Oh no….it’s all over (for this year). Our Somerset House Pop-Up Shop is now closed.

We’ve had an amazing time and met sooooooooo many lovely people (and the odd crazy one). Thank you SO much for coming and shopping.

See you again soon Somerset House. *sniff*

Now would someone please pass me a hankie. And no, they’re not tears, I’ve just got something in my eyes.

Big thank you also to our fellow Pop-Up Shops & Shop-keepers: Ag3, BoBelle London, Brora, Christys, Crabtree & Evelyn, Gizelle Renee, Murdock London, Pinstripes & Peonies, Whisk Hampers, William Curley and Handmade in Britain. It’s been a pleasure!!

Yay, Theo is coming to South London again for Midcentury Modern.

We can’t wait to see you all in SE21 on Sunday the 1st of December between 10am and 4pm.

See you there!!!

We just wanted to say a quick THANK YOU to all you lovely people who came to our recent Pop-Up Shop at designjunction for London Design Festival. We had loads of fun so will do it all again very soon, in fact we’ll be back for seven weeks from the 14th of November at London’s fabulous Somerset House as part of their Christmas Arcade, but more about that another time. Anyway, here a few snaps so you can see what you missed out on.

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The brand new LONDON DESIGN GUIDE 2014-2015 edition is now available.

Here is a picture of our dear friend the lovely Max Fraser, editor of the LONDON DESIGN GUIDE which is now in its third edition. Max popped by our recent Pop-Up Shop to say hello and as usual it’s a real treat to see him. By the way, Max is also the deputy director of the London Design Festival which just finished and I’m sure we can all agree on what a marvellous job he’s done this year. Below is a bit more info on the LONDON DESIGN GUIDE.

For fans of contemporary and vintage design and those looking to access it, LONDON DESIGN GUIDE gives a fresh insight into the city’s design retailers, galleries, museums and bookshops.

More than 150 new and established hotspots are compiled and reviewed, providing a tantalising viewpoint of the design capital of the world. Each entry is categorised by neighbourhood and accompanied by detailed maps to help navigate the best that the city has to offer.

In each of the ten neighbourhood chapters, we’ve honed in on streets that demonstrate a healthy mix of independent shops and services and asked selected business owners to comment on their evolution and attributes, with contributors including Stephen Webster, Ally Capellino, James Brown, Sam & Sam Clarke and Michael Anastassiades.

Furthermore, restaurant, bar and café recommendations are featured for each area, selected as much for their design credentials as for the quality of food and service.

The 208-page LONDON DESIGN GUIDE is a snapshot of the design scene today, a celebration of creativity and a practical tool for Londoners and tourists alike. There’s no better incentive for exploring the wealth of design in the capital.

The Grant Museum of Zoology is definitely amongst my favourite museums in London. This little gem is jam-packed full of the most amazing preserved animals and skeletons. You can even adopt a specimen for as little as £ 30.00 and call a pickled cane toad your very own! Well, almost, I’m afraid you’ll have to leave it in the museum but I’m sure you can visit as often as you want. Here are a few words from the museum’s website:

“The Grant Museum of Zoology is the only remaining university zoological museum in London. It houses around 67,000 specimens, covering the whole Animal Kingdom. Founded in 1828 as a teaching collection, the Museum is packed full of skeletons, mounted animals and specimens preserved in fluid. Many of the species are now endangered or extinct including the Tasmanian Tiger or Thylacine, the Quagga, and the Dodo.”

If you go, make sure not to miss out on it’s star attraction, the jar of pickled moles!!

Grant Museum of Zoology

Rockefeller Building
University College London
21 University Street
London WC1E 6DE

Open to the public Monday – Saturday 1-5pm

I know, this is two Museums of the Month in just one day but I just have to tell you about the Wellcome Collection, or how they put it, The free destination for the incurably curious.

It helps that it’s just around the corner from where I live but the Wellcome Collection has yet to disappoint me with any of the exhibitions they’ve put on. I just went to see the incredible Souzou: Outsider Art from Japan, an exhibition of work by artists with mental illness or mental handicaps.

The above is by Kenichi YAMAZAKI who has been hospitalized for almost 30 years after developing a psychiatric illness while working on construction sites in Tokyo. His drawings look a bit like engineering plans with immaculate detailing. Apparently he now has over 3000 pieces of art.

The exhibition runs until the 30th of June so hurry up, you really don’t want to miss this!! While you’re there, check out their permanent collection too.

Wellcome Collection, 183 Euston Road, London NW1 2BE

Open Tuesday – Sunday

If you’re currently in London you’ve got to make sure you go and visit PICK ME UP at Somerset House. The UK’s ‘original contemporary graphic arts festival’ is on until Sunday the 28th and you can pick up a lovely print or several from some of the industry’s best established and emerging talent.

We’re very excited to be coming down to South London this Sunday to take part in Midcentury Modern at the beautiful Dulwich College. Come by and BUY!!

We are HUGELY excited that this year we have been invited to Pop-Up Shop at the fabulous Somerset House right here in the heart of London.

The entire newly refurbished West Wing has been transformed into The Christmas Arcade where you can find a wide range of fantastic goodies, from fine hats by Christy’s London (I’ve already tried on a few myself), tasty sweets with a story by Hoxton Street Monster Supplies to exceptional British Menswear by Your Sample Collective and many more ….oh and US of course!!!!

The Christmas Arcade is now open daily from 11.00 – 21.00 (Fridays and Saturdays until 22.00) until the 6th of January.

Rain + Wind + Cheap Umbrellas is NEVER a good combination as London resembled one giant Umbrella Graveyard last weekend.