Hello Again!

Well I'm back blogging after a bit of a break. I can't promise posts will be daily - or even weekly, but I'm going to do my best to continue in the shoddy vein of stingy lifestyle that you know and love*.

Don't worry. I'm not going to start a "mummy blog". I could tell you (in a simpering tone) that this is because I can't write with the sharp good humour of Eeh Bah Mum or Hurrah For Gin but actually it is because this would mean starting from scratch and thinking up new ideas with my brain and shiz and I can't be doing with that. You know me, I sat slack jawed in front of cartoons from long before sleep deprivation kicked in.

So it's gonna be the same old, same old. Only with added fascination for the toilet and changing facilities on days out.

To whit - the toilets are the only down side to my recent favourite picnic spot: Brent Lodge Park. This park, owned by Ealing council, is a fantastic free day out with or without the overlords. Great for a picnic and with the kinds of views you just wouldn't believe from London, it's the epitome of a great freebee.

First off there's a zoo. Yep. An actual small zoo, One which does proper rare breed protection (of small animals, rare farm animals and birds) - and it's free. They fundraise via a small butterfly house and a bouncy castle. If I was some kind of proper blogger I would have a photo of an endangered crane or giant rabbit (yes, these exist and they do exactly what it says on the tin). Somehow I've managed not to take a single photo with an actual animal in it, so you'll just have to take my word for it. Honestly, swear down there is a little zoo.

There's also a maze. Which I got a photo of!

In addition, the cafe is excellent. They do the usual light snacks and coffee and more complex meals such as pasta dishes. However I would bring a picnic if I were you: one side of the park drops off towards the River Brent and golf course, giving the impression of being in a country meadow (with benches and plenty of space to spread out). The other benefits from an amazing view of one of Brunel's historical Viaducts. If you walk under this and across a further meadow, you get to a pub of the same name. Just saying. It's a summer afternoon in the bag.

There are two well equipped playgrounds and basketball courts in the recreation ground area of the park.

The main entrance to the park is an easy walk from Hanwell overground station - if you're up for major house envy! It's a beautifully picturesque neck of the woods. There's also a small car park and street parking (keep an eye out for where you're actually allowed to park though).

Oh, and the toilets and changing? Fecking rank. Accessible luckily, but made of that bobbly 80s metal and dubiously stained. Hover and bring your own tissue and hand gel - if you've got a nappy to change, it's time to use that travel changing mat on the grass. Because y'know... park toilets. Tis the way of the world.

Anyhoo, this is the bit where I ask everyone to comment and tweet and such like. So do tell. What's your most 'value added' local park?

*Thank you. Thank you Motorola for your gift of video baby monitors, AKA 2 hours of freedom between 8pm and 10pm.

Swimming at Serpentine Lido

As we are having such a great summer (compared to last year) I thought I would share an idea for a thrifty and fun-filled day out in the centre of London, with a difference.

Hyde Park is a wonderful resource and a fantastic day out for anyone living in, or visiting London. Served by several tube stations, and with a wealth of free attractions such as the Diana Memorial and Serpentine Gallery, the highlight on any sunny day has to be a stroll around the epic man-made water feature The Serpentine. Created for Queen Caroline in 1730, a walk around this lake (starting and ending at Lancaster Gate tube) offers a range of elements. You start at the Italian fountains - this formal garden is incredibly beautiful on a summer's day; benches face white stone fountains - lots of them - with the odd swan swimming in the pools. A dramatic waterfall fountain with ornate carvings sends the water crashing down into the next phase of the lake; a section where reeds and plants are encouraged and many rare water birds feed in peace. Following on from that, The Serpentine becomes more recreational, and it's here that you can hire rowing boats or, for a unique experience, spend some time swimming in the lake yourself in the wonderfully beach-like Serpentine Lido.

It's an incredible experience sunbathing and swimming surrounded by the world famous park and rooftops of London. What's even more incredible is it only costs £4.50 (Adults - £1.50 kids) for unlimited time - and you can bring your own snacks (although there is a tea/coffee/ice cream stand too). There are changing rooms (of course) but also a well maintained garden with picnic benches, separated by a small footbridge from the lakeside sunbathing/swimming zone - so it really is set up for you to stay all day! Now that is fantastic value.

 As the water is in a lake, in the full sun, it is not as cold as sea or river bathing. The lake swimming area is safely roped off from boats and pedalos (although ducks do pop over to look at the curious swimmers) and fully supervised by lifeguards. In the garden area, there is a kiddy-pool with fountains - and if swimming isn't your thing, many people came to sunbathe and enjoy the beach-like ambiance.

We went on a Sunday afternoon - we expected it to be rammed full but actually, we were pleasantly surprised! The building dates from the 1930s and is quite quirky, so a few tips I would suggest are:

• The Ladies' changing rooms are very small. If you're shy about changing, I would suggest wearing a cossie under your clothes upon arrival, and waiting for a cubicle only as you leave;
• Lockers cost 20p, however they sometimes run out on busy days. The Lido itself is secure, and many people choose to bring their bags with them to the lakeside, perhaps leaving someone who swims less to keep and eye on them;
• You may hire sun loungers but there is a grassy bank on the lakeside upon which most people simply used towels to sunbathe;
• The showers are outdoor cold water showers and you can't use soap (because it would run into the lake!). If you have very sensitive skin - or are worried about being muddy - do as I did and take some baby wipes.
• You cannot take alcohol or glass over the bridge to the lake area, however disposable plastic containers are fine. Normal picnic ware was being used (even champagne bottles!) in the garden area, and there are tables there too.
• There is a cafe just outside the Lido, however it is quite expensive. If you don't want to bathe but fancy a picnic instead, the grass area by the Italian fountains has a marvellous view and toilets, recycling bins, benches etc'.

Now I have tried the Serpentine Lido I shall definitely be returning; a clean, comfortable beach-like experience in the centre of the city. It goes without saying, I paid for my own ticket and this review is simply based on a day out we thoroughly enjoyed!

Where is your favourite 'unexpected gem'?

Things To Do On A British Break...

...So, you're on holiday, you've got spending money but you don't want to go mad? Often, especially in resorts, everything seems to cost and it soon adds up. Now I am not one to pinch the pennies on holiday, but I like to spend on things I'll really enjoy (a nice meal or a particular day out), rather than ending the day with a 'meh, got a bit ripped off' feeling. I will most definitely go for luxury or even full blown tourist tack some days (we did the full Wookey Hole, natch) but often I enjoy the simpler things. Here are some of my favourite British holiday activities, and why I feel they represent good value.

This view; less than 20 min walk from the city centre.

Why I Dress Like An Explosion In A Charity Shop

First off, apologies for the lack of posts recently. It's the two most hectic weeks of the year for my day job. No time for blogging, all energies must be reserved for paperwork and fine toothed combing of the paperwork of others.

I have been distant.

I have been reading blogs however, especially some interesting ones about 'why I dress this way' (or 'why wear vintage?') from some fab bloggers:
Retro Chick
Suzie Q for Retro Chick
Tuppence Ha'penny
Vintage Secret

Super Scarf Style!

This spring is the reason I hate spring. well, not specifically this spring, but ones like it. Ones when we're all supposed to be wearing our summer clothes with a light cardie or jacket, but when in actual fact, the rain is falling like sheets in the wind. The whole gamboling lambs thing is a fallacy, all the lambs I've seen this spring were huddled underneath their mothers, looking damp and grey.

However, for the thrifty shopper, there is fun to be had. Spring lends itself to accesorising, even if we can't crack out our summer wardrobe yet. One garment in particular may be picked up cheaply and worn right now- the scarf. Whether you favour slick city-chic, boho, vintage or blingy-bold, scarves of every style are out there for you right now. Winter stock, yes, but an all-year-round wear which comes into its own during changeable inter-seasonal weather. Reduced on the rails of the high street, piled high in charity shops by premature spring cleaners and of course online.

Because of course the only photo I could find
for this post is one of me looking geeky next to a
giant prawn.

Easter Florals

Happy Easter, everyone!

Easter Shoes!

A quick outfit post for you all today; spring has sprung (according the the calendar if not the weather) so I cracked out one of my floral 60s summer dresses. With opaques and a 70s tracksuit jacket, because of the aforementioned weather.

99p Garden Fun

After several hours of hacking, strimming, mowing and being raked by brambles last weekend, we got our new-ish garden looking like this:

OK, so it isn't the prettiest yet, and (you may note, by the G plan chair) we have no charming rattan garden furnishings either... but it's finally useable. So we've been using it, to dry laundry, to put out wee seedlings of herbs and small veg. Mainly, however, given the lovely warm weather, to sit about in.

2011; A Perdita Pictorial

Now is not a time for complex words. We are too hung over. Now is a time for reflecting on things pretty and silly, and contemplating exactly how much fun one can have using only 365 days, charity shops, beer and a little imagination...

Cherish your local parks and museums

Make like a starlet with Rockabetty Studios

Relax in the garden, mismatched tea and china or mismatched
wine and crisps, it's all elegantly chilled.

Keep an eye out for those retro cook books!

Have your drink appropriately labelled
by  Penny Dreadful Vintage, and...

...Buy the perfect maxi. Scowl: stylist's own.

Be silly on HMS Belfast

Rehydrate. It's important.

Revel in chazza shop shoes

Rehydrate some more.

Enjoy vintage British summertime weather with Retrochick and
Landgirl1980.

Have love for the EBay.

Visit National Parks.

Buy something from the 30s 'in poor vintage condition'.

Rehydrate some more whilst you recover from the shock.

Escape to glamorous Norwich.

Consider living in a tent.

Geekify your home-sweet-home.

Rehydrate.

Relax.

How has your year been? And what are you looking forward to as we venture bravely into what can only be called.... the future....?

Shocking Bad Taste (Outfit Post).

Look away if you have any kind of good taste. I am having a strange, Hello Kitty fuelled day and am in my 'walk a few paces in front so no one knows we're with her' garb. I love to wear terrible, OTT, odd and kawaii outfits sometimes.

Here's the evidence for the prosecution:

Tacky Nails. These are very glittery too.

My Cup Runneth Over...

A couple of weeks back I got a rather exciting email from Margaret of Penny Dreadful Vintage. She was having a party in her new boutique and there would be Pimms and cake and clothes and other bloggers...

'Cat' Out The Middleman: no-shop thrifting

Friday night, I gleaned some fantastic vintage, vintage-style and top-end-high-street items without spending a penny! Cat, friend, old uni drinking buddy, ex flatmate and fashion queen was having a clear out. I would have taken photos whilst at her house but I took her wine and it did not end in an entirely civilised manner. A big thank you to my generous friend and her wardrobe clearing habits! The next day I looked rough as a badger's backside so there are no face pictures in this post, you all know I'm shy anyway when it comes to pictures of me. This is mainly down to the possibility you might recognise me from such antics as 'feed Perdita peanuts' outside an Old St boozer and the like, which would be a bit shameful. To be fair, His Lordship bought the peanuts with the best intentions, it just seemed a good idea at the time as I was having a strange post-wine 'don't liiike peanuts' hissy fit. I love peanuts really. The KP ones with chilli crisp on the outside are best.

What a haul!
Oops. Same size as the bag I took to Barnardo's last week.

Pub Review: The Office

Another pub review from Brighton. Decadent, I know. Please do read on to the end, as well as finding out about a favourite North Laines pub you'll also get to see a picture of a giant prawn holding Union Jack bunting. Which, I think you'll agree, is worth a few minutes of anyone's time.

The Office is a modern pub located in Sydney Street, a popular shopping area in Brighton's eclectic North Laines. It attracts a mixed crowd- families, students, couples and work groups all mingle in the bar and small garden (to the rear). Decor is rather 'woody'- plenty of pine, beige and cream - it gives a neutral effect. Some might find this unoriginal however in an area where some shops and cafes cynically crank up the novelty factor or niche themselves into clique territory, having this rather plain decor is a boon as it encourages the mixed crowd and relaxed atmosphere. The personality of this pub results from its staff, drinks, food and music- which speak for themselves.

More Markets, Fleas & Peas Pottage HAWT: Brighton Thrift #2

Being in Brighton for the best part of three days, a-thrifting-we-did-go, and not merely at Snooper’s. We also discovered a wonderful street market that runs on a Saturday, in Upper Gardner St behind the main drag of the North Laines.

Indoor Flea Market- more info further down this post!

It was rather eclectic and to some extent it gave the imaginary impression that people had opened up their homes, as doors and windows were open onto the warm street, filled with stands both professional and casual, craft-based and second hand.

Amongst the stalls I counted there were:

• Several local produce stands (cheeses, cupcakes, baked goods etc’)
• Military ephemera
• Many, many bric-a-brac stands
• Handcrafted jewellery and knits
• House signs and other architectural salvage
• Old technology (cameras, gramophones, sewing machines)
• Vintage clothing
• Magazines and books
• Toys
• Craft supplies (ribbons, antique buttons and the like)
• Antique packaging
• Art and 60s kitsch
• Second hand jewellery and accessories

Being, as they were, individually manned and outdoors, the atmosphere was more relaxed and less intently bargain-hunt based than in Snooper’s. There was chatting, and more of a local/regular visitor vibe to the place. One stand in particular caught my eye, selling silver by weight: this meant that items of no artistic merit or age were cheap, but anything of more interest (such as a 20s cigarette case) were truly bargainious! I eyed up a 70s enamel owl pendant… lovely husband went back and bought it when I wasn’t looking (even though he views owls with suspicion due to their large eyes: 'owls judge, fish don't judge...' hmm). What a nice man he is!

The owl of judgement

For rainy days- and indeed any days you fancy more rummaging, there is also a permanent indoor flea market (click here for Yelp reviews of The North Laine Antique & Flea Market) in the street, so there’s shopping to be done all year round! For details, you can also head to their Facebook page.

On Sunday, we were up bright and early, in spite of a night of the deeply odd dreams only cider-in-the-sun-followed-by-burritos can bring. Off we went to Pease Pottage Giant Boot Sale. A fantastic sale due to its size, facilities and location (just off the M23, en-route from London to Brighton- and next to the service station for post-shopping-Costas n' cake). Pease Pottage has a great variety of boots, the majority being personal stands with attic bric-a-brac. There are also plant stands, food stands, general new goods and even a guitar manufacturer. If you are on the hunt for proper antiques, get in on an 'early bird' ticket at 7am (the princely sum of £1) - but for most of us, the standard 50p gains entry between 8am-2pm and there are plenty of bargains to be had. Their facilities are also good: there's a designated cafe area (with seating) and two blocks of toilets. Parking is ample and free.

From the 70s to the early 50s...

Right. After that I bet you think I was all rummaged out, but no- I managed a haul of some very vintage cooking leaflets (MoF old!) at my local May fair. Then I was all shopped out. But never fear, there is more to tell, and with more fun and frolics into the bargain- two more pubs and a hotel to review, some outfits and more...watch this space!

Late 40s to early 50s: 10 minute recipes is for women busy due to
juggling their war jobs and having husband home! 

Yep, a Ministry Of Food Cut-This-Out-And-Keep slip!

The McDougall's book is advertised in the Good Housekeeping one!
Never mind the owl, the lamb man scares me...

Snoopin’ At Snooper’s Paradise: Brighton Thriftathon Part 1

Were you a bright young thing the 90s? Does any word beginning with ‘sn’ end in ‘Snoop Daw-gy Daaawwwg…’ in your head? No? Oh well, just me again.

Today’s posts cover second hand and vintage in Brighton, both at the famed Snooper’s Paradise and in some newer, less well known venues. I even have hot news about a secret squirrel of a new boutique that’s not widely known online… shhhhh…

Review: The Pump House Brighton

A slightly different post, as suggested by His Lordship. I do like a good pub, and I do hate a bad one - thus, my beloved husband suggested, I should add more diverse pub reviews to my blog. Most useful for those of us who cannot afford cocktail bars and swanky restaurants every day, and full of vintage, rock, kooky or mainstream charm, natch.

I'll start us off with two Brighton faves, simply because I spent this weekend in the rigorous and lofty pursuit of treats and shopping in said city. The first, a new favourite. I must admit that in the many, many years I have been spending time in Brighton I have always avoided this one as I assumed it would be tourist hell. I was wrong. I admit it. Such a snob.Just as there is no Englishman like an ex-pat spending his days in Spain, there is no gosh-aren't-the-tourists-making-it-rowdy than a friends-and-family return visitor.

High Street Savvy: Peacocks Picks!

I'm getting my shopping mojo back at last! I must expect I anticipated a mad binge on Easter Monday, but rather sensibly left the shops with 3 CDs (totalling £12), some nautical work pumps (£7, Primarni) and some nail varnish remover. Hardly wild in the aisles.

Note the accuracy of the bank holiday weather.

Well, I'm off to Brighton today, and just checked the Peacock's website as is my wont.

Partial Closure Due To Planned Engineering Works

... This is part of our ongoing commitment to improvement - we apologise for the delay and recommend taking another blog to your destination.

Not much to post today on the old weblog: exam season is upon us and I have no time to pursue pursuits until all is done and dusted, so my posts may be sporadic over the next month.

The Circle of (My Wardrobe's) Life...

Oxfam to Ofam, Barnardos to Barnardos. All clothes reach the end of their time, and we must accept it with grace and dignity.

Unless you're me and still own a 6 inch long sequin boob tube from 1994 'for layering'. I'm not particularly good at the old charity-shop-clear-out. I have to be in a very particular mood, and even then I have to cajole and force myself. Then fight against the tide of over-think that has me wondering 'but what if...?'  about things I am definitely going to be able to replace, should the (deeply unlikely) situation arise where an item in that colour/size/style becomes vital to the well being of the universe.

Day Out: V&A Theatre Galleries

Right, finally managing to blog. I've been feeling a bit peaky today and just couldn't seem to settle into writing or anything focused - that's my excuse if today's post is rather rambling. I'm not sure what my excuse usually is.

This weekend we are back, thanks to weather and the Easter break, to cheap/free days out. Next week, I'll be reviewing The Cult of Beauty at the V&A, which is ticketed, but I thought I would wander down and see one of their free exhibitions this weekend.

'Hamlet' Headdress

Perdita Roams: Ross On Wye

Oh yes indeedy, and it's neither East Anglia nor Brighton this time. I'm like freakin' Michael Palin these days.