Titanic Remembered

There are a fair few events happening in Southampton over the weekend and the coming week to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the Titanic disaster. This afternoon it was the turn of Oxford Street, which contains a few buildings with connections to the Titanic. Leaflets were available showing the Street how it looked at the turn of the last century with information about which businesses were in the buildings still standing today.

The first business we walked past today was giving away free candyfloss which went down very well with S!

As S and I approached I remembered that J, the partner of my friend P, worked here and we arrived just as she was getting changed into her evening dress. Very lovely she looked too.`

Live music was provided  by these two DJ's. They had their records and player and speakers set up like a stage set with vintage bikes and suitcases piled around

plus this beautiful curvy old car. They were very friendly too chatting with people who wandered over for a closer look.

The London Hotel is on the corner of Oxford Street and was built in 1907

but it's The Grapes which has a place in the history of the Titanic. Apparently six crew men were drinking in the pub leaving getting on board ship to the very last minute. Just before midday they dashed across to Dock Gate 4. There was a railway line to cross and three men managed to cross it just in front of a train and made it on board. The remaining men, three brothers, let the train pass and by the time they arrived the gangplank had been pulled up. Not doubt very disappointed to miss their job opportunity but then very relieved when the news broke a few days later that the Titanic had sunk.

As we were stood chatting consulting the leaflet and looking around us a chap came over and explained that the restaurant we were stood outside wasn't included on the leaflet but in his days in the Merchant Navy, back in the 1960's, it was an outfitters. He said that you only got paid at the end of each trip and so to get some money before you went you would request an 'advance note' for £30 or so. This would then be taken to the outfitters where it would be used to buy something of small monetary value such as shoelaces and then  with the change you had more than enough for a good night out before sailing! I know this isn't a good photo but I had never before noticed this print running around the bottom of the shop. Unfortunately an air vent has been fixed over what would have said 'Liverpool-Royal Albert Docks.'

This face is next to one of doors of this shop.

There were various people wandering around in period costume but I only managed to snap these two young ladies who I thought looked very elegant. G thinks they looked a bit spooky.

In one of the restaurants someone was giving a talk on fashion's of the day which I would have loved to have  listened to but unfortunately we were too late to hear it.

Lots of the businesses had joined in with this day but a fair few hadn't which I think was such a shame given that this part of town has so many close associations with the Titanic and the history of many major shipping lines.

Making

Ever since seeing photo this photo on Pinterest I have been on the lookout for a suitable top and tie so I give  this idea a whirl. Last week I was lucky and found the grey top on the reduced to £1.00 rail and the tie came in a bag of donations I was sorting.

I have to admit to being really pleased with how it's looking, not being the most talented or patient crafty person around. It's all just held in place with pins at the moment as I don't have a sewing machine. The tutorial uses a button to secure the end of the tie, I may do this or perhaps use a brooch.

S was busy in her own creative way on Monday, first of all we baked these mini muffins. We used milk instead of buttermilk and golden syrup as we didn't have any maple syrup. The recipe made up 24 delicious bite size mini muffins which are best eaten the same day or the next but definitely no later than that. She also made this jellyfish, it was all her own idea to use a hole punch enabling her to thread pipe cleaners through as she wanted it to have ears.

Finally is a little brooch I made the other week. I bought the belt buckle from the Vintage fair I went to, back in February, for 50p. The pink material was from a baby dress I had bought ages ago at a jumble sale because I liked the pattern and the button was from my button box. Just noticed the colours match S's jellyfish, maybe we should attach it for a bit of recycled accessorising.

Our Weekend

I am having issues with this new Blogger set up and all my photos have loaded in reverse order, so we begin with the end of Sunday's trip to our local park when T and S were stick fighting whilst I was busy snapping some of the flowers.

We ended up spending 4 hours at the park, we atee our picnic, the children made up their own ball games, they played basketball, we had egg and spoon races,

played with the racquets and balls

and generally lazed in the sun

making the most of that cloudless blue sky which was sadly missing on Saturday when we went down to Boscombe. G's brother and his partner have recently moved into the area and we went down to visit. We were planning a wander down to the sea front but as it was overcast we decided to save that until the weather was warmer and we might be able to have a paddle and an ice cream too.

Down a side street G and I spotted the house we would like to live in, lots of windows, a higgledy piggledy roof  and a turret!

I have never been to Boscombe before and was really taken by the faded grandeur of the old buildings in the centre of town although the Royal Arcade is very well maintained internally, love the glass lights made to look like flames.

Apparently they hold a vintage fair here on the first Saturday of every month, may have to time our next visit to coincide  with one of those.

Last year when we went to Bournemouth we saw a couple of these lions, this one quite colourfully sums up Bournemouth.

Even it's rear end!

A couple of things which caught our eye on the wander into town, a huge Dalek

 and these decorative tiles outside an antique shop. Just along from the train station there are quite a few antique and vintage shops which we didn't go into this time, will definitely make sure they are perused next time though.

And so we end with the start of our trip to Boscombe. The photo taking started as soon as we were off the train, much to T's annoyance. The station is really very dismal but is cheered up by some fab art work on one of the walls.

White Rabbits

  It's traditional to say White Rabbits three times on the first day of everything month so I thought today would be the appropriate day to share three photos of our new white rabbit. He's a little night light.Here he is in the box he arrived in.

Now just look at that face, how cute is he?!

And the last photos is him all aglow. If you want to own one too I purchased him for £4.95 from dotcomgift. How can you resist?

March Scavenger Hunt

We are off out for the day tomorrow so I thought I would do my March Scavenger Hunt finds tonight. So in no particular order we have.....

A Landmark- a t-shirt with the Eiffel tower on it, found in the children's section of BHS.

Half a face- One of a selection of photos in Boots

Square- the Guildhall Square in the City centre, photo of me and S taken by T.

City- another photo taken by T. Our City's logo as seen on the window of one of the council offices.

Words- Advertising board outside Waterstones.

Kitchen- one of my favourite room sets from Ikea.

Fashion- fashion ideas inside my recent 1980 Pink annual purchase. Sequins stuck down the back of tights, top tip for your next night out!

Fancy- used twice in a sentence in a paragraph from my latest book club read. The Confessions of Katherine Howard, wouldn't recommend it.

Morning- on my work day mornings these are the 3 bags which need to be packed and ready.

Road name- very close to where we live, this road is named after Lord Leighton, painter of that very beautiful work of art, Flaming June.

Theatre- We keep the tickets from shows we've been to see and this is one of the first T saw. A friend at school had won tickets to the show and asked T if he wanted to go along.

Buttons- one of my most favourite necklaces.

Many thanks to Kathy for another interesting list. I wonder what April's will bring.

Pink

I am beside myself with excitement.
A recent conversation led me to visit the treasure trove that is ebay.
And it came up trumps.
I can't explain how happy owning a copy of this annual again makes me.

Receiving a copy of Pink at Christmas was one of the highlights for me. I read each one cover to cover many, many times.

When this annual arrived in the post the other day and I opened it up see this first page I was instantly transported back to being 12 again.

Now that's what I call a centrefold pin up!

This may sound a bit daft, but this is almost like sharing pages from my diary here on the blog. I knew these games

tips

quizzes and stories so well. Seeing them again after so long is just so special and it doesn't feel like it's been 30 years! It's like meeting up with a group of friends and talking about the good old days.