Guest Post: Portobello Road in the '70s

Today we welcome our first guest blogger and fellow vintage enthusiast, Kate! Kate hails from East London but moved to the U.S. in 1987 for love. She says she never would have left her family, London or British chocolate for anything less. We hear ya, Kate! Kate says, "I adore treasures from a bygone era. Back in the 1970s, and before it became the tourist destination it is today, I regularly scoured London's Portobello Market for clothes and bric-a-brac from the 1940s and '50s. Portobello Road in the '70s was magical. I wanted to emulate my idol at the time, the 1940s movie star, Rita Hayworth!  I used to walk almost the entire length of the market from Notting Hill Gate to the flyover at Ladbroke Grove. All the best vintage clothes stalls were under the flyover! Back then, most people wanted new clothes, not second hand, so I had my pick of rails and rails, and all were very inexpensive. I especially loved the crepe de chine blouses and embroidered knitwear. I used to pair them with modern skirts from Miss Selfridge! I still have a floral dress and also a cream blouse with a peter pan collar. The blouse has beautiful detailing on the collar and down the front, with lovely, dainty buttons. It was originally from Marks & Spencer and still has a very old 'St. Michael' label sewn in it. It is made from Tricel. Things were made to last back then! I also had a couple of bakelite bangles, now sadly gone. Coincidentally, during the 1960s, my mum worked as a secretary for Bakelite Xylonite Ltd. in the UK!"

Aren't Kate's Portobello Road dresses precious and completely timeless? We'd pair the dress with some neutral wedges and a straw clutch to make the perfect summertime outfit. The blouse would be perfect for the office with a pencil shirt and a summer wedge in a fun color (yellow perhaps?). We might even pull out a Bakelite bangle as our accessory of choice for this one! The possibilities are truly endless! Thank you, Kate, for sharing your vintage goodies and incredible Portobello Road memories with us!

Readers, do you want to share your favorite vintage pieces or family heirlooms on the Gerald & Joan blog? We would love to have you, so shoot us a message to learn more!

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On the Road with G & J: England

Our latest installment of On the Road takes us to England, specifically my old stomping grounds of Windsor, Maidenhead and London. I was born in Windsor almost 30 years ago and was raised in the nearby town of Maidenhead. London is only a short drive or train ride away from the Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead, so we spent many weekends there. While I always enjoyed our close proximity to London, my favorite memories of my eight years in England are of warm summer days spent outside. While the temperatures in the American South range from 80 to 95 degrees during the summer months, most June, July and August days in England were in the mid 60s or low 70s. I remember frolicking outside in breezy summer dresses and cardigans, hosting tea parties in the grass and taking long walks along the River Thames. As the river was only a short walk from our house, we enjoyed these walks on a regular basis. There were so many wonderful things to explore! I know that our love affair with nature began all of those years ago.

When Jonathan and I visited England together for the first time in August 2009, we spent the majority of our time in London, but we did take the train to Maidenhead so I could show him a little piece of my childhood. He experienced a similar childhood on this side of the pond, so he felt right at home on our nature walk. We completed the day with dinner at Chef Peking, a restaurant that my family loved even before I was in the picture.

Sadly, as I was searching for their website, I discovered they have closed. I guess I'm showing my age now. Since I can't give you a good restaurant recommendation, I would suggest that you visit the Marks and Spencer on the High Street. There you can get great sandwiches, sausage rolls, crisps (prawn cocktail and salt and vinegar are the best), bake well tarts and lemon fancies that will make for a wonderful British picnic lunch. Your afternoon can be spent on another stroll, this time in Windsor, which is the home of Windsor Castle and Queen Mary's dollhouse. There is also plenty of good shopping in Windsor as well as lots of quaint places to enjoy a cup of afternoon tea before you take the train back to London and the more typical tourist spots. :)

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