Friday 7 March 2008

A bit of nostalgic waffle


I've been flitting about, being scatty and blonde..thinking I've left messages on blogs when I clearly haven't. Well I would like to really thank everyone who's left me a message..I think its lovely to receive these snippets from people whom I've not met and I'm sincerely grateful for them..you've lifted my spirits and made me think maybe selling up isn't a bad thing after all.

It actually got me thinking about how I decorated this house..how I thought it should look rather than how I really wanted it to look..which if I'm honest is probably a bit kitsch with a dash of all the other styles I like! ( I must say I absolutely adore Fred and Hayley's house)

Our first house was a tiny two up two down terrace and because we loved the 1950s (and dressed the part) it was totally Retro. A red leather sofa and diner style kitchen with flamingos and an original huge 1955 English electric fridge with a pale blue interior (currently retired in the garage with a blanket over it) It was great..I loved seeing peoples reactions to it all...something we thought was 'normal' had the gas man/milk man/any man! bemused and speechless. I'd answer the door with a baby under one arm bright red lipstick and blonde hair set rigid in a Marilyn monroe 'do' and wondered why people did a double take. I loved that time,It was great fun. Our car took up the street and stood out a mile against the normal cars...

our 1950s ford tudor pin-up car, she was the palest primrose yellow with a green velvet interior and graced the cover of classic American magazine!


We pulled up outside an American diner in Birmingham in it once and everyone came out to see us..it was hilarious..there's me ( I'm quite a shy person really) with the afformentioned do and lippy with the addition of an old 1940s flying jacket and some sparkly 1950s cats-eye sunglasses, trying to hide from all these people crowding round and gawping at us.It was the closest I've ever come to experiencing what it must be like being a celebrity(and I dont mean that in a showy-off way, honestly) It was so embarrasing!
Me in 1991!
We are much more sensible nowadays, but I must admit I do still like driving something a bit different, I didn't pass my test until I was 27 and I love pootling about in an old banger..I know its not eco friendly..but its sort of make do and mend isn't it?


Our next car was 'Betty'.


A lightweight Landrover straight out of the army, she'd been dangled under too many helicopters in her lifetime and became an alcoholic, her passion for petroleum I have yet to find a match for, so after several years of gardening duties together, and lots of waving from firemen, we sadly parted company.

My Beast is next...no Pete it's not you (In your dreams matey!!)

The Beast is my old battered h-reg pick-up (like those meanies at Top gear tried to destroy) with what looks like a sheep pen on the back.You can live in the beast if you need to as it has all manner of nicknacks,tools and bottles of water, lipsticks,dog-poo bags (minus poo I hasten to add!) and handy hair bobbles tidily hidden away in it. The funniest thing I've seen happen in the Beast was when poor old Red had to go in it for a trip up to Northumberland. We put his wicker bed in the back sheep-pen bit and it moved with him in it everytime the car turned a bit..it was Labrador-wicker-bed-skating and you could just see his worried little face through the back window hatch as he whizzed past..first this way, then off down to the bottom and back again..so funny, poor Red! (we did tie his basket to the truck when we stopped incase you're thinking we were being mean!)


"hmmm I remember it well!"

I really dont know why I've gone off on a nostalgic tangent talking about cars when I started off about decorating..oh well..we'll blame the vintage magpie...she started it!!

12 comments:

  1. We're still mourning the loss of our D reg landrover Defender. It was used in a ram raid 3 years ago and was written off as a consequence. Ian's still pining! My Renault Scenic just isn't quite the same!
    I love the old Ford you had, our neighbours would be up in arms if we had one of those, parking is so tight round here.
    Enjoy your weekend
    Julia xx

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  2. Oh you MUST put up some photos of your first 1950s house if you have any, and the marylin monroe - esq style which you favoured, i love the 50's! (although the 50's come 2nd to the edwardian period in my opinion!)
    I would love to buy your house, if only it was here in leicester. And i think that anyone who buys it will want it because of all the features youve included, i cant imagine it being pulled out and modernised. And i absolutely loathe those kitchens you mentioned - beach wood with black work top, eurghhh, so typical. Its the first thing people put in if theyre changig their kitchen - why oh why!?

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  3. Oh Julia, your poor Landy! I read what had happened on the vintage magpies post..thats so awful!..they must have known it was robust enough to withstand a ram raid when they pinched it..that and having no airbags I suppose!


    A picture added of me with my 50s hair-do for you Lindsay, as requested..no laughing now..yes I really walked around looking like that and used to get lots of compliments on my hair from elderly ladies! lol
    Most of the photos of my first house are stuck in a scrap book..I keep one for each house and have bits of the material I've used for each room..I'll hunt it out sometime and scan it..might not come out too well though!
    Sairer

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  4. Hey, I didn't mean to make anyone go faint with all those roses. I loved reading your trip down memory lane, sounds like you had a fantastic time in your 50s house, wish I was brave enough to do things like that!
    Have a lovely Sunday!
    Lucy x

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  5. what a fab past life you had..lol...was this before children!!! you and your family sound great fun and it's great not to drive the 'normal' 4 x 4 car!!!
    I love the 50's as it was the time when my mum and dad dated and got married, the clothes my mum wore looked amazing in the pictures and my dad looked like he belonged in the mafia, very stylish!! claire xx

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  6. Hi Sairer,

    LOVE your old Ford! My husband is very keen to buy a classic car and has had his eye on a Morris Traveller - wish it came with aircon!!!

    I have a real love of the 50s and enjoy looking at photos of my mum in her nipped in waist and rosey covered dresses. What a lovely photo of you in '91 by the way!

    Great nostalgic post, look forward to the next.

    Clare x

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  7. Hi there - I love your style! - i think its great daring to be a little bit different instead of just blending in!
    Natalie x

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  8. Hey good for you - I love your style too and you have a real zest for life, which is so important especially when life throws us pants situations to deal with. Keep smiliing.
    your blog is fab
    twiggy

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  9. Just popped over from 'Summer by the sea'. Love your blog, it made me both laugh and cry!

    Will pop back soon!

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  10. Really enjoyed the "nostagic waffle"

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  11. I wondered who drove around in cars like that, now I know, you. How fantastic to have that much love for the 1950s, when you clearly weren't born in that era! I seem to like every era, I can't seem to make a choice? Maybe we may get to see some more photos of you both back in the 50s? What about poor old Red sliding around in the back of the Beast, you never know he may have enjoyed it! x

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  12. how lovely!
    like you i prefer the older cars - we have a 1973 Landy and a 1968 Ford Anglia in the most beautiful pale green x
    we live where there is very little traffic on the roads, so i can just pootle along!!!

    like you i have left a house which was a huge part of "me" - that was 6 months ago - and we are still in rented waiting for our new house to be finished....
    all i can say is once you have left you will look forward to a new adventure
    it does get easier - i promise x
    t x

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