Windows at Selfridges

More windows from Selfridges I really liked the display especially when the reflection took over.
Our concept is a wacky race for the people of London!
In a light-hearted nod to the British summer season and a celebration of the Burning Man Festival which takes place in Nevada’s Black Rock Desert, Selfridges presents The Wacky Races. Like magnificent men and their flying machines, the characters of the wacky races will charge along Oxford Street on their ridiculous mechanical contraptions.

Haberdashery London

Wonderful windows from Selfridges
‘Infini-sceno-matic’ - our concept is a wacky race for the people of London!
The ‘rules’ of physics are thrown out the window as a rich montage of characters from all walks and stages of life speed through the streets, skies, underground and even waterways of London. Top-hats, and picnic hampers, cravats, spats and cucumber sandwiches make it always ‘Pimms-O’Clock’ throughout the race. We see our eccentric characters travel on vehicles almost ‘other worldly’ in their use of reclaimed and mismatched Victorian engineering. The scenery is a multi layered montage packed not only with our ‘wacky’ racers but with some more subtle pop-culture references unique to the urban jungle of London. The densely packed scenery of this truly amazing race will be constantly changing on a never ending loop via the amazing ‘Infini-sceno-matic’ technology. Inspired by the ‘moving waterfall’ pictures that grace the walls of Chinese take-a ways across the capital, the infini-scene-o-matics will feature layers of constantly scrolling visual content; showing a cross-section of London featuring our wacky characters on their daily commute... and views from inside the vehicles themselves!

Haberdasherylondon

Street and Studio

On at the Tate Modern
The lure of the street by Geoff Dyer is a brilliant article about not just the exhibition but the genre of street photography itself



Less technically demanding, the best-known example of street-as-studio work must be Ruth Orkin's 1951 shot (not at the Tate, strangely) of an attractive American woman in Florence, running a multi-generational gauntlet of lounging men, who howl their salacious appreciation from street corner, cafe tables and Vespa. It's a witty and stylish photograph - and Orkin has never made any secret of how it was achieved. Together with a young art student she had met, the photographer told the guy on the Vespa what she had in mind and he explained it to his friends who gamely joined in.
This is so true for so many iconic photographs, but this one did suprise me.

Strand said that, although the picture had "enormous social meaning and impact, it grew out of a very clear desire to solve a problem". That problem was how to photograph "people in the streets without their being aware of it". (The problem these days, as Brooklyn-based street photographer Gus Powell recently explained, is that "it's harder and harder to take a picture without somebody in the picture who's also taking a picture".)

So it has been a problem for so many then. I once met a photographer who had tapped up his camera with gaffer tape and hid it in a coat. He figured that one shot in ten would work, but at least people would stop posing. I love the idea that it is impossible to take a photo without another photographer getting in the way, and this is particularly true in Paris where you see people almost fighting to take those so called impromptu photographs.

This weekend

I bought this bag from Kipling, I have needed a bag for ages, as black looks so wrong when it warms up. I originally bought a beautiful leather one similar to this in distressed silver, which was beautiful, but by the time I had my purse and paper in it I could barely heave it over my shoulder, plus it rubbed my clothes, so back it went. I did find a nice one in agnes b but it was not quite right so instead I plumped for this one in Sandstone. It maybe plain but its heaven, and I can find my keys and phone the difference having some pale lining makes is amazing




I finished reading this. I really enjoyed it, brilliantly written, very evocative, and the story was so unexpected, which made a refreshing change.



Then I watched this. I expected little and loved it from start to finish. And no, not just because of Russell Crowe (although it helped) but I loved the music, the clothes, all mixed with some really beautiful cinematography.


If Stephen Hawkins ever wants to see an actual Black Hole, he should have stayed with me this half term as I lost a whole week, seriously one whole week vanished with little or nothing to show for it, I have felt very unproductive. It did not help that I was in Oxford until Wednesday but still...


I did managed a brief trip into London however, all the galleries were either about to open or about to close a show, so I saw very little. I did get a lovely Jean Muir type top in Jigsaw, very forgiving and wonderful to throw on over jeans and float around in.

Chelsea Flower Show

I played At being the Sartorialist for the day, I loved it, you would have seen a LOT more if my bloody battery had not run out. You have to admit this is one great dressed crowd, so many favourites to choose from. The weather was perfect and I was starting to really get into the whole bag/jacket thing as well as the skirt/shoe thing. Roll on next year.

Chelsea Flower Show (horizontals)

I loved the ginkyness of this garden.

A Scottish crofters garden, absolutely beautiful. I got one of my best photos from this one which I will post later.

Best in show, it was very good but not my favourite.

Last year I got a photo of some 'Daisy' chairs, this year the same designer had created these parasols and went a bit OTT with them but fun nevertheless.

For me this was best in show, absolutely beautiful from every view point, I took some wonderful photos of the reeds disappearing into the black void of water and the mural was fabulous too.

More from the Trailfinders Garden.

The most beautiful small garden complete with a small wave lapping on the shore line the sound was heavenly as were the accessories.

This planting is now synonymous with Chelsea, silver and purple with just a dash of acid is a beautiful combination.

I did not have as long to take photographs this year, but enjoyed what I saw. The weather was glorious, a perfect day. I will add more photos tomorrow. I ended up doing a Sartorialist and because it was so packed no one took any notice of me, I have made sure to chop off or conceal peoples faces. More later as I am editing.

Mother is not going blind, she has a lot of burst blood vessels in her eye which will need dispersing with 3 injections into the eye ball....yuk! Old age is a bitch, she retires in 2 months having soldiered on to get a small pension, what I find particularly sobering is that at her age her mother only had one year left to live. I new she had died young, but hell I'm only 20 years away myself and feel like a teenager. Hopefully mother will live a long and fruitful retirement, I shall have to keep her busy.

An unexpected break

I received a mauling from the A'Level moderators on Friday, I then got a train to Victoria met mother and forgot about everything a the Chelsea Flower Show. The Botanist was a wonder space with great food and chaotic service, forgiven because it has only been open a couple of weeks. I have 200 photographs to edit, not just flowers either, however I am in Oxford being royally entertained by mother, I was to return to London today but she has an appointment with the eye specialist to find out whether she is really going blind or...
Blindness will not sit easily on my mothers shoulders, she is a very visual woman so`fingers crossed. Back online Thursday.