East End to West End – Trailing the Creative Scene

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With the weather turning to lovely summer days, it is time to get out and about in to see what is happening on all ‘Ends’. This started in my neighbourhood areas in the East of London to the West End of town in London.  I realised half way through the month that I was able to explore some of the brilliant creative art in the E17 Art Trail and other shows held by local artists and residents.  I have written about this trail before on my previous participations but there is always something new to see to inspire you with the creativity on show.

The first trail started with friends when the simultaneous Art Trail occurred during the Open Gardens weekend in Walthamstow. I haven’t been to the Open Garden for a while but I love walking around and seeing beautiful front gardens, but with the open gardens scheme – you can actually go into the private gardens on the day and time specified by the owners to see their garden. I really liked the first one I went into as I knew from their front garden that the rear garden will also be great.  It was nice to see a homemade pergola and pond, vegetable patch, and great planting to complement the space. There were some young teenagers selling cakes to raise money for themselves too.

One other garden was to the front of the lady’s house and she spoke to my friends and I about the plants self-seeding and the use of different plants for colour foliage.  One great garden was a newly planted garden with the owner showing us the before and after photos from only a year ago.  This garden was planned out for homeworking space, areas for dining and drinks, but also an abundance of plants packed into the borders on both sides of the windy path.  It was nice to see furniture and walls painted with the on trend sage green. 

My friend has been participating in local art initiatives for a long time and this time she took part in a collective show at Art Works East, which was only launched last week with a great private view with local artists and those from further afield.  It was a really hot day – one of those barmy nights that you are up late but it is still very hot outside.  So it was great to see the artwork based on ‘Symbiosis – Living together’ with a focus on exploring patterns of nature, sustainability and our relationship with the more then human world. The musical entertainment and talks were also very interesting to bring the event together with the art still on display for a few more weeks. There seems to be a continued connection on my appreciation of garden and art. 

Some of the more arts and craft aspect we saw were some local shops displaying their art such as the antique show with embroidery, upholstery, knitted gardens and knitted tribute to national treasure David Attenborough. The local St Mary’s Church of England had a redesign layout a few years ago to a multipurpose space and therefore it was also using the interior to display some art. I also popped into a local artist’s home which was open and it was good to see her after many years despite her being now housebound due to her age. Not only shops and churches, but the local art trail is also hosted in some homes on the outside or inside.  One particular exhibition was amazing with the book ‘The year I stopped to notice’ by Miranda Keeling inspiring artists to randomly send her illustration to her observations.  I thought this was extra special as it was such a human connection for Miranda to write the observations and then for artists to be inspired by her book.  I was so touched by this that I bought a copy of her book to read in my leisure time.

The last bit of local East End art I saw was a new exhibition in a new art gallery in ‘the village’ which was once a hair salon.  I knew that there were lots of artists in my local area but this new gallery was a definite signal of a thriving scene and art community. 

Now, as I had visitors from aboard, I did push the boat out to go to the West End of London to check out some of other bits of entertainment in town.  These included the immersive art experience at Frameless near Marble Arch with themed rooms of The Romantics, Out of this World and Colour in Motion.  I have only ever experience a mini show an RSA exhibition but being able to go into very large rooms and experience the art on such a grand scale to background of music or curated sounds was amazing.  I obviously knew some of the art piece but not all and this was an opportunity to learn more about some art.  The children in the room loved the interactive aspect of the art and I liked that the rooms are enormous to the point that I felt I was moving in the immersive ‘frame’.  The room of abstract art was more adult with benches in a darken display room – here I began to relax and felt more restful as if I was in a spa and just watching the abstract art move in front of me.  The price of the ticket was not expensive but it was good value for money for the enormity of the rooms and interactive experience – plus there was a café and shop if you wanted to relax whilst visiting.

The other aspects were more live shows from the West End Theatre to see Grace Pervades to Abba Voyage at the Pudding Mill Lane Area Studio in the East End of London. Both events I attended on a Monday night but the venues were busy! The live theatre with real actors, dialogue, adlib, human laughter and appreciate were a treat in itself.  The play has the renowned actor Ralph Fiennes and a cast of brilliant real actors. Whilst Abba Voyage was a good night out to see a well-loved Swedish Band but as an artificial avatar of their younger selves. The crowd again were really enjoying and dancing to what was basically a screen of the original humans.  I liked that there was an old a live band and that there was some storytelling and humour from the Abba band members. It is amazing that this possible and perhaps we will see more of this as artists move to the other world with an avatar of their work available for generations to enjoy for hundreds of years to come as part of their great legacy.

I truly did walk a lot in the last few weeks doing all these interesting things but it was really good time spent with friends and enjoy creativity from the West End to the East End of London.  The summer has only just started so who knows where else I will explore next!

Chelsea Flower Show – finally off my bucket list

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I have been meaning to go to the Royal Horticultural Society (RHS) Chelsea Flower Show since the mid-1980s. I recall listening to the BBC World Service programme in Trinidad, where local horticulturalists had presented and won a gold award at the flower show.  And although I have been keen on gardening in London since 1997, I still had not visited the show and have only ever looked at the coverage on TV and magazines.  So this year it was a special treat to visit the show and see how it was in real. 

The flower show developed in May 1827 at the start of the growing season for the then Horticultural Society of London.  Moving around different London locations until the Royal International Horticultural Exhibition on the grounds of the Royal Hospital Chelsea. Since 1913, the show has been running there where the familiar name ‘Chelsea’ (rather than RHS) has been stuck. The hospital building is impressive too as you can see the building from parts of the main exhibition areas.  The Chelsea Pensioners who live there, were very visible and celebrities in their own right with several persons taking photos of them – including me!

As I live in London, getting to Chelsea was quite straightforward and it was nice to go through some of the residential part of the neighbourhood with their red brick architecture typical for that part of town.  The show attracts around 145000 people per annum, and there was definitely a sense of excitement as with the 1000s of people who were also at the show on the day I visited. The women especially were dressed up with the best floral or colour themes fabrics on a warm spring day – there was definitely a festival vibe. 

As we entered through the main ticket halls, there was a long arcade lined by trees of stalls made up of creative market stalls with products for the garden, homes, fashion etc. I couldn’t help thinking of how great it was to see all the creative businesses and artefacts if you are passionate about that industry.  We recently just finished landscaping my garden at home, so I also was excited by all the great products on display. 

Once we had secured our flowers show programme with a map, we made our way to see all the large show gardens.  Having seen some of the built-up media coverage earlier in the week, it was nice see the best in show in real for the large show gardens with the enormous sculpture lying on one side. In fact, going around all the large show gardens were fabulous to see – I loved the planting, the use of paths, trees, sculpture, structure and water features.  Several of the gardens were raising awareness of some causes – from the Lady Garden Foundation ‘Silent no More’ for gynaecological cancers that claim the lives of 21 women each day in the UK; The Children’s Society Garden with an urban landscape reimagined to offer young people the care and reassurance they need during the most formative years of their lives; and the Parkinson UK’s garden inspired by a workshop for gardeners living with Parkinson. The Parkinson society also launched a scentless rose for the charity to highlight a common symptom of the loss of the sense of smell.  The Sightsavers Garden which aimed to raise awareness around inclusion while also championing disability rights. And DKMS who were creating a new rose ‘Stems of Hope’ to encourage people to join the stem cell register. I was pleased to see that there were messages and causes by the garden to raise awareness and to support those communities.

I could also spot some of the more tropical palm tree on display, but even I am aware that some of these do survive the harsh British winter. There was an international element with the Japanese garden designed Tokonoma Garden Sanumaya no Niwa by Kazuyuki Ishihara and Paul Kenko Tange.  The garden was simple with understated Japanese aesthetics with foliage for changing season, moss baubles used for carpeting a wall, and building structures to represent going into a home and rooms.  There was also a representation from Barbados which I saw – unfortunately I understand that Trinidad did not exhibit this year.  The Barbados showcase won Gold with their ‘On de Road’ garden,  which had very similar tropical plants and flowers displayed that reminded me of the Caribbean from orchids, anthoriums, bird of paradise plants and heliconias. It was nice to have a chat with Barbadian representative who told me that Grenada were also in the show. In the Pavilion, it was stunning to see the flowers on display from peonies (which I had in abundance about over 25 years ago), orchids, roses, sweet peas, tulip, succulents and daffodils.  There was a lot more to see, but it was a very hot day and the Pavilion was really hot and humid for walking around.

The Balcony and Container gardens were really beautifully displayed and popular with the attendees. They were small but perfectly formed – full of inspiration and fun.  Some of these were sponsored, such as The Whittard of Chelsea Garden which celebrated 140 years of the simple pleasure of enjoying a unique tea blend with the design and sound of pouring the perfect cup.  Another was the ‘Little Garden of Shared Knowledge’ sponsored by cruise company Viking, with a London townhouse garden designed for a well-travelled retired couple who have downsized  – “it reflects a lifetime of learning and exploration and a desire to share knowledge and experience with others”. This area was good to see what is possible in smaller, urban spaces and different (like on riverbanks) locations.  In terms of colour, the Seasalt Painted Garden had bold colours and used recycled materials. The North African inspired planting, water features and mirrors where also used to show small courtyard designs.  The container plants again where great to see from the geraniums, nasturtium, alliums, stachys, herbs and some vegetables like tomatoes.   The gardens in this area were smaller but were there to inspired showgoers to take the ideas back to their own spaces.   

Sustainability and the reminder of the importance of gardens to our ecosystem for all living things and beings was apparent at the show.  We need plants and trees for our oxygen, food, and other raw materials – with wildlife considered in garden designs.  I did not see many vegetable gardens but there was a use of herbs, and some gardens used recyclable materials and features.  The Whittard Garden had all materials from recyclable pipes to copper container built into the design features. There was one arid garden design that reminded us of hotter climates and how the planting reflected this.

As the site was large, there was time to walk around…but with breaks.  We stopped for some coffee and a snack in one of the cafes, and at lunch time it was too hot but a cold drink was very welcomed.  I also like that there were picnic areas but they were really packed especially in the hotter lunchtime session.  There was entertainment throughout the week and the day I attended had a choir and a 1950’s vintage all female singing band.  It was great to take in the sounds, the sunshine and sights whilst enjoying an ice cream. There were champagne bars, and lots more to keep you entertain. 

The show had a lot of ideas for creating your own gardens but there were also lots of businesses from ornaments, materials, designers, plants and everything horticultural. I saw some beautiful sheds in various colours, and it reinforced my ideas as the next day I was actually going to be painting my own shed at home.  I loved a shed on display which had a bar, a couple of sofas and a vinyl player.  It was perfect for a warm barmy afternoon in my own garden! 

We could have easily spent the whole day there but we left after a few hours. I would recommend it but would say that it is very busy with people if you don’t like crowds. I certainly would visit sometime in the future and plan the day out a little more now that I know what to expect. There is good handy guide from Visit London here. Most of all, I was struck with the plants and flowers chosen, and the designs of the beautiful gardens and these will stay in my imagination and memory for a long time.

Home sweet Home

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We have all hear or seen these beautiful words to remind us of the place where we live or feel most comfortable.  The ‘happy place’ or ‘forever home’ are some of the more modern words that I see on social media.  I do have a sense of home and had to learn it the hard way when I left my happy home as a teenager to study in London.  I missed my parents, my friends, the socialising, family gatherings small and large, the space, the plants and the loving home in my formative years. I eventually got used to being a country and new home very far away from what I was used to on a tropical Caribbean Island.

I decided to write about homes this month as we are in the third cycle of doing ‘stuff’ around my home and garden.

I have been spending a lot of time looking at gardens, plants, interior designs and furniture. I always had a love of these things having helped my parent clean and care for our home.  I distinctly remember loving the plants and cutting flowers for vases and although I don’t do that so often in London – I have an appreciation of gardens and obviously interior designs.  I also recall doing a project for Home Economics when I was about 14-15 years on bedroom designs where I had some beautiful images from a catalogue belonging to my friend’s mum on soft furnishing and fabrics. I really enjoyed doing that essay or booklet but in those days in the 1980s, being an interior designer or gardener were not even discussed as a career choice, never mind encouraged. I do believe that times have changed with more opportunities for commercial interior designs and landscape gardening.

So although I am having to navigate around the mess the last couple of months have brought to my home, I am researching some of my favourite things and looking forward to when it is all completed. One of my favourite tip is using my local library card to access Libby for looking at online versions of some of the best homes and gardens magazines. Some of the well-known ones like House and Garden, Country Life and Good Housekeeping are free to view electronically with my local library login! However, I know printed copies are more leisurely for browsing but they are rather expensive to buy now.  I do sometimes treat myself if I have lots of leisure time but it is very rare then I do have so much spare time.  Talking about Country Life – I used to love looking at all the beautiful home in the magazine when we circulated it in printed copy in the 1990s.  The prices then for large expensive home is the price you probably pay for a tiny flat (apartment) in London.  However, I recently visited another library and the staff said that it is still very popular with their patrons!

I recently saw that the Open Gardens Scheme is running and it is now easily able online. I went a long time ago in my local area and was inspired by some of the creative gardens that Londoners do in smaller spaces.  I was also impressed with some long and narrow garden who had divided areas in made it interesting to explore.  I hope I can visit some gardens this Spring and Summer in and around London again.  As part of my research, I have been looking at local Estate Agents to see gardens for homes that are up for sale.  I do live in an area that has been ‘gentrified’ and have skyrocketed in value (like most parts of London), so the homeowners seem to have money to invest their lovely homes.  I recall in the 1990s having to get homes information in paper format from your Estates Agents and some of the conditions of the home then were appalling! The internet has definitely made homeowners proud of the visuals, buyers have more visual choices in requirements they need, and it may even shame you or devalue the price if your home is terrible to a prospective buyer. I know this is not the care for all homes for sale but I love getting inspiration from real homes that are on sale too.

This brings to mind those who do not have homes or who cannot even afford to buy their own homes.  I know different countries have different lifestyles – like renting in Germany, flats in Italy and massive homes with basements in North America as it is so new compared to Europe. There are also different climates and access to outdoor spaces depending on where you are in the world.  There are also a lot of people displaced in the world due to war, political or economic challenges.  I remember a friend who lived in a war-torn country but she said that her mum made sure that she was clean at bed time in the temporary home as it was part of their routine.  This has been resonating with me recently we don’t have a washing machine, cooker and kitchen sink whilst our new kitchen is being installed. We are adapting to microwave meals, a launderette and eating out for a few weeks whilst we cope with these changes.

Taking Five – Five ways to spend downtime

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Take Five – used to tell someone to stop working and relax for a short period of time

Source: Cambridge Org – https://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/english/take-five#google_vignette

In the last few weeks I have been taking some time away from work to help me relax and spend some downtime at home.  I didn’t get to spend much time at home last year so I truly embraced the time.

1. Get Gardening – I few weeks ago we had our garden redesigned and this was difficult in the wintery months but in recent weeks, it has become more Springlike and I was looking forward to checking out plants and working with the new minimalist style.  I have always been fond of gardening and miss the tropical plants and trees I grew up around in the Caribbean as I like in London.  However, with almost 30 years of understanding British gardens and plants – I now know what will thrive in my garden and have a list of my favourite plants and love research them online or checking them on social media. Therefore, I was armed with a list of plants to source in recent weeks.   I have visited about four garden centres in the last two weeks and spent a small fortune getting the plants I want.  I don’t mind spending money on plants if they are perennials and will keep on giving in future years.

Some of the plants I listed were not yet available from the shops, such as Echinacea.  However, I am sure to visit some more garden centres again.

I have noticed that younger homeowners are really into plants too so there are several new florists and plant shops in my neighbourhood.  I think plants and gardening definitely have wellbeing and health benefits – the only risk is hurting myself with too much physical gardening! However I am looking forward to the imminent blooms. And last but not least, I am really pleased that I have booked two special garden visits already with close friends and looking forward to the Chelsea Flower Show in May.

2. Savour Good Food – I love cooking and experimenting with new recipes.  My family are real foodies and I come from a rich heritage of cooking, baking and…eating! I know I am good at various recipes and have had real masterclasses from my Indo-Caribbean mother and Italian mother-in-law.  Whilst I was on vacation (as the North Americans say) I have baked, make dishes that take more time, spent time browsing shelves in local food stores and tried some new restaurants.  I recently visited a restaurant that does amazing brunches and they also have a special Mediterranean brunch.  It was really good and I am looking forward to taking some of my female friends there for lunch.

I also went to the famous OXO Tower restaurant again for lunch on a very beautiful sunny day as a special treat.  The dishes and the flavours were delicious and the ingredients are so innovative that it is good to savour the meal.  I love the way that great chef out together creative dishes and have all the admiration in the world for them!

3. See some Films – I was just beginning my downtime at home when a family member started a series on Netflix.  Normally I try to avoid series as I don’t have the time to look at time or the patience to deal with soap opera.  However, I certainly got hooked on the series that I was looking at and it became the highlight of my evening to relax and discuss with my family and friends.  The same thing happened at Christmas and actually… I think it great that we have this technology at home to enjoy great films.  I always have things I want to see on a ‘normal’ weekend but sometimes don’t seem to fit them into my relaxing schedule but this time I certainly was able to enjoy a series.

I also went to local cinema to see the film Midwinter Break.  I was one of the youngest persons in the cinema as it was about 3pm and all the other customers seemed to be pensioners as the film story was about an elderly couple visiting Amsterdam on holiday.  I sometimes forget to go to the cinema as we didn’t have one locally for years but I hope that I can make time to see film in the cinema more often as the bigger screens and sound systems definitely add a bit of magic to films.

4. Window Shopping – I couldn’t get away from having some errands in my downtime so I had to go into town to see the optician.  I was pleased to go to the nearest shopping mall near me at Westfield.  I really appreciate having this about 30 minutes away as I used to have to go to Bluewater in Kent, which was about 1 hour plus away.  I was able to check a couple of my favourite fashion shops and ended up ordering a dress that was on display but they did not have my size in stock.  I had to turn away from all the bargains as I have too much clothes already. 

I was able to admire all the lovely stuff in the homeware department at John Lewis and guess what…. I was able to buy some garden furniture that I have been researching for the last two months! I saw a table in stock that I did not see online and as my husband was with me – he agreed that it was good and we were able to buy it there and then.

I will be honest and say that I really am a natural online shopper now and I love click and collect for my favourite shops but it is great to still have retailers where you can still browse, touch and feel if you really would like to buy something.  Anyway, a little retail therapy is good for the soul!

5. Going out for fun – As we go about our busy lives, there is a difference in taking time for leisure and fun things.  Lately I am having to remind myself of this and having downtime has reminded me that sometimes I don’t have to go far to find fun things to do in my neighbourhood.  There multiple pubs, a few museums, theatres and creatives venues a little future in central London. I have recently been to some local entertainment gigs but I will have to be more proactive and see some bigger and ‘more expensive and famous’ acts in the near future.  I know the Spring weather is only starting and therefore there is a sense of making best use of the extra daylight time in the next few months.  This is definitely what I intend to do to make sure I have quality downtime.

Go on In – celebrating the National Year of Reading

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This year we are celebrating the National Year of Reading and the theme of ‘Go on In’.  Reading is one of the fundamental joy, pleasure, and human activity that is universal to us.  I know that literacy rates are not complete in parts of the world and there is still access issues to reading materials, but reading is a right and skill that helps us to learn, develop, imagine and grow throughout our lives.

The National Reading Agency hopes highlights the importance of literacy here and that the year-round celebrations will encourage younger person to take up reading more to help them develop and communicate. Literacy skills are great for helping us navigate life from early years, through education to our adult everyday lives. We need to read everything from health and medical information, filling in forms, road signs and more and more – our lives are very digital.  Therefore, it is necessary for us to read for pleasure but also for living. 

The journey from child in early years is one of the best ways to engage children with the love of reading.  I remember loving the books we had at home and reading my older siblings schools books.  We did not have all the British books that may be familiar here but we knew some of the popular titles like Alice in Wonderland. We also had some books from Canada and America with two I remember on Inuits and another on architecture (I have tried finding it as an adult but perhaps it is out of print). I went to a local primary school and they we not strong on reading but great at maths! So when I changed school to a private school with expats – I actually was behind at reading in my new class.  I used to have to take home a book to read with my mum and it is possibly my first interaction with a library as the books was kept in the Head Teacher’s office. She was an amazing woman and I have tried finding her but to no avail. Eventually I would catch up on my reading.  That first year at my new school, I did get a prize for my maths.  The prize was a copy of the book ‘Heidi’.

As an adult, I love that there are actually libraries now in my childhood town and my current neighbour. The Booktrust and other initiatives like Dolly Parton’s Imagination library also give children books with read with their families. It is also interesting to see a lot more Free Libraries and many in my neighbourhood have books for children.

There is actually a challenge, as well as an opportunity, that has evolved in the last 15 years ago or so for children and adults – this is the advancement of tablets and computers in the home.  I do see more children looking at content on their tablets and even parents smartphones.  Children are obviously looking at visual content, media and games but they may also be reading stories.  Therefore the Go all In theme is great here as we are not just talking about printed materials.   Reading materials in any format is great – be it comics, newspapers, magazines, poetry, bike manuals etc, are all encouraged and interesting to instil a love of reading.

Newspapers and current affairs are great sources of reading that we may take for granted. This is where I have been working on information literacy, and my degree covered a lot on the use of news, information, communication, media, library and IT resources at that time.

This is still one of the most common ways we may read content and which is even more accessible on smartphones. In secondary school, we studies literature and obviously read various genres of literature from scripts, regional and international novels to poetry.  At one point in my first year of secondary school, students and teachers had a dedicated 15 minutes for reading after lunch. If I recall rightly, the acronym of this reading programme was called USSR (perhaps it meant Universal Staff and Student Reading).

One of the best aspects of reading is learn classic and new tales and stories.  They tend to inspire new forms of understanding and creativity such as film and theatre. Many stories are take us away to faraway lands and planets such as Sci Fi literature. They also make us create a respond emotionally to the characters and narratives.  Obviously, this is something we already know but reading for pleasure can also help us to write better.  The way that language is formulated or how authors tell their stories gives us the gift of their imagination and use of language. 

Up until recently, I was part of a neighbourhood book club and loved that we all reading the same book at the same time (and not at school or university!). It was great to hear modern and classic suggestions, and to read something that I would not necessarily choose to read.  I really did enjoy being part of this club where we met in a local pub or home to discuss the book of choice.  However, due to extra workloads and my volunteering – I was unable to participate fully and therefor I have recently stepped away.

One of the best ways to be inspired to read more, is to pop into book shops. There are some amazing book shops and although books may be available on Kindles and tablets, there is still a passion and need for buying physical books.  One time when I can appreciate books, is when I am on holiday and unable to do much.  So going to a bookshop always feel better when I know I will be off radar for a while.  

Again, there is a whole industry around publishing, artwork and literary agents seeking out the newest talent.  I have been a couple of book launches and it is great to hear the inspiration and through processes for stories.  I also went to the London Book Fair with my ex-colleague in the 2000s as she was looking for books in Braille and ‘scratch and sniff’ for visually impaired readers. Providing reading materials that are accessible is another fascinating area – such as books in Braille, talking books, audio and even podcasts.  I am still to listen to my first audio book and haven’t as yet as I do like to see how language is convey but I guess I can try it to see it works for me.

Apart from libraries, schools, free libraries, books shops and free digital ways of reading.  There are some options for corporate organisations to sponsor materials but also to host reading and literacy support to local schools or learners.  All the organisations where I worked (and one where I volunteered), help young people to read and discover stories with one-to-one support.  I know my professional role help persons to read for all walks of life but this post has enabled me to really reflect on how important reading really is to all of us.

Every year one of my loose resolutions is that I read more.  I am busy reading work related materials and stuff but hopefully I can start too. Go on, let’s go on in and get reading!

Women fashion styling – a view of historic design and liberation

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Throughout the ages, women have been creating clothing out of necessity and modesty, however, they have added their special artistic abilities and skills to materials, textiles, patterns and fabrics to make clothing into not just something that is practical, but also fashionable! I am no fashionista but I love to look at nice clothes and appreciate good pieces of design and fabrics when I see them. I also appreciate women who have the skills to create clothing, and those who are fashionable. Over the years, I have known persons who create bikinis to ball gowns – there is much admiration for them and let’s be honest, fashion is here to stay.

I chose to write about fashion this month as I have been two exhibitions that showcase the history of women who were influential, skilled or worked in the industry.  The first was at the V&A Museum on the recent Marie Antoinette Style.  You may be familiar with Marie Antoinette and her alleged famous line  “Qu’ils mangent de la brioche” which translates to “Let them eat brioche (cake)” at the height of food shortages during the reign of French King Louise XVI.  I studied Louis XVI for A ‘Levels and knew of all the extravagance of the Sun King, which was still apparent with Marie Antoinette was queen. The dress of the rigid court at that time was in an era of elaborate details with rich adornments. Marie Antoinette’s famous life story is one of ‘glamour, spectacle and tragedy’, which explores her excess, influence on fashion and natural beauty as describe by her features and evidence in her complexion on the painting of her that were displayed.  However, she gives us a focal point from a grand feminine protagonist during the pro-revolution movement in France.

Marie Antoinette’s fashion brought the imagination to life for what it was like to be European in the 18th Century.  The fabrics and needlework were amazing to see from the very ornate threads of the gowns with the wide and possibly heavy structures that a small frame would have carry around.  The details in the fabrics were fascinating to see with some of them embellished, or threaded with gold and other patterns. Undergarments and corsets were stiff and the size of their waists were tiny compare to what we might consider average today.  I particularly like the coloured fabrics and they can look like something that you may still find on the high street today. 

Jewels were also made of long chains that were used to dress the whole upper body.  Interesting to see that Marie Antoinette was encouraged to wear a diamond brooch of a feature rather than a real feather.  There was a whole section on the shoes of the period and again their feet were tiny and perhaps they were transported everywhere as it was in pristine condition rather than used and muddy.  I know some of these items may have been in museum or special collections as historic artefacts – so it more than anything it allows us to think of how fashion is still similar, but have evolved over time.  I particularly like the fans on display in the exhibition and for sale in the V&A shop,  and bought one for use when it gets hot using the underground in summer. 

The exhibition also acknowledged the impact of colonialism during this time and some of this is demonstrated in her designer’s choice of fabric from the India to the Caribbean, and even the image of her wear a hat from north Africa.  If we start to unpick the imagery – it gives us clues on how the court was influenced by fabrics and other materials brought from the colonies. Undoubtedly, Marie Antoinette had access to some of the best materials and designs that existed at that time.  Her fashion style has an ongoing inspiration for modern designers and artists such as Manolo Blahnik, Vivienne Westwood, Karl Lagerfield and others.  If you want to see Marie Antoinette’s fashion and learn more about her life, the film starring Kirsten Dunst by Sofia Coppola is great.  And to ensure that her famous cake statement is not forgotten, some designers have created dresses fashion on cake. Just in case we forgot the fate of Marie Antoinette, the guillotine used for her death was on display. 

The revolution remains part of the French psyche of Liberte Egalite Fratenite – and so too is the creativity that brought this exhibition together for us to learn from history.

My second exhibition was closer to home at the William Morris Gallery with the current exhibition on ‘Women in Print – 150 years of Liberty Textiles’ presented in partnership with Liberty Fabrics to celebrate the design house’s 150th anniversary.  The exhibition aims to show the ‘pivotal role and contributions of women textile designers’, and it really was a celebration and acknowledgement of the staff designers who not only worked for Liberty but also created fashion culture and innovations in designs that are still loved today.

The rooms at the gallery is great to enabling the fabrics and details to have a wow factor when you enter the rooms.  Some of the designs are obviously before my time but some contemporary designs were in another room.  From the mini, prints, scarves and shape of designs – you can see how women fashion designs have changed over time because of necessity, innovative ideas or new creativity.  especially after wartime Britain and the colonies.

In this exhibition, it was heart-warming to see the use of the Liberty Archive from their design patterns, catalogue of materials, women design who may not have had their moment shine and their actual archive of fabric samples.  The archive and catalogues are still used to inspire new audiences to their designs.  We probably take everyday fashion in retail houses for granted but Liberty was able to have great influence in the Swinging Sixties with prominent celebrities like Mary Quaint and Biba giving the designs more exposure with bright colours and prints.

Some of their designer range from scarves designers to print design such as Trinidadian Althea McNish (who has a whole exhibition dedicated to her recently at the gallery) – with her prints still sold and loved today.  Their designer Ann Macbeth was known for both the women’s suffrage and her commitment to Arts and Crafts Embroidery. There is also a great picture of embroidery which came out of their art needlework department. Although the mini was common in the 1960’s, the prints in Liberty also seemed to have taken on the psychedelic subculture that was evident at that time.  The exhibition was great at showing the great design history of Liberty but how much they invested in women designers to understand new ideas and creativity in their time that are still classic today in the store. I don’t go often to Liberty’s but this celebration of Women in Print makes me want to visit their department to see their fabrics and to see their fashion archives! 

On reflection, I know these exhibition helped me to think of the evolution of fashion over the centuries…decades to the present day.  There is a sense of solidarity and freedom for womankind that these real characters have somehow impacted on present day fashion and styles.  There are opportunities to research and learn on what was created before (especially from archives and museums), and pay tribute to past styles but also to inspire new designs. As my friend once said… Fashion has nowhere to go, but in circles!

Festive Christmas Time in beautiful Italy

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This year was a big anniversary milestone for my husband and I plus it was 30 years ago since I first went to Italy. So we decided to go to Siena as I had never visited the city and then to see family in Campania. 

I had always wanted to visit the Tuscan city of Siena as I worked with someone who went there, and I was aware of the medieval city design and architecture as well as the famous Palio di Siena race in the Piazza Del Campo.  The city is a UN World Heritage site as ‘an embodiment of a medieval city’, and great for understanding the traditions of the contrades, city zones, community, family and most of all…the preserved traditions and creativity.  Born out of medieval sports and traditions, the Palio occurs in the summer.  It is taken seriously by the Sienese from the motifs and symbols of the contrades.  There are fabrics and colours and good old fashion brand in the clothing, flags and some motif identity of the neighbourhoods we walked through in Siena. Two of the restaurants we visited have homage to the Palio mainly showing people, the horses and the representation of various contrades.  I would still like to visit Tuscany in future and who knows, maybe I will be there one day for the Palio.

The Piazza del Campo itself is spectacular and scalloped or ‘D’ shaped.  The medieval building surrounding it encourages excitement and awe of the epicentre with the imposing Tower and piazza.  It is also not flat as Siena is situated on a hill.  There was activity on the foggy night as well as the sunny daytime walks.  The restaurants and bars all seem to have a long history of entertaining, feeding and providing for those visiting the piazza.  And like some other model of piazzas – this is one that truly was special and spectacular in our modern times too!

I love walking along the street with the beautiful architect and they were still very well maintained.  The street were narrow but still wide enough for some car traffic but the core historic centre was mainly pedestrianised.  What made it extra special was once we had arrived at our lovely hotel, we were able to take a walk with fog around the city street and the twinkling of the Christmas lights and decorations.  It truly was magical! There were not many tourists but I can tell those visiting was also captured by the beauty of the lights, fog and festive decorations.

I have a bias, rose-tinted view and love of Italy to visit. However, you can really see the effort and art of shop windows of independent, and even retail chain shops in Italy.  It is great to have a walk and to see all the shops.  I was able to spot something interesting each time I went for a walk along the many streets. In Siena, even the bookshop had a great history of once beginning outside the original city borders although it was not far from the Piazza del Campo.  As it was Christmas time, it was lovely to see families and people walking and enjoying the sights, restaurants and even ice skating in a ring in a nearby park.

I had been to Florence 20 years ago but we decided to go for the day.  There were transport strikes the day before our trip but luckily we were advised that it easy to get the Rapido Bus from Siena to Florence.  The bus was not expensive and a very pleasant trip to and from Siena.  I loved looking out at the winter colours on the Tuscan trees, hills and fields.  The drive was not flat and the Tuscan countryside was really made of rolling hills, mist, fog, sunsets and beautiful vistas.

Florence is bigger, lively and very busy compared to Siena.  The last time I went it was April, and I have fabulous memories as it was more relaxed as we spent a few days in an apartment in a villa near the Baboli Gardens. I loved seeing the sights again and walking around the centre.  Having studied the Renaissance in Trinidad for A ‘levels, I know the significance of Florence as the birthplace of the Renaissance, innovation, creativity, art, music and science etc. 

Walking around the city, you can’t miss the beautiful architecture and spectacular openings onto more piazzas, buildings, churches and great shops. The Ponte Vecchio bridge is a great piece of history on its’ own with the amazing jewellery shops that tempted passers-by as they traverse across the river Arno. I love seeing the places I recalled from 20 years ago and it was reassuring to see some things still the same but that other small aspects had changed.  I had always planned to visit Florence again as the first time we went – there is not a single photograph as we had a problem with our old-fashioned camera (non-digital).  At least this time, I was able to have some photos. 

The final part of our stay was to make our way down to Caserta in Campania to visit family that we have not seen for a while.  We took the Flix Bus from Siena on a cold foggy morning to Rome, and then with one other bus change to Caserta. It was nice to see the city again and it was my first time there in winter.  It was still sunny apart from one day when we got caught out walking in the rain.  We stayed near the Royal Palace in Caserta – which I thoroughly recommend that you visit, but it is better in warmer climate for the amazing gardens. It was good to stay central to walk to all the great shops, restaurants and to visit family. 

I had visited Caserta in 1995 and again, the shops make an extra special effort for displays and showcases.  There were many times I wanted to buy something but was busy getting from A to B.  There are obviously the impact of online buying and other changes in recent years with some closed shops but this is having an impact everywhere. It was nice to see the festive decorations, cafes and people visiting for the nightly walk to see the shops and to meet friends etc. 

My time in Caserta was mainly to catch up with family and therefore, it was really nice to see them and spend time reminiscing on stories and remembering those who are no longer with us anymore.  The fact that we are making our own memories now made me happy that we at least found time to visit this year and see those dear to us.

I have now been back to London where I spent the rest of my Christmas holidays.  However, I thought that this little time was truly special to me and was definitely a great way to spend some time in December (when I am usually working).  I hope you enjoyed me sharing this trip highlights with you.  Before I end, I wanted to wish you all the best for the new year!

Countdown to Christmas – Five signs that the Festive Season is here

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As we reach the last month of the year, I am looking forward to having some down time as I really haven’t had time off since August. But before I get to the nice relaxing things I have planned with family and friends – I wanted to bring on the Christmas spirit to help me think of the nice bits about the festive season and to remind me to look around in wonder at the true winter celebration.

Here are five things you won’t miss in the next few weeks:

  1. Shopping Sales – Christmas is always a busy time of the year and in a season of giving and appreciation, it is easy to see why there are a lot more people around town and shopping with a mission to get it all completed in time for the holidays.  I remember working on a shop and we really looked forward to increased sales at this time of year and we knew that on the run up to Christmas Eve it will be the busiest time. Ironically, online retailing is here to stay and several of us prefer to get the bargain or items available online.  It seems the US Thanksgiving Black Friday sales are here to stay and seems to brings a good to consumers to benefit from pre-Boxing Sales.  I remember when you had to wait for Boxing Day sales and that Black Friday was only beginning to be advertised in the UK shops about a decade ago.  I haven’t really been ‘out to the shop this season’ but I have both a few items in the sales. The London Underground trains were packed this weekend with shopping who I presume had been to shops in Oxford Street or other part of the West End. The trains were also full of football fans, so you really have to brace yourself for the busier time. I know I have to get some more presents – it is likely that I will be hitting the shops soon too!
  • Food and Drink Indulgence – As it is Winter, it is only natural that we are inside more and there is usually an abundance of things to eat and drink.  If you visit the shops- they start selling Christmas food just as we turn into November.  I have seen Panettone, mince pies, chocolates, biscuits, cheese and lots of other delights in the shops for weeks.  I certainly don’t mind seeing all these fabulous things but I am trying to hold out until December to start trying them.  I was given a mince pie a few weeks ago but it would have been impolite to refuse (my excuse). I do like some festive drinks but I am also holding out until later in case they add to my calorie account plus I have too much work to get too merry.  I do like seeing all the fine shops and delis with all their special food and displays. Where my husband used to work, he used to receive lots of lovely nice artisan food and drinks treats which were always a pleasure to try and share over the holidays.
  • Festive Decorations – As I walk around my neighbourhood and on my way to work daily, I do enjoy the Christmas decorations.  From spotting amazing wreaths winter foliage, Christmas tree with lights flickering in the night and housewarming decorations as you go past.  Like most families, I try to buy decorations that become part of a traditional piece.  I do like the scent of a real Christmas tree and some years it is easy to put it, and sometimes it can be a challenge for one reason or the other. Each year I look at the online category for Christmas decorations and there may be something that catches my eye but this year I have resisted so far.  It is still nice to see what is on trend and what might be a good purchase that may last for a few years.  I have not been to West End as yet to see any of the ‘Christmas Lights’ but I am sure I might pop down to Regent Street before the end of the year. Even as a child growing up in the Caribbean, the sight of outdoor Christmas trees or those on balconies (porch or galleries as some call them) would ignite a sense of excitement for the season. There is a little bit of magic in Christmas decorations and you have be a real Scrooge not to enjoy them!
  • Winter Senses – I deliberately wanted to think of the scent of Christmas.  There is so much of the festive celebrations that awaken our senses.  Scent is one of my best positive and happy triggers about the season.  I love the scent of baking cakes, pies, turkey, ham (gammon), bread, mulled wine and the amazing festive treats at this time of year.  There are so many happy memories of spending time with family and friends as we enjoy being with each other.  I do think of my parents, and my parents-in-laws who are all now passed on.  They were good cooks and loved entertaining, so obviously there would be nice food and the aroma will fill the senses with special sentimental memories and love for them.
  • Party Season – What is Christmas without a party! My memories of Christmas are filled with nice memories of parties.  I know the office party is regular item in some diaries, but Christmas dinner is more common to me.  I like spending time with colleagues as we wrap up the year and wish each other all the best for the holidays. I do try to see my friends too and even though we have our respective families to spend the main Christmas ways with – it is still nice to make time to see them before or after the holiday season.  I do have time off at Christmas and have never had a complete break at Christmas since I started working but I do like to have some time off.  The one good thing about getting back to the office is that it would encourage me to get out and about again after a few days of excess.  However, even if you do not want to party before or during Christmas, you really can’t help of aiming for New Year’s Eve to ring in the next year.

So as we go into this happier time of year, I hope you would agree with me on the five signs of Christmas that are hard to miss. Perhaps by the next time I write to you, I would have some nice things to share with you too.

Fun outreach work in interesting places

Published on by Seema Rampersad1 Comment

In recent weeks, I realised that I have been ask to work with partners at their locations for events or conferences.  I actually like working elsewhere on occasion as this adaptability must spring from my sense of adventure in going to new places and meeting new people.  This is probably a good thing as it helps me to think outwardly, as well as see what is on the horizon beyond my every day.

It was nice to be invited to the Camden Libraries staff conference at their Swiss Cottage Library again.  It was inspiring and motivating to hear the great work they are doing from the launch of their Reading Strategy (which I was able to take part in as part of their Reading Strategy board), work from parts of their libraries from new Health and Wellbeing Librarian or to the newly refitted Holborn Library, where we have also delivered two workshops.

There were great presentations from maker spaces to talks on how valuable libraries are for culture, creativity and for literacy. One of the presenters mentioned spending lots of time as a child in the summer holidays in the library whilst her parents were at work – the library was a safe space but also facilitated the development of her love of reading, learning and eventually working in libraries and the community too.  I was able to also present a workshop on customer service especially since we had recently hosted Camden Libraries along the theme of ‘The Reference Interview’, and it was a natural follow up for us to discuss how good customer service links with a good user experience and exemplary library services. I also attended a workshop on implementing the Camden Reading Strategy, and it was reassuring to hear from volunteers at their Highgate Library talk about ways that they encourage children to read and do interesting activities in the library, which also improve their literacy and use of space. There was also an explanation that their users are usually mixed demographics as there are areas of deprivation in Highgate despite the area being perceived as a wealthy neighbourhood in most parts.

In the lunch break, I was able to have a look around the library to see the children’s Library with the inviting seating areas, mini theatre and reading spaces.  I also like the physical items that you can see which demonstrates that this is a community library with the 60-year-old building still being useful and beautiful.  In the lunch break, there was an energising and great vibe for the Flamenco dancers and guitarist.  It was a great colourful and rhythmic session that got a few people off their feet for a lunch time dance.  I truly look forward to working with Camden Libraries again in the next few months and hopefully years to come.

I also had an invitation for our British Library team to present and help support businesses at the Festival of Upholstery in Sandhurst.  It was a little further than my normal route, so I was able to spend one night and two days at the festival with a hotel overnight stay.  Sandhurst is world famous as a military academy and grounds is great and wide – especially for those military parades that it is known for. The building inside is a training centre, so there were many rooms for this purpose.  Once inside, it was striking to see all the colonial links especially with India with many pictures and images of Indian soldiers.  I obviously thought of my Indian ancestors.  There were several Gurkhas on the premising and surrounding area too.

The Festival of Upholstery was held in a great hall with other exhibitors in the industry, businesses and interesting furniture, makers and materials.  I loved the prints on display, and there were some more important themes of creativity, restoration and reuse with new and old furniture and the items on display. 

It was great to see a thecutting-board by Erica Jane, that enable someone to do their designs on their dining table.  There was also some interesting materials used for filling the upholstery from horse hair to coconut husks called coya ( it reminded me of old-fashioned mattresses in the Caribbean).  However there was a great discussion on this in relation to sustainability and natural fibres or materials.  I was invited to be on a panel on the first day to discuss how we can support business but it was also great to hear the challenges and stories of upholsters on practical and inspirational advice they wanted to share with attendees – from renting spaces to studios, to switching careers, using social media to gain customers, pricing models, or to choosing materials that will not be wasted. The event had about 800 attendees over two days, and it was interesting speaking to several people on why they were there, how excited they were after doing courses on upholstery or that they just had an interest or business in upholstery.  One of the committee members and tutor mentioned that upholstery started 800 years ago, and it was fascinating to hear how it started with fabrics, cushions, stitching etc for chairs.

There was also a fabulous dinner in the evening with a delicious authentic curry.  It was nice to meet and chat to several of the dinner guests who all had great stories on why they were there.  There was definitely a tribe for those who had careers and family commitments, but now wanted to start something new that has always been a passion.  I also spent time chatting with an upholsterer Amanda from New Jersey, who is one of the few American upholsters, and I learnt a lot about some of the terminology on traditional or modern upholstery.  I also realised that it is a skilful trade that you also have to be physically adept.  I left the Festival of Upholstery feeling happy, welcomed and hoping that these lovely people will go on to make nice things and carry on the art, hobbies and businesses they have.  I hope my colleagues and I can continue to support them in future festivals or for visits to the Library.

Closer to home, I was invited to take part in a Fashion event at the new reopened and renovated Soho Theatre. I was free on that Saturday and was able to meet some local designers.  One of them, Naila, is actually showcased on the British Library’s business page, and I am able to have a good chat with her.  It was good to see a milliner, sustainable fashion designs, patterns and other great items on display.  I didn’t have time to ask my friends to come along but they would have liked it too.  I was able to quickly check out the new restored grand stage, and will certainly try to book a show there in the near future. 

Obviously, I still help run workshops in my local area and therefore meet businesses all the time. I must admit that I have been a bit quiet on the local activities in recent years and that is because my professional life has been a bit too busy, but I hope I can find a better balance so that I enjoy and support more local causes.  For me, being asked to take part in these events enables me to understand various sectors, people and communities better and give me an opportunity to meet people and have some fun too!

Sense of Spaces

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It is good to go to old and new spaces in the city to see how they energise and inspire us with their physical layouts, meeting and social spaces.  I have been to only a couple of locations in the last few weeks and the sense of spaces with purpose and flexibility is what I can think the most of sharing with you.

One of the venues I visited this month is a Jeans factory during the day, but a restaurant called Slow Burn at night.  I had visited it for the local art trail, but this was the first time that I visited the venue as a restaurant.  The restaurant is the only ‘craft jeans factory’ in London known as the Blackhorse Lane Ateliers but known as SlowBurn in the evenings.  The venue did have a feeling of being in a warehouse or factory with all the machinery, worktop tables, fabrics and threads etc. And on this occasion on a Friday evening, there was someone still busy working in the space.  I couldn’t help noticing the large jeans dying or washing machine which was right next to the dining table.  It felt like we were right there in the creative centre of a fashion house.  Look at their website for their style and business showcased the more glamourous side of denim and pointed to their more front facing retail venue in Granary Square – which is only a short London underground journey on the Victoria line from Blackhorse Road to King’s cross. I must not forget that the food was actually delicious too! There was a focus on making vegetables the star of the show, but we did have some chicken, octopus and rabbit ravioli which was delicious.  I also love their motto on one of their pictures – Make Indigo, Not War.

I have worked in central London for over 30 years, and I will look at some of spectacular riverside venues I have worked at and some of the more city-based locations.  The city has changed in this time from more formal dressing with suits and smartly dressed people to a more relaxed and smart-casual informality with brings comfort and a new sense of identity.  This too has been reflected in the workplaces over the years.  I have been in more fluid and flexible office spaces since the mid-2000s (usually the physical library is the first space to cut back on).  However, this has worked for my benefit too in terms of giving me the opportunity to do more online and being more flexible with my work life balance. 

I have recently visited a co-working space in Camden at Impact Hub, and it boosted being a net-zero carbon venue.  It was very modern, and the layout demonstrated the flexible ways that people work and do business.  I have written a blog post about co-working space pre-pandemic which was a business model that was growing before the hybrid, and homeworking became more popular. However, I heard that some venues are actually closed as the demand was less.  However, the location of Impact Hub on the day of my visit showed an area that was used in multi-functional ways – from whole teams in a room to more fluid individual working, communal spaces for bigger events and a kitchen area for refreshments and breaks. As with changing times, our workplaces reflect this, but they are places for quiet working, contemplation and team working.   This venue is also a business – with the spaces being the main product and services available in the venue. That surely is a great example of space planning. 

Libraries are obviously my place of work, and I have always worked in ‘an office’ as well.  As a business librarian, I am more inclined to recommend and use co-working or flexible work venues.  I remember doing an enquiry in the 1990s on co-location and co-working. I understand too the pressures of small businesses who may not have the capital to have permanent venues as well as those who may license their products to manufacturers to make – so their focus may be on storage and retail outlets for their business. 

I have noticed though that libraries are becoming increasingly multifunctional. This is reflected in the services provided in council wide customer services call centres, spaces for activities for citizens such as dementia groups, GP-drop in, pocket gardens, film clubs and other areas that are interesting for various communities. I recently attended the London Libraries Conference 2025, and it was so interesting to see how public libraries are being used by various groups.  It was also inspiring to hear form Children’s Poet Laureate Joseph Coelho, on his use of the library from a child, during his school and formative years to adulthood. It reminded me that the library was also a part of my learning especially in my teenage years before the internet. I loved looking at magazines such as the National Geographic Magazine, Time and Newsweek. I also loved their series of other countries of the world which gave me a glimpse of places I still hope to travel to one day (this is like the equivalent to Instagram posts by a travel influencer that I see now).

However, back to the topic of discussion.  At the conference I also co-presented a workshop with SBREC which was once called the City Business Library.  I remember going there in the 1990s when the world was so very different to now.  There were physical shelves of business information, newspapers and other library resources.  But as with everything else, this library has fully switched to a business hub and no longer has a physical library.