A Vintage Lover's Guide to Hastings!

Hastings is a haven for vintage finds and as a self confessed magpie, I've written a little piece letting you in on my secret hotspots. Check out my wee write-up in the latest issue of the lovely 91 magazine, a new online magazine featuring style tips, shopping ideas, interiors and features on craft and vintage style!!

Lighter evenings

I'm loving the lighter evenings...and so is the neighbour's cat.

Chores that aren't a bore

Don't you hate it when you have what you think is a great idea, you lazily sit on it, and then discover someone else has had that very same idea except they've got off their fine rears and made it happen? Well let that be a lesson for 2012; less talk, more action I say.

And so this "great idea" has arisen locally on our oh so pretty High Street in my lovely town of Old Hastings. Introducing to you the A.G. Hendy & Co. Home Store. If you love Labour and Wait in Shoreditch, you will be salivating in this store. For here we have many floors of functional products in rooms that tell you a story and have you fascinated by its Victorian dilapidated charm.

Brooms and brushes galore, chores are certainly no bore in this store. I personally would like one of everything please - purely for display, none of this cleaning malarkey.

This store is a welcome addition to the old town and a must-visit for our visiting friends. So if you're in town, add this to your list!

A.G. Hendy & Co. Home Store, 36 High Street, Hastings Old Town, TN34 3ER

A Pitstop at the Pelican

We seem to be spoilt for sunny Sundays here in Hastings this October and I am certainly not complaining. Had a lovely potter in the Old Town and it could have been May. The streets were bustling, the fishmongers were busy and the fish and chippies had queues of day visitors. It really has been a glorious day.

Whilst taking a stroll along the seafront, I came across a new little frozen yoghurt cafe called the Pelican which was adorable. I love finding a new place that I know I'll go back to. The friendly owners have given the listed building a new lease of life and I have to say, their homemade frozen yoghurt was divine. Heavenly yet guilt-free.

Sitting outside the Pelican, watching the fairground attractions whizz round as I soaked up some autumnal sun, I couldn't have asked for a more perfect Sunday.

Snap Crackle Pot

Hastings always has a jam-packed diary of events and this weekend saw Hastings Bonfire celebrations which involves a torchlit procession, bonfire and fireworks to commemorate the Battle of Hastings, as well as the traditional gunpowder plot. It's one of those lovely evenings where you wrap up warm and go for a pint. Beats a night in with Xfactor any day! Here's some of my fave shots I took on the night.

Things that inspired me this weekend...

1. My lovely hometown. I love how there's always a festival or fete of some sort in Hastings. This next week sees the Hastings Old Town Carnival Week which has a packed diary of outdoor fun from sea boot leg races to a street party, it's all happening in Hastings.

2. My neighbours blue passion flowers. I've never ever seen these flowers before and they are absolutely beautiful. I think they could quite possibly be my official favourite.

3. I was in Barnes at the weekend and on my way to the pub I just had to get a photo of Orange Pekoe's handpainted patterns in their window. They make me think of those beautifully decorated Indian elephants.

I love to snap things that catch my eye and store them in my inspiration lock-up. Now I just need some time to raid it and make something of it all!

Thrifty Finds #003

Crochet lace tablecloth. Salvation Army, Ore.

Union Jack epidemic

It's official, the UK has been hit by a serious case of union jack fever. I can't even go to the loo without seeing a flag.

Hidden Tracks

Having had the longest Winter ever, it feels like it's been ages since I enjoyed the delights of Hastings on a sunny day. Last weekend I was walking by Claremont and as I passed the old Observer building passage, I spotted some street art I hadn't seen before.

I've always admired the urban feel of the little alley round the back of the Old Oberserver Building. I've even used it before as a backdrop for a photograph and I think it would make a great location for a fashion shoot.

I decided to check out this street art I hadn't seen and as I walked down the quiet and eerie passage, I felt like I was in an American teen supernatural series. In a few steps I found myself transported. I was no longer in Hastings. Perhaps the outskirts of Paris somewhere? I didn't have the courage to stay and investigate further but maybe next time. And who knows where I'll end up? Perhaps in the gutter minus my handbag but then where would we be if we weren't a little curious hey?

Just my type

As I trundled along to the bakers in the snow I spotted this gorgeous sign. It was tucked away in a doorway next to the bakers on Mount Road, Hastings. I have no idea how old this is. I've tried to see when Hastings phone numbers were only 3 digits but haven't had any joy finding out. The telephone came into action late 1800s. I'm thinking this might be early 20th century? Anyway, Hastings is full of beautiful things like this so I'm going to try and build a Flickr collection of painted signs and ghost signs of Hastings. If you know of anywhere local I should be paying a visit, drop me a line! I only hope these signs will be here for many more years to come.

Bit of this, bit of that.

Happy Thursday people. The weekend is nearly here!!

My day was brightened up today when I turned up at work to find this cheerful pantone wallstore by my desk. Designed by the award winning John Green who I saw at 100% Design, this beautifully simple piece of storage is going to be all the rage. What's even more wonderful is that printed on the back is a list of attibutes associated with the colour of your wallstore. 

Pantone Wallstore by John Green

On my way to meet some friends I spotted Hastings dabbling in a bit of reverse graffiti which I think is fabulous. For those unsure what reverse graffiti is, it's basically when surface dirt is blasted off with stencils - also known as clean graffiti. I think it's a great thing for our little creative town to get involved in. 

Reverse Graffitti off Robertson Street.

The Perfect Brew

I've been archiving my uni work and came across my portrait collection "The Perfect Brew" of which I never had the chance to blog about or upload on Flickr. 

The photographic collection is basically all about tea. I love tea. It's so many things, all in one cup. A refreshment, an icebreaker, a peacemaker, or simply something to warm your cockles. As a beverage enjoyed by many walks of life, I looked at producing a beautiful photographic collection that celebrated the British institution of the cuppa and provided insight into the rituals of how to make the perfect brew by lovers of tea.

And so I scoured Hastings and St Leonards for tea lovers and produced the following collection of which I submitted as part of my graphic communication degree at The University of Brighton.

To follow are some of my favourites. To see the full collection visit my Flickr. 

My 3 Ps

I feel working on so many projects can really zap me of all creativity so I think it's important to pause and play to progress. And so my form of "play" was going along to a workshop by artist and illustrator Catherine Grimaldi run by the University of Brighton's Media Enterprise Centre.

It was great to hear about Catherine's journey and something that I've taken away is to be experimental. Sometimes I forget to be experimental. Catherine had spent many years trying different art forms and they've all influenced her work in one way or another. So experimenting I will do!

In the workshop we were given blank postcards where we had to put down 5 things we wanted to achieve in the next year and Catherine promised to pop the postcards in the post and sure enough, mine arrived today. Stamped 28.04.10, I will stick this on my fridge and look forward to see where I am come 28.04.11!