Deal - The Black Douglas Coffee House

The Eggs Benedict is highly recommended.

blackdouglas.co.uk

Fashion

'I think the desire to be new is just as bad as the desire to be fashionable. It's a losing game.'
Cecilly Brown, 2005

There is a three page article in the Sunday Times today about how being a Yummy Mummy, dressing in florals, wearing Hunter Wellington boots, decorating your house with Farrow and Ball paint and Cath Kidston and anything to do with cupcakes are all now extremely unfashionable. Now, the people who used to do all of these things are wearing Acne and neon, collecting art, finding their kids less fascinating and losing weight.

Though the Style says that the Jubilee and Olympics were what killed shabby chic stone dead, when I read this article I became extremely worried that the afore-mentioned neon, modern art and bad parenting (stuff I like, mostly) is now de-rigeur among bourgeois, Sunday Times reading mums. I am basically now utterly out of fashion. The only way to get back in will probably be to resurrect my 90s wardrobe, bubble perm my hair and get some black lipstick. How tiresome.

This is a lesson never to read fashion magazines, especially in weekend newspapers. Just look at the pictures, avoid being too high fashion and for about 20 minutes every 5 years, you will be just right.

The same style supplement also suggested that reading exclamation mark-riddled, ersatz erotica Fifty Shades of Grey, is particularly fashionable. Either to show that you are naughty or highly ironic. I think this tells you all you need to know.

This photo is an an apartment I like from Design Attractor, now endorsed by the ST style and therefore dangerously out of fashion!

What I Wore To: look haughty and try on glasses....

Oui, c'est c'est moi! Showing off my latest charity shop dress in the mirror at work! Tres classy.

Soon after snapping this I read an article in the Daily Mail about hideous eye infections you can get if you don't keep your contact lenses clean. So I rushed out to spend many £££s on new glasses. Sigh.

That 70s Style

London Transport Museum - Moquette

Moquette designs at the London Transport Museum

I never thought I'd see the day when tube seat covers looked fresh and modern. We're really through the looking class now.  I was having coffee in the London Transport Museum's awesome cafe the other day (well, awesome before 11.00am when the tourists roll up) and noticed all the old TFL moquette fabrics.

Moquette is a particularly versatile and hard wearing material, predominantly wool with a small percentage of polyester. The fabrics are still woven in Yorkshire, using traditional techniques that are required to match exacting standards. Moquette is renowned for its hard wearing, durable and fire resistant qualities which makes it ideal for any home or business environment.

I've always hated sitting on this fabric.  Especially in summer with bare legs (eugh).  To be honest, I think using fabric on public transport seat is slightly disgusting. I say go for plastic like the New York subway!

But....the London Transport Museum are selling these in cushions, iPad covers, furniture, you name it. And, I want it. Oh the devilish allure of a museum shop.

 

New toy

At the Draft House Pub - Tower Bridge

Mirror shot

Guide to Barcelona

A few recommendations from six years of Primavera Sound hi-jinks:

Bars
Betty Ford
An amazing name, tiki decor and burgers in baskets



Polaroid
A cheap 80s theme bar with VHS tapes on the wall and free popcorn.



Bosc de les Fades
A somewhat touristy bar in a very nice fake forest.



Sincopa
A friendly gothic quarter bar with an entire paper mache band stuck to the ceiling.



London Bar
A Hemmingway watering hole with live music.


Other bar and venue recommendations:

Sala Apolo - A gig venue that looks like a revue bar and is home to a million red light bulbs.

Manchester - A dark and friendly bar that only plays English music. The walls used to be covered in Estrella labels and London tube tickets but someone seems to have cleaned up since last year. Boo!

Food



Bitácora - THE indispensable neighbourhood tapas place for those trying to get full on a budget. Other resources: http://www.inandoutbarcelona.net/es/ El Casal - A cheap French bistro in Barrio Gotico, which I wrote about here.