God's Own Junkyard

Wandering home this weekend after bank holiday brunch on Wood Street (Lot 107, highly recommended), my husband and I took a detour along Vallentin Road to get to Walthamstow Village -  and thank God's Own Junkyard we did.

Set against a blue cloudy sky and peeking over the top of some spiky barbed wire was a white sign emblazoned with these three intriguing words. I couldn't resist a peek through a gap in the fence and my brain failed to compute what my eyes were showing me - a heap of unlit neon signs, discarded lightbulb alphabet letters, and huge great circus wheels adorned with half-naked showgirls. Blue cows, vintage signs, gargantuan fluorescent shoes and a life-size Jesus himself with a beaming neon halo. It was like trespassing on an empty film set when shooting has wrapped and all the actors have gone back to their trailers. If this scrapyard was a scene in CSI Las Vegas, you can bet your casino winnings that a dead body would show up here.

It was eerie, almost apocalyptic but absolutely fascinating. I knew immediately we had discovered something extraordinary.

Walking inside God's Own Junkyard's pop-up space is a feast for the visual senses and it is so scintillating it literally stops you in your tracks. There is nothing sombre here - instead kitsch, neon signs and light sculptures adorn every wall, prop up chairs or lean gracefully against each other in blazing harmony. Also on display are old movie props, fairground and circus offcuts and architectural sign salvage.

This is the base for London-based light artist Chris Bracey, known as the 'Neon Man' and famous for over thirty years for creating iconic art pieces and installations for a dazzling list of high-profile clients such as Stella McCartney, Vivienne Westwood and David LaChapelle. He has a huge cult following in London and Los Angeles and is famous for neonising Gotham City, creating the Metropolis in Superman (in the original Superman movie the baby placed in the spaceship by Marlon Brando is his son) and providing the amazing backdrop for Willy Wonka's Factory for Tim Burton. He first got into the business in the 1970s when he started making signs for Soho's seedy sex industry including the infamous GIRLS, GIRLS, GIRLS sign outside The Pink Pussycat Club.

Chris creates and installs instantly recognisable signs that have appeared behind some of the world's greatest stars.When filming is over he also salvages unwanted and unloved neons and bulb icons before they disappear forever and then they are 'repaired and resurrected, coupled with quirky art and powered up to shine like jewels of light'.

He has a number of celebrity clients including Jude Law, Kate Moss and Jamie Oliver. His iconic work for popular culture includes creating powerful imagery for fashion shoots, bringing a sense of glamour and luxury. Recent work includes the lightning bolt for David Bowie's Exhibition at the V&A Museum, a neon Union Jack installation for Kate Moss in the new Rimmel advert and an installation for Jay Z's Roc Nation. He also produced work for the great David LaChapelle for his controversial and fabulous 'Vegas Supernova' window display for Selfridges in 2005.

We over stayed our visit at God's Own Junkyard - it was difficult to escape the pull of this dazzling and phosphorescent fantasy world and leave hyper-reality, and we reluctantly left already planning when we could come again (and if it would be feasible to re-mortgage our house, or rob a bank, to purchase our own neon collectible). At the very least I will be checking out his new solo exhibition at Scream from 12th April.

This is AwesomeStow at its best. I strongly encourage you to visit God's Own Junkyard - where neon never dies.

Gods Own Junkyard

Contact: Chris Bracey

Tel: 020 8521 8066

97 Vallentin Road, London E17 3JJ

www.godsownjunkyard.co.uk

https://twitter.com/GodsOwnJunkyard

Tube, Happy 150th Birthday to you

Londoners have a love-hate relationship with the Tube. Personally, I couldn't live without it - it gets me to work, prevents me from making excuses to go to the gym, and transports me to so many cool places in and around town. Plus, it is always warm (I try to forget this is unnatural and a bit germy). It is also creaky, susceptible to major delays and 'signal failures' and packed to the rafters from Monday-Sunday whether rush or non-rush hour. Annoying.

That said, most people love the Tube and simply could not do without her. Londoners are a friendly bunch and genuinely love tourists who want to experience our great city, but we also, ahem, get a little impatient with Tube amateurs.

So, here is my quick guide for http://www.true-london.com/ on how to use the Tube like a True Londoner - and survive.

http://www.true-london.com/2013/how-to-use-the-tube-like-a-true-londoner/

I wish, I wish, I wish

'Fashion is part of the daily air and it changes all the time, with all the events. You can even see the approaching of a revolution in clothes. You can see and feel everything in clothes'. 

Diana Vreeland

Here is my fashion wish list for this week. A panoply of delectable pieces that I wish were mine.

IRIDESCENT YELLOW

OUT OF THE COBALT BLUE (Lovely with Yellow)

HEAVY METAL

JUMP FOR YOUR (FASHION) LOVE 

Fashion, Style & Other Stories

Calling all fashion lovers. Would all fashion lovers please report immediately to Regent Street. I repeat, please make your way immediately to Regent Street.

Material Whirl is very, very excited about H&M's high-end label, & Other Stories which landed with an almighty thump this weekend, launching its debut store on Regent Street. I am already an unashamed lover of H&M and its modern take on fashion. I always devour its in-store magazine featuring inspirational mood boards, new and up-and-coming designers and its unique interpretation of the catwalk trends. I adore the new flagship store on Oxford Street and loved that it was H&M that took over Paris Fashion Week with its catwalk debut within the grounds of the Musée Rodin. Model of the moment Cara Delevingne even walked as part of an army of top models.

Right now though, it is & Other Stories that has me trawling through its trendy website and trying to work out when I can next get to Regent Street. This is H&M's cool big sister you really want to hang out with.

Filling a two-floor space with a crisp white interior and black spotlights that illuminate all the gorgeous treats on offer, & Other Stories offers minimalist clean lines that are in no way dull. Shiny metallics, towering chunky wedge heels, explosive pops of neon and the edgy and slightly kooky colours that my eye is always naturally drawn to are a perfect way to freshen up my wardrobe for spring (when it finally decides to make an appearance).

The label also offers beauty products and clever accessories which are a core part of the brand, such as preppy leather satchels, on-trend duffel bags and chunky jewellery to update your look. The price tag may be a little higher than H&M, but it is not extortionate. The Evening Standard's Emma McCarthy described the label as one 'To help those with champagne tastes on a beer budget' and as this is a perfect way to sometimes describe my approach to fashion (and a reflection of my bank account) I couldn't agree more.

http://www.standard.co.uk/lifestyle/fashion/a-new-swedish-shopping-sensation--other-stories-lands-on-regentx

& Other Stories offers something a bit different, timeless and chic style on a high-street budget. I particularly love the makeup with a message - 'Go girl, seek happy nights to happy days...' carved into the blusher.  Definitely created with this stylist city in mind where you never know where the day will take you...

http://www.stories.com/

I wish, I wish, I wish

'Fashion is part of the daily air and it changes all the time, with all the events. You can even see the approaching of a revolution in clothes. You can see and feel everything in clothes'. 

Diana Vreeland

Here is my fashion wish list for this week. A panoply of delectable pieces that I wish were mine.

J.W. ANDERSON FOR TOPSHOP

NEON LIGHTS

FIFTY SHADES OF GREY

ANIMAL MAGIC

INTO THE EAST

I wish, I wish, I wish...

'Fashion is part of the daily air and it changes all the time, with all the events. You can even see the approaching of a revolution in clothes. You can see and feel everything in clothes'. 

Diana Vreeland

Here is my fashion wish list for this week. A panoply of delectable pieces that I wish were mine.

FABULOUS FLORALS

WHITER THAN WHITE

KEEP IN A STRAIGHT LINE

RIPPED JEANS, SKIN WAS SHOWING

CHUNKY JEWELLERY

FASHION TEES

Shop the Boutique range at www.boohoo.com - every week is Fashion Week.

My first name ain't baby, it's Janet, Miss Jackson if you're nasty

Anyone born in the 1990s is probably looking at the title of this blog post rather blankly right now. Blinking politely and swiping the screen and moving on with disinterest, searching for a post about clothes, or London. Or something.

Some, however, will feel a smile begin to creep slowly over their face. Find themselves sitting up in their chair just a little bit straighter. Tapping Nasty furiously into their Spotify search box and turning the volume up just a little too loudly for a Sunday evening. Ferocious shoulder popping and determined head nodding may occur, followed by an energetic dance routine around the living room that causes noticeable perspiration.

Well, hello there. I see you too are partial to a bit of Janet - Miss Jackson if you're nasty.

My love for Janet began at an early age when I purchased my first album of hers on cassette tape (from Our Price, with voucher). Control, with its recognisable pillarbox red cover - Janet in jaunty-black-blazer-and-leather glove-combo and side pony tail accentuated with an arty gold squiggle - never left my Walkman and ensured I made full use of the autoreverse feature. I didn't have a bloody clue what 'Cause it's all about Control. And I've got lots of it' meant, but as long as the power of her music reached my ears through spongy, orange headphones, I didn't care.

SONGS

Ultimately, Janet belted out smashing tracks that hold their own on any iPod in 2013 - nasty grooves, synth-pop and pulsating dance rhythms. Control is a slice of delicious 1980s R&B flavoured with a sprinkle of pop and is produced by the legendary Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis. There's not a dud song on it. What Have You Done for Me Lately (ooo ooo ooo ooooo YEAH) still makes me smile and feel perplexed that someone as majestic as Janet would even allow those dancing feet anywhere near her couch.

Nasty was the song that made me furious and empowered - and want to dance. Give me a beat! screamed Janet as she reassured me that it absolutely was not OK to be disrespected by nasty boys. Let's Wait Awhile is in effect an innocent love song that tackles sexual abstinence, but I cannot listen to it without thinking of my big sister Jo and our friend Kelly in a home video, crooning seriously into the camera with hairbrush-microphones, hair gelled to the side and accompanying finger clicks - and laughing until my belly hurts. To protect their dignity, I shall not post this video here.

VIDEOS

Speaking of which, there's no doubt that Janet made truly classic music videos - phew, could she dance. One of my all time favourites has to be When I Think of You. Watch and learn confident young starlets of today. Firstly, ensure it's choreographed by Paula Abdul, her of Straight Up fame (and later very embarrassing on X Factor). Set it in a colourful neighbourhood where everyone - street sweepers, drunks, police officers, random people reading newspapers and small children - can dance, proper FAME style. Style it with spectacular outfits from the 1980s - tight stonewash double denim, tight vests, flippy dresses and waistcoats all with very large earrings.

You're the lead singer? Well, team an oversized shoulder-padded blazer with a corset, gloves and superfluous jewellery and ensure that your hair is by far the biggest thing in the video. Run aimlessly from room to room looking utterly gorgeous, slide down staircases and smile at waiters. Walk purposefully through the streets, occasionally falling meticulously in line with your chums, and sailors, to dance. Finally, make a fire hydrant burst dramatically and for no apparent reason and proceed to perform an amazing choreographed routine in the jet of water - ensure that arm circling, hip wiggling and shoulder slamming are in time to the music. THAT is how you make a pop video.

[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EaleKN9GQ54]

FASHION

Janet made me fall in love with fashion. She knew how to pair a baroque blazer with a flamboyant patterned shirt done right up to the top button and oversize earrings. She had HUGE hair that no scrunchie was ever going to hold. If it didn't have a shoulder pad, she wasn't interested. Gloves were not for keeping her hands warm, they were for FASHION. Do not even get me started on the Rhythm Nation era! Oh, that long-sleeved military jacket adorned with silver buttons and badges. The strength of the embellished baseball cap is breathtaking. Talk a walk through Shoreditch and you can bet your life there's a Janet influence right before your very eyes. In fact, I'd bet the oversized '80s shirt I'm wearing on it.

So, having a bad day? Feeling a bit miffed with someone or something? Been disrespected by a Nasty boy? Listen to the feminist catchphrase that is 'No my first name ain't baby, it's Janet, Miss Jackson if you're nasty' and stand up tall - mean business. Wear something gaudy, splashy and with shoulder pads. Dance. A lot.

Take Control. Janet style.

If you go down to Old Street tonight you're sure of a big surprise

It was on all accounts a rather unspectacular evening in London when we emerged from Old Street tube into a moonlit darkness. The rain was falling from the sky in large, thumping drops and the traffic circled around the roundabout unrelentingly.

My husband led me by the hand shivering and umbrella-less to a secret doorway, wedged between two old cafés, and guarded by a sturdy doorman in a shiny black suit. I peeked into the dark, dark doorway and saw some dark, dark stairs, leading to all kinds of dark, dark mystery. After what seemed like an eternity, we were guided slowly down the stairs and my birthday surprise awaited me.

The door opened and I entered a beautiful, opulent and intimate bar from another time that momentarily took my breath away. I was in the Nightjar and my evening of old-school glamour began right then and there.

It was hard to know what to glance at first - the low panelled ceilings dripping with glowing lamps, vintage clocks, and Art Deco prints. We were taken to our table where we slipped into soft, brown leather seats and were greeted by a beautiful waitress in black. We were given delicate bowls of salty popcorn to nibble on, which although at first appeared to be a kind gesture in reality turned out to be a devilishly clever as our mouths were left parched and in need of an immediate beverage. This came in the form of iced water infused with watermelon which tasted like bubblegum, in long glasses decorated with nightjars.

On an intimate corner stage, the bands played traditional jazz and blues and swing. Miss Wednesday Gray and her band were my personal favourites - a luscious lead singer with a velvety voice and a white flower in her hair supported by a dapper band. When she crooned On the Sunny Side of the Street into an old-fashioned ribbon microphone this perfectly set the scene for the prohibition speak easy style. Live music against the shaking of the cocktail shaker by waiters in braces really did set the scene.

Nightjar is a very intimate establishment and so we were wedged comfortably between two neighbouring tables - to our right a jovial but elusive gang of Shoreditchians and to our left two sleek, glamorous girls with a Kardashian edge and no wish to make eye contact despite the fact I was nearly sitting on one of their laps. With people watching dispensed it was time to review the baroque gold spun drinks menu, after all, we were here to taste the cocktails and say what the heck to abstention.

The cocktails are concisely categorised by era - Pre-Prohibition (1600-1918) , Prohibition (1918-1932) and Post-War (1940-2000) with some signature cocktails thrown in for good measure. Being partial to anything infused with vanilla, I opted for a seductive Plantation Potion - a giddy concoction of Pamper Anejo Especial Rum, Vanilla, Coffee Infusion, Cherry, Prune, Orange Infusion, Muscovado sugar and Champagne. It glistened in an elegantly tall glass, an amber potion with a blackberry which seemed to be suspended in mid-air but was held in place with a piece of twirly, smoky wood. Alex selected a Boxcar for his first cocktail - Tanqueray Ten Gin, Cointreau, NightJar Grenadine, Fresh Squeezed Lime and Egg White. It appeared as if by magic, frosted with crunchy sugar and accompanied by grenadine in a broken egg-shell.

As the night went on, we made our way through the menu, Zazarec with Appleton Estate 8 Year Rum, Pimento Smoke and Chocolate Bitters and a Cupcake with Prosecco and Roasted Melon juice. They are eye-watering, taste-bud tingling elixirs of deliciousness - drinks sprinkled with coffee beans and decorated with bird shaped lemon peel. Scents of wood chips, cocoa, honey and coffee surround you as you imbibe.

The alchemy of Nightjar is not simply delicious cocktails - it's the infusion of smooth music, decadent drinking glasses and delicate tables placed intimately together to invite conversation and booze-soaked laughter. It takes you right back, that old feeling, the good old days. By the end of the evening, we were laughing along with the Kardashians one of whom had a whole pine cone floating in her cocktail, and conversing with the trendy young man from Shoreditch who sipped a citrus infusion from an Art Deco glass with a superfluous but dainty scorched half a pear. As I took in the sights and sounds around me, listened dreamily to the band playing The Nearness of You and asked politely if I could sniff the empty pear half in his glass, I realised we were absolutely inebriated. It was time to leave and make our way, rather wobbly, back up the stairs and back to the year 2012.

I would highly recommend Nightjar to anyone old or new to London, who wishes to experience something out of the ordinary, somewhere where you can forget who you are, where you are and the year you live in, even just for an evening. Which is easily achieved with a San Telmo Swizzle and Champagne Flip or two.

Certain gentlemen of other days.

Who made of drinking

one of the pleasures of life -

not one of its evils;

Who, whatever they drank,

proved able to carry it,

keep their heads,

and remain gentlemen.

The Old Waldorf Astoria Bar Book, 1935