Interior Dreaming

It has been a while since I have been rooting around antiques fairs or visited the auctions to acquire desirable objects for the house, this is something I intend to start doing again, there are loads of antique fairs in this neck of the woods, so I really must pull my finger out, get up early in the morning's and start rooting.

I am longing to redecorate one of the bedrooms and turn it into a really feminine boudoir.  In the meantime, I have been on the internet dreaming of the sort of thing I'm after.

Early 1900's Boudoir armchair and stool. The French House

Rare model Louis xv style king-size bed circa 1900. The French House

Late 19thc Louis xv1 style upholstered bed. The French House

Wall Lights. The French House

Early Chandelier. The French House

Cushion mirror with pink tinged glass outer plates. The French House

Parisian mirrored armoire. The French Bedroom company

Parisian Pretty Bedside Table. The French Bedroom Company

Parisian Dressing Table. The French Bedroom Company

Versaille Damask Screen. The French Bedroom Company

That's the furniture, what about the walls?  At the moment I am going through a Sir Frederic Leighton phase, I would love to own one of his paintings, a distant dream, instead I will go for some beautifully framed prints.

 Mother and Child

 Girl with a basket of fruit

 Biondina

 The music lesson

Furniture and lighting images via The French House and The French Bedroom Company.

Painting Images via www.frederic-leighton.org, prints available from art.com

The Dancing Castles

With the current renaissance in ballroom dancing, thanks mainly to the BBC's Strictly Come Dancing and it's off shoots broadcast around the world,  I thought I would introduce you to Vernon and Irene Castle, they are the Godparents of modern ballroom dancing and style innovators of their generation.

Irene and Vernon found initial fame in Paris, introducing Parisian society to ragtime.  Things really took off, when they went to America where they had their New York debut in 1912 at the Café de Paris. Their fame quickly grew and they were in demand for stage, vaudeville and motion pictures.  In 1914 they opened an elegant dance school, 'Castle House' and taught the New York elite to dance. Fred Astair idolised the Castles and their influence is apparent in his successful screen career.

Irene was the style icon of her day, she was the first person to bob her hair and she also started wearing loose, floaty clothing, freeing herself from the confines of Edwardian woman's wear, she was a major influence on fashion and when she did something everybody else followed.

 

The Castles were also groundbreaking in other ways, they traveled with a black orchestra and were animal rights advocates years before it became a public issue. they also lent their names to endorse consumer products.

 

During the first world war Vernon returned to England and became a pilot in the Royal Flying Corps, he shot down two enemy aircraft over the Western front and was awarded the Croix de Geurre in 1917. Later he was posted to the US to train American pilots, whilst flying at Benbrook field near Fort Worth, Texas, he stalled his plane trying to avoid another aircraft, he could not recover control, the plane crashed, fatally injured, he died soon after the crash, aged 30 in 1918.

Irene paid tribute to her husband by publishing a memoir 'My Husband' in 1919.  She went on to perform solo in several silent movies and stage productions between 1917 and 1924, before retiring from show business.  She went on to marry three more times.

In 1939 her life with Vernon was turned into a movie, 'The story of Irene and Vernon Castle', starring Fred Astair and Ginger Rogers, Irene was brought in as technical adviser, she clashed with Rogers who refused to cut and colour her hair or wear authentic reproductions of Irene's dresses.  Irene objected to a white actor being brought in to portray their servant, Walter who was black.

For the rest of her life Irene continued to be a staunch animal rights activist, founding the Illinois animal shelter, "orphans of the storm", which is still active. She passed away in 1969 aged 75.

Vernon and Irene are buried together in the Woodlawn cemetery, in The Bronx, New York.

 

Valentine's

Robert Doisneau

  

Dennis Stock

Robert Doisneau

Robert Doisneau

Wishing you all, lot's of love on Valentine's day.

Dreaming of Bettys

I will be going to Blighty for a week in March to visit family and friends, I am already planning some of the things I want to do.  One of the things, will be to visit Bettys café tea rooms, which is a Yorkshire institution, it has six tea rooms, in Ilkley, Northallerton, two in York and two in Harrogate (my home town).

The question is, shall I go for lunch to have my favourite, Yorkshire welsh rarebit served with delicious tomato chutney or go for a Yorkshire cream tea with hot buttered scones, clotted cream and lashings of strawberry jam.

One thing is for sure, after dining I will be visiting the shop to buy goodies to bring back to France.

They now do mail order, so if you find anything on this post tempting, you can order it here or visit one of their cafés here

 

Bettys York

 

Bettys Ilkley

All photos via Bettys website

Alexander McQueen 1969 - 2010

au revoir

St-Jean-De-Luz, Cote Basque

I thought I would continue with the theme of the Basque Coast and take you to St-Jean-De-Luz, on the French Atlantic coast,  it's only half an hour over the border from San Sebastian.

Whilst we were living in Paris we decided to take a month out and take a road trip round France. One of the places we visited was St-Jean-De-Luz. Unbeknown to us, we had arrived during the feast of St Jean, the towns patron saint.  The town centre was festooned with bunting, everybody was wearing red and black, (the towns colours), there was partying in the streets, a band playing in the town square, makeshift bars, serving very reasonably priced Champagne. Of course  we had no option but to join in, one of the locals kindly gave us each a red bandanna, so we would not feel left out. We have been regular visitors ever since.

St-Jean-De-Luz, was originally a sea port which specialized in whaling, a practice which started here as early as the 11th century, but now it's a traditional, lively fishing port. The whaling has long gone, now the local catch is sardines, anchovies and tuna.

Photo via St-Jean-de-Luz tourist office

The ambiance in St Jean is lovely, it is a typical Basque town with classic Basque architecture, which is mainly white buildings with predominately red painted wooden framework.  You will find a labyrinth of streets, crammed full of interesting shops, one of the specialties of the Basque country is top quality linen, so look no further for tableware, towels and cushion covers, in distinctive Basque design, usually involving colourful stripes.  There are loads of linen shops in and around St Jean, so if you are a linen lover you will be in heaven.

images via Helena St-Jean-de-Luz

My choice of summer footwear, espadrilles. They originated in the Pyrenees and you will find plenty of places selling them. This is one of my favourite shops, selling the espadrille in every different style you can think of, smart silk evening ones, high heeled wedge ones and classics in every colour under the rainbow.

Image via Nicole Paries

 Following the tradition for the Basque love of gastronomy there are loads of fine eating establishments, like San Sebastian, you will find lots of informal seafood restaurants in the port area. There will be lots of opportunities for sitting at one of the many pavement cafés to people watch and soak up the atmosphere. Oh, and there are also fabulous beaches.

 Some Basque facts: The Pays Basque straddles Spain and France, roughly between Bayonne in South West France and Bilbao in North West Spain.

Although the Basques speak French and Spanish the common language of the Basques is Euskara.
The origin of the Basque people and their language has always been a mystery.
Basque houses are usually east facing.
Pelota is the Basque national sport, it is played against a high coloured orange wall known as a fronton.

There have been many famous Basques, including the fashion designers, Paco Rabanne and Cristobal Balenciaga.

Shhh, San Sebastian

One of the joys of living here, is the close proximity to some amazing places, it takes us three hours to get to the Mediterranean, an hour to get to Spain and two hours to get to the Atlantic coast.

San Sebastian (Donostia) is a firm favorite, this glamorous Basque city sits quietly in north west Spain, at the foothills of the Pyrenees, looking out over the Bay of Biscay, when you visit, one get's the impression that this is where the Spanish come to holiday.

San Sebastian is a mecca for anyone who is into food, shopping, architecture and culture, with the added bonus of fabulous beaches, spectacular scenery and great surfing nearby.  It is said to be the food capital of Spain and possibly Europe, so it is no surprise that it has four restaurants that have been voted into the top fifty best restaurants in the world.  If Michelin starred restaurants are not your thing, head to the old town, which is oozing with character and an abundance of pintxos (tapas) bars/restaurants.  You can't help but bar hop here, so many establishments, specializing in different types of food: seafood, local specialties and patisseries, all washed down with great local wine. And there is the old port area which has excellent rustic, seafood restaurants, all serving freshly caught produce.

San Sebastian comes alive in the evening, the locals all come out in their finery to promenade, shop, eat and hang out, you find yourself dodging large groups of families and friends, all talking animatedly.  The atmosphere is great and it won't take long before you feel part of it.

Shops, did I mention shops? Well, the wide Haussman inspired boulevards are full of shops from big names to small independents and the old town is stuffed full of the interesting and unusual.

Accommodation wise, there is something to suit all budgets from the palatial Hotel Marie Christina to characterful hostels.

for more info on San Sebastian go here .

San Sebastian, Concha Bay

  Old Town

Old town at night

Concha bay at sunset

Night walk at aseo de la concha

Hotel Marie Christina

 

Patch of Sunshine

All creatures like to feel the suns warming rays, Crusoe is no exception, he follows the sun from room to room as it makes it's way round the house.
                                  

Hitchcock pose

Can't you see, I don't want to be disturbed!

A roll before snoozing

And resume the position