Sunday 27 May 2012

Mooching

CK window
Our little trip to London was a pre-birthday treat (for me!) and I reckon there was no better time to visit our capital.

The Jubilee has yet to happen, everywhere is decorated (with great imagination in places) but the crowds haven't yet arrived.

There was bunting literally everywhere- and beautiful blue skies....

This time we stayed in a little apartment recommended by Alistair Sawday (Special Places To Stay) which is above The Troubadour, a 50's cafe and club in Earls Court. Many of the greats have payed here - Jimi Hendrix, Paul Simon, Joni Mitchel, Bob Dylan and earlier this year Morrissey! It feels like it hasn't changed since the 60's!
 The staff were really friendly and helpful and the food was good. It was such a treat to sit in the sun in the ramshackle garden with a delicious breakfast (amaretto french toast with walnut butter and maple syrup) and good coffee.
The accommodation above  is called The Garret and is a little self catering apartment up a good few flights of stairs. There we found bread, french butter, milk, fresh coffee and a fridge full of drinks in a well stocked mini bar style. 
roses in every room!
The bed was HUGE (and so high I had to climb on like a toddler...no dignity!) and v comfy - I can recommend as an alternative to a hotel. It sleeps 4 if you use the sofa bed so great value for a future family trip.
Really annoyingly we forgot our well packed toilet bag - but luckily there was pretty much everything we needed (just had to purchase a toothbrush!)
yep - that's Durex Play!!! they thought of everything...

We spent the couple of days happily mooching - and since we were at that end of town we perused The Conran shop
Beautiful glass plates. Wish I'd bought one - some were less than £10
[edit: Cleggy has just informed me the prices I saw were for the plate holders...the plates themselves were considerably more!!! Doh]
I DO love clocks. That turquoise one is knitted.
...and walked The Kings Road (so called because it used to be a private road only used by King Chares II to travel to Kew!)

Of course my main intention was to visit Anthropologie - apologies for the sheer amount of photos, but it IS merchandising heaven...
a rail of pinnies....so gorgeous
After all that excitement we enjoyed a jug of Pimms in the Bluebird Cafe (No rash for Cleggy this time Cuckoo! seems it wasn't the pimms he was allergic to!) 
It was just lovely to wander with Cleggy - and that part of London is so beautiful. Apart from the obvious there are some wonderful little gems hidden from view - my favourite find was this road (Cranley Mews, Kensington)
..where the teeny tiny houses are beautiful colours, along a cobbled street. Yours for almost 2 million! (unbelieeeevable)


I never tire of looking at the front doors of streets like this:
and wondering about a little house like this right in the middle:
When I worked for Monsoon/Accessorize (in my other life) I used to stay in an apartment in Sloane Gardens - and we had to visit Kings Road stores for the 'walk around' at the start of each season. It feels a million miles away now - but makes me smile to revisit it with some comfy shoes on!!!

Our main reason for visiting was to see Sweeney Todd. It was BRILLIANT, dark and funny. Highly recommend.
Apart from the obvious sunshine - here are the other things making me smile this week:

1) Ned the tortoise coming home after his travels. he disappeared about a month ago - but was found by the kindly neighbour three doors down. Phew.
2) Cleggy's first book having a super first week of pre-order sales! (not boasting Cleggy FYI, just proud.)
3) GB celebrating the Jubilee at school with a day of fancy dress. His year were doing the 80's. I give you Axl Rose:
and 4) loving all the Jubilee styled packaging around at the moment. My favourite purchases are
M+S biscuit tins (natch)
Ma'amite (genius)
and fairy liquid (so nostalgic)
Since our dishwasher packed in this week there's no better time for hands that do dishes!
fee x
(200 followers celebratory giveaway to follow...I've got my thinking cap on!)

27 comments:

  1. What a lovely trip to the big smoke you two had, and beautiful weather for it! Also, wow to the knitted clock!! I can't knit but maybe I could crochet one?! Congratulations to Cleggy on his book pre orders, and I'm glad that Ned came back safe and sound! Have a lovely evening in the sunshine xxx

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  2. Colour me green! I'm not the biggest fan of the Metropolis but what bliss!!! Blue skies, pretty streets, Union Jack bunting. I'd have skipped Anthropologie though (I know, what can I say, all that merchandising just isn't me) and visited the parks and the flea markets. Hope you're still on a post city-break high.

    Have a look at knitsofacto Fee ... I have a different kind of weekend planned!

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  3. Oh my! The Troubadour! Used to go there in the 80s and 90s. It's great isn't it? I'm so glad it's still going strong. Morrissey? Earlier this year? Godammit, why didn't I know? Do you know that I've never set foot inside Anthropologie. Must rectify. Glad you had a lovely trip in Landan Tahn (???). xx

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  4. Wow! What a lot of fantastic photos in this post - I can see that you had a wonderful trip (and discovered lots of exciting little spots). :-)
    Hope you have a lovely week.....
    Carly
    x

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  5. Lovely post ... Absolutely love London, wish I lived a bit nearer! Very patriotic, it's getting really close now and everybody seems to be joining in, all over the country, must be fab in London ... Have a lovely Sunday, Claire xx

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  6. Been following you blog for a bit now but don't think I've commented, but blige me that biscuit tin has grabbed me. I shall be hotfooting to my nearest Marks's tomorrow to buy that. Thanks for the heads up!
    London in the sunshine, my favourite place!

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  7. London must be amazing at the moment, I would so love to be there!!!
    I can't believe I'm saying this but I think I need some washing up liquid!
    Vivienne x

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  8. Fab post Fee, I do love London - only for a trip/break tho, don't think I could live there. Super photos too. Loving the Jubille stuff too. Fairy liquid is on my list of things to get this week :) love the old style bottle!
    Victoria xx

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  9. What a lovely trip Fee! The Garret looks like heaven! xxxx

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  10. Wow Fee this looks like an amazing trip. I'm not really a city fan and it takes quite a lot to get me out of my comfortable little county but... that does all look very tempting. The row of mews houses are adorable. I can imagine living somewhere like that if I was single and didn't have loads of 'stuff', well in my dreams anyway.
    Ellie
    x

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  11. Hi Fee,

    Great photo's of London! What a lovely birthday gift. The shops look good. Wish I could have joined you :-)!

    Happy Monday!

    Madelief x

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  12. Looks a fab trip - the apartment is amazing :)

    Loving GB's 80's look - far cuter than MrRose himself.

    Am on a mission to find the Jubilee Marmite/Fairy - our little supermarket in town has neither :(

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  13. Superb blog Fee, really enjoyed it. X

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  14. I found myself spending far too long scrutinising the anthropolgie photos so need to go back now and look at the others...and as for jubilee packaging, our cupboards are bulging with vintage Kellogg's boxes ;-) xxxxxx looking forward to tales of your trip xxx

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  15. Wow fee that was a post just brimming with wonderful photos. You obviously had a ball. London is my favourite city in the world. My dear Hb works in the City and even he never tires of it (unless the train gets cancelled ;0) The Jubilee weekend looks exciting too. I am so glad you found your tortoise! Have a great week,
    Jane x

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  16. Oh, how exciting! When is the Jubilee exactly? Is there a specific date? I thought it was just a year long celebration but I'm sure there must be some big royal bash to commemorate it. Cleggy published a book? What is it? What's it about? I've never known a published author not that I KNOW Cleggy but I sort of know you and you know Cleggy really well I imagine? (Especially after that lovely birthday in London...I'm just sayin'). Anyway congrats to him and happy belated birthday to you and that little one with the guitar is too cute! Those eyes are so beautiful...you could get lost in them!
    I'm so glad you posted your vacation/holiday as I go no where and I don't even live near a city of any significance and if it weren't for the internet I would go CRAZY! I will probably never get across the pond although this year would be the year with the Jubilee, the Olympics, Cleggy's book and your birthday! I already missed a couple big ones there already. Darn! Oh well...I would have loved to sit in that pub...so cozy (we don't even have alcohol in this area). It never mattered much to me before but now that it's not available I'll probably become an alchy! I have to drive an hour away to buy any....needless to say I "stock up" when I go! LOL! Anyway, I thoroughly enjoyed your post and your pictures....what a town! And your stores are so colorful and I loved those plates too!!!! Beautiful...all of it! Thank you so much.

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  17. Fantastic photos, Fee! I love a good mooch round London too :) Thank you for the wonderful visit to Anthropologie too, such an amazing shop...it must be especially interesting for you to see it after your Monsoon years. Isn't that marmite jar just the best jubilee'd thing??
    Have a great week.
    Helen x

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  18. Oh golly what a trip and what a treat your photos are...I feel all Jubbly~Jubilee just looking at them. OMG anthro. looks drop dead gorgeous as always...so dangerous on the old wallet!
    Happy Birthday my lovely...have a brilliant week,

    Sarah -x-

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  19. Yes, what a fabulous time to go down to London, we went down a few weeks ago for the marathon and the JUBILEE 'buzz' was already starting then so it must have been great last week with nearly all the preparations done.

    Hope you're enjoying the lovely sunny week.
    Fleur xx

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  20. You even do 'forgetting your toiletries' with style! LOVE Anthropologie, blogged about one of their catalogues once as it was like a work of art more than a marketing tool. Gorgeous blog as per and loving mini Axl too. xxx

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  21. My goodness, just how pretty does GB look in a long wig?!
    It looks like you had a wonderful time in London. We were supposed to be at the other end of Kings Rd, in Kew. :-( we didn't get to go, but there was good reason. xx

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  22. I am consumed by jealousy and feeling a desperate need to visit all those places. In particular I want to stay at that adorable place!!!
    Glad you had such a great time, and glad Ned returned!!!
    xx

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  23. Hello Fee...Such a fabulous and colourful post...I love Anthropologie..I have spotted some plates in there that are on my wishlist...the glass wall plates in The Conran Shop are beautiful too so I will add those to my list!
    Love all your London pics and I am sure I have passed that little row of mews at some point long ago...Oh, how I would love to live there!
    Congratulations to Cleggy on his book pre-orders...that has to be such a good sign of things to come and little GB makes a perfect Axel Rose...very impressive!
    So happy to hear Ned the little wanderer has returned too..amazing how he managed to move so fast!
    Hope you have a wonderful Jubilee weekend with your boys,
    Susan x
    P.S Lots of people loving my blocks on Facebook...not surprisingly!

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  24. I missed this post and have just really enjoyed reading it. Didn't you discover a lovely part of London - so pretty and quiet! I am going to make a note of the place you stayed - it looks fab! (Made me giggle that you pointed out the Durex stuff was courtesy of them, just in case we thought you'd taken it with you... It's YOUR weekend away love, you can do whatever you like, we don't judge! Ha ha!)

    Isn't Anthropologie just amazing? I think it's one of my favourite shops - I could buy up everything in there. Wish it wasn't so expensive, my spends don't stretch far enough! I'm also planning to see Sweeney Todd at Christmastime for my birthday. We did a little performance with the choir at school for Sweeney Todd and I love the songs!

    Happy Birthday my lovely bloggy friend - hope you had a fantastic day and were spoilt rotten (looks as though you were!). Much much love.

    Nicki xx

    PS GB's costume is genius - so very original. How many people went as kids from Fame?!

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  25. It looks like you made your 200 mile marker - congrats! I think I'm number 207, coming from Post Of The Month Club :) We love the Troub - it wasn't too loud? Your Axl Rose is adorable :) Wonderful to 'meet' you here XOLaura

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  26. This is such a fabulous post, Fee - I felt like I was right there beside you. Thanks so much for joining up with the POTMC, Gorgeous. J x

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  27. Beautiful photos! I am still thinking about the knitted clock... who would think to knit a clock...?!!!!

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I LOVE reading your comments!
fee x