Kew for Free.

Had a lovely trip to Kew Gardens after work on Friday evening. I'm so sad that the summer is almost over. Where did it all go?

Kew's Japanese Garden

Brought back lots of happy memories of our time in Japan.



Early evening was a lovely time to visit as the sun was low in the sky & gave a special glint to everything.


Love that perfectly raked gravel!

A Bit of Old Fashioned Glamour

Today I spent the afternoon with Leila and Isadora of Nina's Hair Parlour trying out hair & make-up styles for the wedding.


I was looking for classic Hollywood era style a la Rita Hayworth & boy did I get it!


I've actually got a hairnet on in these pictures but didn't feel a bit Ina Sharples.


They even found these two beautiful flowers for me to pin in my hair.


What a treat! I've never felt so glamorous before. When I mentioned to Isadora that I felt a bit overdone for strolling around on a Wednesday afternoon she tutted at me & said, 'Fifty years ago you wouldn't have even considered leaving the house without curling your hair'. That told me.


Well, it must've had some effect. I was chatted up in the street twice on the way home and a stranger in Superdrug made me do a twirl for them. Amazing what a touch of eyeliner & a few curls can do.

Kingly Court Spree

I popped into Kingly Court on the way home from work on Monday looking for a few accessories for our wedding. I found a great 1950s clutchbag in Fur Coat No Knickers but lo and behold I was tempted by some other stuff too...


I found these fantastic knickers in Black Pearl,


and this lovely, jolly fisherman bowl in 'Circus' where they have 20% off homewares at the moment. I love Kingly Court.

Allotment Envy

My colleague Darren has three allotments (yes, three allotments). Having been on the waiting list for an allotment in Islington for five years (yes, five years) he took pity on me before I imploded from allotment envy and brought me some of his lovely produce to try.


Hmmm. What to do with a butternut squash, corn on the cob & some tiny carrots?


I roasted the squash with olive oil & garlic,



and grilled the corn with some olive oil & a little salt


I made a pasta dish with the roasted, garlicky squash, some shallots, a little soya cream & some sage. We ate the grilled corn on the side. The carrot? They were too delicious to cook. We just washed & ate them as they were, Bugs Bunny style.

Vegan Brunch

Yey! I've found a vegan cookbook for my favourite meal of the day. What's more it's written by Isa Chandra Moskowitz of The Post Punk Kitchen fame. Can't wait to get cooking with this one.

Pretending to Be 'Debs'

There was a really interesting temporary exhibition on at Kensington Palace called 'The Last Debutants'. It focused on the 1958 season, the last year that young, aristocratic girls were presented to the court. As well as looking at the clothes they wore and listening to the stories of the last 'debs', visitors can practice their court etiquette, such as:


learning to waltz...


Mum & Dad seem to be doing pretty well


and balancing a book on your head (I was rubbish at this).


If you get it all right maybe you could indulge in one of these.

Kensington Palace

My parents came to visit us this weekend. The sun shined on us & we decided to visit Kensington Palace & Gardens.

Children? Hard Work?

Here's a picture of Paul's friend Mark with his two kids, Sam & Annie on their visit to London. Shaun, Paul & I met up with them for a couple of hours in Green Park. Adorable though they both are, Annie spent most of those hours leaping up & down on her Dad's neck & there was a lot of running around & screaming. We were exhausted just watching.


Shaun had spent the previous day entertaining his niece & nephew. The strain is starting to show.

What Katie Did

Decided to have a little potter around Portobello Road yesterday & enjoy the sunshine. Had a little trip to 'What Katie Did' to look for some undies for my wedding day. What a lovely shop! Beautiful underwear & not crazily priced either. They have a really good sale on at the moment so if you like your smalls retro & enjoy a bargain check it out.

The Cushiest Librarian's Job in the World

Situation Vacant
Librarian needed to manage small collection.
Must serve the needs of sailors.
Hours: 3 per week

Yes please!

HMS Belfast

We weren't too disappointed for long as HMS Belfast proved to be fascinating & it was great to be able to look around with only a handful of other people there.


We even got to see that sailor boy DJ we'd been hoping for : )

Battleship Boogie

After my long Lindy free convalescence period I was really looking forward to getting my dancing shoes back on at the Battleship Boogie on HMS Belfast this Thursday. The scene was set for an evening of 40s fun & frolics...


What I hadn't counted on was the depressing predictability of this summer's weather. After a day of glorious sunshine, the heavens opened just in time for boarding & the deck of our lovely ship was flooded with water.


Nope, it didn't stop all evening so Anne & I decided to explore the ship...

Hello Again

Sorry for the long absence. I've been ill with the flu & although this blog often covers some of the more mundane aspects of life, even I couldn't subject you to a blow-by-blow (sorry) account of my last week. After a lot of sleeping, coughing, Mad Men watching & sock knitting I'm finally back on my feet & hope to be posting properly again very soon.