Spring anticipation blog...

It's been a horridly mild winter and a miserable day today. It has made me look forward to spring when I am definitely an autumnal girl: so I thought I'd post some springtime pictures I took in Southend last year. 

Southend isn't one of my most favourite places in the world, but there are some areas that I love. The place I like the most in Southend in is Clifftown Parade. A walk here in spring is one of the best things in the world. It was even better when the bandstand was around. My most favourite memories from childhood are of seeing the old fashioned acts at the bandstand. Sadly it's disappeared due to the landslide. Here are some pictures from this area. (I know I'm no photographer!)

I love flowers. Some of my favourite flowers are foxgloves: something to do with the images I saw in the Beatrix Potter books as a child from what I remember.

This! This is why I LOVE this area in the spring. It is what I remember from being a child. The blossom on trees and the ground covered as if in pink, fragrant snow (mawkish alert). @nikitheshrimper alert too. Tattooed poser.

A drink after walking from the town. I love Pimms. A refreshing treat at the Cliff's Pavilion after about a 15 minute schmoozy walk from the town.

Now I can't wait for some more springy weather! 

My second post: about my wedding

Don't worry, I'm not going to number every post I make. I'm just not that imaginative. That's why I am blogging about my wedding which took place 3 years ago in August... 3 years ago, crumbs. It doesn't feel like that long.

Although I live in Leigh on Sea in Essex I, well @nikitheshrimper and I got married in Norfolk, where my parents live. You will find some of the most beautiful countryside and coast in Norfolk as well as amazing places to eat and shop. If you ever get the chance to go to Norfolk GO TO Holt. It's basically a town of antique and vintage shops (loads & loads), and brilliant places to eat. Especially the King's Head pub and restaurant. Anyway, I'm not here to advertise Holt, I'm here to show off my wedding; although I probably will blog in detail about Holt in the future as it is heaven on earth and we always go when visiting my family. 

So, two and a half years ago I got married in a church in Ludham. Yes: a church! Scientist, church - church, scientist. Never have I met more religious people than when working with a bunch o' scientists! 

St Catherine's church. Copyright to all the photos belongs to me!

I don't think there are many buildings more beautiful than churches. Outside and in. 

Serendipity?

                         

The average wedding nowadays - allegedly - costs around £20,000. Utterly pointless, vulgar and - to be honest - a little bit unavoidable. It was always the intention that the wedding would be as cheap as possible using local people and supplies. We acquired the assistance of  two local trainee florists who did a fantastic job within the remit of  "I want the flowers to look like they were just picked from a field - no colour scheme please!" Their first big job: they did amazingly. 

           

  

 A beautiful car rented from a local eccentric lady, in my favourite shade of green.

My mother, who is an amazing woman, spent months sourcing plates, tea cups, tea pots and platters for the wedding. It was just before the explosion in interest in vintage and she managed to pick up many items for pennies. The bunting was hand made by me and my brother who is a total DUDE for all the hard work he put in. We used fabric from charity shops as well as curtains and bedspreads from Mum's linen cupboard! Hydrangeas and Victorian glass bottles decorate the centre of the tables. 

Excuse the creased wrap; the corset was the most beautiful thing I saw, bought from Lulu and Lush in Fairy Gothmother in London. The skirt, I bought last minute the Wednesday before the wedding... which was on the Saturday. Cool as a cucumber. 

My Mum, Dad, brothers and I spent the whole two days before the wedding setting up the marquee and village hall. My Dad slept in the marquee wedding eve "just in case". This cake stand has pride of place in my kitchen/diner now. It's one of the most beautiful things I own. 

I wasn't interested in having an cake that cost hundreds of pounds: MY MUM MADE MY...erm OUR WEDDING CAKE! It was only one tier but SHE made it. It's not her job, she doesn't do it all the time... it was just for the wedding and she stayed up late, stressing, to do it. For us, that's one of the most special things of the day. 

Laurent, the caterer, was sceptical about using the mismatched platters we provided him with. He was WELL impressed when it was all laid out, saying it was one of the best spreads he'd seen. It was delicious as well. Les Français savent comment faire cuire la nourriture délicieuse, même pour un végétarien.

Ronaldo the ice-cream man can be found selling his delicious wares in Holt in the summer.  The bunting can be found in a wicker basket in my house and at my mum's. 

We hired the local, 1930s built, village hall which cost around £60.00 for three days, to hold the cheesy disco. Stuff your thousand pound for a few hours hotel/wedding venue.

The one thing that did cost us was the photographer. And it was the one thing that I would have done differently. He took many great shots, but I asked for more of the china on the tables, and the marquee generally. We didn't get the (rubbish) album that was included in the price but to be honest, I made a book through Blurb. If you have not used Blurb I urge you to do so. We now have memories in a form that we love and is absolutely amazing. 

I love looking back at the pictures and I am so pleased with how the day went and how all of my family were involved in some way. And I love it that we all have some momentum from the day.

Going to start a blog!

But will anyone check it out? Time will tell. Time will also tell as to whether I actually blog!

It's been my NY resolution to get more involved with the local (Leigh, Essex) vintage community. Really, it means getting involved with the national vintage community. Everyone seems to know everyone. Well, everyone follows everyone on Twitter anyway.

My plans for this year are to get more followers on Twitter than my brother-in-law Glen, and to start sourcing and selling vintage and antique science and medical items.

Unfortunately, Glen is beating me on the follower front. Although he used to play sort-of-professional football and owns a successful goal keeper glove company and has many contacts... Hmm, erm yes,well. It's not about the quantity, it's about the quality of the followers. Most of my current followers are all lovely. Although I do have a few who have some odd things in their bio... about wanting stuff done to them... I don't follow those ones back.

I am currently having more success with the sourcing of vintage/old almost antique science stuff. Woo! Due to the bosses "LEAN-ing" the lab, we are clearing out old rubbish. Some of it has been there years... and I mean years. If I could sell the solutions and powders I'd be going into antique territory! Some of our stuff has been stored in a place called The Dungeon, which has now sadly been cleared out and we can't use it for health and safety reasons. I did miss out on a couple of beauties which got re-homed; some glass jars which I hear are now pasta jars and some old scales... boo. BUT! I did acquire some old bottles that held solutions. They do need a clean but they are about 30 odd years old and would look great with pretty things in them... or used as a smelly room diffuser thing or a perfume bottle. Who knows?!

So, I'm sort of on my way to starting this collection of vintage science paraphernalia, although I could start selling stuff now. My house if packed full of old vintage gear. The thing is I don't want to sell it; it's too beautiful and it's all mine! (Oh, and my husbands too, sort of obviously).

Hopefully I learn how this thing works and that this is not that last you hear and see of me!

The bottles. The start of my niche empire?













The Vintage Scientist

You can (please) find me on Twitter @vintagescientis

*sigh* and you can find Glen @sirglenyj and @PROGK