on the saturday morning, the day before i left to cross back over the pond, Our #1 and myself took the train back into London. first stop was TopShop on Oxford Street, we pottled amongst the humongous display of bags. as i stood bedazzled by the array of goods on offer and the young and old pretty ladies rushing around picking up and putting down the goods on display it dawned on me. i was now standing in TopShop on Oxford Street just as i had stood many moons ago aged 19, only this time i had my 19 year old daughter with me and despite a little pang of 'where have the years gone' i felt really rather fortunate for this moment of watching her pick out bags, trying them on, searching to find the exact one to meet all the needs of an art student carrying around her supplies and turning to me, asking for my opinion and when i gave it, listening to it. yes, how fortunate for small moments such as these.
after our bag testing in TopShop we headed to Liberty. i was pretty giddy about this and so i picked up the pace and walked faster. i cannot believe i have never ever been to Liberty before. actually i have stood outside before but never stepped inside its peachy Tudor walls.
we perused every department and i poured over every little thing on display. i have noted i am a 'touchy feely' shopper, everything i am attracted to must be touched, so therefore i did do quite a bit of touching in Liberty, i hoped they did not mind and i did make sure i had clean hands and only did light touching just to get a feel of the material and not a full on big 'rub-e-de-dubby' which would not have been suited to such lovely items on display in Libertys. no sirree, i save my 'rub-e-de-dubby' touchy stuff for the thriftstore where it is most important to get a good feel of things. yes i do know how to behave in public i assure you :)
after a lovely look at the insides of Liberty it was time to grab a light lunch 'el fresco' just off Regent Street. i am not making it up, we did indeed share a panini outside in the beautiful early spring and it was wonderful watching the hustle and bustle of folks in the sunshine. whilst we ate, i do believe i fell in love with London on a spring day.
then we were off to catch a tube to head on over to the Selvedge Fair and meet up with Debbie. upon meeting Debbie at Highgate tube station i was put in charge of directions to the Fair. i marched us off up the high street, after some marching and noting there really did not look like anyone else going to a grand Spring Fair, i halted our marching and poured over the little 'iffy' map printed off the web. i then turned my little 'iffy' map 180 degrees and noted to my two companions who had been marching alongside of me, it would appear we needed to go down the high street and not up.
see right there and then is a classic example dearest readers why i should not be put in charge of such important duties, i am brilliantly brilliant at following and looking out the side windows, whether in a passenger seat of a car or a companion on foot. after a bit of 'sighing and tutting' we were on our way again, arriving at the lovely Selvedge Fair in time for a much enjoyed pottle around and a nice cup of tea before the stall holders packed up and went home.
we caught up with the 'ever so lovely' Emma Lamb and her girls, looking so peachy and perfectly granny-ish. obviously i am talking about Emma's girls looking perfectly granny-ish and not herself, however the 'peachy' bit was about Emma though.
my fabby friend Fran was there too! after so many years of knowing her and her clever arty ways it was a sight for sore eyes to finally get to spend a little moment of snatched 'real life' quality time together.
and then there was my lovely friend Gloria (left of the photo), who so kindly displayed our dottie angel ltd tea towels on her stall and then let me stand behind her stall which truly was most kind.
how grand to have a chance to chin wag about this and that... truly what a peachy way to spend the last few hours of being on a small island... at the Selvedge fair with my lovely cyber buddies Emma, Fran and Gloria. the fair was full of crafty and arty goodness and it was wonderful to see all the stalls and their creative owners.
and then just like before, in the blink of an eye we were riding the evening train back to suburbia to pack up my 'vintage fabric heaven' treasures in my little suitcase and bid England a fond farewell. as i lay in my bed that night going over the whirlwind of the past 10 days, visiting five different counties, the family, the folks and the places i had seen, i could only marvel again at what a peachy trip it had been and best of all, perhaps the besty thing of it all, i got to spend a whole week with Our #1.
she has made old blighty her home now, when i look at her i see an adult standing before me, one who does not read her maps upside down, can train hop like a pro and knows how to be a canny thrifty shopper with her pennies. and as much as i miss not having her living here in our shed i am so positively beaming as i tippity type this post, knowing she is living out in the big world and doing such a brilliantly peachy job of it, far far better than i ever did.
she is particularly liking something in particular ~ Tif
