Our Bikes

It is amazing there has not yet been a bike post since Tom is actually obsessed with bicycles; the weather had finally cheered up enough so that we could take ours outside and take some nice pictures of them. Mine is a 1942 ladies Raleigh Sports, and due to it being a war-time bike has a complete absence of chrome, though whilst doing it up as my birthday present there has been a few touches added such as the lights and dynamo; apparently it is a very rare thing to have a matching set of Miller lights and dynamo. We had a massive stroke of luck in that a Brooks B18 ladies saddle, with the embossed leather flowers detail, came up on eBay for quite a lot cheaper than they sell for on the Brooks site! I also purchased a hand-made leather saddle tool bag from a chap who makes them to sell on eBay. I have named her Clara.

Tom's bike is a 1950 Raleigh Superbe which was about the best bike you could get at that time, she is called Edith. She has a 4 speed Sturmey Archer rear dyno-hub in stainless steel wheels and a Brooks B66 saddle and Glenbrook saddle bag. She has two lights at the front rather than an ordinary one! The pannier bags both mine and Tom's sport are actually army surplus radio bags, I dyed mine black but it has come out a nice bottle green colour instead; they make perfect panniers and are really cheap and hard-wearing, the perfect size to carry all the picnic food you could want and a bottle of wine.

New Trousers

About 30 seconds after my last post about my new skirt Tom walked in having tried on his new trousers and shoes; in my haste to get a nice picture to blog with I managed to rip my skirt on an annoying spike of metal that sticks out a small rip in the deco armchair just in view! I am so gutted; it usually has a chair cover over it to stop such accidents but I had just whipped it off as it would have looked a bit ugly in the picture, typical.

Anyway, Tom's trousers are from gentlemens outfitters Lugets of Exeter; it is always a thrill to find trousers that fit Tom as being of such a long, thin shape it can be near impossible sometimes. Lugets trousers come unfinished so that they can be hemmed to exactly the right length, and so are a bit longer than needed, perfect! Tom is a dab hand at hemming too which is lucky. They are a light and airy cotton and linen blend, not that we need light and airy trousers at the moment, damned English summers.

The shoes are a chance win off of eBay; they are Bally shoes and look rather lovely against the rich brown of the new trousers I think. They are very comfortable too I am assured. In fact come to think of it the tank top is pretty new too, it is from our friends' shop Electric Gypsy and is the perfect 'go with anything' cream colour, and I fancy it gives a little nod to Brideshead Revisited style.

Ebay Find.

I thought I would take an opportunity to show off my latest eBay purchase; it is a Topshop skirt but I thought it looked almost 30's with it's row of buttons up the side. It required me to move all the buttons to allow a little extra room as I was feeling hopeful and bought it despite it being a size 10. It was too tight but as the buttons are working buttons the alteration was possible. It is quite a 'High Street' outfit as I am wearing it with a lacy knit Topshop cardigan and the Hush Puppies shoes Tom's Mum so kindly gave me. It has been a very long while since I have liked anything at all in Topshop, when once I could always rely on it for good High Street staples; the cardigan is from the current range and I was quite surprised to find it after having lost interest in the shop for so long, my bank balance wasn't quite so pleased.

Hoopy

Definitely the sweetest taxidermy bird I've ever seen. He is a French Woodcock, and resides on his perch in our sitting room; thanks Otto once again for another choice item. He is called Hoopy.

Birthday Hat and Other Aquisitions

Here are a couple of pictures of Maria in her new hat I very generously bought her for her Birthday. It is, apparently 1930's and is made exquisitely out of little sections of wood stitched together. It shines with that honey hue that nice old wood develops. The feather is from a guinea fowl, what pretty birds.


Seeing as we haven't posted anything in ages we thought we would take a couple of snaps of other new and exciting bits we've picked up of late. This pile of fabric was left over from a discarded job lot at an auction. Acres of silk and wool, some pretty old, even some scraps of Liberty! I have a new tie from this lot half sewn on top of the bookshelf at the moment...


Would you believe that someone from the houses behind us threw this bird cage away only the other day? Saved from the rain.


Maria's favourite jug, which has become a vase. Says Price Brothers on the bottom but sadly that doesn't mean much to us. Wish we had more of this, I really love the colours and I am sure Maria would agree.