acting up, I have 2.5 seconds to write this post. So the pictures will have to do. GO.

Just make sure you try the Prawn on the Lawn Scotch Egg, the oysters, the delicious fat Shetland mussels, the AMAZING chips and the waffle. Oh, and the Sprizzato spritz. So, everything, basically.

Oh, and make sure you play Thumb Wars with Cap'n Bob. I lost, even with long fake nails.

Mussel Men are at Brew For Two in Hackney in east London all weekend - perfect Easter treat. Thank you for having me, Robin!

Fleur xx
DiaryofaVintageGirl.com

Wherefore art thou, spring?

noreply@blogger.com (Fleur McGerr) — Tue, 26 Mar 2013 13:16:00 +0000

I have so, so much to write up but life is kind of getting in the way at the moment. If you're reading this and I owe you a post - never fear, I shall get to it soon. I just want to have a quick moan about the weather. I am English, after all.

Side note: I do realise that 'wherefore' actually means 'why', but it seems appropriate anyway. Because this isn't like any spring I recognise! Man alive, it is nippy.

Two years ago next week, I was doing this.

The VM ladies and I were on a (somewhat staged) picnic in Victoria Park, because a French journalist was following me about for a story in Le Figaro, and he wanted some awesome pictures of the things I get up to for fun. Picnics are definitely something I indulge in (if that could even be the right term) in the summer, and the weather that day was glorious - warm enough for cotton dresses and no stockings.

I am so sad that this week, I am in vests, my sheepskin coat, scarf and a hat... I would have gloves but I left them at home, and my fingers may fall off from frostbite. People have died of exposure, snowdrifts have cut power in the North, my parents got snowed in AGAIN. I know other countries are also suffering, it's not just us. And there's literally nothing anyone can do. Nonetheless... WAH!

This photo amuses me a lot because I look like I'm walking in EXACTLY the same way my late grandmother walked... plus I'm dressed like her too. Must walk a little more elegantly though, channeling catwalk models should be where it's at.

They also snapped me at a shoot for Heyday's then-latest Fleur dress, which is on sale at the moment at a ridiculously low price (this wasn't an excuse to write about that but it's worth mentioning). Lovely Gordon Ayres was the photographer - he likes to pose his models!

The following weekend, we even went punting.

Anyway, this was a bit of an excuse to post these pictures again since Flickr ate them (stupid iPhoto) so my original post about it just has broken links. But mainly, I just wanted to reminisce about how nice it was back then. Hurry up summer. Please.

Fleur xx
DiaryofaVintageGirl.com

New video tutorial! 1940s working girl hair

noreply@blogger.com (Fleur McGerr) — Wed, 20 Mar 2013 11:12:00 +0000

The second of my vintage video tutorials for Superdrug Look at Me went live yesterday. It's for a simple 1940s style semi-updo with a back roll and a scarf to finish it off.

How To: Vintage Hair from The River Group on Vimeo.

I hope you all like it!

Fleur xx
DiaryofaVintageGirl.com

Spirits of Kings and commoners alike

noreply@blogger.com (Fleur McGerr) — Mon, 18 Mar 2013 08:43:00 +0000

Not to be morbid or anything, but this month's King's Ginger piece is my first look at death and mourning in the Victorian and Edwardian eras. They were big business indeed! The actual customs will be covered in a later blog as they deserve a post all of their own (Queen Victoria's life-long grief being a huge part of Edward's story) but today I'm looking at the very interesting history of the Necropolis Railway of London. And so it begins, where everything ends...

Every monarch since Queen Victoria has been carried on a funeral train. When King Edward died in 1910 at the age of only 68 years old, he was carried on just such a train to Windsor and Eton Central station for his funeral. But this practice wasn't limited to royalty at all - from 1854 the ordinary man or woman's mortal remains could also be transported from the city to their final resting place in the beautiful Surrey countryside.

In the 1850s, following a doubling of its population, London's churchyards were seriously overcrowded. Necessary legislation was passed in 1852, with the Burial Act facilitating the first public cemeteries around the capital. They then spread out to the Home Counties. Brookwood Cemetery was a private burial ground opened and run by the London Necropolis & National Mausoleum Company. It buried a lot of London's poor in a much more dignified fashion than mass pauper graves and it's said that Brookwood probably took on half of East London's late residents during its heyday. Special trains were put on so the parent railway company's living customers could not possibly end up on a carriage that had recently contained caskets. They ran daily from Waterloo, which had a casket-loading platform complete with hydraulics. The trains had separate hearse cars for Anglican and non-Anglican dead (which corresponded to the south and north sides of Brookwood. There were also divisions of class - a first-class fare saw mourners housed in fancier compartments and the coffins handled much more carefully than second, and third fell below event that. Which isn't to say third-class wasn't perfectly civilised.

In 1902 a beautiful new station was opened on Westminster Bridge Road, with the Waterloo terminus building being demolished to make way for the growth of the latter. It was designed to look much fancier than any normal funeral directors. The daily trains also stopped, and services were then laid on as and when needed, until 1941 when WWII bombings destroyed it all. They never ran again.

Anyway, onto the service itself. These sombre trains left London and wound their way through the suburbs, past my home town of Walton on Thames and terminating (perhaps an unfortunate choice of word there) at the Gothic stations built within the cemetery itself - the north and south areas had their own station.

Brookwood Cemetery is a fascinating place. It's still very much in operation and, as such, I had to get special permission to visit and take some photographs. They kindly agreed since I was doing this for a history piece and would obviously not be snapping any modern gravestones. Besides, the older ones are so much more dramatic! Let me first show you where the railway came into the cemetery.

Ta da!

It's no longer there any more, of course but its ghost remains. The path from the North station is shown above. From Brookwood station the trains would turn and trundle through the grounds to the South station building. Neither are there any more, sadly - the North station was demolished in the 60s due to dry rot, and the South burned down in the 70s. A monastery now stands on the original place of the latter.

This is the spectre of the South line, the old station would have been just beyond the horizon.

This photo, if you look carefully, also features snow. Brr.

Many of the King's contemporaries (or at least notable personages from his time as Prince of Wales) are buried here. Dr Gottleib Leibner is one chap who will feature in a future post on here, due to his work. And if he doesn't embody the image of a Victorian gent, then I don't know who does.

More fascinating still, perhaps, are the memorials of those who are all-but-forgotten. Take this beautiful statue of an obscure lady who was married to an obscure man.

I don't know what Mrs Faulkiner did in her time, but her grave has incited avarice in robbers not so long ago, with the owners of Brookwood finding it toppled and wrapped, ready to be taken away in the night...

I wanted to capture some classic Edwardian gravestones. They seem to feature a lot of flora. Ivy...

And clematis and passion flowers.

They were also fond of angels, always with finger pointing towards heaven.

Then, there's the beautiful Lady Mary Laura Wyatt, who reads serenely for all eternity.

There are a lot of beautiful mausoleums dating from the Edwardian era as well, some with ornate inscriptions but many more with no date or message at all.

This picture does not adequately convey just how blooming FREEZING it was that day.
I couldn't feel my feet by this point.

If King's Ginger had been available to the masses back then, I feel pretty sure it would have been sipped by chilled mourners to boost the spirits and bolster them against inclement weather. I didn't drink any of course, nor did I pose with it near any gravestones as both would have felt very disrespectful. But I did take it on a journey along the ghostly railway.

There's no evidence to suggest King Edward ever visited Brookwood Cemetery, but I thought this little insight into the funeral customs of the time would be interesting, not to mention the way that common people would so often end their journeys, both physically and metaphorically with funeral train services that his Majesty would also have for his own, state funeral. It was also a fascinating trip all round, not least because I got to 'meet' this fellow... he died in the 1930s but I thought him worth a peek anyway. Splendid facial hair!

Thank you to the owners of Brookwood Cemetery for granting me permission to take photos and write this story! I hope you have all enjoyed it, as ever, do let me know!

Fleur xx
DiaryofaVintageGirl.com

Something for the weekend, sir?

noreply@blogger.com (Fleur McGerr) — Fri, 15 Mar 2013 16:15:00 +0000

Call me naive, but I just found out yesterday what that well-known phrase actually means. It's been the title of a weekend TV programme for years, but it apparently used to be something that barbers would say to their clients following a haircut or shave, whilst offering them a condom! The practice of handing out French letters with a nudge and a wink might have died off but classic barber shops definitely seem to be making a comeback. I don't often post things that appeal to chaps on here, so as it's Friday, here's something a little different!

I was in Sharps Barbers (in their Islington/Ben Sherman branch) the other day on a work-related mission, and while there I took some snaps of the owner Rory getting a cutthroat shave. It's a lovely small shop, full of vintage bits and plenty of modern but all with a classic twist (they are currently fitting out a big new venue in Fitzrovia too, which will be brilliant for men and women to visit). The fact that Time Out recently did a rundown of London's best barbershops is a strong indication of the rise in popularity in male grooming with a classic bent, and of course my beloved Chap Magazine goes from strength to strength (even if I can't seem to get anything published in there at the moment!).

I'm interested to know how many men I have reading my blog! So pipe up chaps... have you ever had a cutthroat shave and if not, would you?

Fleur xx
DiaryofaVintageGirl.com

New video tutorial! 1940s Eyebrows

noreply@blogger.com (Fleur McGerr) — Thu, 14 Mar 2013 14:13:00 +0000

So! I often get requests for new video tutorials, but I do find them hard work to film as it invariably goes like this. Film it, realise I've ballsed something up, refilm it again, refilm another bit, cobble the good bits from the 3 takes together, faff about with transitions and music...you get the picture. So imagine my delight when I was asked by the mighty Superdrug to film two beauty videos for their Look At Me blog/magazine - one makeup and one hair - thus removing any excuses or procrastination from the equation!

The first of the two videos I did is up on Look At Me today and it's all about how to get perfect vintage eyebrows that look like you've waltzed straight out of the 1940s. Well, kind of... it's really just how *I* do them.

Have a look (at my weird, smug expression on the still... why must you do this to me, Vimeo)!

How To: Vintage Eyebrows from The River Group on Vimeo.

Do pop over and have a look at the entry on Look At Me as well, and let me know below if you've enjoyed it!

Fleur xx
DiaryofaVintageGirl.com

Snow Joke

noreply@blogger.com (Fleur McGerr) — Mon, 11 Mar 2013 17:39:00 +0000

England in March... spring flowers and lighter layers, you might think. Wrong!

Welcome to England in March!

I woke up at my parents; place out in the country today, ready to do my latest King's Ginger piece. And this is what we found!

Dress: Heyday Fleur

Stockings: What Katie Did

Shoes: Primarni

I've been trying to wear some more spring-like clothing, due to my wistful wishing it would be summer soon. And I did expect it to be a little nippy. But not like this. A cotton frock was not the right choice. Neither were very thin little black pumps.

Luckily, I also had a scarf, gloves and a warm sheepskin jacket...

I won't lie, I was still freezing. Especially in the foot area.

Back soon with something more substantial!

Fleur xx
DiaryofaVintageGirl.com

Vintage London: The Tea House Theatre

noreply@blogger.com (Fleur McGerr) — Fri, 08 Mar 2013 16:44:00 +0000

Well... I was on a roll for a while there, wasn't I? And then it seems inspiration and motivation temporarily deserted me!

I do have so much to post about and barely a minute in the day to do so. But as it's Friday afternoon and I want to write about lovely things, let me tell you about a lovely and very vintage place for London dwellers and visitors to go and check out. The Tea House Theatre in Vauxhall.

This wonderful venue in South London is owned by a couple who are friends of mine, through the New Sheridan Club. It is, as the name implies, a place to take tea, and a place that puts on shows - both theatrical and poetry. It also has knitting clubs, mothers' meetings, weddings, and film nights. It used to be a very seedy strip pub, the kind where you put a pound in a pint glass - painted bright orange and sitting gaudily in the middle of the old Vauxhall Pleasure Gardens.

It was up for sale, and as Harry and Grace Iggulden were buying it, the landlady was murdered while in the Caribbean... apparently by a jealous ex-lover! All very scandalous and somehow quite exciting.

Fast-forward a couple of years and it's transformed. I've written about it before as I went to the street party they did for the Royal Wedding in 2011, during which I judged the cake competition. And later the same year I went with Bethan to the NSC's summer party, with its British Seaside theme. But I was recently there for the first time in ages for the inaugural Retro Runners LDN (more on this later) meet up, and I took some photos of their wonderful cakes. I thought it was only fair I told you all about them.

These cakes are everything that cupcakes are not! I personally have tried both the carrot (carrot is a vegetable and therefore it is good for you), and the Victoria sponge and both were as good as any I've had. I don't know who makes them but they deserve a medal.

Grace also makes some exquisite birthday cakes herself. Just look!

I have nothing more to add to this post except that you should go and check out the Tea House Theatre and try some of their food and drink, it looks even more lovely and homely in the daylight, with vintage knicknacks and furniture dotted around the place. If you're looking for a friendly place to take afternoon tea south of the river, this is it!

Or have you already been?

Fleur xx
DiaryofaVintageGirl.com

Vintage London: Sprizzato seduction classes

noreply@blogger.com (Fleur McGerr) — Tue, 26 Feb 2013 16:16:00 +0000

I just typed that title out and then immediately worried it might imply that this was a blog about fetishes or swinging or something. But I'm going with it anyway!

I'm currently working on an event with a new drinks brand that some of you may have seen me tweeting about on that there Twitter. It's a company called Sprizzato (new site is underway as I write) and the drink is a bitter-orange aperitivo spirit flavoured with herbs and rhubarb extract, the type traditionally drunk before a meal to kick-start the appetite. Usually it's mixed with some prosecco, though historically it's cheap nasty prosecco - the bitter orange tends to disguise it a bit. The recipe dates from around 1919 in Padua, and the bottle reflects the origins with a snazzy Art Deco lady adorning it...

We're putting on a London dating event on 13th March that aims to help lovelorn single folks discover their inner Italian don or diva. There will be free Sprizzato cocktails, Italian nibbles and, more importantly, a talk from renowned dating coach and seduction specialist Johnny Cassell. Johnny will try to instil some of that unbelievable Italian confidence in the chaps present - everything from smooth moves and smart suits, to romantic meals and sheer brazen forwardness.

Yours truly will then impart some hints and tips on channeling the bombshell screen sirens of the past, like make-up and hair techniques and coquettish flirtatious moves, turning unconfident ladies into sought-after signoras, able to bewitch the object of their affections.

You may or may not meet an eligible singleton of the opposite sex, but if you don't you will definitely pick up some tips to make your next attempt much easier!

We're holding at at glamorous London bar Central & Co, which is worth a visit either way as the downstairs, where we're doing this shindig, is a secret spirits bar. Everything they use is decanted into an unmarked bottle, with drinks selected on flavour preference rather than label. They make a mean cocktail, and even invented a special Flippato cocktail for our last event there...

The launch event is absolutely freeeee, so if you would like to come along and see what it's all about and sample some Sprizzato, then drop me an email on my special event address fleur@kapranos-pr.com.

If you can't make it to the event but would like to try the drink yourself, then I'm giving a bottle away as well. I'm using this snazzy Rafflecopter app that I saw on RetroChick, so thanks for that, Gemma!

You can enter to win a bottle in two ways - by following Sprizzato on Twitter, or by liking on Facebook - but do it through the below widget in order for it to register. I run both of the accounts and promise I share lots of awesome vintage photos as well as a bit of marketing! Plus info on all the fun events we'll be doing in the summer.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Edit: Just added an option to tweet about the giveaway for an extra entry.

Winner will be announced in one week, though once again, sorry Rest Of World, due to alcohol laws we can't send it aboard so it's UK only. We could possibly arrange to get something sent out from the factory in Italy though... Over 18s only too, obviously.

Look forward to hearing from you potential attendees by email and you booze hounds on social media.

Fleur xx
DiaryofaVintageGirl.com

PS. For an event of a different kind of vintage (90s to be precise, ooOOooh, controversial!), check out this Empire Records film and foodie night put on by two friends at The Garrison SE1. I badly wish I could go, but I have another work event that night, rats.

'Allergic to Cupcakes'

noreply@blogger.com (Fleur McGerr) — Thu, 21 Feb 2013 15:08:00 +0000

The other day on Twitter I did a couple of jokey tweets with the hashtag #vintagegirlproblems. They were to do with my head being the wrong shape for headscarves and my freeze-hold hairspray about to run out, but I did say in one that I was allergic to cupcakes. It was meant entirely as a joke (bless the one person who sent me a gluten-free cupcake recipe) because as everyone who has at least one eye knows, vintage and cupcakes seem to go hand in hand. But often controversially so!

I've lost count of the amount of moans I have seen online about 'cupcakes and bunting', that chintzy, frou-frou-y (it's a word) side to vintage that sees pretty afternoon teas served on antique floral china, 40s-style village fetes strewn with bunting and girls in pretty tea dresses that may or may not be actually old. Gin cocktails served in teacups. You know the drill.

Cupcakes recently served to me at Millennium Hotel Mayfair for a 'Breakfast at Tiffanys' screening...hence the Tiffany green icing!

I like to think I'm not a fan of the concept of cupcakes and everything they represent (the popularity of my once subcultural style), hence the joke about being allergic. And actually, I do find most cupcakes pretty awful - intensely over-sweet to the point where eating one makes your teeth feel like they're jumping back from the sugar (see also: eating Cadbury's Creme Eggs... or maybe that's just me). I do usually snaffle one from any such cupcake abundant event I'm at and give it to my boyfriend, who, in a gender stereotype role reversal actually likes them a lot more than me. He was nearly defeated by one the other day though, declaring it the most sickly 'bun' (he's Northern) he'd ever eaten. But I won't lie, I do like to partake in a cupcakey confection every once in a while - red velvet ones are a favourite as the cream cheese frosting somehow isn't quite so sweet as buttercream. Plus, the ones you get at Vintage Patisserie are almost like a muffin at the bottom. I have eaten a lot of these in the last few years.

Vintage Patisserie cakes at a previous event I used to run - personalised... not too much buttercream!

A lot of people profess to dislike cupcakes because they are, in fact, patently not 'vintage', at least not in the UK. Historically, we have been more into our Victoria Sponge, fruitcakes, scones, shortbread (among many others of course). A butterfly or modest fairycake if we must! Cupcakes hail from the United States, where everything seems a little more kitsch - some of the ones you get nowadays are sculptural piles of sugarcraft and empty calories. The English version, the classic fairy cake, is a much smaller affair, usually with only a thin layer of icing on top. At least, that's my perception of it, and my personal experience. (I did just have a look on the Wikipedia page for cupcakes, just to see if I was getting it horribly wrong, and am quite perturbed to see a picture of a 'butterfly cupcake' on it! That is so not a thing!) And I think a lot of full-time vintage girls like to be seen to rebel against the mainstream, twee version of our style that's pervaded popular culture. Most of us are more into 'authentic' looks than the trendy Cath Kidston version, after all*. But again, I do have chintzy tea dresses, curtains and china as well as lots of less girly stuff. I like a good mix, OK!

Ultimately though, if you put me in front of an afternoon tea, ten out of every ten times, I will go for the savoury foods first. Sandwiches, good. Quiche, good. Pork pies, gooooood. Scotch eggs... I could go on. I snapped some photos at the Vintage Mafia do at the Blacksmith last week that illustrates my fondness for stodgy English classics. At least insofar as I had no inkling of writing this post at the time, I just wanted to photograph some pies.

Pastry-tastic pies.

Smashing Scotch Eggs

I actually ate two of the homemade Scotch eggs above, they were that good. Tasty saisage and a perfectly hardboiled egg with just a hint of runny yolk. Excuse me while I dribble (and sorry veggies). My taste for savoury stuff also translates into a love of bitter cocktails - I'd rather have a Negroni than a fruity thing, any time.

I don't really know what point I am trying to make with this post, so do forgive me for just rambling away. I like cupcakes to a point, but they are not my favourite thing and so it does get a tiny bit annoying that they are so ubiquitous on the 'vintage scene'. Give me a slice of Vicky sponge any day! While I probably won't turn one down, I might not always eat it myself. But if you offer me a finger sandwich, pastry and meat-based product or other savoury snack item (or, as I've mentioned on here before, a burger), I'll probably eat it, and your actual fingers holding it out as well.

What say you, readers? Cupcakes or pork pies? There's only one way to find out... fiiiiight!

Fleur xx
DiaryofaVintageGirl.com

*I'm sure I don't need to say this but I'm not trying to open the debate about who's more vintage again... you may only row about the two food items above ;) Go team pork pie!

The Vintage Mafia's Valentine Ric Rac!

noreply@blogger.com (Fleur McGerr) — Wed, 20 Feb 2013 16:10:00 +0000

Last weekend was the instalment of the Vintage Mafia's Ric Rac Club at our new venue, The Blacksmith and the Toffeemaker. It was a Valentine's themed extravaganza - designed for those looking for love and loved up alike to basically just have a good old knees up in a really nice pub that serves delicious drinks and pies. And it was exactly that.

I did take some photos, some of which I might show at the end, but since Mr Hanson Leatherby is pretty much unrivalled when it comes to vintage event photography, then I will let his superior snaps show the night in its full glory. There are lots, beware!

We had glamorous guests.

Amazing Pandora.

The Valentines!

Miss Ruby Armoire!

Lovely Katie!

Tuppence Ha'penny!

Miss Turnstiles!

Mai & Zack

Perdita, Holly Vintage Girl and Liz Tregenza!

The glamorous ladies of The Vintage News!

We had dancing.

We had games.

And we had the famous Ric Rac Raffle as hosted by me, with prizes from What Katie Did and Hummingbird Bakery!

But more importantly still, I did my first ever DJing!

With a little help from Bethan...

And Jeni!

My fabulous dress came from my sponsor Miss Bamboo - it's The Soutache Sandy!

Luckily we had the real pros in too, in the form of Auntie Maureen...

And Mr Lee.

All in all it was an amazing night and we do believe all our guests had a fantastic time. We'll be announcing the next one before you know it, as well as some more super exciting projects for The Vintage Mafia.

If those enough photos for you, you can find more on the Vintage Mafia Facebook page!

As for Valentine's proper, no photos. But it was amazing. <3 nbsp="" p="">

Fleur xx

DiaryofaVintageGirl.com

See you at Rick's?

noreply@blogger.com (Fleur McGerr) — Tue, 19 Feb 2013 13:33:00 +0000

Last week, courtesy of Future Cinema I went back in time to 1942 Morocco. Casablanca to be precise. There, I hung out in Rick's Café Americain, a swinging joint full of laughter and partying.

(Plus some very Dr Who-esque lighting effects at the Blue Parrot, as seen above.)

There were dancing girls.

And beautiful Moroccan singers.

And dashing gents galore...

Spirits were running high. There were even arrests, as the gendarmes caught wind of members of the resistance. Rick stood by, his neutrality unswayed!

As with every Future Cinema production, it was an immersive experience full of performances and little pockets of activity to be discovered around the venue. Upon entering, the man and I were subjected to an interrogation by the gendarmes. He had to go and face a wall, then produce his ID papers, while one man lost his nerve and ran away at a fast lick, with the police chasing after him! After we went inside, as we made out way down a shadowy corridor lined with tropical plants, a shifty man sidled up to us. It was the man above, the leader of the Resistance. He told us to come to the Blue Parrot Cafe after the 'Sand Dance'. We did, and he gave us a rousing speech, dishing out song sheets for later...

During the next few hours there were clandestine meetups...

Encouragement from Rick to enjoy ourselves...

The was a brief interruption from the dastardly Nazis singing Die Wacht am Rhein before the entire auditorium burst out with a rousing version of The Marseillaise, as initiated by our friend above.

The man and I were joined by Jeni Yesterday, Lisa Snoodlebug (and their menfolk), as well as the Vintage News Team. Sadly, my camera doesn't capture very well in the low light and I didn't manage to get anything good of the two girlies, either standing or dancing. Here's Lisa's boob, I mean amazing 40s brooch instead. And the back of a conga line.

Since you're all DYING to know what I wore, here it is! ;) I'm officially fed up with winter, and so, I decided to break out a semi-retired, 1940s cotton dress for the occasion. Unfortunately I forgot my slip, so I was a little chilly. Who cares!

1940s Victory Rolls were de rigueur, of course. Have you ever seen my Victory Rolls video tutorial? Just noticed it has had nearly 100,000 views, crikey!

The initial run of Future Cinema's Casablanca sold out very quickly so I was really lucky to get to go. But this very lunchtime, not even half an hour ago as I type, they released tickets for the next run. Go and get yourself involved, it was a truly wonderful night.

Unfortunately, the man and I did not manage to secure exit papers, so it looks like I'll be in Casablanca indefinitely. See You At Rick's indeed!

Fleur xx
DiaryofaVintageGirl.com

Vintage Valentine Giveaway #2 - the winner!

noreply@blogger.com (Fleur McGerr) — Wed, 13 Feb 2013 12:58:00 +0000

Well, an astonishing 591 of you entered my competition with What Katie Did, and I now have the very great pleasure of announcing a winner. Picked at random by Katie (not sure whether it was electronically or with an old fashioned eyes closed/pencil method, but I assure you it was random), the prize goes to...

Lorraine Thornhill!

Who I believe, from her email address, is also known as Lainie. I will email you now, but well done and I hope you enjoy your prize, which will be sent out next day delivery! Not sure what you picked, but I know it will be amazing!

Thank you everyone who took part, and I will have more prizes to give away soon.

PS. Look at gorgeous Sophie St Villier in a piece from the forthcoming SS'13 range... how lovely is the red/white? I will be posting some pictures showing more new stuff from a fashion show very soon!

Fleur xx
DiaryofaVintageGirl.com

First signs of spring

noreply@blogger.com (Fleur McGerr) — Tue, 12 Feb 2013 13:45:00 +0000

Last Friday I managed to find time to take a few hours off and go for a walk with my mum at Wisley Gardens, somewhere I used to go a lot but I have been so blooming busy (not complaining!) that I haven't for ages.

There, I met a duck...

...but the best thing about going this time of year, is seeing the very first spring flowers starting to take over the beds and rockeries.

I did some posing as well, of course.

Outfit: Skirt - Bettie Page Clothing from Pinup Parade

Black cardigan - Freddies of Pinewood

Sheared sheepskin vintage coat - East End Thrift Store jumble sale (£10!)

Boots - Office

Bag - gift from Dungaree Dolly

On a side note, today is Pancake Day! I'm heading over to the brand-spankiest new bar and creperie in Shoreditch, Shutterbug, to eat Red Velvet crepes with mascarpone and to possibly partake in a pancake race with my pals at Run Dem Crew. What are you up to?

Fleur xx
DiaryofaVintageGirl.com