Beach Bygones

Great Swimwear History Video

2011-10-28T12:09:00.000-07:00

Love this - love the background music, the funny dance the man does in his bathing suit, the cheeky comments that would be considered politically incorrect today!, the narrators voices and love all of the swimsuits modelled (except for perhaps the mans unflattering trunks at the end!)

Indian Summer

2011-09-30T11:41:00.001-07:00

Well the beautiful sunny weather has been a welcome surprise this week! Who would have thought that it would be blue skies and temperatures hitting the mid 20s as October approaches! Almost unheard of in the UK! Well I've been making the most of it! Spent a lovely day at the beach hut and took some photos of the latest swimsuits I have acquired! It certainly created some interest as people strolled along the prom and stopped to chat!

I've also been out kayaking at a local lake which was just lovely! I got my dads Triumph Herald out and have been driving with the roof down. I find when I'm in the Herald, it's a totally different driving experience - instead of racing around feeling rushed I just cruise along it easy in the slow lane. I'm not sure why this is but I like it!! The only snag when driving it is that I never quite know how much petrol I've got in the tank or how fast I'm going! Really got to make the most of this weather though as I've got a feeling that when it goes that could be it for a long time!

Summer Highlights

2011-09-12T14:16:00.000-07:00

Hope you've had a good summer! The weather could've been better but overall it was a good one! Now it well and truly feels like Autumn is here! Here are some beachy and vintage highlights of summer 2011!

Vintage Markets Emmie's Stall

Kimberly, who paints vintage plates above

Bev, one of my oldest friends from school days.

MUDDY FESTIVALS!

I volunteered at Glastonbury for a major charity and we raised £55,000 from 3 shops! I have never been exposed to so much mud and we worked really hard for 7 days. It took me about 2 weeks to recover! Made some new friends and had an unforgettable experience including going backstage at The Pyramid to a party Michael Eavis puts on for the charities he supports!

A Whole Month Spent Down in Cornwall - Secret trial move there!
The Blue Bar, Porth Towan - best bar I've been to in ages. Perfect location on the beach to watch the sunset, nice mix of people and good food and drink.

Stunning St Ives Bay. It was my 7th visit to Cornwall and I often think about moving there. However it's a long way West from family and I have a husband and 2 daughters who aren't quite ready to move there yet! After spending 4 weeks there I could've quite happily just stayed there! In fact, seeing these photos is making me pine for it! As well as the breathtaking beaches, the people were so friendly, and it has the perfect environment for all the activities I like doing. We spent pretty much every day at the beaches of St Ives Bay, Porth Towan and Chapel Porth.

The photo above is of a little creature called a Goose Barnacle.

A Vintage Barbeque!

My friend Kimberly, had a vintage BBQ at her house with great detail going in to the food! I wore this 1970s maxi dress by Miss Mouse. I look like I'm going to Abigails Party!!

Look forward to reading and catching up with your summers!

It's been a long time!

2011-05-07T06:13:00.000-07:00

Hi there! Wow - can't believe it's been so long since I posted on here. I look forward to catching up with everyones blogs to see what you've all been up to! Here things were abit up and down - a bumpy ride - but summer is on the way which has got to be a good thing.

Talking of bumpy rides - last weekend I went on my first ever classic car run. I drove my dads Triumph Herald (which I am kindly looking after for him!!) and he drove his Triumph Stag. The photos above were taken on the day (by Shema Leith and Bev Watling-Smith). Two friends came along and we truly had a blast. There were approx 600 cars and it was the 41st Ipswich to Felixstowe classic car run. The cars dated from the 1910s to the 1980s. At the end of the run all of the cars lined up on the promenade. It was a beautiful day but very windy! It was really really good fun! We kind of dressed up a little but next year we are going to definately dress 1960s style! The Triumph Herald dates from 1966. My friend, Kimberly made a video of the day - here is a link to it!

http://youtu.be/E6OQKjSbKIg

It makes me laugh but it also makes me cringe abit! At the beginning I think I sound like Beverley from Abigails party!

Next weekend is the Ipswich Waterfront Market on Sunday 15th May. It will be my first fair of the season so I have lots of stock! I will be next to my good friend, Emmie and we are really looking forward to it. If you're in the area, come and say hello!

The other exciting news is that I am going to Glastonbury with Oxfam this year! I only found out this week and am really looking forward to it. I will be helping to set up their shops there and working in them. They save alot of vintage stock, wellies, blankets and sleeping bags over the year and then take them to sell at the festivals and last year they made £43,000 just at Glastonbury alone. Fantastic! I am off to London tommorow to meet everyone.

Surfing Morocco!

2010-12-22T12:43:00.000-08:00

Had a great time in Morocco! It was a very short trip but we had perfect weather and perfect waves. Because it is such a rarity to get time to ourselves we definately made the most of it! We spent 2 whole days pretty much entirely in the sea surfing (or trying to!) We were zonked out asleep every night by 8pm. It was better than brilliant though - even if I did end up with a few grazes and bruises. The sinuses were certainly flushed out on more than one occassion! But overall I did improve but it was just not long enough and as soon as I felt progress was being made it was time to leave. I am having withdrawal symptoms! The people were great and the whole atmosphere was very laid back.

On our last morning we explored the local village - Taghazout - as we hadn't really seen it as we'd just been in the sea the whole time. We stopped at a few shops and I was very pleased to spot this blanket! It reminded me of a vintage deckchair!

It was hanging on the wall at the back of the shop. When I asked the guy how much it was, he replied ' This is old one' and looked at me in disbelief. He tried to show me the more modern ones that were for sale but nothing compared with this one. Sure it was frayed, dusty and ragged at the edges but so much nicer than the other ones. He eventually took it off the wall and I bought it (much cheaper than the other ones too!) . It will now be a very treasured beach rug that I look forward to using every summer!

It was nice to come home and see the girls again although my mum who had been looking after them was keen to get home too! I think we'll be doing a few more surfing trips in 2011 but next time as a family!

Finally I would like to wish a BIG HAPPY CHRISTMAS to everyone. Hope it's a good one! xx

Brighton and Morocco

2010-11-21T03:17:00.000-08:00

Hi- It's been a while but glad to be back on here today. In fact, on a gloomy winters day it's quite nice to be indoors all warm and cosy catching up with everyone's blogs. I was meant to be visiting the Vintage Textile and Clothing Fair in Norwich today but an unwell husband means I haven't been able to make it sadly. Hope my friend, Emmie, has a great day there.

I won't be doing any fairs myself until next year now. I do miss them in the winter but it's not really beachy weather is it? I think people are thinking more about boots, coats, gloves and ski jackets rather than swimsuits!

A couple of weekends ago I managed to spend a weekend down in Brighton. I lived there for 10 years for most of the 1990s. It was so nice to visit there again. I had forgotten just how vibrant and alive the whole city is. There was so much going on and I spent lots of time catching up with old friends which was just brilliant. It was also the London to Brighton veteran car run which was fun. We hung around at the finish line cheering the drivers as they came to the end. There were a few cars being towed by others and one man ended up pushing his vehicle through!

The only thing about being away is that sometimes it's hard to come back to Suffolk! We have been back in Suffolk for 4 years now and I do appreciate living here. It's a great place for family life. However just recently (and I think this is directly related to it being winter!) I have started to feel a little restless! I really really miss being near oceans. As much as I can admire the North Sea it's not the same as living right next to the Pacific or Indian Ocean! However we are lucky in the UK that we are in a good spot for travelling - this is why all the Aussie backpackers head here! So in a couple of weeks we are off on a short break to Morocco! We looked in to the idea of a luxury hotel and just relaxing in spas etc but then decided it might be quite boring! So instead we are going surfing and will be spending 3 solid days in the waves of the Atlantic ocean! It is a little surfy town called Taghazout and we are staying at Hash Point!!! So it's going to be a little adventure and hopefully some fun too! I have spent so much time over the years trying to surf - surf schools in Cornwall several times, surf trips to Byron Bay, Manly and Bondi beach, 3 months in California at Mission beach where we went in the sea nearly every day as well as a week long surfing course and then more lessons again for my 40th! And can I do it? Well - I can sometimes stand up, paddle out, duck dive etc but I have only ever caught an unbroken wave twice! I've caught plenty on the white water but the intention of this trip is to catch a REAL wave! And if I don't? It's sure going to be good fun trying!

Today!

2010-10-17T13:04:00.000-07:00

Hi - can't believe I haven't written on here for over a month! Life has been quite busy with a few ups and downs and sadly Beach Bygones got a little neglected along the way. However I am very happy to be back here again tonight and look forward to catching up with everyones blogs. I thought I would write about today as it was one of those really nice days!
It started off by visiting the vintage and contemporary market at Ipswich waterfront. I am generally not too keen on Ipswich but the waterfront is a really nice spot. I love old wooden boats and Thames Barges and there were a few moored up there. These were my faves!

Having the market there really brings the whole area to life. It was buzzing with people with a good atmosphere. It was great to catch up with some vintage friends!

Emmie and Graham

Fiona from Nigels Emporium, Framlingham

Jackie and Richard who help organize the market

General crowds with lots of people there this morning.

A couple of buskers

Then I spotted this campervan and had to stop to take a photo. It was immaculate!

I got talking to the owner who I discovered was involved in organising the mid Suffolk vw festival where I did a stall earlier this summer. He had bought this campervan in California and shipped it over. It has been quite sun faded and worn out and he had completely done it up. I think he's done a great job, don't you!

I headed back home around lunchtime and then went over to my parents house with the girls. Sitting at my parents house was the Triumph Herald.

This is a car that has been in the family since the 1980s when my dad rebuilt it. I have always wanted to drive it but never really have. Well I am finally on the insurance and today I went on a proper drive in it for the first time! It was BRILLIANT! It will soon be coming to our house for a holiday!! After the spin about, we decided to head down to the beach hut as the sun had come out. It was beautiful down there. Spotted another campervan in the car park there too!

There was quite alot of sand on the beach today and we spent time trying to find amber (even though we've never ever found any before!) and generally pottering about.

We didn't find any amber but we did find some well worn sea glass. Just as good!

Marilyn Monroe on the Beach

2010-09-06T19:12:00.000-07:00

I can't believe the weeks have flown by so quickly! Summer holidays are now over and life is back to the daily school routine again! I came across this short clip of Marilyn Monroe on the beach. She looks so young and full of life. No wonder all the major American swimwear manufacturers of the 1950s were keen for her to wear their swimsuits!

On Sunday I had a stall at Vintage Vogue which is always a good fair to visit. I am getting to know some of the fellow stall holders now and made some new friends. In fact I met some really interesting people including one lady who had done a thesis on vintage swimwear. She had studied swimwear for the period between 1880 and 1920. I could have chatted to her all day! I also thought I saw Paul weller browsing around! The guy on the stall next to me agreed too. In the end I just had to ask him but he wasn't. How embarrassing! Although I am sure he must get asked that question all the time as he was the spitting image! The organiser made a small dance floor and some of the stall holders and customers got up to dance which was fun.

It was probably my last fair of the year as autumn and winter draws in. I think people now are thinking more about boots and coats rather than swimsuits. Can't believe as I write this at 19:30 it's already getting dark!

It's Carnival Time at Aldeburgh

2010-08-14T11:07:00.000-07:00

Having a nice weekend down at Aldeburgh carnival. It was meant to rain today but the weather was actually great! Looks good tommorow too so if you're in the area it would be nice to see you. The main day is on Monday when there is a parade and fireworks but at the moment heavy rain is forecast. Fingers crossed it won't happen!

Actually this week we have managed to avoid some severe rainy weather. On Thursday I took the girls to the beach hut and we had a glorious day. My eldest daughter spent about 3 hours in the sea on and off pretending to be 'Magdelena the Mermaid' (from The Wiggle Bay Movie!!) Meanwhile in Woodbridge, our home town it was bucketing down with rain! So I think we made the right choice that day! My dad reckons it's something to do with the position of the two rivers in Felixstowe stopping the rain but I don't quite get it! The other amazing thing was that the water was crystal clear. Normally the North Sea in East Anglia is quite murky due to the silt from the Thames estuary apparently. However for several weeks now it has been beautiful. There are all sorts of theories being suggested among the beach hutters. These include something to do with the snow we had in the winter, the plankton or something connected with the English Channel.The other interesting one is that Sizewell B isn't running at the moment which means it's water pumps aren't running which normally churn up vast amounts of water. Therefore the sea is much clearer than normal. Has anyone else noticed the local sea looking better than normal? - any suggestions as to why welcome! I find this sort of thing intriguing!

Burnham Market and Surrounds

2010-08-08T13:26:00.000-07:00

Have just come back from Zoe's Little Vintage Lover Fair. It was in North Norfolk and quite a way from here so I drove up yesterday. It took a few hours to get there and at one point I ended up in the Norwich ice rink car park!! Needless to say I took a different route back avoiding Norwich city centre which was quicker and easier!

I stayed in Burnham Market. It was somewhere I'd always wanted to visit as I'd heard great things about the area especially Wells and Holkham beach. When I arrived it looked like a film set for Midsomer murders TV show! I even pulled up right outside the church fete! Now, when we lived in Australia, we would watch 'Midsomer Murders' and it would always make me feel homesick for the UK as it showed some idyllic village. Yet for some reason, although it was all very nice, I didn't feel a big rush of 'Wowness'!

The fair itself was great. Zoe chose a stunning venue - http://www.sussexbarn.co.uk/ and despite being quite remote there was a steady stream of people. I was next to a lady called Sarah who makes beautiful hand made fairies and sells vintage kitchenalia and ceramics. We had a good day together. Also Tracey and Craig from http://www.fadedsplendour.com/ Lisa from mrsbobobun.blogspot.com/ and Claire from Butterflies and Hurricaines.

I sold quite a few swimsuits ( all the best ones of course) and a lady travelled all the way from Northamptonshire especially to buy a dress! Met some nice customers, including a few fellow Mad Men enthusiasts which is always good!

Life's a Beach at Southend!

2010-08-01T09:57:00.000-07:00

Since I have been collecting vintage beach items, I have discovered other people who share my passion! There is a lady in America - http://www.glamoursurf.com/ who has fantastic swimsuits and great knowledge about the subject, a real inspiration. I have also read other great articles about vintage swimwear by members of the Vintage Fashion Guild including fuzzy Lizzie (USA) and Nicole Jenkins (Circa Vintage Clothing, Melbourne).

Actually it was on Glamour Surfs Blog that I read about some great Jantzen beach towels. I couldn't find them in the UK anywhere and the American sites that posted to the UK charged quite a hefty airmail fee! I contacted Jantzen who were great and have sent me some. They have arrived and these are the photos of them!

Well, today I have discovered another lady who loves vintage swimwear! She is 84 years old and has had an almost life long passion about vintage beach attire! She is called Mavis Plume and has been collecting vintage beach wear for over 50 years! It started when she was a newly wed and went to a vintage car rally. Her photographer husband wanted to take a photo and she joked that she should be dressed like a bathing belle. Then her obsession began! She has over 500 pieces which range over a 150 year period. There was an article in a newspaper magazine about her this weekend. Her swimsuits are going to be in a exhibition at Southend Museum from now until October. Luckily for me, Southend is only about 50 or so miles from here so I think I'll be taking a visit down there soon! http://www.southendmuseums.co.uk/

Mavis's husband took many photos of her over the years posing in the swimsuits she acquired. Here are some photos of her (taken from the Daily Mail newspaper article)

Better still, Mavis lives in Hunstanton, Norfolk. I am heading up to that area next weekend as I am doing a fair in Burnham Market. I really really hope she visits as I would love to meet her. If she doesn't come I might try and contact her by post if I can. I bet she has some great stories about her collection!

Waves

2010-07-24T01:03:00.001-07:00

Wow! I've just discovered this amazing photographer! He is an experienced surfer so is able to get right in to the wave and take some great shots. He is called Clark Little and has a website where you can buy prints and calendars. www.clarklittlephotography.com

I must admit my favourite beaches are surf beaches and unfortunately here on the East Anglian coast there isn't much of it around, if any! I have been lucky enough to spend time in California, Australia and Cornwall where I remember golden days of boogie boarding and trying to surf! For my 40th a couple of years ago we went to Watergate Bay and had a surfing lesson but I was definately not as agile and as fit as I used to be!! However it was still brilliant fun and there is nothing more I would like to do. There is just something about sandy beaches with big rolling waves that makes me want to immediately get in the water. Here is East Anglia, although I love the beaches for their character, it takes a lot to get me in the water. It has to be baking hot and the sea must be reasonably clear! We get a alot of silt from the Thames Estuary and it gives the sea a grey murky look. I know the water is clean but it just doesn't look so enticing! I think Clark Little's waves look much more tempting!

Summer

2010-07-18T14:39:00.000-07:00

Looks like summer has returned again after quite a wild and windy week! Just had a lovely day down at the beach hut with friends and family along with too much food!!

It was nice just to relax after quite a busy week. My husband had to make an emergency dash to Australia and it's been quite hectic juggling work and taking care of the family (esp when one daughter became unwell). The highlights of the week have been meeting Tracey of Deben Days blog for a coffee, my daughters dance show and today down at the hut! Tracey gave me a lovely gift of a seahorse that she had made. I was going to take a photo of it to show you but then realised it is now in its new home at the beach hut!

I haven't had a chance to visit any fairs or sales but to make up for it this lovely catalogue arrived in the post this week.

There are some great pictures of the swimwear they had for sale. I would love to find some of these designs.

The Trixie Dress

2010-07-11T13:58:00.001-07:00

This is the dress that I wore in the photo that appeared in the BBC Home and Antiques magazine. I got the dress from eBay several months ago and when it arrived I thought it was one of the best things I had ever bought on eBay! Not only that, but it actually fitted me too! It was all intact with the original belt and a matching bolero. Here is the picture of me wearing it (not with the bolero):

This photo happened to be spotted by the lady who sold it to me and she gave me some great background info about the dress. It was originally owned by a lady called Trixie. Apparently Trixie loved being by the beach in the 1950s/ 60s. She lived with her sister ( who might be in this photo). Here is Trixie wearing the dress.

They look so happy strolling along the prom don't they. I also have another photo of Trixie when she was little at the beach with some relatives.

I love that the two ladies in the chairs didn't stop knitting when the photo was taken!

The dress itself has quite an interesting print on it. Here is a close up photo.

I feel so pleased to have such a special dress !

Bathing Beauties!

2010-07-04T12:56:00.000-07:00

Hope you like the snapshots! These are from Margate 1938-1969. There are some great swimsuits there and some humour too!

The bathing beauty or 'seaside girl' originated from America with the invention of beauty pageants. The Miss America beauty pageant began in 1921 in Atlantic City where an estimated 100,000 spectators watched the beachfront parade. The winner was Margaret Gorman who was described in the New York Times as ' The type of womanhood America needs - strong, red blooded, able to shoulder the responsibilities of homemakeing and motherhood. It is in her type that the hope of the country rests.' !

From then on beauty contests spread to many Western resorts and were used as promotional material for those resorts. The contests were often held in lidos or in seafront pavillions and the women and the resort architecture were often featured on promotional posters such as the railway posters. Often the 'seaside girl' was portrayed in front of lighthouses or diving boards. Sometimes she was joined by children at play or other holidaymakers on these posters. I love these posters and one day would love to own one! At the moment I just have a small copy of this Newquay one!

With the weather being so sunny this last week it has made me think more about holidays. We haven't got anything booked but I do love Cornwall - in fact it might be my most favourite place ever! I'm not sure if we'll go there this year as it's abit of a drive but we might head up to North Norfolk. I'm doing a fair in Burnham Market in August and it would be nice to tie it in with a family holiday in Wells. Actually I have never been to the nearby Holkham beach and it's just been voted the best in Coast magazine.

Actually talking of magazines - look out for BBC Homes and Antiques as I am in it!! I haven't seen it yet but some of my friends have (who are subscribers)! Hopefully it will be in the shops tommorow! I am wearing a dress I bought from eBay. It is a full circle 50s dress and it came with its original matching bolero. Anyway the lady who I bought it from has just emailed me as she saw the photo in the magazine and she's now going to email me some pictures of her Aunt originally wearing it in the 1950s! I can't wait to see them. I love to find out the original history of vintage items.

Not too much other news. I have been busy settling in to my new job and will now be recruiting volunteers. It has also been both of my daughters birthdays! We had one 5 year old party today and the other is next week. It actually went surpirsingly well - we didn't have any tears, tantrums, injuries or grizzling! Let's hope next weeks one is just as calm!

Hello to new followers! I like to read all the comments and love reading other blogs too. Look forward to getting to know you!

Cressing Temple Vintage Fayre

2010-06-27T11:43:00.000-07:00

Yesterday I had a stall at a fair at Cressing Temple. It was one of the most amazing venues I had ever had a stall at! The Barley barn I was in is actually the oldest ever timber framed barn in the world! It was built in the 13th century! The picture below is of inside the barn the day before the market.

The fair itself was a lovely event with all sorts of things going on including a field of classic cars.

There was even this vintage Triumph Herald convertible. Now, believe it or not there is one exactly like this sitting in our garage! This is a car that my dad rebuilt and has been in the family for about 25 years! It is being stored in our garage for now and I would love to take it on a cruise about! However I get the feeling my dad isn't too keen on this. I think the memories are still too fresh for him of when I had just passed my driving test and he was in the car when I narrowly missed colliding with a petrol pump. Even though this was over 10 years ago he is being very hesitant in adding me to the insurance!

There were all sorts of other things going on including a vintage cafe, Suffolk punch horses, archery, raffles for the Helen Rollason cancer charity ( who organised the whole event) and there were also people jiving in the other barn. If you look in the background of the photo there was also a lady doing vintage makeovers. I'd love to give that a go one day!

I had a vintage Horrockses dress for sale which was quite stunning in an orange and floral pattern. An older man came to the stall and I noticed him measuring it with a tape measure. I casually asked if it was for his wife or daughter and he informed me he invests in vintage clothing and said it was the best dress there! It was the first time I had met an investor customer before. Anyway it obviously wasn't quite the right size (for investment purposes!) as it was quite small. However later on it was bought by a lovely young lady who looked fantastic in it. It was almost like it was made to measure for her. She let me take a photo of her wearing it. I think she looks great. I think it went to the right owner this time!

Jantzen Swimwear

2010-06-18T12:08:00.000-07:00

There is a blog I follow called Glamour Surf - her website is http://www.glamoursurf.com/ . It is written by a lady who lives in California who has some great vintage swimsuits. She has some truly amazing ones actually! She has great knowledge about vintage swimwear and I have learnt alot from her. She has some really great resources and is ideally placed in California to locate some of those amazing 1950s Hollywood pin up styles. Anyway, I was reading her blog this week and she wrote about some beach towels that Jantzen have for sale. They are modern but the design on them is very retro pin up, based on their old adverts from the 1950s. I loved the look of them and went about researching how to get hold of them but unfortunately they only seem to be available in the US. I did find one site that shipped to the UK but the shipping was more than the cost of the towel! I thought I'd just drop an email to Jantzen to see if they had any suppliers in the UK. I was amazed to get a really helpful response where they said they had sold out but they would look in to it and if they came accross any they would be happy to send them to me. Not only that, but they were also interested in what vintage Jantzen swimsuits I had as they have an archive and occassionally do exhibitions and use them in their marketing. At the moment I have about 7 of their swimsuits but my stock is ever changing. Here are some of the Jantzen vintage swimsuits I have at the moment.

I have a great book by Sarah Kennedy - 'The Swimsuit' and in it she writes about Jantzen. Apparently the company was originally a knitting mill that was called the 'Portland Knitting Company'. In 1915 they began to make bathing suits for sale in their catalogue and changed their name to Jantzen knitting mills. In 1921 they began to advertise the garments as 'swimming suits' and were the first company to do so! I think some of their 1940s/50s designs are among the best swimsuits out there!

VW Love!

2010-06-13T11:03:00.001-07:00

Phew! It's been a busy weekend with a fair yesterday in Woodbridge and then another fair today! Todays fair was a vw festival called 'Alive and Dubbin'. It was the first time I'd been to one. It was a very relaxed family festival and one of the friendliest fairs I'd been to. There were some amazing campervans and I must admit that as well as a 1950s white mercedes convertible, a vw campervan has now been added to the big wish list!!! Oh well, maybe in my dreams! Here are some photos of the best vw vehicles.

My daughters loved this pink one (so did I!)

Some of them had some great interiors too, in keeping with the era, including this one with a Brexton picnic set.

Or this one with a snazzy dining area.

There were also some adorarable little trailers. Imagine sleeping in this!

This one looks like it has more room!

It was a great family day out and I hope to do this festival again next year.

Vote for Beach Hut of the Year

2010-06-09T11:18:00.000-07:00

Did you know there are over 20,000 registered beach huts in the UK? Wow! The hunt is now on to find the best beach hut. There really are some amazing ones about. Here are a few photos of some of the local ones.

Dr Kathryn Ferry is one of the UK's leading experts on beach huts and has written several books including ' Sheds on the Seashore'. She will be involved in judging the competition.

Beach huts originated from bathing machines which appeared from the 1730s onwards. In fact 'The One Show' recently had a feature about an original restored bathing machine. They're also doing other features about old fashioned holidays we used to take this week. Tonight they spoke with Johnny Ball who remembered his days working at Butlins in the 1950s/60s.

To have a look and vote for which beach hut is your favourite check out:

www.beachhutoftheyear.co.uk

Look at my new favourite swimsuit!

2010-06-07T13:35:00.001-07:00

Look at this beauty! I purchased it yesterday from the Vintage Vogue fair. It was from Shazam 58 stall. They had recently been over to America on a vintage buying expedition and had found this. I spotted it very early on and when I was back at my stall I couldn't stop thinking about it! So when there was a quiet moment I went over and bought it and am so glad I did! It is in excellent condition. It has a label but no makers marks - it might possibly be from Lee Playsuits or Roxanne swimsuits. I love it!

It was a very busy day at Vintage Vogue and a good fair. I really like it as it has some great authentic vintage stalls. There were two huge stalls - Dress Circle and Shazam 58 and if money were no object I would have bought everything on them!! I also met 'Fairy Finesse' a fellow blogger which was nice - I felt we could have chatted for ages.

I was so tired at the end of the day I left the unpacking until today. Here are some pictures of our spare room when I finally got everything unpacked again! Sometimes I wonder what the window cleaner must think when he does this room!

On Saturday I had gone to Southwold again to pack up my stall at the Buddah Market which was kind of sad. I have just been too busy to give it the love and care it needs and realised I wouldn't be able to get up there enough this month. It is going to be continuing until the 1st July up there at the moment (but it could be longer depending on the builders plans). My husband and the girls came up and we had a great time on the beach. We found lots of bits of old sea worn pottery, it was great fun fishing about in the waves for it! Looks like the weather's changed this week (for the worse!) so not sure when we'll next be at the beach!

Save Saltdean Lido

2010-06-04T10:43:00.000-07:00

There are two magazines I make sure I buy every month - BBC Homes and Antiques and Coast magazine. Coast magazine has a feature every month about beautiful coastal buildings that are in trouble and need help. This month one of the buildings they have written about is 'Saltdean Lido'. As some of you might know I used to live in Brighton and this was just a couple of miles away on the coastal road. It really is a truly stunning art deco building and really makes the area special.

Saltdean Lido was built in 1935 and was the ideal venue to show off in your bathing suits (probably wool ones at that time!) It was a time when people were interested in health and fitness and the outdoor lifestyle (as they still are today). It has great sweeping terraces that form curved wings on either side of the central building ( which is a cafe) and the pool itself accommodates 500 bathers and is 140ft by 66ft. It was and still is the perfect place to swim and socialise and a safe haven for families with children when the sea is rough.

In 1998 it underwent a £2 million renovation and is considered to be one of the best lidos in the UK.

Unfortunately as the new video above shows us, it is in trouble and the owner is unable to keep it going and is losing vast amounts of money. There are concerns it is going to be turned in to apartments. I personally wish the National Trust could look after it or that enough money could be raised to keep it going. An organisation has been set up to try and save it :

http://www.saltdeanlidocampaign.org/

They are gathering signatures and raising money. If you want to sign the petition that would be wonderful - please click on the link above to find out more.

Southwold Weekend

2010-05-30T13:01:00.001-07:00

I have just spent the last couple of days in Southwold - it's a tough life!! On Friday I was at the Buddha market and then yesterday was the Vintage Soul fair. I got there really early as I was a little worried about parking but 7.30am was really abit ridiculous!! I wandered around the town and was really pleased to spot this shop had some of the bunting I have sold in Southwold.

It is from a company called 'Deckchair Stripes' who have the most adorable deckchair fabrics and make alls sorts of things from it - even old style bathing tents. I use some of their bunting on my stall and so many people asked me about it that I decided to stock it. It does look great and it's really long and strong too. Personally I think it's among of the best bunting out there. It looks great in this shop. Sorry about the poor photo quality, I was using the phone again!
I then wandered to this fantastic deli (I think it was called the Black Olive) and had the most delicious muffin - blueberry cheesecake!. Then it was time for the fair.

It was nice to catch up with old and new friends including Emmie, Jane, Fiona, Jackie, Carol, Vintage Vicki and 'my vintage wardrobe'. The actual fair itself was a quiet one for me - there were a few other things going on in the area that day plus the weather was really grim- I actually bought more than I sold! But I am so pleased with what I got which included some great 1950s cats eye sunglasses, 2 1950s outfits, luggage and shell ornaments. I also bought a brooch from vintage Vicki which I love and shall be wearing. I shall be finishing up my stall in Southwold next weekend as the Buddha market looks to move to new premises. As much as I love it there I have been there a while now and it's time to prepare for the next lot of fairs. Also with my new job I am not able to get up to Southwold as much as I would like to unfortunately. Next weekend is Vintage Vogue in Brentwood which is a big exciting event that I am looking forward to. They have vintage style barbers, make overs, DJ, cafe etc so it's a good day out. Might see you there!

Photos!

2010-05-24T13:53:00.000-07:00

It's been a very busy week last week - perhaps a little too busy! I started my new job induction meeting other shop staff and travelling all over Suffolk. I have met some really nice people and gained more understanding of how their online selling works. As well as that I have been to Southwold Buddha market, two auctions, a BBQ, a birthday drink, a special trip out with my daughter and also had the photo shoot for BBC homes and antiques magazine! I was hoping they would take lots of photos of my goodies but unfortunately they wanted me in the shot! In fact this is a typical photo of me below holding some shoes to hide from the camera!

My husband often jokes that when the girls grow up they will wonder why there's no family photos of their mum! So I wasn't exactly a natural in front of the camera as you can imagine. Luckily the photographers were very pleasant about it all and we ended up having quite a nice day enjoying the sun down at the beach hut. Here are some of my favourite things I took down there:

Also this week my new book arrived. I pre ordered this back in February so I was ultra pleased to see it!

It has some amazing photos of the most fantastic dresses from the 40s and 50s. It is by Christine Boydell who has been involved in organizing this summers exhibition at the Victoria and Albert magazine. I think if Horrockses were still making dresses with their beautiful printed cotton fabrics they would still be as popular today as they were in the 50s. Actually the Victoria and Albert have designed a replica based on an original pattern and fabric which is for sale in their online shop. It is very similar to this dress below.

Thanks for all your comments. Nice to meet some new bloggers and fellow market friends!

Ipswich Waterfront

2010-05-17T14:08:00.001-07:00

Hi. Yesterday was the Ipswich waterfront market and it went really well. It was the first time that they had held one there and it was a total success. It really made the area come alive and it was packed. At times it even reminded me of Camden lock markets. There was a nice atmosphere and the weather wasn't too bad either! I hope they do another one there. Ipswich sometimes has reputation of being abit grim but I think events like this can bring some much needed excitement and vibrancy to the town! I set up with Emmie, my friend who sells vintage clothing and accessories and we had a stall next to each other. It was also nice to meet Tracey, a fellow blogger, and my friend Bev and her daughters came to help out. Here is a photo of one of her daughters. She's wearing a Nelbarden vintage swimsuit and some 1950s heart sunglasses I bought from another stall. The ' hair' is actually a vintage swimhat which she took a shine too! Fun isn't it!

You Tube link to Great Yarmouth 1933 Tourism Video

2010-05-15T14:00:00.000-07:00

If you click on this link ' Watch on You Tube' it will take you to you a 1933 tourism film for Great Yarmouth. Now, Great Yarmouth isn't far from where we live but I must admit I haven't been there for over 20 years. However watching this really makes me want to go! It looks really great! I've got a feeling we'll be going there on a day trip this summer. I'll let you know how it compares!

I love the slightly OTT speech and language used - 'The wisest thing we've ever done was come to Yarmouth!' Also look out for the woollen swimsuits!

Marina Bathing Pool (Ramsgate, Kent)

2010-05-15T13:47:00.000-07:00

Vintage Inspired Swimsuits

2010-05-13T06:47:00.000-07:00

Today I am going to write about Cath Kidston who has been really influencial in bringing vintage styles in to the mainstream. Last year in her summer catalogue I spotted a beautiful vintage inspired white cotton and roses swimsuit ( see photo above!). It looked beautiful and I planned to order one for the summer. However when I got around to ordering a few weeks later they were unavailable. I kept on checking on her website but they mysteriously vanished never to be seen again! Until ...... a few appeared on ebay this year! According to one seller there was a design fault with them. It didn't stop me from bidding as I still liked the look of it and thought I may be able to alter it somehow. I won one in my size ( or what was meant to be my size) but the design fault was quite clear- not only was it much too small but it didn't have any stretch to allow it to get on over the hips.

I even loaned it to a very slim friend to try and she couldn't get it over her hips either. So now I use it as a display piece ( luckily one of my mannequins has no hips!) I think if it had a zip at the back or more shirred fabric it would have been ok. It must have been terribly disapointing for Cath Kidston. There are quite a few of these swimsuits on ebay at the moment.
However the good news is that this year she has got it right! This one is from her new summer catalogue and has just arrived here! It is made of cotton with shirred back and side panels and ruched front. The fabric is a beautiful grey and floral pattern and it has a decorative bow at the top. It is very similar to some vintage ones I have had in the past and it even stretches over my hips!!! The only improvement I think it could do with would be a little more bust support and perhaps an inner lining. Overall I think it is one of the nicest modern day swimsuits out there!

Anyone for a 1950s holiday in Blackpool?

2010-05-09T07:26:00.000-07:00

I came across this clip on youtube! I love the couples dancing and the champagne on draught! Not so keen on seeing the chap eating a mussel! I've never actually been to Blackpool before and wonder if it's changed much. Are you going on holiday this year? We haven't any plans at the moment but may take a few weekend breaks here and there, maybe up to Norfolk. To be honest when the weather is good it's great around here. We may save up for a winter holiday instead - I'd be quite keen to go away in February in the height of winter!

I have some other exciting news this week. In this months issue of BBC Homes and Antiques they are looking for readers who have interesting collections. I thought I'd get in touch to let them know about my seaside things. As well as selling items I also have special pieces I just can't bear to part with. This includes my favourite swimsuits and some nice ceramic seaside pieces like the bathing beauty salt and pepper pots and Beswick seagull. In the past I have sold some things and I can honestly say it has almost pained me to do so!!! So these days I tend to hold on to my favourites and hope to pass them on to my girls one day! Anyway it was very exciting to hear back from the magazine and they are coming along soon to take some photos!

Martello Coast Path Launch

2010-05-04T00:51:00.000-07:00

The British seaside on a May day bank holiday! There were still a few showers around but overall the weather looked a little brighter than yesterday. I started the day by heading out early to a car boot. There wasn't as many stalls as usual due to the rain but I did manage to find a few great things.

A lovely ceramic shell and a Suzie Cooper jug.

Then, this beautiful Welsh tapestry blanket.

And this apron/ tabbard. I really like the cotton fabric design and wouldn't mind a dress made of it!Then it was over to my parents for a scrumptious lunch and a big family get together. When we were finally able to move again (after much overindulgence!) we headed to the seafront to check out the Martello Coast Path launch. This was the culmination of a project to provide a seafront leisure path for pedestrians and cyclists from Landguard point to Felixstowe Ferry. There were all sorts of interesting things going on including a display of individually designed deckchairs. These have been made by local artists and will be auctioned in October to raise money for St Elizabeth's hospice. Here are some images from their poster.

There were all sorts of interesting things to see along the path including this classic ice cream hut!Contrasting coastal architecure below!

Then, see below for a colourful character who had three dogs in a pram, a really great band, design a windbreak and a stylish art deco looking seaside bench!

Finally, there was the story telling tent. The local author and illustrator of 'Cedric the Seahorse' tales were in there. We have one of their books at home and it is a lovely story. There was only one other child and parent in the tent and when I looked at the dad I recognised him as someone I had briefly dated when I was about 16! I hadn't seen him for over 20 years and there we both were in this tent with our children! I politely smiled but inwardly felt somewhat embarrassed and rather eager to get out of there! It had been a classic tragic very brief teenage romance where one of us was keener than the other and unfortunately I had been the keener one! You just never know what or whom you might meet on the coastal path!

Stormy Weather

2010-05-02T10:08:00.000-07:00

Today I was meant to be at a street fair in Beccles. The weather forecast wasn't looking good but I decided to load up the car yesterday just in case it was wrong! Unfortunately when I got up at 5.30am to set off it was drizzling and very windy ( gusts about 30mph!). Not exactly the right weather for selling beach items! So unfortunately I didn't go to the fair. As the day progressed the rain became much heavier so I imagine the fair was cancelled in the end. I think a few things were cancelled today unfortunately. It reminded me of this time exactly 2 years ago ( May Day bank holiday weekend) when we decided to go camping in Norfolk and only lasted one night! A sleepless night too! We were under some trees in gale force winds and rain and all we could hear was loud creaking above us as the trees swayed dangerously overhead! We spent most of the night debating if we should pack up and go, move the tent or sleep in the car!!! We ended up staying put but awake and headed off as soon as the girls woke up! We went back to the same site last year but this time we stayed in one of the apartments they have! Much more relaxing!

The other news this week is that I have got a part time job. It is working for a major charity assisiting with their online selling. I am so excited about it and am really looking forward to meeting everyone. I can't wait to learn about it, get stuck in and help raise money for a great cause. I will be starting in a couple of weeks. I have been volunteering in a local charity shop and have really enjoyed it. There is great comaraderie among the volunteers and there's always interesting items coming in! I would highly recommend it to anyone out there who has a few hours to spare.

Railway Posters

2010-04-24T07:39:00.000-07:00

One day I would love to own one of these! In fact I would love to become a serious collector of these! Alas, the budget doesn't quite stretch to it right now as unfortunately they are usually in the £200- £3000 + price range!

The railways were an essential part of seaside resort development in the UK. Before the introduction of railways seaside resorts were only accessible to privileged upper class. In the mid 19th century the coming of the railways allowed cheaper and easier trips to the coast and working and middle class people were able to visit. The grand railway stations were often linked to the seafront by a thoroughfare. Some resorts weren't too keen on the lower classes visiting their resorts. Some attractions like select piers, promenades and parks were guarded by police and gatekeepers to keep out the rough element!

Blackpool was one of the first British resorts to advertise its attractions through posters and illustrated brochures in the late 19th century. Other commercial guidebooks followed such as 'Ward Lock's' guides. Often the posters and guides featured a ' seaside girl' or 'bathing beauty.' She was often joined by children at play, holidaymaking families and in the background there might be diving boards or lighthouses.

If you want any further information about the illustrations and designs there are some experts out there who can tell you more. Beverley Cole is one of them and has written several books about Railway Posters. If I can't afford a poster at least I might be able to afford one of her books instead!

Duncan Banantyne's Seaside Rescue

2010-04-20T11:32:00.000-07:00

This series is now on - it's on Tuesday evenings at 9pm on Virgin 1. The reason I am mentioning it is that last year I heard they were going to be filming a Bathing Beauty contest in Felixstowe. So I quickly dashed down with some swimsuits. They had drafted in professional models and it seemed a little staged. However thanks to me providing some extra swimsuits they managed to get local people to participate. The final winner - a local girl - was wearing one of the swimsuits I had provided - A beautiful floral Rose Marie Reid number. I was over the moon. It is a 6 part series and so far Felixstowe hasn't been on (episode 3 tonight) but hopefully over the next few weeks Felixstowe will be on. So watch out for it and the bathing beauty parade as about 4 of the costumes were ones I provided!

Here is a genuine old photo of another Suffolk bathing beauty! It is my friends mum and he kindly allowed me to use this photo (thanks to Mark Marrable)

Hope you are enjoying the sunnier weather - it'll soon be time to hit the beach!!

Bye Bye Ernest

2010-04-13T11:17:00.000-07:00

Just to let you know that Ernest has moved on now. My girls were a little sad to see him go but are looking forward to following his travels on the internet. I popped in to a charity shop and found these little deer ornaments instead for them. We have been watching 'Bambi' 'April Showers' song on youtube recently and these deers reminded me of Bambi and his mum! It's such a lovely song and the cartoon captures some of natures beautiful moments. It amazes me that it is such an old movie but I much prefer it to modern day cartoons such as 'Spongebob' etc.

Ernest has actually gone to the other side of the country to 'Menopausal Musing' in Gloucestershire. Whenever I visit her blog I love to read her 'About me' section as it always makes me laugh. Please do visit it to bring a smile to your face!

Ernest Forest Adventures!

2010-04-09T11:36:00.000-07:00

Well the week we've had with Ernest is coming to an end. He has been a great guest and I am now looking for a new home for him if anyone is keen. I have contacted someone so fingers crossed he will be off to his new home soon - a home with real chickens too to keep him company!
Yesterday he went to Rendlesham Forest and enjoyed a picnic and climbing the trees! My two girls have got very fond of him!

Please excuse poor quality of photos, I'm still trying to figure out my new phone!

Ernest

2010-04-06T08:19:00.000-07:00

On Saturday I was given this cute little hen from 'Vintage Vicki.' He is currently on his travels around blogland! He originally came from http://pennyshenhouse.blogspot.com/ and will be making his way back there again at Christmas. So he is here with us for a week! Yesteday he went to the Buddha Market in Southwold. He sat on the desk, had a ride on a rocking horse and a quick peek at my stall!

Today he went to Felixstowe to the beach hut and sat on the groynes watching the choppy sea!

Whilst there was a little bit of sunshine I took some photos of my favourite swimsuits I have at the moment. I am in the process of setting up a website up and also need to update my Etsy shop so need lot of photos! I managed to get a few shots today despite the wind and a 4 and 6 year old wanting their lunch!

Ernest will be staying with us for a week. I will put a momento in his box and then send him on to the next blogger. If there are any volunteers out there who wish to take care of him next please let me know and I will send him on to you!

Easter Greetings

2010-04-04T03:27:00.000-07:00

Yesterday was the Vintage and Contemporary Market in Woodbridge. I had been worried all week about the weather as heavy rain had been forecast. However, apart from a couple of brief heavy showers it wasn't too bad at all. There was a great turn out and it was nice to see fellow bloggers Adele, Bobo bun and Vintage Vicki. I had a great day of both selling and buying! I picked up a lovely 1940s picnic set, 2 1930s/40s swimsuits, a lovely chunky wool cardi and a wool bag. I'll put some photos on soon. I sold quite a few swimsuits and at one point there were two teenage girls arguing about who was going to buy one. It was a lovely 1950s Rose Marie Reid cream one with a red sash and I could see why they both wanted it! I suggested sharing it but they weren't too keen on the idea.

I also completely sold out of 'Deckchair Stripes' bunting. It really is good quality bunting and ideal for a beach hut or summer garden party. Also we were rather excited to see Bill Nighy at the market ( spotted by my friend Bev who was helping). He lives fairly locally and was chatting to the market organisers!

After a good nights sleep I was up bright and early and went to 3 car boot sales. They were abit disapointing today but I bought a few things from one. I like the little straw bag with the wooden top the best.

Now it's time to take some time off from Beachbygones for the rest of the day and spend some precious time with my little girls. Happy Easter!

Fairs and Markets!

2010-04-01T13:44:00.000-07:00

Just wanted to let you know that the fair in Brentwood went really well. I didn't get much sleep the night before as ironically I was worrying about if I'd get enough sleep! Does that make sense?!! It was held on the day the clocks went forward which meant getting up ridiculously early ( 4am became 5am to leave at 6am!). I travelled down with my friend Emmie who helped me set up. It was quite a big fair with about 60 stalls. It also had vintage hairdressers, make up artists, DJ and cafe. The stalls were great, all authentic vintage with lots of 1950s ( my favourite era). I took some photos on my phone ( which I am just getting used to ) so excuse the poor quality. The crowd shot was taken upstairs looking down. I was super pleased to find out I won best stand award and had a fantastic day!

The day after the fair was my husbands birthday and we finally got around to seeing Avatar in 3D. I wasn't sure if it would be my kind of thing but I did really enjoy it. Then on Wednesday I went off to Southwold to set up at stall at the Buddha market. I will have a stall until 18th April. The Exhibition Hall where it is held has just been sold to a property developer so I'm not sure if this will be the last one or if the organisers will find a new venue. I took a quick walk down to the seafront and took some photos of the huge churning waves. The best surf I'd ever seen in Suffolk but not exactly enticing! I love Southwold, it is my idea of a perfect little seaside town.

Next it's time to prepare for the Woodbridge market this weekend. At the moment the weather forecast is looking pretty bad - but I am hoping it will be a few minor showers rather than a continuous downpour. It will be nice to meet some fellow bloggers too! I am actually also going to be fundraising and have a collection tin in aid of the East Anglian Childrens Hospice. One of the families at the school use their service regularly and wanted some help to raise funds. Hope you all have a great Easter!

Vintage Vogue!

2010-03-25T14:34:00.000-07:00

Gosh! I can't believe it has been nearly 2 weeks since I last wrote! Time has just flown by. Hope everyone has been enjoying the milder weather. I actually planned to go down to the beach hut this week and take lots of photos of current items I have in stock. The intention was to get up to date and add some new listings to my Etsy store. However on the actual day the sky turned grey and down came the rain. Fingers crossed there will be an opportunity this coming week!
So instead I have been busy tagging and packing getting ready for Vintage Vogue this Sunday in Brentwood. www.essexvintagefashionfair.com I am quite excited about this as it sounds like a great fair. It is in Brentwood School and there are approx 60 stalls. Funnily enough when I was 18 I trained as a mental health nurse and spent 3 years living in Brentwood! I believe the hospital I trained in is now luxury apartments! I haven't really been there much since those days ( back in the 1980s!) so it will be interesting to see if it is how I remember it. I'll let you know how it goes and try and get some pics.

Car Booting!

2010-03-14T11:19:00.000-07:00

Happy Mother's Day! Hope you've had a lovely day. I've just had a great day with the family - starting with lots of hugs and home made pressies from my 2 girls and then ending up over at my sisters for a hearty lunch with all the extended family. I had a go on a Wii for the first time ever ( we're quite behind the times in our house!) playing a sing along game. I came last in every song! At first I thought it must have been the microphone but I still came last when we swapped over microphones. I soon realised the harsh truth - it wasn't a dud microphone it was my dud voice!!!

In between all of this I did manage to sneak out to meet my friend Bev for a quick car boot sale! It was my favourite one as it has a mixture of dealers, house clearance and ordinary sellers. My favourite stalls are the house clearance as you never know what you will find. I also love reading other peoples blogs about their car boot finds! Sometimes there are things that make me feel a little sad like today there was a cardboard box full of old black and white photos - pictures of babies, family get togethers, pets and children all dressed up. These would have once meant so much to somebody, it seemed a shame to see them just piled up in this old box. Sometimes there is the obscure like a bright pink wig or gorilla mask! Sometimes there is just pure junk like broken whisks or odd socks. But every now and again there are little treasures like a vintage picnic set or old original deckchair! Unfortunately I didn't find any of those today but I did find a few interesting things - a 1950s tray, a 1950s girls annual and magazine, some chefware striped bowls, a seaside book and a lustre fish ornament. I also bought ( for pure nostalgic reasons) an original Holly Hobbie and a Sindy doll exactly like I once had in the 1970s.

I also found 3 vintage 1950s/60s dresses and a 1960s/70s mac. I have never really found vintage clothing before at a car boot sale so I was quite excited by this. I've got a photo of the mac (below) but the dresses are currently in the wash and need a little repairing but I will show you a photo as soon as they are ready.There was also about 4 vintage sewing machines which I did manage to resist ( but it was hard!).

Dragon Hall Vintage Fair, Norwich

2010-03-07T12:19:00.001-08:00

Hi there, I've just got to show you some photos of the fair I was at yesterday! It was 'The Little Vintage Lover Fair' organised by a lovely lady called Zoe. She normally runs the fairs in North Norfolk and this was her first fair in Norwich. She had chosen a stunning venue called 'The Dragon Hall'. It is a medieval building built in approx 1430 which had undergone major restoration in 2006. I thought they had got the mix just right with a perfect blend of old and new. Our stall was on the ground floor with old stone pillars on one side and floor to ceiling glass on the other. I was next to my friend Emmie who sells vintage clothing and accessories and we had a great day. It truly had a lovely atmosphere. This photo below is of my stall at the beginning of the day.

The photos below are of Emmie's stall.

Next to Emmie was a lady called Sarah who I have met a few times at the local fairs. She makes beautiful little dolls and sells vintage crockery. I love the way she displays her items with the plants and vintage boxes.

Sewing Update!

2010-02-25T12:15:00.000-08:00

I've still been attending sewing classes on a Wednesday night which I am really enjoying. Our teacher is great. She teaches us anything we want to know and because she is so well trained she teaches us proper techniques or how is should be done the 'couture' way. Putting it in to practice is another matter!

I have bought myself a second hand more up to date machine which is much easier to use. But as life is so busy at home I find I only tend to sew at the class ( and I like to ask the teacher every step of the way!). I have learnt so much, bearing in mind my previous sewing attempts were probably making a needle case or pin cushion at school! I can see when I have a little more free time in my life it is something I would really like to do more. Here is my new (and old in the background) machine!

Below is the swimsuit I am making. It has been more of a learning sample rather than a real swimsuit to wear! I have followed a genuine 1950s pattern ( which hasn't been easy as a novice!). It has also involved boning, darts, elastic, ric rac, hand sewing in zips and soon I will be adding the straps and button holes.

I am fairly happy with it but I do feel like the next one will be much better. I have learnt alot by my mistakes! I am just about to learn about shirring. Many vintage swimsuits have this but sometimes it has stretched and it would be great to know how to repair this. I also find the shirred swimsuits are a great style and perhaps one day I would like to make one.

I have also finally put up the dates on this blog of the fairs I am doing in 2010. There may be a few others to add too as I am hoping to do more in Cambridge, Norwich and Bury St Edmunds. Looking forward to them very much.

Getting Ready for Summer Fairs!

2010-02-20T06:51:00.001-08:00

Over the winter the spare room, garage and loft have gradually become more and more cluttered with my vintage goodies! In fact they are now chokka full of things! It's just as well I have also been busy booking in to several fairs too as we have just about run out of space! I thought I would share you what our spare room looks like! It's just as well I have an understanding family! This is a rail of summer dresses and beach cover ups. I've managed to come across lots of vintage and padded hangers recently too which has been great.

Swimsuits and my vintage mannequin wearing a beach hut dress. To be honest she is so awkward to change she has been wearing this dress for a while now!!! Her hand sticks out at an awkward angle which means her fingers usually end up in my hair at about the same time her arm then falls of and clonks me on the back!!

Old wool picnic blankets above and just below are the picnic sets to go with them.

This is my slightly scarey looking space age part mannequin but she is a little easier to dress!

Straw baskets full of seashell necklaces, seagull brooches, sunglasses, beach ephemera and swimhats! Then there is a garage full of deckchairs, sun loungers and vintage suitcases that I haven't even started to sort out yet! But I'm pretty much ready to go! My first fair for 2010 is in a couple of weeks in Norwich - The little vintage lovers fair. I shall shortly put a list on this blog of the dates of other fairs coming up. Hope to meet some of you there!

The Grand Old Lady

2010-02-06T02:18:00.000-08:00

During my twenties I lived in Brighton for 10 years. I have lots of fond memories of the City as it was such a vibrant place with a real buzz about it. There was always something interesting to see there whether it was people watching or taking a stroll along the seafront or the Lanes. Brighton has two piers - The Palace Pier which I always considered to be the garish loud one and The West Pier - the more ornate sedate one otherwise known as 'The Grand Old Lady'. When I lived there it was in a major state of disrepair but there was still hope that one day it would be restored to its former glory. One of the best things about the pier was at certain times of year if you went to the beach at sunset you would see hundreds of starlings performing a murmeration before they roosted down for the evening. One of natures truly amazing sights seeing all the different patterns they made. Here are some videos about it.

At one point when I lived there Chris Eubank ( a former boxer who bought the title 'Lord Brighton'!) planned to buy the West Pier to live on it! But there is a trust which cares for the pier called 'The Brighton West Pier Trust' . This trust planned to restore the pier and wanted it to be designed so it would be true to its tradition. It wasn't going to be commercial (like the Palace Pier) but it was to be used for strolling, fishing, art, education and cultural activities. Work began in the late 1990s where they built a bridge so the pier was once again attached to land. They also put up illuminated lights where the name 'West Pier' shone boldly to show people it was coming back. In 1998 they won lottery funding and things were looking promising. In 2000, the year before I left Brighton I was lucky enough to go on a tour of the West Pier. A small group of us donned our hard hats and were led by a tour guide. It was really in a poor state - it looked just like these photos (from the book - 'Walking on Water - The West Pier Story by Fred Gray).

Rather eerily there were quite a few dead pigeons scattered around which the guide informed us were due to the peregrine falcons visiting. The guide also informed us that the work progress was very slow due to lots of legal wrangles, some of it due to objection from the neighbouring Palace Pier. So even though the money was there they were unable to progress. After I left Brighton I moved to Australia and it was in 2003 that I was really saddened to hear on the news over there that the pier was all but destroyed by fire. I have visited Brighton since and it is heartbreaking to see just a shell of the once fine pier. The latest plans are to build an entirely new pier with an observation tower. Apparently just this week the remains of the concert hall have been removed from the beach. Also there are plans for a French company to illuminate it using lasers which will make it glow to look like how it once was ( only for one night though - this Wednesday between 6-10pm.) Here is a video of one of their test runs.

I miss you Brighton and look forward to seeing you this summer to do a vintage fair!

Horrockses

2010-01-30T03:24:00.000-08:00

There is just something about a nice 1950s cotton summer frock that is irresistable. I have been really lucky recently to come accross four Horrockses dresses. Unfortunately none of them fit me but I can still drool over them! My favourite one is actually in the menders. It is navy and white stripes with a strapless top and a very full skirt complete with bolero jacket and belt. The zip was broken when I got it and I took it to the menders who assured me it would be replaced with another metal zip. Imagine my shock and horror yesterday to find it had been replaced with a cheap nylon one!! Grrrrr! So back it's gone again and hopefully this time it will have the correct zip. I have learnt on my sewing course how to put it a zip in by hand and now I wish I'd done it myself (I was just so scared of ruining such a pretty dress !!). Here are some photos of some of the other ones I have.

This photo below is of the bolero that comes with the striped dress.

I have also just found out that the Fashion and Textile Museum in London is running an exhibition on Horrockses from July 9th - 24th October 2010. It follows the story of the Horrockses dress from initial fabric design, to production, promotion and consumption. I will definately put that in my diary. Also linking up with this exhibition is a new book coming out by Christine Boydell, who is a University lecturer in design history. She is the curator of the upcoming exhibition I just mentioned. Her book is called 'Horrockses Fashion - off the peg fashion in the 40s and 50s'. I have pre ordered this and just can't wait to find out more about these stunning dresses.

I have found some information from the Harris museum webiste in Preston. Horrockses was originally a cotton business which was founded in 1791 and produced sheets, towels and nightdresses. The fashion side of the business - 'Horrockses Fashions Ltd' - was launched in 1946. They designed high quality cotton fabric and made pretty full skirted frocks. The fabric designs were not for sale elsewhere and were used exclusively for Horrockses fashion. A finish was put on the dresses known as 'quintafix' to give them crispness. They would produce limited quantities of each garment and their price was equivalent to a weeks wages (£4- £7 at the time) so the dresses had a sense of exclusivity about them! They were also very selective with which retailers could stock their clothes. Many women would save up for them and would often wear them as agoing away outfit. The Queen wore several Horrockses dresses on her 1953 Caribbean tour.

In 1964 the brand was sold and the label continued until 1983 but it never recpatured its heyday of the 1950s until the name gradually faded from the limelight.

I think there is something special about those 1950s Horrockses dresses and apparently many women of that era thought so too and have kept their dresses. Often the ones appearing in exhibitions are from private owners. I just need to find one that will fit me now!!

Snowy Suffolk

2010-01-08T12:24:00.001-08:00

Everyone is talking about the snow! But it's not really surprising - it is everywhere! Even on the beach! This photo of the beach huts came from the local paper (East Anglian Daily Times). The roads were too dangerous to go to the beach today but I did take the girls for a walk to the local park.

We played a game where we pretended to be explorers looking for a yeti. We thought we heard it roaring from the forest but no such luck as it turned out to be an aeroplane. We then spotted some strange large footprints which we decided to follow. We had almost got home when there, lurking on the street corner we suddenly spotted it!

Beachwear for the Modern Male!

2010-01-02T02:21:00.001-08:00

I must admit I don't have much mens beachwear in stock. In fact I have yet to sell a piece! But what I like is that it always brings a smile to my customers faces when they spot it! It certainly has the fun factor! Here are some photos of the few that I do have.

The floral ones are particularly striking. They are from Lord John in Carnaby Street (picture from http://www.sixtiescity.com/). I can just imagine Mick Jagger strutting his stuff in these during the swinging 60s!

The turquoise pair with the white band are from Catalina and the blue pair with the black tabs are from Swordfish.

I came accross this series of photos on youtube which gives a good pictorial history of mens swimwear. The photo of the two men in wool swimsuits wearing hats is my favourite! Although the men posing in a band is a close second!

Happy Christmas

2009-12-24T06:31:00.000-08:00

Happy Christmas to everyone. Hope you have a lovely day. Here are is nice beachy pic for you I found on flickr. A sandy snowman!

Let it Snow!

2009-12-18T14:17:00.000-08:00

Woke up this morning to a white out and the girls were straight out in to the garden at 7am building a snowman! After school, I took my youngest out on the sledge to the local park. It was really pretty and somehow peaceful.

Later on whilst looking at the news I came across this photo of Brighton beach (AFP Getty Images). It reminds me of Nessie! I spent most of my twenties living in Brighton and can't wait to visit it again in 2010 as I'll be doing a vintage fair there in July - Fabulously Vintage Fashion Fair. Let's hope the weather will be a little more 'swimsuit friendly' then!

One ceramic for another!

2009-12-11T11:30:00.000-08:00

During the winter months I find myself collecting rather than selling! At the moment the loft, garage and spare room are full of beach things! I can't wait until next summer as I have some great swimsuits now and lots of deck chairs and picnic sets! On my vintage beach collecting travels I often come accross other interesting vintage items. They are hard to resist and some of the items end up on ebay which then helps fund the beachy collecting! This week I sold this slightly spooky looking Father Christmas toby jug.

It was originally something that was given away in the 1960s with Birds Custard. I sold it to a local couple and the man who came to pick it up told me that it is going to be a Christmas present for his mother in law. Apparently she had had an original one since the 1960s and had used it every Christmas Day to serve custard. Unfortunately earlier this year it had got so badly damaged she couldn't use it anymore. So this lovely couple have decided to surprise her this Christmas! A lovely story that made my day!

The other good thing is that it meant I could buy these instead!

They are actually salt and pepper pots! They were made in Japan and I think they date from the 1950s. I know what ceramic I prefer!

I also just wanted to say thanks for the comments. I do read every single one and love to hear from people. It's always nice to meet new friends in the blogging world!

Jacks Daughter

2009-11-29T11:50:00.001-08:00

What do you think of this? I think it is FANTASTIC! It is a handmade new swimming costume made from a 1950s pattern. Unfotunately it's not the one I've been working on in my sewing class (I wish it was!) It's made by a talented lady who lives in Australia who makes up clothes from original vintage patterns. She is on Etsy as Jacksdaughter and also has her own website http://www.jacksdaughter.net.au/

I love the attention to detail there is on the swimsuit such as the floral button that matches the fabric. The swimsuit I am making is coming along (albeit very slowly). I don't really get much time to sew at home but enjoy the 2 hours sewing I do every week in the class. I think I need the giudance of my tutor too! Here is a photo of my unfinished attempt so far.

Stormy Weather

2009-11-22T12:04:00.000-08:00

It seems unreal that only 2 weeks ago I was taking some photos of beach huts in the sunshine. Recently the weather has taken a change and it really feels like Autumn is heading in to winter. This is a picture of Southwold taken from our local paper (East Anglian Daily Times). I wouldn't fancy swimming in that much! Talking of swimming I think a few of us are going to be entering the swim in Felixstowe on Christmas Day in aid of St Elizabeths Hospice. I just need to call them this week to find out if we are allowed to wear wetsuits! That will be a deciding factor for me!

Anyway to brighten up this dull and gloomy day I came accross these great old books from the 1930s and 40s with some really fantastic pictures in them. They are mostly full of stories and have some features too such as 'How to make a gay scarf'! It amazes me how language can change so much over a few decades. The best thing about these books are the illustrations. They are amazing and remind me of old railway posters.

Lovely Gift

2009-11-12T13:02:00.001-08:00

I had a lovely surprise gift when I went to pick up my two girls from school! Another mum, Kimberley, has just moved house and came across this that she didn't need anymore! She used to run a boating business that ran river trips on the River Orwell and a friend had given her this to assist her with advertising design. However the boat is now up for sale and she no longer has room for this. I LOVE IT! Thankyou so much.

Beach Huts

2009-11-10T00:59:00.000-08:00

It was a beautiful morning yesterday so I took a trip down to Felixstowe. Some of the beach huts were still on their stilts whilst some have been moved away from the beach up to the promenade so they don't get swept away in the winter storms. My husband had taken the girls bike riding along the promenade the day before. It had been tricky as stones had washed up on to the path and he'd mentioned how sea had been really rough and grey. Well today it couldn't have been more different - it felt almost summery! The beach was quite sandy in places and the sea was flat and calm. Not bad for November! St Elizabeths Hospice is organizing a fundraising Christmas Day swim in Felixstowe - I hope it looks like this!

I then went to Old Felixstowe where there are some beach huts perched high up on the cliffs. I love the way that each beach hut is unique and that the owners have creative freedom to decorate their huts how they like. Some are plain and some have pink candy stripes, some are basic and some have every mod con going, some are old and beach weathered and some are brand spanking new! Yet all are interesting!

More Seashell Art

2009-10-25T13:31:00.000-07:00

Today I felt so lucky to be living in Suffolk. The Autumn sun was rising as I set off early this morning and it turned out to be a beautiful morning. Lots of pheasants were out and about in the fields as I passed through the pretty quaint villages of Yoxford, Peasenhall and Sibton. I was heading to a flea market as well as trying to squeeze in a car boot sale and an antiques fair! I also had to be back by 10am so the girls could go swimming! Luckily I managed to squeeze it all in. It was well worth it as to my delight I found some great seashell pieces.

My favourite two are the lady in the shell and the owl. They were very dusty when I found them but with a little help from a cocktail stick and babywipes they look much fresher!

Vintage Picnic Sets

2009-10-24T11:06:00.001-07:00

Here are a few photos of some of my favourite picnic sets I have sold over the summer. I must admit some have been very hard to part with! The first picture is of the first picnic set I ever sold and probably one of the best ones I have come across. It was made by Brexton with Bandalasta ware and it was in perfect condition. I often wondered if it had been an unsed wedding gift.

The last photo is of a set by Sirram which came complete with a matching folding table. Although not as practical as current day sets, they have been very popular on the market stall - it's their elegance and charm! It's great that so many have survived as the crockery is often made of china but unfortunately the flasks aren't as hardy and many sets don't have the originals. The very early sets were made by Coracle, Ilat, Garrison and would contain a spirit kettle and very early plastic such as Bandalasta bakelite. In the 1950s the main British manufacturers were Sirram, Brexton and Optima. The sets were cased either in wicker hampers or a hard wooden suitcases that were often covered in material. In the very good sets the flasks are covered in the same material to match the suitcase. The crockery in the 50s. 60s, 70s was usually china and the lunch boxes were made of tin or a heavy plastic. Optima is still making picnic sets to this day. I was very lucky to find this Brexton set at a car boot sale today which probably dates from the 1960s.

Sea Shell Ornaments

2009-10-19T11:24:00.000-07:00

When I was a little girl we spent our family holidays in Carnoustie, Scotland. My favourite activity was looking for cowrie shells. Sometimes we would have a little competition of who could find the most. I think the most I found in one day was about 14. This year when we were down in Cornwall I went for a long walk on Hayle beach and to my amazement managed to find two cowries. I believe many many years ago they were used as a form of currency.

These days when I am out and about a fairs I quite often spot seashell ornaments mostly from the 1960s and 1970s. Recently I came across a set of 5 shell ornaments in the form of a musical band! Then today I came across this cute little dog, a seal and a chair.

The chair is missing a part but up in the loft somewhere I have a little cast iron figurine which should sit on it nicely!

I remember in the 1970s my mum would put plaster of paris over an old bottle and then stick the seashells we found on to it. These days, I generally prefer to leave the shells on the beach and would prefer not to buy new seashells. Some countries now have strict restrictions on shell collecting to protect species which is a good thing. I think it was in Perth, Australia there was a sign on the beach asking people not to collect shells and to think of the sea creatures that may need them too for shelter, such as hermit crabs!

I also found this resin seashell candle holder. I have sold several paperweights, very similar to this, over the summer. They are very 1970s! Whenever they have appeared in our house, they are usually swiped by my two young daughters who are fascinated by them.

Apparently shell art originated in the 18th century and has its roots in sailors making valentines to send home to loved ones. They made shell arrangements in wooden octagonal glazed cases. Then, in the Victorian times exotic shells became popular and women used them to decorate boxes and mirrors.

If any of you happen to be in North Norfolk there are two shell displays which sound very interesting. The shell museum - http://www.shellmuseum.co.uk/ in Glandford houses the best shell exhibition in the UK and The Peter Coke gallery - http://www.sheringham-preservation.org.uk/ which houses an amazing collection of shell art.

Devon Pottery

2009-10-08T05:18:00.000-07:00

I have a great fondness for old Devon pottery. I have been collecting and selling some pieces over the summer. I like it so much I am wondering if I should just hold on to the pieces I do have. There are two styles I really like - the seagull pattern and the polka dots.

I believe these pieces in the photo date from the 1950s - my favourite era! Terracotta clay was discovered in the area in the late 19th century at Watcombe. Many local potteries developed and made pottery known as 'motto' and 'cottage' ware ( made between 1875 and 1962). The shapes were handmade on the wheel by skilled craftsmen and hand painted. Quite often 'motto' ware has a picture of a cottage and local saying written on it in lower case such as 'snore and you shall sleep alone'! It was often made as souvenier ware and sometimes the name of the town where it was originally sold is inscribed on the side. However the pottery was quite expensive to produce and during the war many of the potteries closed down.

Winter Project

2009-10-03T02:54:00.000-07:00

This week I went to my first sewing class. It was great fun and very inspiring. The tutor is called Clare Perkins who runs a company called Silk Rose. She trained at the London College of Fashion and with Norman Hartnell who was the Queens' couturier! She has made clothes for the Queen and for Princess Anne's wedding! She had a great positive attitude and made us believe anything is possible! Most of us on the course are mature students who don't have much sewing experience but do have plenty of enthusiasm!

Clare went round and asked us individually what we wanted to make on the course. I nervously held up my pattern and muttered something about probably being too ambitious and maybe it would be possible in a few years time. She came over, held the pattern, studied it and then said something along the lines of 'you'll be able to make a few of these on this course!' Wow! I couldn't believe it! How fantastic!

Later on in the week I still felt full of optimism and excitement about it. I have even bought another pattern and some vintage 1950s fabric. Next week will be cutting the pattern and fabric ready to make a sample.

Autumn Sunshine

2009-09-28T12:15:00.001-07:00

I love Autumn, especially early Autumn. The weather in the last week has been perfect - nice cool nights, a little morning mist and then bright sunny days with a temperature of around 20 degrees. The weekend weather was just ideal for the Woodbridge Vintage Market. There was a great turnout as well as a great atmosphere. Here is a photo of the stall with my friends Bev and Maggie (sitting down) who I shared the stall with.

We had the same spot as last time which was great. I met some really nice people and it was good to catch up with fellow stall holders including Emmie, Bobo Bun, Polly Pringle, Di and Carol. It was also nice to meet Adele, a fellow blogger and her daughter, Emma. My 2 girls came along for a little while too. I sold a number of vintage suitcases, lots of ephemera and ornaments, 3 picnic sets, nearly all of my vintage swimhats and quite a few swimsuits. I was wondering if it was the right time of year to bring the swimsuits along but as the sun was shining I thought I'd give it a go and I'm glad I did. One lady bought 3 swimsuits!
I had a good look around this time and there was an interesting mix of stalls. However I was quite restrained and only bought a vintage beach towel (as spotted by Bobo Bun!) and a bakelite boat shaped brooch. Here is the towel, possibly 1950s.

The next day the sun was still shining so I took the girls down to the beach hut for a family get together. I also took some swimsuits with a plan to take some photos so I could get organised and list them on Etsy but the batteries in my camera ran out! I just managed to get these few in before they went.

However when my sister spotted the last swimsuit she fell in love with it and it ended up going home with her!

Woodbridge was my last market for 2009. I will desperately miss doing them but I am already busy planning which ones to do next year. As well as the local stalls I am hoping do some London fairs and some festivals in 2010. Fingers crossed I might have even made a swimsuit by then or at least some bunting!

Beach Huts

2009-09-23T14:01:00.000-07:00

Just thought I'd share this lovely picture of Felixstowe beach huts. It was taken by my 12 year old nephew as part of a school project. Not bad eh!

Woodbridge Vintage Market

2009-09-19T09:21:00.000-07:00

I've been getting things ready for the Woodbridge market. If the weather is like how it's been today it will be great! I have been optimistically sorting out swimsuits to bring along ( see photos). I have 2 blue satin suits at the moment which are really nice.

This time the stall will not be exclusively beach items as I will be sharing the stall with a friend who will have other vintage/ antique items. September isn't really beach season so sadly this will be the last market I will do until May next year.

I have also signed up on a dressmaking course and am very ambitiously planning to try and make a swimsuit from a 1950s pattern over the winter months! However I haven't used a machine since school days so perhaps this is not realistic! Gotta try though!

Le Beach Hut!

2009-09-15T01:12:00.000-07:00

We have just spent the weekend at Disneyland Paris. It was something we booked ages ago for the girls. The weather was great and it was a very full on weekend! Let me just say as a once in a lifetime OTT experience it was great but I think next year we will be going back to nature and camping in Norfolk! I did find these cute little beach huts though!However with it being Disneyland, of course they were only pretend. On closer inspection they turned out to be a vending machine!Then on even closer inspection - an advert with a vintage swimsuit!

More ephemera

2009-09-05T07:47:00.001-07:00

The picture below comes from a 1933 catalogue illustration. At the bottom it says 'If consumers choose shades other than those specified above, the goods can be made but the Dye cannot be guaranteed.' !!!

These next two are from the 1957 and 1959 Jantzen catalogue. I adore the womens swimsuits but I'm not so sure about the mens - especially the tucked in shirt!

The final two have been great educational material for me. The first photo on the left is advertising 'Lastex' swimsuits. In the 1950s this was a new type of stretchy fabric which beacame popular for making swimwear. The second one on the right describes different names for the swimsuits which include ' Silver Goblet', 'Cheetah', 'Sea Mist' and 'Silver Foil'. If I was ever lucky enough to come accross any of these swimsuits I would know their name!

Ephemera

2009-09-05T05:29:00.000-07:00

I have quite a collection of swimsuit related ephemera now! I was lucky enough to get a big bundle which had previously been displayed in a museum. They must have been saved by a person who was a huge fan of 1950s swimwear too. Some are original photos and some have been carefully cut from catalogues and pasted on to cardboard. I love the images but I'm not quite sure what to do with them. I did have an idea of cutting them and framing them in vintage frames to sell but I just couldn't do it! Because they had been so carefully saved over the years it felt disrespectful to take them apart. In fact it felt like pure vandalism! So for now I will keep them as they are and share them on here instead!

Look at this couple with the lady holding a cigarette!

And how about this for beach glamour?

Do you like these dapper gentlemen complete with matching footwear?

And finally a snazzy Martin White number.

Deck Chairs

2009-09-05T04:26:00.000-07:00

As promised - here are the pictures of the two deckchairs I got at Halesworth antiques fair. They are both interesting as they are slightly unusual. I have been trying to find out the origins of the deck chair and came accross some information in a book called 'Designing the Seaside' by Fred Gray.

Apparently it was when the seaside started to become a place of family leisure in the late 1800s that furniture began to appear. The deckchair was first used on Margate Beach in 1898. It originated from a canvas hammock chair and wood which had been produced as camp furniture for the British army in India. It had also been used on passenger ships ( hence the name 'deck'). They were cheap to produce, foldable, stackable, easily moved and ideal for the seaside and it soon became a symbol of seaside relaxation and rest. The early deckchairs were upright but in the middle of the 20th century they became more horizontal. By the 1940s Margate hired out 2.1 million chairs each season! Unfortunately towards the end of the 20th century the plastic sunlounger increased in popularity. I have a photo here of something that I would describe as a 'transitional' piece!

A 1970s retro sunlounger - these were used before the white plastic ones became popular. I feel these days people are moving away from the plastic furniture and are reverting to the more tradtional wood and canvas styles again. Hooray!

Video of Felixstowe Bathing Beauty Competition

2009-09-04T00:34:00.000-07:00

Here is a video of the Bank Holiday at Felixstowe from 'Felixstowe TV'. It will be interesting to see what the full length programme will be like and what ideas they have to regenerate Felixstowe. Felixstowe is a funny old place! I went to high school there and I remember as a teenager I was desperate to leave the place which I did at 17! However now when I go back and visit, I really enjoy some parts of it. Old Felixstowe is lovely. It has lots of beach huts and is uncommercial and therefore unspoilt. There are some wonderful art deco style houses overlooking the beaches and a golf course which leads down to the hamlet of Felixstowe Ferry. Here there are weatherboard beach shacks that people live in, a fresh fish hut and a couple of pubs and a cafe. You can catch the ferry over to Bawdsey from here. Yet at the other end of Felixstowe there is a huge port, otherwise known as 'The Docks'. It does provide major employment for local people but the downsides are that as it has grown it has swallowed up some lovely spots on the river Orwell and the landscape is now blotted by cranes that look like giant metal dinosaurs. As as child I used to play at Trimley foreshore and some of that foreshore now is part of 'The Docks'. Also at that end of town is the more commercial aspect of the town with amusement arcades, nightclub, fairground etc. Personally I prefer old Felixstowe. I did wonder why they filmed this show at the more commercial side of the town but then perhaps that is the side of town that needs more help to regenerate.

Vintage Swimsuit Parade

2009-08-31T09:27:00.000-07:00

It has been a very busy weekend. Saturday was spent in delightful Southwold helping out at the Buddha Market and then on Sunday I did a stall at Halesworth antiques market. I shared the stall with Emmie Butterfly who sells vintage and recycled clothes. It was a nice day and I picked up some great stuff including some as new vintage windbreaks and 2 fantastic deckchairs - photos coming soon!
Despite feeling quite tired this morning I mustered some energy to go to the local car boots and picked up 2 fantastic picnic sets, an old leather picnic bag and a folding picnic table. The plan for the rest of the day was to go to the beach hut but the weather wasn't looking quite as good as they predicted. I flicked through the local paper and was amazed to see there was going to be a vintage swimsuit bathing beauty competition in Felixstowe. It was being filmed with Duncan Bannantyne as the judge who is doing a series on promoting British seaside resorts. I was so excited about it I didn't realise that I had put one of my new picnic sets straight on to the electric cooker ring which happened to be on! The case now has a hideous brown ring on it - how annoying. I will try and find another vintage case for it but am gutted as I like to keep things as original as possible.
Most of my swimsuits are up at the Buddha market but I managed to gather 5 or so together and went off to Felixstowe. I found one of the organisers of the event and offered my swimsuits for people to borrow. They had already hired some models and vintage swimsuits as they didn't know if any local people would enter. But once they had my swimsuits they went on a recruitment drive to get the locals to enter and in the end 4 of my swimsuits were used! Here's a photo of the dragon himself!

About 12 girls were in the competition but in the end it came down to the final two contestants both from Felixstowe. The girl in the pink swimsuit is wearing one of my Rose Marie Reid costumes and doesn't she look fantastic in it. I was really hoping she would win. It was up to the crowd to choose.

And guess what! - She won! YEAH! It is going to be on TV in January on Virgin.

Bikini

2009-08-28T14:06:00.000-07:00

I have been reading more of my book about Rose Marie Reid. I am nearly finished now. It has been very interesting. The book is written by her daughter Carol and a family friend. It does tend to jump about a little ( probably like this blog!) but is keeping me gripped. It seems that the 1950s were the best times for Rose Marie Reid. This is when her swimsuits were the most popular in the world. She worked so hard even sometimes sleeping at her work. She had a strong faith in her Mormon religion and the book does delve in to that quite alot. One thing she felt strongly about was that she didn't like the bikini and when the other major swimsuit companies began to produce them she didn't give in to the pressure. She felt more modest swimsuits were what women truly wanted. When she stopped working for the company in the 1960s it was about the time when the bikini was taking over in popularity. I found this clip on you tube about the bikini which is quite interesting.

Bawdsey

2009-08-23T11:02:00.000-07:00

The weather has been great today so I have been out and about. The day started early with a quick trip to the car boot sale at Stratford. It was quite disapointing but I did pick up some East Anglian magazines from the 1950s. I then headed off to the Suffolk Showground for another car boot! This was much more interesting! I picked up some old seaside souveniers, an old vanity case, a retro garden umbrella, a picnic set and a few bits and bobs for the girls including a brand new recorder for £1!! Later on, when my 6 year old blasted a recorder rendition of 'Jingle Bells repeatedly in my face I did wonder if this really had been such a good buy after all! Luckily peace returned when I took her to a birthday party later on!

The party was in Hollesley and nearby there are two great beaches - Shingle St and Bawdsey. They are a little off the beaten track and I like to think of them as secret little Suffolk spots. As it was nearly lunchtime I decided to take my other daughter to Bawdsey as it has nice cafe there - http://www.boathousecafe.co.uk/. After lunch we had ice creams on the jetty and waited for the ferry to come along and take us over to Felixstowe. Normally the ferry runs to and fro all day but today it wasn't there. Then I realised that it was actually towing another boat. A speedboat had started to sink and the ferryman had gone to its rescue and towed it back to shore! We passed it later on the beach at Felixstowe and the crew were still bailing out the water. They were lucky they didn't all sink along with the boat.

We bought some smoked haddock at the fish shack in Felixstowe then caught the ferry back to Bawdsey. We paddled along the shore and peeked at the crabs that people had caught in their buckets. I didn't take the camera but I've found this photo from Bawdsey manor website so you can see what a lovely spot it is.

1950s Beach Tea Set

2009-08-21T12:36:00.001-07:00

Here are some photos of the lovely tea set that I picked up from Mandy's stall at the Buddha Market. Her stall is next to mine and it's the sort of vintage stall that I love. It is a real rummage around stall with a wide variety of treasures. Every time I visit she has new goodies!

I love the images on the saucers with the lady riding a donkey on the beach! The detail on the teapot is great too with images on both the back and the front. This was made in the 1950s as part of the 'Riviera' design by Crown Devon Fieldings. What a fantastic find!

Couldn't resist - more vintage swimsuits!

2009-08-17T12:25:00.000-07:00

Did I say something about not buying anymore swimsuits?! Oh dear! These were just too irresistable. These really will be it for now (until the next time that is!). The last one is by Rose Marie Reid. I read some more of my book about her over the weekend. The more I read the more I admire her. She sounds like a real hard worker with a strong inner determination. As a child Rose Marie worked hard with her mother doing anything she could to help the family survive financially. She worked in the fields on their farm and at one time was given chicken feed to eat as there was nothing else for them. The family tried several businesses including farming, chicken raising, sewing, beauty therapy, and art. Her father was heavily involved in the mormon church and wasn't a business man. It was left to the women to try and raise revenue for them to survive. This gave Rose Marie a strong work ethic and she felt a great sense of responsibility. She married young but divorced young too as she had married for the wrong reasons although she did remain friends with her first husband. She later met another man who she married for love but it seems he did not treat her with the respect she deserved. She lived in Canada with him and it was then that she began to design swimsuits. This was around the time of the 1930s when most swimsuits were made of wool and she designed something for her husband to swim better in. From then on her business grew and grew and she became one of the best selling swimsuit designers in Canada. She made gorgeous swimsuits which flattered womens figures and she was a pioneer in using new fabrics like lastex.

She went on to have children but behind the scenes her husband put a lot of pressure on her to work and was at times aggressive towards her. She finally left him and soon after not only did he soon set up home with her best friend but he also wiped her out financially. Her inner strength at this time must have been amazing as she then became determined to crack the American swimsuit market to help her survive financially and to provide for her family. At the time the American market was dominated by Catalina, Cole of California and Jantzen. Everyone she approached just told her how impossible it would be - there wasn't a premises, there wasn't any sewing machines, there wasn't any fabric etc. But Rose Marie was a woman who wouldn't take 'No' for an answer. If someone told her something was impossible she would find a way to prove them wrong. She went to Canada to the sewing machine manufacturer and refused to leave until they provided her with the machines she needed.

This is about how far I have got in the book. The more I read the more I admire her. I have to remember too that this was back in the 1930s/40s, during wartime when things were rationed, fabric was used for making parachutes and pre women lib days. I look forward to finding out how she cracked America. Even today people say her swimsuits are the best. What a woman!

Aldeburgh Carnival

2009-08-16T12:11:00.000-07:00

Have just come back from a fantastic weekend at Aldeburgh Carnival. I shouldn't have had any concerns about doing a stall there at all! In fact I almost sold out of things to sell so I am unable to do my stall there tommorow ( which is the main day!). It was a great and hot weekend! I sold all of my picnic sets, and virtually all of my windbreaks and deckchairs and about 5-6 swimsuits. As much as I adore the swimsuits it is the deckchairs and picnic sets that sell the best. I will have to try and curb my obsession with 1950s swimsuits! At the end of the day my stall looked bare and as much as I would love to it's not really worth going there again tommorow. I was sited next to a lovely artist couple http://www.jeremyruggeprice.com/ who sold seascape paintings and they will hopefully be able to use my pitch. Here's one of his pictures

The best bits for me were sitting in vintage deckchairs with my friend Fillipa under a vintage parasol (even if we did feel like we had sunstroke!) and the early mornings at Aldeburgh seafront hearing the fishermen talk about their catch. Once again I met some lovely customers and fellow stall holders. I look forward to going again next year (but with a few more picnic sets and deckchairs!)

Buddha Market Southwold

2009-08-14T00:49:00.000-07:00

Yesterday was a very exciting day. I went to Southwold and set up a stall at the Buddha Market. It is in a great venue just off the main High St and close to the antique shops. I am sharing a space with one of the organisers and as you enter the market it is one of the first stalls that you see. I met some lovely fellow stall holders and ended up buying something already! - lovely tea set 'Riviera' which has great 50s nautical illustrations on it. I'll post a photo soon as I forgot to take my camera. There was a nice mixture of stalls including vintage clothing, bags made from recycled leather coats, hand made beach items such as beach hut paintings and other vintage household goods. Everyone was really enthusiastic about what they do and I felt really lucky to be involved! It was like an Aladdins cave of goodies! I am going to help out on Wednesday and look forward to having a good browse around.
Then it was off to Haleworth to meet Linda, who runs Glad Rags in Halesworth. She wants to put a summery display in her vintage/ retro shop and has taken 10 swimsuits to put in her shop. It was another Aladdins cave with some superb high quality vintage clothing.
Tommorow I will be doing a stall at Aldeburgh carnival. I am feeling a little nervous as I think I am quite different to the usual type of stalls they have there. Also half of my stock is at Southwold! Fingers crossed it will be ok. At the end of the day spending the next 3 days at Aldeburgh beach can only be a good thing! I might even get a chance to finish my Rose Marie Reid book.
I also just wanted to mention that this Sunday at 3pm at The Old Warehouse, Brook St, Ipswich
'My Vintage Wardrobe' are hosting a vintage catwalk display in aid of St Elizabeth Hospice ( tickets £8 - all proceeds to the charity). They asked if I wanted to put some swimsuits in and I would love to but unfortunately I was already all booked up this weekend. I think it is a great idea and hopefully if they do another one I can go along and help out.

DeWeese Hollywood Galmour

2009-08-11T13:20:00.000-07:00

We have just had some lovely friends to stay for the weekend and enjoyed some time at the beach hut and watching Felixstowe Carnival parade by. The weather has been quite good and I even managed to squeeze in a car boot sale at Stratford too! I found a great 70s folding picnic table. It needs some TLC due to rust but I'm so glad someone kept this. I think it would look great in a vw combi.

Now for something a little more glamorous! I have also been keeping an eye on vintage swimwear coming up in auctions and I feel I just have to show you this one as it is one of the most glamorous swimsuits I have ever seen! It is by DeWeese and I think it is probably 1960s. Mary Anne DeWeese was one of the leading designers at Catalina in the 1940s/50s but then went on to form her own company 'DeWeese'. I have a couple of her sundresses where the top half is a boned ruched swimsuit but the bottom half is a flared knee length skirt. I did bid on this one but it ended up well out of my price range going for well over £100! To be honest it looks like such a fantastic piece of history I think it is worth this amount. It really is something special and even comes with a matching jacket!

Rose Marie Reid

2009-08-07T02:02:00.000-07:00

For quite a while now I have been looking for a Rose Marie Reid vintage swimsuit but they have always been cost prohibitive. Well today my wish has come true and I finally have one in my possession. It arrived today from the States. It came with this cute little beach jacket too.

I have just started reading her biography written by her daughter. It is quite slow reading at the moment as the beginning has introduced lots of characters and lots of history about the Mormon religion which takes some concentration! She sounds like an amazing woman who initially went in to the swimsuit business in 1937 when she couldn't find a suit that met her needs. The suits she made were sculpted like the evening dresses of the time with draping, tucks, pleats and shirring and she made a huge contribution to the glamour swimwear market in the 1950s. Her swimsuits were among the best selling in America and outsold many of her rivals (who would often copy her designs!). Marilyn Monroe publicly thanked Rose Marie Reid for the contribution her swimsuits had made to her career! Reid genuinely cared about women feeling good in her swimsuits and her sales assistants were trained to help women select the right suits for their body shape. The quality of this one swimsuit of hers I have is exceptionally good. The fabric is nice and thick and the lining has extra touches to make it more comfortable. I am looking forward to reading more about her.

2009-08-04T14:41:00.000-07:00

Just back from a great week in Cornwall. We stayed in Riviere Towans on the edge of Hayle. It was a bunch of beach huts nestled in the sand dunes next to the most fantastic beach. Of course being a British holiday the weather was very mixed. On the Wednesday there was even a severe weather warning! However, we managed to have 2 full days at the beach without rain and my daughter experienced surf for the first time. She loved it and just stood in the waves for ages. The Atlantic ocean is so much more tempting to swim in than the North Sea. It's crystal clear waters and big swell always entices me in. Despite the cold weather with us wearing fleeces and cagoules on the beach we did manage a few enjoyable swims. We caught the train down which was a memorable journey in itself. As it arrives in Devon it takes a coastal route which was beautiful.

On arriving home, it was time to pack up for the Southwold Fair and I headed off the next day. It was a gloriously sunny day and quite busy. I met some lovely people again as well as catching up with a few familiar faces. There was a great stall opposite me which sold a mixture of handmade items, vintage items, childrens clothing, fabrics. It had everything really - the only thing missing was cupcakes! I sold two great 1950s American swimsuits to two young women. They fitted perfectly and looked fantastic - as if they were made for them. Also the picnic set with the little table was sold. I met a fellow deck chair fan who was tempted by mine but he was on holiday in Southwold and also had a huge collection at home. He truly loved deck chairs and even spoke about framing the old faded fabric. It was nice to meet someone who felt as enthusiastic as I do about them! I got chatting to a customer who was involved in sewing and I am seriously thinking about taking classes so I can make some things for the stall next year.

Aldeburgh Bathing Hut

2009-07-24T10:55:00.000-07:00

There was an article in the local paper this week about this bathing hut. It is located in Aldeburgh and up to this week it had been on the beach near Moot Hall. However it has now been removed so it can be restored to its former glory. It is owned by Aldeburgh museum and they plan to raise money and assemble a team of volunteers and local craftsmen to totally restore it. Then it will be returned to the beach and used for educational purposes. It's very exciting.

We are off down to Cornwall this week and will be staying in a chalet in the sand dunes of Hayle. We are catching the train down which should be an adventure. Fingers crossed for good weather.

Advert and picnic set

2009-07-21T12:35:00.000-07:00

Look at this great advert from Peter Pan swimwear circa 1950s! It should hopefully be on its way to my address soon!! I love it. It is my birthday tommorow and this is my present. It is from the same chap who I got the other swimwear adverts from. He doesn't know the history of the items as he won them in an auction but some of them look like they came from a swimwear museum. Also from the same person I received some old pieces of cardboard with loads of vintage adverts and articles about swimwear that had been stuck on it. I would love to know about the person who originally saved all of this. Some of the items have comments on them, handwritten in old ink pen. Whoever these originally belonged to must have shared my love of vintage swimwear. I just need a Peter Pan swimsuit now to go with the adverts!

Also just adding a picture of the picnic set from Bungay.

It's made by Sirram and comes with this handy little table.

Frinton on Sea

2009-07-19T12:30:00.001-07:00

Every year we take a trip to Frinton. We have a friend who has an Aunt who owns an old house in Frinton who doesn't live in it but instead lets the family use it for holidays during the year. Our friends are there on holiday this week so we went down to visit. The house is virtually unchanged since the 1950s and is a short walk to the beach. The Aunt also has a beach hut for the visitors to use too. A most generous Aunt I think!

In true British tradition the weather was very mixed but we were able to spend the whole day there paddling, rock pooling and swimming. In the back ground there was the sound of gospel music as a church from London had come up for the day and set up on the green.

Swimsuit History Video

2009-07-18T00:26:00.000-07:00

I came across this video on You Tube. My favourite swimsuit is the Annette Kellerman design. Although the Esther Williams gold bikini is rather stunning too! Annette Kellerman was an Australian professional swimmer in the early 20th century. She hated the Victorian type swimwear that women had to wear in those days. She called them awful water overcoats and lumpy bathing suits! As she was in the public eye she was able to highlight the safety concerns she had with them and claimed they were responsible for many drownings. She travelled to Europe to compete in swimming events and also as part of a novelty act which involved diving and swimming in a huge glass tank. She began to make her own knitted swimsuits to improve her diving routines which were like knitted unitards. When she first appeared in public in one of them there was a huge reaction and she quickly became a pin up. She went to the USA in 1907 but at that time the USA had strict modesty rules and she was arrested in Boston for indecent exposure. Her crime was wearing a costume that was cut away mid thigh! She successfully argued her case in court that the suit was necessary for her streamlined swimming and the judge showed her leniency! She went on to star in shows and films and design swimwear. Esther William's film ' The Million Dollar Mermaid' was based on Annette Kellerman's life.

Victorian seaside

2009-07-15T02:22:00.000-07:00

Today my daughter was meant to be having a Victorian seaside day at school. I had made her little costume, found a parasol and an old straw hat. We were all set but then I found a letter in her school bag stating they have a confirmed case of swine school at her school. Oh dear! Luckily the person who has it seems to be mildly affected thank goodness. However we then had a huge dilemma of whether to send her in or not. Part of me thought 'don't make a fuss - it's enivitable we will be exposed to it - perhaps it's better to get it now' whilst the other part of me thought 'It's only a few days to the summer holidays - we shouldn't expose her to this if we can avoid it'. So three hours later after chatting to a few other parents we came to the decision to send her in. But then at about 1.30am things changed as she seemed to come down with the vomiting virus that has been going around. So fate intervened and she is at home! She seems right as rain luckily!!

We've been looking at my book 'Seaside Fashions 1860- 1939' by Avril Lansdell which has some great pictures of the old bathing machines. It was invented in 1753 to enable women to swim in modest seclusion. They would enter it from the rear and undress while a horse pulled it down to the sea. When the horse stopped a canopy was let down over the door and steps so the bather could hide under it. Then a female assistant called a 'dipper' would lead the woman in to the sea. In Victorian times horses were no longer used and teams of men moved them with the tide. They faced out to sea and a plank was laid from the beach accross the edge of the water. The canopies also disapeared in Victorian times but men and women would swim seperately.

Women wore bonnets or straw hats sometimes tied on with a scarf and in 1852 Amelia Bloomer invented the bloomer and the bloomer suit became the standard swimwear. It consisted of ankle length trousers gathered at the ankles with a knee or thigh length jacket like dress, often made of dark coloured fabric with braid or embroidery. Lace up slippers were worn which were abit like ballet shoes.

I'm glad things have changed! It would have been so uncomfortable and restrictive swimming fully clothed. I also believe they were responsible for some drownings. It's amazing how much swimwear has changed in the last century.

NB: Bathing machine picture from Archant Regional and other from fashion-era.

2009-07-12T11:23:00.000-07:00

Well, I have just come home after 2 days of fairs. The first was Clutter City in Norwich and the 2nd one today was Bungay antiques street fair. They were both equally good but in different ways. Clutter City was kind of quiet but I think it was probably because many students had left Norwich for the summer. The Bungay fair was super busy. I sold quite a few things and despite vowing not to I did end up buying something too! It is a great Sirram picnic set and it is quite special as it also comes with a little fold up table. The lady on the stall was selling her private collection. She had some really stunning ones. I'll put a photo of it on here soon. The other memories I have was the nice couple next to me in Norwich who sold handmade sock creatures! Also some really nice customers who seemed quite into the stuff I had. It doesn't matter to me if people don't buy anything, sometimes it's just nice to chat and share memories too. As I was on my own all weekend it makes it much more fun to mingle about abit! The swimming costumes in particular seem to evoke all sorts of memories for people. There was great interest in this swimsuit and it finally sold at the end of the day. It was one of my favourites too! A 1940s Cole of California. One chap even took a photo of it. It just stood out as something special. I also met a lady who was a dressmaker who had made a vintage style swimsuit based on one her daughter had bought from New York. Now that would be a good skill to have!

2009-07-10T09:18:00.001-07:00

Well, today I have been getting ready for the market stalls coming up this weekend. The first is Clutter City in Norwich tommorow, then on Sunday I will be at Bungay antiques Fair. They are both new territory for me and I am both excited and nervous. I have been planning what to take to each fair and thought these things could be good. On Saturday I am hoping to take along some swimsuits and picnic sets and on Sunday I will take more of my antique items such as deckchairs, picnic sets (again), old binoculars, gramaphone.

Beach Hut Dress and New Hair!

2009-07-09T10:39:00.000-07:00

Well, Esther's new hair arrived! She looks like a totally different mannequin. I dressed her this morning in my all time favourite dress. It took abit of time as I had to learn the knack of disassembling and reassembling in order to get the dress on in the first place!!The dress is by GiGi Originals of California. It has a beach hut pattern all over it. It is so nice I feel like I want to keep it forever! Unfortunately it doesn't fit me but maybe when my girls are older they can wear it. Can you imagine sitting in the sun on a deckchair outside the beach hut wearing this dress? How fantastic would that be!

Felixstroll

2009-07-05T13:38:00.000-07:00

Today there was a great event called Felixstroll. Several of the beach hutters decorated their huts with the theme 'Mad hutters tea party' and members of the public were invited to pop in and say hello and have a cup of tea and cake. Some huts were decked out with strings of playing cards and balloons and some had little tables full of goodies. Some beach hut owners even dressed up too as Alice in Wonderand. We had a great day paddling in the sunshine, collecting little white pebbles and finding things to put in our buckets. Lots of yummy treats including the pink cupcakes my mum made to share with the visitors.

Favourite beaches

2009-07-04T05:27:00.000-07:00

Cottesloe Beach, Western Australia. I used to live right next to this beach and spent many happy days snorkelling, watching the angel fish and giant stingrays swim by.

Hollywell Bay, Cornwall. When I first saw this great beach with it's turquoise crystal clear ocean I almost couldn't believe I was in the UK. It is stunning.

Manly Beach, Sydney, Australia. Most people have heard of Bondi but in my opinion the best beach in Sydney is Manly beach. This was the first beach I ever visited in Australia and straight away I wanted to move there!

Watergate Bay, Cornwall. I was lucky enough to spend a few days there last year for my birthday. It is an amazing place with great surf. When the tide is out the sand stretches for miles.

Mission Beach, San Diego. I spent a few months here and also had the best ever New Years eve here celebrating the dawn of the new millenium. It has lots of happy memories. I learnt to surf here ( well stand up on a board anyway!) and enjoyed walking on the pier watching the dolphins. It is famous for its sunsets with the 'green flash' as the sun disappears on the horizon. There was a great beach bar where everyone would cheer and holler when the sun finally disappeared.

The Million dollar mermaid

2009-07-02T12:25:00.001-07:00

Now here's some details about the real Esther - Esther Williams! Esther Williams was born in 1922 in California. At an early age she discovered a love of the water and went on to be a champion swimmer. She set new swimming records and won many medals. She was spotted by MGM talent scouts who created the new genre 'Aqua musicals.' She went on to be a huge star who swam her way to popularity. She has been described as the link between the naughty postcards of the Victorian era and 'Baywatch.'! Her first major film was 'Bathing Beauty' and it was the first film where swimming was the unique selling point.It was a huge commercial success for MGM who went on to create a series of similar films. Esther played healthy, sporty women with sunny dispositions and good manners. Of course she always wore a swimsuit too!

Meet Esther

2009-07-02T11:36:00.000-07:00

Meet my new mannequin Esther. I spotted her at the local auction and couldn't resist. I imagine she is from the 1960s. She has amazing make up but no hair. I have ordered her a wig but I imagine she will also look great in a swimcap!

I have named her after Esther Williams of course!

Classic Advertising

2009-07-01T07:03:00.000-07:00

Well, I promised you some photos of the vintage swimwear advertising I have got. I first spotted these when they were put up for auction with 2 plastic swimwear figures. I put in a bid but the final sale price was well over my price range!! Then when browsing ebay I happened to spot them. Hooray! This time I was more successful and I plan to keep hold of them!!! The seller was also selling the swimwear figures ( I think they were also shop advertising) but the minimum start price was £150!! I am more than happy with what I've got!!

Cole of California

2009-06-28T14:34:00.000-07:00

Today I have some photos of a couple of Cole of California swimsuits. The first one (red/yellow and black) is from the 1940s. The second one is from the 1960s.
Cole was founded by Fred Cole and started out as West Coast knitting mill. Early swimsuits were made of wool. In the late 1920's Fred Cole created the first fashion swimsuit and called it the 'Prohibition Swimsuit' because it was deemed racy at the time. It had a deep neckline, dropped waist and a tiny skirt over shorts. It was embraced by the Hollywood industry but was slower to catch on in Europe. These one piece suits were known as maillots. Hollywood proved to be a powerful advertising tool for the swimwear industry and soon Cole had their own stars attached to the label. It was all about Hollywood glamourand California became the hub of the swimsuit industry.

During the war the big American swimsuit companies had to give up fabrics such as lastex, nylon and silk. Cole made parachutes and even though it was allowed to still make swimsuits it had to use 10% less fabric. The double fronted skirted looks of the 1930s were out and in came corsets and lace up sides instead of rubber or lastex.
After the war the colours became more elaborate and swimsuits had features such as ruching, wrapping, halternecks etc. Some were boned. There were problems with the fabrics used at the time when in sea water. They would often stain or get uncomfortable. The playsuit became popular for women to change in to after swimming.
During the 1950s Esther Williams, the Hollywood starlet worked with Cole as a model for their swimsuits and an annual 'Esther Williams' design was brought out. They also worked with Christian Dior in 1955 who designed a collection for the company. At the end of the 1950s Cole launched its first bikini.

2009-06-27T12:03:00.000-07:00

Another week has flown by. Some lovely new things have arrived too! The first picture is of a Cole of California swimsuit that I have been waiting for. It arrived from U.S.A this week and was well worth the wait. I am planning to write a blog on here soon about Cole of California. I have several swimsuits by them and they are amazing. They were a real pioneer in the development of swimwear. This one is made of cotton and could also be worn as a romper. It has ruching at the back and a metal zip. It dates from the 1960s. I have been using information from the Vintage Fashion Guild and Glamour Surf's website to help identify the year from the labels.

The next picture is of my favourite deckchairs with a vibrant orange stripe canvas. They are really striking. The wood is not in the best condition as they have previously been attacked by woodworm ( apparently very common in this type of soft wood). So they will be for me to keep which I am more than happy about!

The final picture is of an Alfred Meakin plate 'Carousel'. I just love the style of it. The tiny waists and great dresses the women are wearing look wonderful. This came from a chap who I met locally who had been collecting vintage items for 25 years but due to storage problems and a house move he is selling everything. I could have spent days there looking at his collection. Much of it was old bakelite televisions and radios but in between it was crammed with books, plates, enamel signs etc. It must have been hard for him to let some of it go.

Otherwise a busy week with a school trip to Easton Farm Park, my work leaving do, a wine tasting event and then today a joint party for my young daughters with 32 primary school children. Mayhem is how I would have described it but they seemed to enjoy themselves!
I have decided to do another stall at the Woodbridge vintage market again as I really want to support this great initiative for the town. However it will be slightly out of season being in September so I will have to think carefully about what things to bring along. I have also been in contact with a shop in Ipswich about stocking some swimsuits there so fingers crossed.

Brighton and Lewes

2009-06-21T13:56:00.000-07:00

A weekly update! Its been a busy week as usual! Have managed to get hold of some original beach wear 'Peter Pan' and 'Silhouette' shop advertising. They haven't arrived yet but I will put the pictures on here when they do! Also looking forward to picking up an old Sirram picnic set this week! Just spent a weekend down in Brighton and Lewes. The purpose of the trip was to take my daughters to 'The Wiggles' concert but it was also a trip down memory Lane as I spent 10 years of my life living there. Lewes was just wonderful. Full of antique and permanent flea markets. I really loved a place called Needlemakers. Upstairs it had a great open plan cafe and craft and fairtrade shops, then downstairs was a huge vintage section. I got my husband a really old book called 'The Story of Australia' for his fathers day present from the girls and I also picked up a few old seaside brochures. I could have spent hours there as there was so much to rummage through but I only had about 10 minutes spare. We met up with old friends and had a lovely time having tea and cakes in the park. I wish there were permanent flea markets where we live here in Suffolk. They would give it a much needed boost. Lewes and Brighton had such a great buzz. I do miss that. Today we went to The Wiggles concert and it was just great. They did alot of acrobatics and were upbeat and fun. I just can't help singing along to their songs!!! The girls loved it. We then headed off to the beach. It was sad to see most of the old pier had disintegrated. When I last lived in Brighton I was very lucky to go on an escorted tour of the old pier and then, they had high hopes of it being restored. Im not sure what the latest news is but it looks like a shell of what it used to be. We went paddling and admired the deck chairs and then met some more old friends for crab sandwiches and fish and chips. What a great weekend! I didn't think I missed Brighton much but since going down there again I realise I really do!

Beach Hut

2009-06-14T07:59:00.000-07:00

This morning the sun was shining so I took a trip to the beach hut. Have a look at these great photos! A lovely blue cotton windbreak. The cotton is thinner than the canvas they are normally made of so I am wondering if it is from the 1980s. It still looks fab and is in perfect condition. Also is a photo of the yellow ruched swimsuit with it's lovely bright colours. The other swimsuit I got from America. It has a boned bodice and is made of cotton with blue flowers on it. The picnic set I bought yesterday at the Vintage Fair. It is great and looks like it has never been used. It has one of the 'Holiday' flasks and this one is in mint condition, the best I have seen. I could have quite happily spent the whole day down the beach hut but family duties called!

Vintage Market

2009-06-14T07:28:00.000-07:00

The first ever Woodbridge Vintage and Contemporary Market was held yesterday. It was also my first time ever doing a stall. The day was a total success. It is exactly what Woodbridge needs. The town was buzzing!!! It was one of those perfect days - not too hot and not too cold, people milling around, buskers strumming their stuff and aromas of freshly baked cakes in the air. I was also a very sociable day too as I live in Woodbridge and had a great time catching up with friends. Talking of friends my good friend Bev came along with her daughter 'Squid' and they were great company. I had some great compliments about my stall and I think people genuinly enjoyed the beach nostalgia! There were lots of laughs about the 1970's swimming trunks! The only downside about doing the stall was that some of my favourite items have now been sold!! I will miss the Brexton Bandalasta picnic set, the Nelbarden as new swimsuit and the Catalina glamour swimsuit. I have some photos as memories!!!

Favourites!

2009-06-07T07:43:00.000-07:00

Welcome to my blog!

2009-06-06T13:03:00.000-07:00

Welcome to Beach Bygones! Striking swimwear and vintage beach accessories from the 1950s to the 1970s.