May Day Island Style

Yarmouth on May Day was the place to be for all your morris dancing, May pole dancing, country fair amusement style activities.  Having lazed away most of the morning we missed the parade, which was, in fairness at dawn, but caught some of the later dancing activities.

Young and old, the funny-dressed and Sunday best alike got involved and danced away in these set pieces to the tunes coming from the band, who were doing a sterling job having been at it since sun up.

The leprechaun-esque outfits were...well, I was amused but I appreciate it's not very nice to mock.  Being a resident of good ol'London Taaaan signs of the provinces and their ways always warm my heart and make me glad not everyone is singing from the same hymn sheet style-wise.

I learnt to dance round the May pole as a seven year old...some sort of country dancing festival thing my school decided to run.  I think my brother may have been forced to learn too actually, now I think about it.  Anyhow it meant I was therefore an 'expert' and was able to explain it to a bemused Sam.  Luckily him, eh?

The amusements at the fair included a 'how strong are you?'boink the disc with the hammer thing - what are these called?  Decked out in bunting though, excellent, very good.

And these see-saw boat things (again, names??).  My brother and I used to go on these as kids and he was a monster and used to keep pulling the rope overly hard in order to make the whole thing shoot up abruptly, I was terrified I was going to fall out and was forced to seek redress on the sly once my parents had rescued me.  (NB. my brother may have been harmed in the making of this redress.)

I want this ice cream van!  How awesome is this!?  Unfortunately the weather wasn't really playing ball so we went into a cafe and had a nice cuppa and a cake instead in the warm.

In the middle of the fair this man was sculpting a seat for a local primary school out of this tree stump.  It was pretty impressive to watch as he used a range of chain saws to make it take shape.

Here's one he made earlier, not a seat, obviously, but a cool sculpture using the same method.  I always think this looks as if it's actually an Ent, as in Lord of the Rings talking tree people.  Except smaller.  But clearly about to come to life and save Isengard whilst carrying a hobbit on each shoulder.

Then, as if things couldn't get any more vintage, we got caught in an almighty traffic jam, something of an achievement on a rainy bank holiday on the rural Isle of Wight.  What could be holding us up we wondered?  And then we overtook...

...an actual coal powered engine.  On the small wind-y roads of the Island.  It even stopped at traffic lights.  Perfecto.

Latest Trip to the Island

The Island in question, in case you weren't aware is the Isle of Wight.  Sam and I hoofed it down over the Royal Wedding bank holiday weekend (did I mention I'm a bit behind on the blogging?) as part of my patented 'Escape the Insanity of London' plan.  See exhibit A below...pizza. *puts head in hands*

As it turns out London was apparently a mass of friendly street parties but I'm still glad to have had a weekend to unwind and enjoy the sea air as always.  We did watch the wedding, coo over the dress (BTW LOVE the choice of McQueen) and catch glimpses of minor royals though.

We took a walk down to the sea, had tea and cake (very, er, crunchy flapjack) at Crusoe's, this unbelievably cute blue cabin on the beach with bottles strung up as wind chimes outside.  I'm definitely going back for proper food at some point, the food looked fab and prices outside London are always a pleasant surprise!

A walk down the seafront along the coast found a metal sculpture of a fish and the most tropical looking blue sea water I was tempted to paddle.  The only slight downside was the small black rain cloud that followed us overhead ensuring that it drizzled on us, and only us, cartoon comedy style.  Tres odd but fairly amusing despite the soggy downside.

Spring has really sprung and there were beautiful flowers everywhere, from these hanging over the wall of someone's garden - very community minded of them to pretty up the street too - to the meadow outside full of daisies.

I felt like I'd stepped back in time in the meadow, that I ought to be wearing a muslin gown and rocking a parasol it was that relaxing it was as if the modern world had fallen away.  I had to make do with battered old trainers, jeans and my favourite stripey Snoopy socks.

I even sat down and made a daisy chain for the first time since I was about 7 years old.  Sam can be seen here modelling the result.  Tres chic, no?

Then I spotted this with my little eye.  The well acknowledged vintage lamp post aka gateway to Narnia.  I decided to get closer...

...and closer...

...but no signs of fauns, talking beavers or Aslan disappointingly.  Although given the surroundings, you can see why there seemed a certainty of seeing them.

All in all it was a very lovely day, relaxed, chilled out, sea, meadow and sunshine.

Life’s a Beach

After sitting on the ferry and the train(s) back from the Island (Isle of Wight for the uninitiated) the other weekend – more on this later – we crossed over from Waterloo to Embankment to get the bus home (388 – genius bus).

As I looked up at the beautiful blue skies and sunshine above I spotted bunting.  Nothing improves things like a bit of bunting.

And some paper planes.

And a new Southbank art installation.

It’s coming into that time of year where everyone grabs any available piece of sunlit concrete down there, glass of wine in hand to relax (skateboard optional).  It was lovely to see everyone out enjoying the sunshine and making like they’re on the French Riviera, instead of the banks of the murky ol’Thames.  

They have even painted the stairs a lovely sunshine yellow shade.

Then, what’s this? BEACH HUTS!!!  Woop!  They’re all designed by different artists and house different sorts of wares, shops etc.

Sam: Look that one sells ice cream.  Wouldn’t it be cool if it came out of the seagull’s butt?

Me: *quizzical look*

Sam: Kids would love it!

Me: That’s disgusting.

Sam: No! It’d be great.

Luckily the powers that be clearly agreed with me and the handy hatch was used to serve ice cream instead.

The last little piece of awesomeness on this tableau of seaside-y-ness was a beach.  Small but perfectly formed it was SWARMING with small children and parents using them as an excuse to get in on the action.

It may not actually be the French Riviera but it’s not bad…

Like / Dislike

This week’s likes:

My new Barry M crackle glaze nail varnish.  Looks cool, easy to apply and best of all, if it chips, who’s going to notice?

Twin Shadows – awesome gig at the Scala on Wednesday (thanks Maz).  A bit New Romantics 80s flashback  x rock star playing guitar leaning back and jiggling the knee x silly dancing.

My new retro-look white headphones from Panasonic.  They’re cool and thus, by wearing them, I’m cool too.  Fact.  I’m loving the exchange of nods with other wearers of faintly ridiculous ear-gear.

And dislikes:

5 day weeks.  Seriously, really??  Where do I sign up for the 4 day week revolution.  Frankly, in my case, it will not impact upon my productivity at all, just decrease procrastination.

Being too short to see properly in crowded concerts without standing on my toes and craning my neck.  De la soul, Mos Def and Talib Kweli good, Hammersmith Apollo rammed full of tall men in baseball caps (and other amusing hip hop- esque garb) bad.

My terrible hip hop music playing neighbour – FYI 7am is for sleeping and all who contravene this golden rule will face the wrath of Morning Me.  It won’t be pretty.  You have been warned.

A Day in Midsomer, I mean, Liphook

I took advantage of the gorgeous bank holiday weather to visit my friend Laura in Liphook, a small-ish village in Hampshire, just beyond the Surrey border.  Aka ‘The Countryside’.  I always joked that she lives in Midsomer, setting of the popular murder based programme…which was a bit less funny after she got minorly stalked and then had a creepy experience whilst out running.  Give me the Bethnal Green ghetto any day of the week.

It IS very beautiful down there though, especially when the flowers are out the sun is shining and you’re unaware that there are snakes in the undergrowth.  After finding out about said snakes it all looked a little more life threatening to be honest.

We took a lovely walk through a snake infested (probably) wooded area to a little pub for lunch.  Loads of local produce was on offer – Hampshire makes up for a lack of London with lots of farms producing tasty pork apparently.  Amazing what you can do when you forgo  public transport etc.

We walked past a few gorgeous houses, some lakes and a statue of a man on a horse, which was pretty cool.

We then indulged in an Indiana Jones film in the evening as it turns out that being in the sun, eating a big lunch and walking about is tiring.  The fresh air and drowsy country pace may have had an effect on me too…

It’s always so nice to get away from London and out into the countryside for a breath of fresh air and a reminder that it is there, and it’s always so good to come home to the comforting concrete hustle and bustle of East London Town.