May Part One - Plants, Cake and Mary Quant.

May has been a super busy fun packed month. It’s super busy as there are 6 family birthdays one of which is Himself’s. 

We both had the day off so I was gently badgering him to do something I finally got “let’s go somewhere on the train” and as it got closer and closer I resorted to emailing the map of the Great Western network and saying please choose somewhere! 

Rather surprisingly he chose Bath because he hadn’t been there for about 9 years. So after a lazy breakfast and presents we jumped on the train with no plan other than to mooch about, which was exactly what we did. 

We ambled at will, tried to follow a painted Easter egg trail that was still meant to be on, but gave up as most of the eggs had been removed and browsed any shop that took our fancy.

 I bought Himself a shirt and myself an lovely elephant (as you do).

 In the indoor market I browsed the haberdashery stall and finally found the right thin elastic I had been after to mend a vintage bag whilst Himself looked at books and then left him with his phone whilst I visited the brooch lady there. After much deliberation I came away with these two.

We tried to find the really nice pub Himself had sat in the last time we were in Bath when I had left him to his own devices whilst I did a fashion exhibition and a vintage fair. We eventually found the place it had been but it was now a restaurant, so we ended up in the Saracen’s Head ‘The oldest pub in Bath  - here since 1713’ according to the sign, after we had both used the less than savoury facilities Himself says he was tempted to add ‘toilets last cleaned 1817!’

This was also the technically the first day of a week off work for me. My first full week off in two years so quite a big thing according to my colleagues!

 I hadn’t made any plans as such just pottering about and a day out with my Mum. I have loads of jobs to do around the house which I never seem to get around too and as it goes I didn’t tick too many off the list this time round which kind of annoyed me, but on the other hand I was also making sure I had some me time. It was bliss to go back to sleep after Himself’s alarm for another hour or so, then get up make a mug of tea, bring it back to bed and settle down with a good book.

  

My day out with my Mum was to a garden centre, where else?? I’d spent the whole day before gardening so was ready to fill some gaps but on the whole it was a bit disappointing, everything was very expensive. We did have a lovely lunch though and I randomly bought myself a tinman in one of their concession places who frankly is far too nice to go out in the garden and go rusty so he is living in the house!

 We then drove back via a Homebase because Mum was looking for a specific lightbulb, it turned out it was closing down so ended up bagging a load of bargain plants there instead which was a great result.

I also nipped into town to do some chores and browse the chazzas that as it goes had bog all. All I bought was a cushion for a pound. Bah.

 I did buy some more reduced bedding plants, this time at Wilkinsons so spent a happy afternoon getting them planted and tidying up all my pots (renting means my precious plants move round with me in pots.)

I did end up having a day out in London mid-week with my friend Charlotte from work. There is currently a Mary Quant exhibition on at the V&A which I was thinking of seeing at some point. Charlotte asked me if I was planning to go and if so did I have anyone to go with as she really wanted to see it. As we both had time off we booked tickets for the Wednesday and met up on the train into Paddington.

 It was a gorgeous day so we decided to walk to South Kensington via Hyde Park. To be honest I just trot along after Charlotte who grew up in London and knows where to go, I joke that she could just sprint off and leave me but I am very grateful that she doesn’t. We had an early lunch sitting outside the restaurant in the sun and agreed we would both be so up for retiring and being able to do this all the time.  

The exhibition was fantastic. I highly recommend a visit. Widely acknowledged as a leading figure in the 1960s Mod and youth revolution this exhibition charted her rise with dresses from the late 50’s through to the 70’s where she started to move towards household goods rather than clothing. Frankly I can understand why, at her height she was producing 4 collections a year of up to 60 dresses a time!!

Charlotte’s Mum had worn a lot of Quant dresses so it was very nostalgic for her. I was also on the lookout for my friend Liz who got married in a black and white Mary Quant mini dress complete with the famous daisy print on the bodice but sadly they didn’t have an example of that dress for me to take a picture of for herthis was as close as I got.

Charlotte and I were both exclaiming by the time we got to the 1970’s makeup. Remembering the distinctive pacakging and adverts in things like Jackie magazine.

Personally I loved the fact that Quant gave thought and was involved in every aspect of her shops right from the décor to the designs on the carrier bags making every detail matter. I loved that she also used up and coming young artists, well as her own designs.

There was one bag used specifically when a customer bought knee high boots that I instantly recognised! I have a clear memory of it in the bottom of my mother’s wardrobe with bits and pieces stored in it and asked her about it when I saw her next. She can’t remember it as such, but said if it was a pretty colourful design it was highly likely she would have kept it to use again.

This is it, I now wonder if it was that bag that sparked my ‘thing’ for paper bags lol.

These two were my favourites I think.

The exhibition runs until next February so if you get the chance to go, do!

My week off ended with afternoon tea at this amazing place off the canal towpath near Kirtlington (Oxfordshire) called Jane’s Enchanted Tea Garden. They are only open for one weekend each month so you absolutely have to book if you are wanting the afternoon tea and usually well in advance too. It’s a little hard to find (the postcode in your sat nav will take you to a cul-de-sac of houses who must get so sick of bewildered tea goers!) but if you carry on past them down a track there are places to park up and then a short walk brings you to the right place, you can also reach it from walking the towpath.

 The food was delicious and the surroundings so quirky and quintessentially British it was quite magical.  As a complete cheese monster I absolutely loved the fact the top tier of the cake stand was all about the cheese and biscuits and local cheeses at that.

 You can also just go for tea and cake and judging by the amazing looking selection on show this would be a must for some time in the future too. We had a little amble along the canal to try and burn off a few calories before heading back to the car. I cadged a lift with my friend Liz (she of the Mary Quant wedding dress) who is also a very keen gardener like me. As her daughter lives in this part of Oxfordshire she comes over a lot and a while back had discovered this amazing little family run plant nursery so OF COURSE we called in on the way home and yes I bought yet more plants! I could hardly not as the selection was fabulous and the prices very good. 

 Set up in the back garden of a frankly bloody gorgeous house it seems to go on forever with lots of little corners and paths leading to yet more gems. There is a little gazebo with free tea and coffee and a honesty bar for cake (not that we needed any) and bird feeders hanging up to encourage feathered friends.

I got busy planting once I got back home filling up the spaces I had made sorting out my pots and tubs.

More to follow...