So a few months ago I took a little trip to Yeovil to go to a Vintage Fair curated by a friend of mine called Claire who is also a fellow 60s fan. And I am very pleased to announce it is back bigger than ever in April. Its going to be a corker I can tell you.

There will be 7 hours of Vintage loveliness going on as Hello, Bygones collaborates with Marry Me in Somerset on the 1^st of April (no foolin’!) to bring you their Vintage and Retro Bash! The day will also be supporting a very worthy charity at The Yeovil Women’s Hospital.

So for the frankly measly price of £1.50, (yep thats right. One Pound and Fifty Pence!!) what do you get? Well, settle down and I shall begin…

The fair is set within the The Westlands Leisure Complex across 4 rooms and there will even be lots of fabulous pre-1980′s vehicles including Tina the Purple Cortina, Katy’s Campers and scrummy Scooters outside for you to have a nosey at.

Here is what you can expect to find inside. I recommend you plan ahead ladies (and gents)!

The Ballroom

There will be over 40 stalls of vintageness for your perusal and enjoyment of clothes, records, instruments, kitchenalia, jewellery, furniture, retro toy’s, cakes sweets plus lots more and throughout the day the stage will be host to DJ’s and 2 fashion shows. The first will show case clothes and accessories from Hello, Bygones! and the second from the Wedding Fair stall holders.
Expect to see The Path to Living History Group who are a 1940′s US GI’s re-enactment team, erm, reenacting?! Very interesting and really rather yummy!
LeKeux & The Vintage Salon will be there creating beautiful Vintage inspired make-overs including hair and make-up for all you lovely ladies (booking required).                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                  After your make-over, pop into the Retro Photo Studio where you’ll have the chance to go through the dressing up box, don your glad rags and have a fabulous Vintage style Photo Shoot with Unwin Photography (booking required).
And for the brave there is a 50′s style Tattoo Parlour (again, booking required).

And while you are in the Ballroom, why not take part in a few workshops that have been organised! There is only limited space so send an email to Claire if you would like to book yourself in, or give a lovely present to someone! Beginners welcome of course!

For £10 you can partake in the Bunting Workshop with Pica Pica
An hour and a half lesson learning basic sewing skills and create a string of bunting using beautiful vintage fabrics.

For £12 be creative with Vintage Fascinator Class with Gypsy Rose Upstyling.
In this workshop you will make a truly unique and beautiful fascinator hat, with a vintage twist, at a snip of the price of one from the shops! You will be guided through the creative process by bridal and accessory designer Lucy Fosh.
You will design your mini fascinator using a selection of retro style fabrics, ribbons, buttons, veiling and feathers and learn how to create a fabulous flower using an age old technique. Your fascinator will be attached to a hair band so will be suitable for all hair types. This lesson lasts an hour and half too.

For £15 there is the Vintage Rose Cupcake Workshop with Ice Maiden Cakes.
Come along for a hands-on practice and learn two different techniques for icing your cupcakes as well as how to use molds and embossers to make simple but effective vintage rose decorations. All materials, tools, and 6 cupcakes are included. The lesson lasts an hour and I expect you can eat your results!

So after all that, what’s next?

The Carling Suite & Wessex Suite

Marry Me in Somerset will be hosting a Vintage & Retro Wedding Fair throughout the two rooms and will be showing off their wedding dresses within the Fashion Show (in the Ballroom). If you want something a little different on your wedding day then you must come along, there will be over 40 stalls of wedding gorgeousness to buy or take inspiration from.

Phew! Now where can you go to relax?

Well, if you get in there quick enough the DVK Secret Supper Club will be hosting a Vintage/Retro themed lunch from 12-2pm in the Lounge Bar. DVK SC is actually Claire’s brainchild and although you may find imitators, this will always be the original and the best. Accept no substitutes!! (booking required and strongly recommended!)                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                   After your lovely lunch, settle yourself in a little visual treat of the Beatles Classic “A Hard Days Night”. From 3pm – 7pm the Lounge will be converted into a Cinema with a 12ft x 10ft screen, by Pop Up Cinema. So come and watch a 3pm or 5pm special screening . There will be a bar available with food, drinks, a Retro Sweet Shop and Vintage Pop-Corn Cart. (booking required)

There is also the Family Lounge which will be open to the public serving Sunday lunches and food from their Bar Menu. And whilst you take a load off there will be the Yeovil Live Stage provided by the local music, arts, and entertainment magazine Yeovil Live. Make sure you pop along and pick-up the latest issue for FREE.  From 10am till 3pm there will be some excellent live  entertainment in the form of Rock ‘n’ Roll band The Animal Urges,  Lindy Hop, Rock ‘n’ Roll & Swing Dancers, Bexi Owen (Jazz, Blues & Swing Singer), A Cigar Box Guitar Band, Burlesque Troupe AND a BBQ!

Wowzers. All for £1.50! You cant go wrong! Book yourself in for a few treats or just have a lovely day browsing. You wont regret it!

You can contact the lovely Claire for all the above here:
www.daisysvintagekitchen.co.uk
info@daisysvintagekitchen.co.uk
07984 225596

Here is a little visual treat of what is to come (click for the link)!

THE BLUES KITCHEN PRESENTS…

Following the huge success of its launch in October, Stumblin’ Slims is back to kick off the New Year with some sexy vintage Rock n Roll. On Saturday 21st January 2012 gals in vintage prom dresses and guys in quiffs and tight denim will be revving up the T-birds to get to Stumblin’ Slims, the hottest 1950s Rock N Roll night, taking place at Village Underground in Shoreditch.
Hosted by team behind The Blues Kitchen, Stumblin’ Slims will recreate the girly glamour and leather clad sexiness of 1950s and 1960s Hollywood in East London. Across between Prom Night and a late night drag race meet, Stumblin’ Slims will capture the essence of that era, all with a soundtrack of original rock n roll tracks and live bands.
Saturday’s event will feature live music from Little Barrie – a power trio that plays stripped down Blues, R&B, Funk and Soul. Having supported Primal Scream and Paul Weller, the band recently launched their 3rd album, produced by Edwyn Collins. The night will also feature a DJ set by Kate Hutchinson (Time Out).
Throughout the evening DJ duo, Hits Don’t Hurt will spin vintage hits and dance floor fillers. Based in East London, Hits Don’t Hurt specialise in playing original Rhythm and Blues vinyl that is guaranteed to get you on the dancefloor. Resident DJs at Paradise By Way Of Kensal Green, Hits Don’t Hurt played Glastonbury, The Isle of Wight Festival and The Secret Garden Party, and recently got London dancing while playing the Deadmau5 after party at the top of the Millbank tower.
Throughout Stumblin’ Slims, guests will be able to sip from a (spiked) punch bowl and help themselves fairground-style to popcorn and candyfloss. Marlboro smoking rebels and their bobby socked girlfriends can play spin the bottle in the back of a pickup truck while those without a prom date practice the hand jive and get giggly on milkshake cocktails.
Throughout the night, there will be professional dancers on hand to teach wannabe twisters and jive bunnies in readiness for the Stumblin’ Slims Twist Contest. The winning couple will not only be presented with the coveted twist trophy, but will also win free meals at The Blues Kitchen in Camden.
Saturday 21st January 2012
Cost: £15 adv. £20 door
Times: 8pm – 2am
Village Underground
54 Holywell Lane City of London EC2A 3PQ 020 7422 7505
www.stumblinslims.com

DRESSMAKING: MAKE ME A DOMESTIC SEWING GODDESS
Want to become a domestic sewing goddess but not sure where to start? Join Mia Jaffari at the Papered Parlour as she helps
take the fear out of fabrics and sets you on your sewing way. From the basics of hand stitching through to threading your machine, we’ll have you replacing buttons, taking up trousers, and revamping old clothes in no time. With tips and advice on how to upcycle your garments with simple alterations, you’ll learn how to extend the life of your clothes and save well-worn favourites from the recycling bin. Let the parlour girls whip you into dressmaking shape – The Papered Parlour promises to send you home a confident and competent
domestic sewing goddess.

Sunday 06 February, Sunday 27 February, Saturday 19 March OR Sunday 10 April 2011 / 12 – 5pm
£77.50 (Includes refreshments)

The Papered Parlour
7 Prescott Place
London SW4 6BS Tel: 020 7627 8703

Website

With a powder blue, cotton candy-esque dress billowing around her waist, Gabby Young performed her final show before year’s end last Saturday with cohorts the Other Animals, the band’s flair for eccentricity well in tact. The sultry provocateur belted out big band-inspired tunes peppered with jazz and gypsy influences, inspiring Saturday’s crowd to sway, bounce, and whoop “J’taime, Gabby!” in-between songs.

Pre-show, Gabberdashery (née haberdashery) stalls lined the upper tier of Notting Hill venue the Tabernacle, where indie artisans sold wares in a holiday bazaar setting. Think elaborate, jeweled headgear and ‘40s-inspired accessories to match Young’s signature style.

Young moved through her set list with aplomb, sometimes wielding a guitar, megaphone, or gently caressing the microphone during soulful numbers. As this was the last show with the band’s current lineup, Young invited new members onstage—who will join her in the new year—and introduced them to an inviting public.

While we can’t say precisely what Young and the Other Animals will be up to in 2011, rest assured that the whispers of news we’ve heard bode well for the motley crew of musicians. J’taime, Gabby, indeed.

Braving winter’s creeping chill in our best Prohibition Era-inspired attire, we scurried ourselves to the opening of new London speakeasy The Nightjar last Thursday evening. The preview event officially ushered the lounge into Shoreditch’s after-hours scene, inaugurated by a performance by Topshelf Jazz and copious cocktail consumption.

As we recently previewed, The Nightjar is an intimate venue conveniently steps away from the Old Street tube station, lit by the seductive glow of dim bulbs in its atmospheric interior. Dually serving as lounge and gig space, it is less suited for mellow conversations than lively evenings spent sipping on one of 30-plus designer cocktails as a DJ or jazz band provides entertainment.

Naturally, we encountered women with a vintage wave and bounce to their hair, men sporting hipster-dapper suits, and a mix of revelers who excitedly reached for drinks including the Morning Glory Fizz (absinthe, eggwhite, champagne, whisky and fresh lime) and deliciously (and perhaps dangerously)-potent Fog Cutter (Appeleton Estate rum, Tanqueray, orange, lemon, sherry, cognac, and oregeat). The phrase “free drinks” is enough to inspire some clamouring even among the most sophisticated of the press set, we observed.

In the coming weeks, you can look forward to regular shows featuring resident DJ Jean-Paul Séculaire, and blues guitarists and French swing outfits gracing The Nightjar’s stage. Our Events page will be updated with some of the latest Nightjar intel, so keep watch for more information. And, rest easy; no password is required for entrance.

THE BIG TEN INCH takes over both floors at The Book Clubon Saturday October 30th with all the Freaks of the Fayre.

Featuring:
THE UNTOUCHABLES
http://www.myspace.com/theuntouchablesblues
Devilish Blues!
Make a date at the crossroads… The Untouchables transport you back in time, bringing the Chicago Blues of Chess Records to 21st century England.

GREG THE BUTLER
http://www.myspace.com/theshellaccollective
Sickly 78s!
One of Britain’s most respected collectors of original 10″ shellac, Bestival Sensation and personal disc-jockey to Blur’s Alex James!

JAZZMAN GERALD
http://www.myspace.com/jazzmangerald
Frightful 45s!
The man behind Jazzman, Funk 45 and Stark Reality Records. Digging crates, not graves.

COUNT VOODOO
Tremblin’ 33s!
Count Skylarkin’s blood-curdling Latin ancestor and Hidalgo del Parral, Chihuahua, Mexico’s deadliest exponent of Coffin-Rockin’ R&B.

MAD MISS SPLINTERS
Bearded Banshee from Basildon.

CREEPSHOW PADDY
He PLAYS Dead People!

AND MORE!

Saturday October 30th at The Book Club
100 – 106 Leonard Street, Shoreditch EC2A 4RH
8pm-2am
FREE before 9pm / £5 after
£5 ADVANCE
http://www.wegottickets.com/event/97257

Authentic Haunted Victorian Automata WONDERS, ENCHANTMENTS AND SPIRITS… Nestled deep in the heart of the capital lies London’s best kept secret. For years, Simon Drake’s House of Magic has played host to exclusive displays of magic and mysticism. Now, for the first time, the House is to be opened to the public for a series of bespoke showcases of the finest cabaret, burlesque and mystery known to man. SEE the wonders of the stage appear before your very eyes! MARVEL at the Victorian splendour of London’s most luxurious and exclusive venue! WONDER at mind boggling feats of prestidigitation, titillation and tomfoolery! DANCE to the voodoo sounds of DJ Lucifer Box and special guests!

Featuring: * Kiruna Stamell * Matt Hennem * Agent Lynch * Madame Galina * DJ Lucifer Box * Close up Magic *

Tickets here £15

DANCE WITH THE GREEN FAIRY AT…
LA BELLE EPOQUE

Celebrating everything bohemian and debauched, La Belle Époque returns to Shoreditch Studios for a second dose
of the absinthe-fuelled hedonism of 19th Century Paris. This is one of my favorite nights for dressing up. Think Sateen from Moulin Rouge rather than a hen do in Blackpool, so make sure you go to town on those outfits. A tacky corset and feather plume just won’t cut it. From the people who brought you The Blitz Party and Prohibition, La Belle
Époque will take place in Shoreditch on Saturday 25th September 2010.

Shoreditch Studios will be transformed into a Montmartre music hall, designed to enrapture
the soul and trick the mind. With velvet drapes, distorting mirrors and silent art-house
films, the venue’s many alcoves and stages will evoke the wild and bizarre vibe of the
absinthe bars of Fin de Siècle Paris.

Circus performers and sideshow freaks will melt into the corseted crowd, entertaining guests
with time-honoured trickery and unimaginable feats, while aerialists and trapeze artists
twist and turn from the ceiling.

Throughout the evening, expert absintheurs will be on hand to guide guests through
centuries-old sugar cube and fire techniques, introducing beginners to the delights of the
green fairy. Channelling their inner Degas and making like Baudelaire, guests will be
encouraged to create art throughout the evening: whether by reciting poetry, indulging in
absinthe-induced ravings, or philosophising outside over a Gauloise.

Both live bands and DJs will play an eclectic mix of music inspired by the diverse and
original sound that has emerged from the streets of Paris’s red-light district.
The evening’s dress code is Choleric Courtesan or Tortured Artist. Men should emulate
Toulouse Lautrec’s diminutive style and cultivate the ‘starving in a garret’ look; think
moustaches and paint-splattered smocks. For the bourgeoisie at heart, tuxedos, top hats
and tails will make for a decadent and dashing alternative. Ladies should go for big hair,
feathers and risqué hemlines – and, if possible, try to squeeze into a corset.

LA BELLE EPOQUE
Saturday 25th September 2010
8pm-2am (Aerial Acrobatics start at 9pm) Tickets: £20
www.belleepoqueparty.com
0207 724 1617
29 New Inn Yard
London
EC2A 3EY

With winter well on its way, and a gazillion vintage ‘projects’ to restore, I can foresee a lot of stitching and making come the dark evenings. For all you clever people currently making stuff come and join craft queen Perri Lewis and M X Stitch here: