Thursday, 11 May 2023

Birmingham Fun - Indian Food, IPA and Indie Shopping


Apologies for the radio silence, I didn't mean to leave almost a week between blog posts.


Yesterday I met up with Nikki at New Street Station for another adventure in Birmingham.


We caught up over pots of cranberry and rose sencha tea in the ultra hip cafe, York's. Our server was so excited about how were dressed, she couldn't stop telling us how much she loved how we looked.



We walked across town towards Digbeth, popping into vintage superstore Cow. Originally catering for students with endless racks of secondhand sportswear and upcycled clothing, it's upped its game in recent years and there's some lovely "proper vintage" at affordable prices as well as a few well chosen designer pieces, including some 1990s Moschino yellow snakeskin cowboy boots (sadly not in my size!) 


Just round the corner from Cow is Red Brick Market, a treasure trove of local independent traders selling everything from vintage clothes, homewares and antiquities to art, vinyl and handmade fashion & jewellery. 







I loved this handmade feather collar, it went with my coat a treat. I resisted the temptation to buy it although, on reflection, it would look amazing at festivals worn with my sequinned bra and psychedelic maxi skirt. I did make a purchase though (stay tuned till the end of the post).









 
What a brilliant way to repurpose old footie scarves!




After a couple of hours of wandering we realised that we were starving so headed back across town to The Indian Brewery, our favourite hangout, for lunch.


As usual we went for the Chaart Attack* accompanied with a pint of IPA.

*Vegetable samosa topped with chana, red onion, tomato, sticky tamarind, yogurt, coriander and sev.


How fabulous is Nikki's dress? She was feeling shy yesterday and asked that I chop her head off!




Boss Marni is one of the reasons why we keep coming back, she's an absolute joy.


We popped into The Old Contemptibles for a cheeky half of Pale Brummie before catching our trains back home.Thanks for a fab day, bab! See you soon.
 

As promised, here's what I bought from Red Brick Market, a fabulous vintage silk brocade kimono, which I found in a bargain bin on the Retro Kimono stall. I've taken it up by 6" as I want to wear it as a topper over my dresses as opposed to the traditional way, tied with an obi.




In other news, William's been doing well, he survived Saturday's trip to the vet and is finally back to his usual, mini-dictator self. Like us, he loved Sunday's heat and sunshine, and is as equally pissed off by the incessant rain and thunderstorms we've been plagued by ever since!


The garden's blooming marvelously and the laburnum's finally out - better late than never. 


We're still obsessed with The Wire (we're now up series 4, episode 10). If, like us, you're late to the party, believe the hype, not only is it one of the best - if not the best - TV shows ever made but Omar Little has to be the greatest fictional character of all time. RIP Michael K Williams.


We've been shopping....


1980s Mondi blue leather belt; 1980s chain belt; Framed Vermeer print (now on the bathroom wall); Converse hi-tops; 1980s denim bomber jacket; 1980s Indian cotton dropped waist sun dress; Indian block printed table cloth; 1970s fake fur; 1970s Spinney lurex peplum blouse; Indian cotton crinkle midi skirt; Indian cotton tunic; 1980s red glitter dancer's leggings.


And I may have found a couple of incredible pieces on eBay. Bank Holiday weekends are the best for bargains.
 

 You might have clocked me wearing this vintage embroidered suede jacket in my Birmingham photos. I cannot believe I was the only bidder and won it for £15! It's silk lined, the suede is so soft it feels more like velvet and the sleeves have flared cuffs so I don't have to remove my bangles when i take my coat off. Do I need another suede jacket in my life? When it's this good, hell yes! 


Handmade in Ibiza and quite possibly the best cowboy boots ever (yes, I know I've said this before, but I really think they are!) Made from a combination of snakeskin, leather and vintage Indian textiles, they originally retailed at just shy of €300 - I paid less than a 10th of that.

Any excuse for a cat photo!


More adventures beckon but I'll do my damndest to squeeze in another post before I go!

40 comments:

  1. I'm not at all surprised that waitress loved your outfits so much. And yes, I'd already noticed your coat, which is an absolute stunner indeed.
    I could probably have spent hours in Red Brick Market, and what a bargain that vintage kimono was.
    I'm glad to read that William is doing well and survived his trip to the vet.
    More adventures, you say? I'm intrigued. Our next adventure will be in - eek - a month's time. Now all we need is a bit of sunshine! xxx

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    1. Red Brick Market is really good, we lost hours in there! I was very restrained just leaving with the kimono, I'm looking forward to giving it an outing soon.
      William's definitely back to normal, possibly even louder and hungrier than he was a fortnight ago!
      I have high hopes for an improvement in the weather as soon as you and Jos arrive, you always bring the sunshine (we're counting the days!) xxx

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  2. Look like I could enjoy the red brick market.
    Coffee is on, and stay safe.

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    1. It's really good, something for everyone. Even a tearoom if you're hungry! xxx

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  3. You're the only person I know who could put a sequinned bra and psychedelic maxi skirt in the same sentence without batting an eyelid! Have a great weekend.xxx

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    1. No idea why I'm coming up 'anonymously'! It's me, Anne!

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    2. I can imagine some age appropriate dressing bore reading that and their heads exploding! Thanks Anne, have a fantastic weekend yourself! xxx

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  4. You both wore lovely dresses on your day out and your very unusual suede and silk jacket is a wonderful bargain find and will go with lots of your stuff. I have been admiring kimonos over on All About Audrey for some time and thinking, like you, they would look so good as a topper - yours is really beautiful. Looking forward to your next travel adventure, we're having one next week too :) Betty

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    1. Hello Betty! Thanks very much, Nikki and I always seem to coordinate really well! I couldn't believe that jacket, I'd never seen anything like it before, why wear suede when you can wear embroidered suede!
      The All About Audrey kimonos are gorgeous, i was very tempted, too.
      How exciting, we're both off at the same time, we seem to synchronise our trips, don't we? Have a wonderful time and take loads of photos. xxx

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  5. Well that was a super day out. We’ve been in Cow a couple of times in London. I remember Philip whipping a navy crimplene jacket off a mannequin. It looked much better on him and he bought it. Red Brick Market looks well worth a visit. As for those cowgirl boots, they are awesome. I’ve done a massive wardrobe clear out this week, it’s still rammed with stuff haha. Have a great weekend. Hopefully we are off to the caravan, fingers crossed xxx

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    1. Cow's well worth a visit, I think I remember Philip's Crimplene jacket, didn't he wear it to Vintage Village a couple of times?
      I do love a cowboy boot - possibly too much, I seem to have amassed a co9llection.
      Well done on the sorting, I've got a bag to drop off at the chazza on Sunday. Last year our donations raised £375 which is more than we probably paid for what we donated in the first place!
      I shall keep everything crossed for a warm and dry weekend so you can escape to your lovely caravan! xxx

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  6. The market looks amazing I would spend hours pottering. Love your new jacket. Your boys look smart together too.

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    1. Thanks so much, Poppy & Julie .Jon's really missed having a feline friend, they have a lovely time wandering up and down the garden together! xxx

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  7. What a fab day you had! I love Red Brick Market. I haven't been for a while, but what I do clearly remember was Gareth talking me out of buying one of those kimonos! I am glad you snaffled one. Aren't they gorgeous?
    You did very well indeed over the Bank Holiday. The boots and jacket are exquisite!
    William might look a bit pissed off, but he's clearly content in his catio. xxx

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    1. It's only the second time I'd been but there's some great stuff, we lost a few hours admiring things. The range of kimonos in Retro Kimono are brilliant, aren't they? I thought the prices were very fair, too. Even the bloke on the cash desk was amazed at the £15 price tag on the one I rescued from the bargain box.
      Bank Holiday eBaying is the best - make a date on your PC for the next one!
      William really likes his catio, he'll sit in it even if we leave it open! xxx

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    2. Ooh there were no £15 bargains when I went! That’s an incredible bargain! xxx

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    3. I can't resist a box marked "bargains!" xxx

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  8. Hello!
    A very inspiring post! Great photos, I feel like I'm on a journey! All pictures are amazing :)
    Greetings from Poland!

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    1. Thanks, Klaudia! Lovely to meet you! xxx

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  9. What a fabulous day out in Brum. I love seeing the pictures of it since I used to go so regular when I lived in Cov. The Kimono is great. I love mine, and even though I'm tall I still had to cut loads off the bottom of mine to be able to wear it as a duster coat. I really should wear it more! I always seem to be waiting for the right weather lol. I spotted a vinyl of Party Party in your photos, and now I really want to watch that film lol. Maybe I'll dig it out over the weekend. Have a great weekend Vix. xx

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    1. You'll be amazed at how much Birmingham has evolved over the last few years, Louise. I'm so pleased to see independent businesses thriving.
      I felt a bit guilty shortening the kimono but far better to wear it than having it hanging up in the wardrobe.
      I don't know Party Party, I'm off to Google it! xxx

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  10. Lovely to join you in your Birmingham adventures!, totally in love with everything from a massive vintage shop, independent market, great food at Indian Brewery and a pint at a pub!. Totally my kind of things, all of them! ;DD
    Obviously I'm admiring that suede jacket, that's a beautiful piece, lovely colour and it's embroidered!, wow!
    And that kimono is a wonderful thing, love that stiffy silk feeling and the quality and colour look amazing!
    Great to see William being himself! ;D
    besos

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    1. Thanks for joining us on our adventures around Birmingham, Monica! We weren't sure how bad the weather would be so thought a day of shopping, eating and drinking would be a drier option than exploring a garden or a historic house.
      I wore that kimono today and got so many compliments! xxx

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  11. That laburnum is looking gorgeous. What are you planting in your garden this year.

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    1. It's spectacular, isn't it? It bloomed over night on Monday and I can't stop staring at it! We've got courgettes, patty pans, three varieties of tomatoes, lettuce, chillies, cucumber, parsley, basil, carrots and beetroot along with pots of cut and come again Apollo spinach and mustard greens as well as a couple of varieties on sunflowers. I'm not sure how much will survive with all the rain - the courgettes have already been decimated! xxx

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    2. How lovely to be able to wander out into the garden picking your own produce. I've had to sow another batch of courgettes as the cold night time temperature is playing havoc with the last lot.

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    3. Some
      of our courgettes have already been got at by the slugs, looks like we'll have to sow a few more! xxx

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  12. What a fun day out with Nikki. I love her dress and yours too.

    Those cowboy boots are so perfect for you! See you in your next post. X

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  13. What a great day out. I do not have stores like Cow or Red Brick Market anywhere nearby, which is probably a good thing - you'd never get me out of them! I am sure you know how fortunate you are to have these resources close to hand, and thank you for sharing them, x

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    1. Birmingham's great. It's really improved in recent years with so much more independant places to eat and shop at. xxx

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  14. I used to love the rag market in Birmingham when I was at the Poly doing my first nurse teaching course; is it still there or has it gone? Both the emporiums you visited look amazing and full of gorgeous things. Talking of which I loved your dress and jacket; the jacket was a great bargain. The kimono was fabulous and I can't wait to see you style it. It's brill you can pop along to Brum when the mood takes you; I love the Brummies such a friendly bunch!

    The Wire sounds like some commitment! I've read two books by the authors and producers/directors of the series; Burns and Simon; both highly recommended; 'The Corner' and 'Homicide'.

    What a handsome chap is William!
    xxx

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    1. Birmingham's only a 20 minute train ride away. I didn't go for years after I stopped working in the city centre but it's changed so much in the last few years, loads of independent places to shop, eat and drink, I think you'd love it.
      I shall track down those books. The Wire is incredible, neither of us speak during the episodes, it must be good! xxx

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  15. I think I'd very much enjoy Birmingham. It looks very vibrant. I think you'd like Brightonx Arilx

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    1. If you ever fancy a tour of Brum, give me a shout! We went to Brighton for Jon's 30th birthday, we loved it, it's high time we went back! xxx

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  16. What a fantastic day out ...

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  17. I got lost in the photos from shopping area! It looks so much fun! so many treasures to discover. I am glad you enjoyed it. I feel a little sad I am yet to visit Birmingham

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  18. I welcome cat photos anytime...so any excuse for a cat photo is welcomed. :)

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Thanks for reading and for leaving a message. Please don't be anonymous, I'd love it if you left a name (or a nom de plume).

Lots of love, Vix