Many Thanks to Paul and Louise for bringing this clip to my attention... it is absolutely brilliant. Fantastic dancing and gorgeous swimwear all in one clip! Brillo!

Best tap dancer and drummer in the world

British Pathe Archive: Seaside Day (Margate, Kent) 1954

Lido

Here's a picture I took of a part of Margate Lido that is still standing. The rest is too depressing!

Margate

It may be a dump now, but once upon a time Margate was the place to be. Probably dating back to the turn of the last century Margate was one of Britain's most popular coastal resorts. It's heyday lasted well into the 1960's, but after some battering storms in the 1970's the Town went into steady decline. The most memorable storm being the one in January 1978 which destroyed Margate pier and the Lido, particularly the outdoor pool area. Sadly reconstruction was not even considered, and in my opinion, from here began the decline of Margate.

The Lido now faces certain demolition, but even though it has been filled in with concrete, traces of the past still exist underground. These area's are off limits to the public due to it being extremely hazardous, but I found the pictures above on a website. They were taken in the last couple of years of the cafe and changing area's that still exist hidden away, untouched since the day of that fateful storm.

As some may already know, a group of determined, strong willed individuals have got together and raised millions of pounds to help put Margate back on the map. Dreamland, Margate's famous amusement park is in the process of being re-built as the world's first Heritage theme park. Vintage rides have been purchased from all over the world (some dating back to the 1920's), transported to storage facilities in Kent and will be re-assembled on the original Dreamland site. there will be a cinema, a museum and lots of other attractions which will all celebrate the history of the British seaside in Kent.

I have a little flame of hope within, that someone, somewhere will have the power to save the Lido from certain demolition. With my love of the seaside and everything Beachy, it means a great deal to me, an I am sure many others, that this side of seaside culture is not forgotten. There are so few seaside Lido's left in the UK... please lets not loose another.

Watch the film I have posted, it's images are of Margate at the peak of it's popularity in the 1950's. Times are changing, the British are falling in love with the Seaside once again, so let's make sure we preserve these hidden treasures.

oooh cheeky!

I just realised I haven't shown you any of the two piece swimsuits from the collection yet. I can't really call them bikini's because that just conjures up an image of itsy bitsy dental flossy type scraps of fabric, strategically placed to cover one's modesty. These babies are robust and supportive to the max. The bottoms shown here are for ladies with tummy confidence who want to opt for a lower waist line, but we have high waisted options too.. just watch this space.

I am obsessed with detail and really wanted to make sure every piece had a little something added to make it a little more fun. Check out the cheeky bow that goes on show when your skirt catches the wind.

Ray Caesar

Time to introduce you to someone else who inspires me... digital artist Ray Caesar.

I first laid eyes upon Caesar's prints in a bookshop in LA and was completely mezmerised by what I saw. Very quirky, eccentric and sometimes slightly disturbing, his work is a feast of colour of rich reds, Titian blues and heavenly turquoise.... I find them truly breathtaking and fascinating.

I know they are not everyone's cup of tea, but I felt really emotional when studying some of the images and was instantly hooked by the naivety of the beautiful adult like children.

Caesar spent some time as an artist in the Medical art facilities department of a children's hospital in Canada, and I sense that some of the horrors and suffering he witnessed here are reflective in his work. There is a great deal of escapism where these children have obviously invented make believe worlds where they can live free from their diseases and deformities. Nothing makes us grow up quicker than pain and suffering and these images portray the child in us all, and shows that these children hold on to that youth no matter how awful their reality may be.

I look at these images and am reminded of dreams I had as a child, the places I visited in my imagination. Now I had a happy childhood at home, but I spent the first 14 years of my life feeling like an outsider and struggling to be accepted in the world around me. I felt like I never quite fitted in, and found it very hard to make friends. So I spent a lot of time alone with my imagination. I look back and am thankful for this, because I feel that it was the beginning of creativity for me, and as painful as it was I loved escaping to the recesses of my imagination... and still do... maybe a bit too much at times!

Anyway, one day I hope to own one of these prints. When I make it, this will be my reward. A genuine Ray Caesar to wake up and covet every day, to remind me to love the child within, warts and all.

Friendship - Mickey, Goofy, & Donald (with Lyrics)

Friendship

A while since my last post. Things are tough here, but life is a challenge and one thing I have learned is that when times are hard you really learn who your friends are. I am so lucky to have some wonderful people around me who are truly amazing. So this post is dedicated to friendship. I have found a few pictures from my own collection that represent just that. So I dedicate this to all my friends who have shown such kindness and love in the good times and the bad. Thank you for everything.

Dog tricks - dogs playing football 1940s

Pets

As promised a few weeks ago, some pictures from my own collection of people with their pets. I finally managed to scan everything in. The cowboy is my personal favourite. I hope you like them.

Martha Tilton - "A Little Jive Is Good For You" (1941)

A blast from the past

For those of you who have an iphone and love vintage, I have found the best app. It's called 'Vintage Radio Lite'. It basically gives you access to over a thousand original radio recordings from the 40's and 50's, ranging from, I love Lucy to The Glenn Miller show to The Lone Ranger. I am truly hooked. There are loads of different categories to choose from and they are updating all the time. And the best thing of all is that it's only 59p!!!! Utter Bargain! They have a website you can subscribe to as well, its www.vintage radioshows.com. ( sorry my link thingy doesn't work properly, trying to fix it!). Enjoy!

Nat Flatman

A few years ago I went to Newmarket to film a commercial at the racecourse. After seeing a schoolfriend kicked in the head by a horse at a school fair at the age of 11 I have had a slight fear of horses and their unpredictable behaviour, yet during my brief 3 day trip to the races I developed a fascination with these majestic beasts and became completely mesmerized by their grace and speed. I can't really describe the feeling, but I had a sort of surge of adrenalin watching them race around the track, their shiny coats and solid physiques glimmering in the sunshine.

Now I am not a gambler by nature, but I remember dreaming one night years before, that a man came to me and told me the name of a horse which, upon waking in the morning, I swiftly forgot, until I went to work the following monday and noticed one of the crew reading the race results tables. The name swiftly popped back into my head and we discovered that the horse did indeed exist and that it had won, at Newmarket the evening following my dream. You can imagine how annoyed I felt for not acting on the tip...

Two years ago I was filming at Sandown racecourse during a race. I decided to have a little flutter, but being broke at the time, only had £5 to risk as a bet. I couldn't decide which horse to bet on and went for the Jockey with the most attractive jersey. It won. I took home £15! I don't have a compulsive nature but I am beginning to wonder if there may have been someone up there trying to help me out. Believe me, I never win ANYTHING!

My dad has been researching the family tree and it turns out that my great, great, great grandfather was a champion Jockey called Nat Flatman. He started his career at the tender age of 15, raced for 34 years and won the title of British champion flat racing jockey 13 years in a row. He won hundreds of races here in the Uk and in France and is still remembered today for his riding skills. The portraits here were painted by Harry Hall and John Frederick Herring. One of them hangs in a museum in Newmarket.

Nat is buried at All Saints church in Newmarket, and the inscription on his tombstone reads that he was "known to be honest, sober, discreet and plain living". The town later named a street in his honour.

Now I know why I felt so strangely moved by my visits to the races. It's in my blood. Maybe Nat spoke from beyond the grave in my dreams giving me a tip, or came to say hello, or maybe it was just luck, or sheer coincidence, Who knows... I am just so thrilled to be discovering the fascinating history of my family and ancestors. We have found so many stories, some exciting and some sad, but I am loving every minute of learning where I came from and who I am.

Thank You

Apologies for the radio silence for the last couple of weeks, I have been dashing about trying to balance work and visiting my mum who is very poorly at the moment. Thanks everyone for all your thoughts and good wishes. I feel very lucky indeed to have such special people around me.

I have been meaning to post another Flying Fish pic for a while, so here it is! The lovely Sara in a white satin swimsuit. She looks so beautiful doesn't she? We took this pic the same day that it rained and ruined our plans for the cotton shoot. The sun came out at 5pm... perfect.

I'll be back soon ...... xxx

It was quite muggy and eerie at the coast last weekend. The sea was as still as a millpond on Saturday. I took this photo and fiddled around with it a bit. It looks quite spooky! It's hard to believe that summer is over... most of us here in the UK barely felt it at all. I think we might feel a bit cheated, but we can't really complain when so many people in the world are suffering due to freak weather disasters. Anyway, I welcome the change of seasons and all the great photo opportunities they may bring. I'm off now to look out my winter clothes and say goodbye to summer.

Boudoir dolls

My latest acquisition... 2 very knackered and ever so slightly creepy vintage boudoir dolls. I love them! They were made in Paris in the 1920's and were very popular, not with children, but with ladies of society who used them as fashion accessories.

The dolls were often dressed in very ornate and detailed outfits that reflected fashions and trends that were popular at the time, even the hairstyles were dressed accurately to the time period. Boudoir dolls are usually characterized by their ornate, long limbs, thin bodies and little hands. These two of mine are dressed in Russian style garments.

After WW1, there was an influx of Russian refugees to Paris, and Slavic handicrafts, art and fashions became very popular and somewhat of a fad. Many dolls were made with this influence in mind, particularly in the largest Parisienne workshop run by a Mrs Lazareva (a Russian refugee). I am pretty sure these dolls would have been two of her designs.

I have had mixed reactions about my dolls... some people love them and some can't even look for fear of being possessed! I think they are quite charming. I'm not sure where to put them yet. They won't stand up and the one in the hat has a very wobbly head. Maybe I can hang her up somehow.... hmmm I'll keep you posted.

Green Onions - Booker T. & The MG's

This lot should see you through flu season...

Onions...

This came to me via email. You may have read it before but read again! I am off to the shops for a bag of onions!

n 1919 when the 'flu killed 40 million people there was this Doctor 
that visited the many farmers to see if he could help them combat the 
flu. Many of the farmers and their family had contracted it and many 
died.
The doctor came upon one farmer and, to his surprise, everyone was very 
healthy.  
When the doctor asked what the farmer was doing that was different, the 
wife replied that she had placed an unpeeled onion in a dish in the 
rooms of the home, (probably only two rooms back then). 

The doctor couldn't believe it and asked if he could have one of the 
onions.
She gave him one which he placed under the microscope he found the 'flu 
virus in the onion.  It had obviously absorbed the bacteria, therefby 
keeping the family healthy.  

Now, I heard this story from my hairdresser in AZ.  She said that 
several years ago many of her employees were coming down with the flu 
and so were many of her customers.
The next year she placed several bowls with onions around in her shop 
and, to her surprise, none of her staff got sick. It must work... and 
no, she is not in the onion business.

The moral of the story is, buy some onions and place them in bowls 
around your home.
If you work at a desk, place one or two in your office or under your 
desk or even on top somewhere. Try it and see what happens.  We did it 
last year and we never got the flu.
If this helps you and your loved ones from getting sick, all the 
better.  If you do get the flu, it just might be a mild case..
What have you to lose?  Just a few bucks on onions!!!!  

Now there is a P.S. to this...

I sent it to a friend in Oregon who regularly contributes material to 
me on health issues
and she replied with this most interesting experience about onions: 

Weldon, thanks for the reminder. I don't know about the farmers story, 
but I do know that
I contacted pneumonia and needless to say I was very ill.  I came 
across an article that said to cut both ends off an onion, put one end 
on a fork and then place the forked end into an empty jar...placing the 
jar next to the sick patient at night. It said the onion would be black 
in the morning from the germs.

Sure enough it happened just like that... the onion was a mess and I 
began to feel better. 

Another thing I read in the article was that onions and garlic placed 
around the room
saved many from the black plague years ago. They have powerful 
antibacterial and 
antiseptic properties. 

 
This is the other note. 

LEFT OVER ONIONS ARE POISONOUS

I have used an onion which has been left in the fridge, and sometimes I
don't use a whole one at one time, so save the other half for later.

Now with this info, I have changed my mind....will buy smaller onions in
the future.

I had the wonderful privilege of touring Mullins Food Products, makers 
of
mayonnaise.  Mullins is huge, and is owned by 11 brothers and sisters in
the Mullins family.  My friend, Jeanne, is the CEO.

Questions about food poisoning came up, and I wanted to share what I
learned from a chemist.

The guy who gave us our tour is named Ed - he's one of the brothers.

Ed is a chemistry expert and is involved in developing most of the 
sauce formula. He's even developed sauce formula for McDonald's.
Keep in mind that Ed is a food chemistry whiz.


During the tour, someone asked if we really needed to worry about 
mayonnaise. People are always worried that mayonnaise will spoil.
Ed's answer will surprise you. He said that all commercially-made Mayo 
is completely safe.
"It doesn't even have to be refrigerated. No harm in refrigerating it, 
but
it's not really necessary." He explained that the pH in mayonnaise is 
set
at a point that bacteria could not survive in that environment.

He then talked about the picnic, with the bowl of potato salad
sitting on the table and how everyone blames the mayonnaise when 
someone gets sick.

Ed says that when food poisoning is reported, the first thing the 
officials
look for is when the 'victim' last ate ONIONS and where those onions 
came from (in the potato salad?). Ed says it's not the mayonnaise (as 
long as it's not homemade Mayo) that spoils in the outdoors. It's 
probably the onions, and if not the onions, it's the POTATOES.

He explained, onions are a huge magnet for bacteria, especially uncooked
onions. You should never plan to keep a portion of a sliced 
onion.. it's not
even safe if you put it in a zip-lock bag and put it in your 
refrigerator.
It's already contaminated enough just by being cut open and out for a 
bit,
that it can be a danger to you.  (and doubly watch out for those onions 
you
put in your hotdogs at the baseball park!)

Ed says if you take the leftover onion and cook it like crazy you'll 
probably be okay, but if you slice that leftover onion and put on your 
sandwich, you're asking for trouble. Both the onions and the moist 
potato in a potato salad will attract and grow bacteria faster than any 
commercial mayonnaise will even begin to break down.

So, how's that for news? Take it for what you will.

I (the author) am going to be very careful about my onions from now on.

For some reason, I see a lot of credibility coming from a chemist and a 
company that produces millions of pounds of mayonnaise every year.

Also, dogs should never eat onions. Their stomachs cannot metabolize 
onions.

Please remember it is dangerous to cut onion and use or cook the next 
day.

It becomes highly poisonous for even a single night and creates toxic 
bacteria which may cause adverse stomach infections because of excess 
bile secretions and even food poisoning.


Please pass it on to all you love and care about.







=

Orla Kiely A/W 2010

Erwin Olaf

I have just been looking through A/W 2010 collections for a bit of inspiration and stumbled upon images from this season's collection by Orla Kiely. The photos looked strangely familiar, and I realised that her inspiration has come from Dutch photographer Erwin Olaf.

I have been a huge fan of Olaf's work for some time now, and I have to say he comes a close second (in my ranking of contemporary photographers) to my beloved Tim Walker! His work is quite varied, but has a strong sense of style continuity. The art direction, styling and capture of emotion is breathtaking, but for me, the bit I find most fascinating is his use of colour. He picks a palette and really works it. Genius!

The 2010 collection is gorgeous, as usual. Can't wait to see it all..

How I imagine myself in a past life.

We are slipping into an age where the past is very much becoming the present. Everywhere we go we are presented with memories of times gone by, in the media, fashion, advertising and even day to day life is being influenced by the way our grandparents once lived.

A recent survey for the New York Times proved that the most successful businesses of the moment are those that promote environmental awareness and fair trade, and those that have a vintage or historical influence. So you see, re visiting the past is not always a bad thing.

At every turn we are presented with images of "keep calm and carry on", and "make do and mend".Never before have the book shops been so full of re-printed publications whose first outings to the bookshelves would have taken place 60,70 0r even 80+ years ago. People are scrambling to find the best vintage dresses, and from packaging, to architecture to hobbies, vintage influence is everywhere. So what is this fascination we have with the past? I think it's far more than just a mere passing trend, It runs much deeper than that.

Trends aside, we currently find ourselves in the middle of one of the worst recessions in decades. Millions of people are out of work, and even those with steady income are finding it tough to make ends meet. In my life time, I have never known or witnessed such atrocities in the world as there are happening now, but then I wasn't around to witness the holocaust... Looking back, from stories my grandparents told me, and what I have learned from reading books and watching films, it was during times of such great hardship people found their greatest strengths. During WW2, with so little at their disposal, people were forced to improvise, and to develop and master skills that handed them a life line to get through day to day life. Even tasks such as knitting, sewing, cooking and DIY became a necessary daily occurrence in order to survive.

Despite the hardship and utter devastation that resonated daily around life during these times, there was always a sense of community and togetherness that we seem to be now retrieving from the attics of the past. It's a slow process but as I look around I can see great fountains of creativity rising from the dust of our own personal hardships. I have friends who have felt like their worlds have fallen apart when they have lost their jobs, and after healing the wounds, I see them coming together, following dreams they buried long ago and finding success from the gifts that were always there, just waiting for the opportunity to be nurtured and grown. Every cloud has a silver lining. We just have to look for it.

So, we weren't there, and the reality is that most survivors of WW2 still alive today, especially those who served our countries in the forces, would rather forget, keeping the horrors they witnessed tucked safely away in places long forgotten. It must be hard seeing all these memories come flooding back but at the same time, mean so much to them to know that their sacrifice is appreciated and that we have not forgotten their great effort.

So now we are re-living the romantic memories of a time when we were all united by a common goal. A goal of survival, and of finding happiness and joy in the simplest things no matter what our situations. So let us not just ride this wave of remembrance as merely a fashion statement, but as a memorial, that we may never forget the sacrifice made by those before us and that to them, we owe our freedom and our lives. The very fabric of their endurance is woven into our DNA, so let us all be thankful and find the strength, that gift that they have given us, to hold our heads high and know that we can find our way through the storm.

So when you pass on a vintage dress to your daughters, pass the memories on with it.

And remember... When God hands you lemons; make lemonade.