London for the Day

As promised in my last post I am doing a post about our day trip to London. However, I am going to do another post which will be dedicated to photos of some jewellery in the British Museum.

We caught the early train and woman, man and child went to the capital.



We were so lucky with the weather as it stayed fine but was not too hot. Paul had made Mary an I Spy London guide of her own and this included such things as the statue of Boudicca. She loves the tv programme Horrible Histories and now owns the books, and a couple of audio cds. It is quite remarkable how much she has learnt from them.


On previous visits we had a delicious ice-cream in an Italian cafe in Regent Street. Look at these cakes:


Small girl child was rather anxious to get to our next stop so we only had an ice cream to eat as we walked. I chose chocolate and it was a wonderful as it looks:


We popped in to Hamleys and Mary spent some of her money.
And we had a play.


And then we walked to the British Museum. I really recommend a visit here. I know that not everyone lives in easy reach to London, and that the cost of travel can prohibit a visit. For the 3 of us it cost £40 return and that was using my network card. We walked everywhere so did not have to pay for the underground.


The collection is amazing. Due to small child tiredness we could not see everything and a return visit sans child and with child is planned for the future. I also enjoyed a visit to the shops and the restaurant where we had a refreshing much-needed cup of tea.


I think if you do plan to go then it is worth having a look at the website and see what interests you, as in one visit there is so much to see that you do not really want to rush round.

And the verdict of the child? It was a wonderful day out and the British Museum is better than Hamleys.

She certainly enjoyed taking some photos of things that interested her!

Gorgeous Frocks at Horrockes

Last Friday my sister and I popped to London to the Fashion and Textile Museum.
Their current exhibition is dresses from Horrockses who made ready-to-wear dresses that were very popular in the 1940s and 1950s.

I am going to show a few photos that I took that day but if you can then it is worth going to the exhibition as the dresses are so lovely. But if you cannot make it then there is a little video here.

Vintage clothes are very popular at the moment and I would happily wear any of these dresses. I might say 'frock's - isn't that a lovely underused word?


A gorgeous little cocktail dress.



I like this photo as it shows the variety of bodice design.




I would love to own and wear the dark dress.

Below are some sketches for dresses and patterns.

Look at the gorgeous 1950s abstract patterns and colour pallette.






Slimmer skirts here.


On the way back to Waterloo station we passed a little street called Lower Marsh. There were two vintage clothing shops and one lovely knitting shop. This shot is me in Radio Days.
We had a lovely day and I maybe be inspired to try and incorporate some of the features into my own clothes.

But why oh why didn't my aunts, gran, nanny, mum, great aunts buy and save a lovely Horrockses dress just for little me?

UPDATE - I am adding a bit as I don't want you to make the same mistake. There is a sign that points the wrong way near the museum. DO NOT FOLLOW IT.
Now I knew this as I read it on the website beforehand (and actually printed out the bit and put it in my handbag) but ha ha ha completely forgot when it came to standing in front of the sign and then going the completely wrong way. Oh how we laughed. Well, maybe not at the time but much later we chortled and I think a couple of days later my sister had forgiven me.

We Make London Christmas Fair

You will be able to see my work and buy lots of gorgeous things at the We Make Christmas fair. This will be my first craft fair so I am very excited.

So don't do any Christmas shopping until then. Come along as there will be lots of really gifted crafts people selling their pieces.


when: SATURDAY 6th DECEMBER 2008, 11am- 5pm


where: The American Church,
79a Tottenham Court Road,
W1T 5TD

Nearest tube: Goodge Street

See the We Make London blog for more details.