Yesterday I took a trip down to London, quite unexpectedly. Basically what happened was that on Thursday night I got an email from Lakota offering me the tickets for me and friend to attend the Primrose Hill Vintage Fair so it was a nice unexpected surprise! I called my friend Maud, bought train tickets online and there I went.
The place was really nice, in an area of London I had never visited before and very quiet even though Camden and its confusion is right next door to it. The building was called the Cecil Sharp House and is also home to the English Folk Dance and Song Society. We didn’t get to explore much more of it but I loved the reliefs at the entrance. (more on that later)
The Fair was small but with a lot of good quality goodies. Some of the items there were absolutely to die for and the majority quite affordable.
One of my favourite stalls was filled with beautiful accessories and clothes made from reworked and recycled vintage items. I was fascinated by the green parka with the fur hoodie lining and the sequin and beaded vintage embelishments running down the back… the name of the creator of these beauties is Ruth Milliam and you can find her Etsy Shop HERE. I had a quick chat with her and she told me that the website and all that is still under construction but I’ll definitely keep an eye out as her work was very inspiring.
What I wore for the day. I was sticking out like a sore thumb.
Bow – H&M
Coat – Tintoretto
Brolly – Primark
Dress –
Asos (get it really cheap now, it’s on sale!)
Shirt– H&M
Bag – Primark
Tights – Internaçionale
Shoes – Predictions
Morrissey Necklace – Pretty Cuckoo
Did you notice the sculpted stone behind me? That’s what I was talking about earlier. It depicts some of the characters from English folklore and my favourites were the Hobby Horse and the Fool:
And you ask, how do I know the names and what they are? Simple, one of my favourite horror films is the Wickerman (the old one, not that Nicholas Cage aberration) and these characters appear in the story. The name on the stonework is Gordon Herickx and it was made in 1951.
We then went for a stroll around Camden Market, where I hadn’t been to in 10 years or so. It was very crowded and full of tourists so we didn’t stay long. I did go in a shop and tried this dress on:
It is made by Iron Fist and even though I don’t normally like their stuff, this one caught my eye in the window. I liked the humour in it – a cutesy dress with a skeleton print. But at £60 I thought it was a bit excessive for a jersey dress made in China. I thought I’d take a photo for future reference as I may try to get it on sale or eBay. If you see it anywhere just let me know!
Anyways, this is what I did buy:
From the vintage fair, a horrid 70’s dress whose collar and lapel caught my eye, more than anything else. It needs a little care and taking in around the chest area but other than that it fits perfectly.
This bracelet that given the style, it must be from the 50’s. I saw the “leetle aneemals” (I like saying this with a silly accent) and was immediately smitten. The lady who sold it to me told me it had belonged to her mother, and that kinda made it more special.
On the way out we stopped by the sue Ryder charity and picked up a few books. I also got one by Bill Bryson but I left it downstairs and I’m lazy. The World According to Mike Leigh was an interesting find, I started reading it on the train back and quickly got into it. I like Mike Leigh’s films a lot so I thought I’d give it a read and I am not disappointed.
Also got a dress with these little dudes on from Camden Market. This pattern seems to be all over the plave but I don’t care – just look at them, how cute are they?
Apart from that I picked up a few basics that were on sale from American Apparel and then went home with Maud, where we just sat on the couch, watched Ghost World and felt hungover (had a couple of Cosmos the previous night) for the rest of the afternoon. It was a lovely day spent in great company and I couldn’t have asked for a better way of spending Sunday. Thanks to Maud for coming along with me and to Lakota for the giveaway on her blog!
