Veteran scooter

As promised to Luan, here is my pink scooter.  As you can see, it definitely looks like it would belong to a 4 year old and indeed it did. My niece actually.  But luckily, she had about 3 that my sister had got on Freecycle or something like that, so I asked if I could nab it.

But before you think I have jumped on the kiddie-band-wagon at this late juncture, getting down with the kids, oh no, I am a veteran micro-scooter rider!  Cast your mind back to the year 2000, a new craze had hit the city in London. Suited and booted business people were to be seen everywhere about London, getting around on these silver-coloured aluminium micro-scooters as a way to get around. As a then non-bike rider, I thought this was a marvellous idea as it would save time and make you a bit more speedy. They were, however, quite expensive- I think people were paying about £100 for them.  Anyway, that summer, I got a job at the Barbican hotel and arranged to sublet my friend's room in Dalston over the summer at a reduced rate as I would be working 3.30-midnight shifts, so didn't really want to be going home to Essex on the train.  But then I had a fairly hefty walk to Dalston as buses would have stopped by then and then I'd be spending money on travel.  So then, I decided to buy a micro-scooter.


Four days into my new job, and a little tired of the walk, I found a bike-shop in Hoxton who were selling them for £60 and bought one as an investment for saving on travel costs.  And so it began.  The first day I bought it, I was sitting there in the switchboard office, trying to work out how to went up between phone calls.  That was the day I met the General Manager of the Hotel of course!  He was mightily intrigued by it and was very nice and didn't tell me off for doing this during my shift.  (I got 100% in the mystery guest that month don'tcha know!)


Every evening at ten past midnight, I would zoom off down Central street and scoot my way home to Dalston, meeting very few people.  On De Beavour Road (the posh bit of Dalston) I would ride in the middle of the road as it was so deserted and so smooth and down-hill.  Only realised when there was a solitary kind  driver who stopped and very politely told me I wasn't very visible and perhaps I should ride on the pavement, that I realised that I couldn't really be seen so had to be a bit more careful.




And so it went on for weeks and weeks as I earned lots of money to pay off my £500 credit card bill (I have never used a credit card to this day) which I had accrued from paying for train fares to London and a few other clothing treats over the first year and had forgotten to pay.  I didn't take out much student loan that first year and then I only ever used it to buy my flute and an alto flute and a B-foot for my flute. I was so grateful for that full-time job, for my friend's kind subletting for what I could actually pay.  I enjoyed exploring Dalston's market and shops and it seems I even bought a pair of early Irregular Choice shoes, I've recently discovered!  The turquoise top I last wore with this skirt for Visible Monday was also bought then.

It was all going so well for over a month and a half until I started to get a pain in my right ankle that progressively got worse and I found I couldn't scoot and had to walk/hobble. I had somehow got RSI from my scooting in my ankle.  I had to abandon the scooter for a while and then it laid dormant in the loft of my old house, slightly broken as it was missing a screw.  I only discovered it in January when we were clearing out the loft. My sister claimed in in exchange for the pink one which I somehow kept.

I may look silly but it does help save 5 precious minutes on the way to work if I am running late and haven't got 20mins to reach the station and get the train. On the way home, it saves about 8 minutes as it is largely down-hill and it halves the time from the station to school at the other end.



More proof of being down with the kids. If you have kids or teens, you can't have failed to notice the craze that is taking over Britain- the Loomon- children have these looms and bright coloured rubberbands which they weave into amazing bracelets.  One of my children at school watched a tutorial and made me a special fruit-smelling, rainbow Treble Clef charm which I strung onto my Alice in Wonderland necklace. It seemed to go well with the rainbow skirt.


The rest of this outfit consists of M&S vintagey Madras-check dress (charity shop), black vest (Primark), bird-brooch, (not sure),silver belt (charity shop), turquoise silk hair-tie (left-over Balinese silk from our men's wedding handkerchiefs), shoes (Toms)

The make of my scooter is Razor (to be said with manly growly voice)- so masculine for this Penelope Pitstop transport. Made less hard-sounding by the wheels which say 'Daisy' on them.

Hope all is well with you. Forgive me but have a really busy week this week, rehearsals and concerts on 4 evenings and then a concert in the Black mountains near Wales in a ruined abbey!  Stay tuned for more boring reminiscences of my youngerlife  exciting adventures.

xxx

Linking up to Visible Monday with the fabulous Patti.

These are a few of my favourite things

It's probably no secret that my favourite colour is turquoise.  It does tend to crop up in this blog periodically.  And, just a little sneak info from our wedding- that the bridesmaids are this colour which I am really pleased about because I didn't think CBC would go for it!  I think it all stems from my dancing years where you had costumes for dances in different colours and I usually got assigned turquoise or blue- the first one I remember was a dance called 'Hold my hand' where I had a turquoise satin dress!  I still remember that song now- one child got to stand in the middle at the beginning and sing that song before the others came back.  I missed the auditions because I was on holiday and the girl who got it mimed.  I did get a second chance for it but didn't get it!

Maybe you'd find this outfit a bit matchy-matchy though I do like coordinating!  I  love this dress- it's from Whitestuff and it is reversible- I usually wear the other side, not this one.  I wonder if you'll recognise it if I reverse it!?   I think you'll get a bit bored of my Toms this summer- I am wearing them ALL the time, whether they match or not!

I am currently watching The Apprentice on I-player- they are so silly!!!!!!! I do find the arrogance and bombastic nature of these people hilarious!! If I ever act like this, please tell me!!!  I also love the fact that this episode, the background music has been Dave Brubeck- Unsquare Dance and now Blue Rondo Alla Turk.  Now we have an extract from A Midsummer night's dream!  It's interesting consciously registering the background music in programmes- do you ever do it?

Bears no relation

No, I am not denying the family-connection to the trio in whose house Goldilocks squatted but an attempt to prepare you for an outfit which bears little relation to the outfit above- this week's Twobirds Inspiration.  I confess, I don't like this outfit: I really don't like leather trousers, showing black underwear under a white top (which looks like a net curtain rather than tasteful lace) and those shoes! However, I am usually game for anything so I tried...



This is a chilled-out version, suitable for teaching 4 year olds.  The jacket (H&M) is that sort of denim-twill material and the top (unironed- I can't possibly iron EVERY Monday!) DOES have a lacy collar.  I found it really hard taking full length photos tonight- the light in the garden was crazily bright, washing everything out and erradicating even the slightest contrasts and details between skin and top.  I wasn't even going to attempt tight trousers so you have bird print trousers I've been wearing all weekend! (euggrh, I hear you cry!  Tis MOST unusual for me!)  Toms were the only possible footwear to suit this casual outfit!


The children have made lots of comments on my appearance today.  A 4-year old boy told me he liked me trousers, a year 6 girl said I looked like I was wearing pajamas, another year 6 girl asked me if I'd had my hair cut (errr, yes,3 weeks ago and you only notice now I've straightened it hence it being longer, and some of it pinned back!) etc.     It was a hard afternoon with year 6 this afternoon.  We were learning a new gamelan tune and despite lots picking it up and playing really nicely in time with each other in many cases, they had to spoil it by just generally being obnoxious and rude when they weren't playing!  They make me so cross sometimes- they have the ability but they waste their talent!  Oh how the parable of the talents seems appropriate!!! There are some children in those classes who I just WISH could be in another class- they ALWAYS listen and never get sucked into the silliness but they always suffer!

Did you have a nice weekend? I did but I'll tell you more about that soon!x

That itchy jumper: Memories of childhood!!!!

As a child, I was really sensitive to certain materials or LABELS in clothes uhrgh, certain clothes in the 80's had SUCH itchy labels!!!!  I spent much of my childhood, wriggling because of an itchy label in a pair of knickers or a skirt/trousers with a high waistband (or worse, a t-shirt!).  I bought a gorgeous skirt from L'orsay in Saltzburg as a teen which was great bar the most unelievably itchy/scratchy label I have ever had the misfortune to own!

I was always particularly sensitive to certain wools or materials.  When we went over to my Dad's, he and my Stepmum had clothes for us over there to wear, that we'd change into.  These included, for both my sister and I- a white cardigan.  I don't know what on earth it was made out of but I detested it!! I'd refuse to wear it, or wear it protestingly!   Recently, I was talking to my stepmum about it and I didn't realise it had had such an effect on them.  We somehow got onto the subject of itchy clothing and she referred to it as "that wretched cardigan!" that I absolutely refused to wear in rather heated tones! My sister, as good as gold, always wore hers uncomplainingly.  What a fiend I was!

To this day, I still find certain materials itchy.  The hilarious thing is- my stepmum and Dad bought me the above jumper for my birthday last year and whilst it is a pretty colour, by heck, is it itchy!!! I attempted to counteract the itchy by wearing a long-sleeved cotton top underneath and a scarf!   I dearen't tell them it's so itchy for fear of causing memories of that white cardigan to erupt!
I am debuting this snow-leopard patterned beret which I found in the sales! I'm not a big fan of animal print, but I quite liked this one.  Worn with my turquoise cordhuroy Toms and a Primark belt and top plus thrifted trousers!

Speaking of memories of childhood, I am going to try and post my first linkie thing soon, so get your thinking caps on for writing and linking up a post about your childhood on the subject of 'Clothing I loved or loathed'

All present and correct!

I was fairly restrained in the sales in that I decided to buy one item (apart from a charity-shop jacket and gifts for other people) and I decided to buy a more practical pair of Toms shoes. I really like my ruby-slippers ones and after Rach's recommendation, I decided to buy and read Start something that matters by Blake Myconskie, the founder and 'chief-shoe-giver' of Toms shoes and I was really impressed by what he set up (I will do a post about it when I have located it and read the last 30 pages) with Toms, I love the idea of giving like for like- a pair of shoes to a child in need for every pair you buy, so I bought this pair of turquoise cordhuroy Toms in the Schuh sale.  Very pleased with how comfy they are.  You've probably guessed by now from my blog, that I am all about comfort with my shoes, only rarely about style!


Aside from my turquoise gilet and purple coat, the former of which has reached the upper eschelons of my most popular post side-bar (why the Valentines one got into position Number 2, I don't know.  It wasn't that funny), I received lots of lovely presents this year.  WKWTTG and V, CBC's sibling bought me an absolutely darling black ruffly/frilly umbrella and a fantastic smart feathered hat pictured.  The funny thing was, that CBC's flatmate bought me exactly the same umbrella in white!  They are both so much fun and perfect for different occasions- I have posh neutral wedding/going-out umbrellas! 

I finally have a TRIPOD for my camera! WOMOTM gave me an old tripod of his when I said I'd like one so no longer does my dainty pink camera have to face the perils of swaying on a wonky stepladder in my garden or on my table/work in order to initiate the self-timer!! Hence the new inside-outfit location!

Also pictured are two funny cute gifts that CBC bought me- a jar of knickers from Whitestuff (he liked the jar) and number paperclips!!!!


I've pictured CBC in his smart new coat from the Reiss sale which I picked up for him (he paid) but the rest of his outfit comprises of some of the presents I bought him- Clarks originals dessert boots, F21 shirt, cashmere jumper (last year) and smart-tweed trousers! He looks very dandy! The photo was taken when we went to look at a wedding venue!!