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We're currently celebrating Tony's birthday elsewhere in the Midlands but here's what I wore, watched and did during the second half of last week.
On Wednesday, for a morning of charity shopping, I wore black and gold block prints (vintage Phool and contemporary East).
I was excited to find these Roman replica 22ct gold earrings on eBay for a fiver. I blame Gladiator II for my recent obsession with all things gold.
On Thursday for swimming and 'Spoons it was vintage suede worn with a Zara skirt (bought second-hand) and an ancient navy thermal polo neck.
On Friday for more charity shopping it was head to ankle vintage (the boots were Clarks, bought in 2023)
The 1960s copper & turquoise pendant is stamped Handmade in Malta. At £1.20 it would have been a crime not to buy it! The dress is 1960s Ayesha Davar, the vintage Kuchi waistcoat used to belong to my friend Cheryl.
On Saturday, for a Winter walk, it was Levi's and vintage Anokhi.
I love the sleeves on this shirt although getting a coat over them requires some tricky manoeuvres!
I was thrilled to spot Girl, Woman, Other in a charity shop on Monday, the 2019 Booker Prize winner "must-read about Modern Britain and womanhood". I'm loving it.
A friend at the baths told me that The New Art Gallery were giving away old exhibition catalogues and hardback books as part of their 25 year celebrations so we wandered up there after our Thursday swim.
I didn't intend on coming out with so many but the gallery manager insisted I took one of everything before inviting us to the 25th Birthday celebration party later in the month - I'll be there! It gave Jon a good workout walking home with them in his backpack!
I love an art book or three!
This is our amazing town centre gallery, home to Garman-Ryan Collection, bequeathed to the people of Walsall by Katherine Garman, widow of Sir Jacob Epstein. You can read about it HERE.
Designed by British architects Caruso St John, it was built with public funding at a cost of £21 million and admission is free. It is five storeys high, is clad in pale terracotta and the interior is lined with Douglas Fir and lashings of concrete. The lift features the voice of Walsall legend Noddy Holder who announces the floor numbers in his Black Country dialect.
On the subject of Walsall landmarks, here's another, St Matthews Church where my parents married. It was rebuilt in 1820 although part of an earlier church, built in 1220, still remain. We walk past it when we take the Hill of Doom into town and back twice a week although I've not set foot in there since 2010.
The snowdrops were out when we wandered through the churchyard on our Winter walk on Saturday morning. The last burial was in the 1850s.
This week we've been glued to Belgium bank heist thriller, De Dag on Channel 4/Walter Presents, recommended to me by Val who blogs HERE. We also watched The Babadook on Netflix, an Australian horror film with shades of The Shining and marvellously scary.
And News of the World on Netflix, a magnificent Western with stunning cinematography starring Tom Hanks and directed by Paul "Bourne Identity" Greengrass.
I'll be back with tales of Tony's birthday adventures very soon!
Youve been wearing some gorgeous outfits! The art gallery sounds great. Xx
ReplyDeleteThanks, Kezzie! xxx
DeleteAdoring those authentic cowboy boots of yours! Fabulous outfit. The art center looks so cool, as well as the art you found in so many different Ways. Here's hoping you and Tony had lots of fun on his birthday! Thanks for the fabulous post!
ReplyDeleteThanks, Ellie! My cowboy boots are the best thing ever, I walked for miles in them yesterday. xxx
DeleteHow can you go wrong with gold earrings? But you have the good fortune to look equally good in either silver or gold.
ReplyDeleteI have been wondering about Zara, as I am seeing more and more of it at the thrifts. I'd been avoiding it because of the whole "fast fashion" thing. Is it actually well made? One of my main criteria for a purchase is if it's well enough made to last a long time. If you think Zara is worth it, then I won't pass it by. Thanks in advance, Fashion Guru!
I do love a bit of gold, after years of dismissing it I'm now constantly on the lookout for it (copper, brass and bronze, too!)
DeleteZara is very hit and miss and the sizes are all over the place but I do think they offer some good design for all ages. Like with you, our charity shops (and Vinted) are full of Zara!
The denim is good as are the cotton and linen pieces, the embroidered Indian garments are particularly lovely and often command higher prices second-hand than their original cost. Jon likes their patterned short sleeved shirts and always huts them down in charity shops, they wash and wear really well and look good. Some of their costume jewellery is fabulous. xxx
Hi Vix. Thanks for the blog mention, and I'm so glad you're enjoying De Dag. I love the way the episodes switch forward & back in time, and in different points of view. So cleverly written. Also love the mention of Noddy Holder voicing the lift numbers at the art gallery! I bet that makes you smile every time you hear it. Val x
ReplyDeleteThanks for the tip off, Val! I can't wait for the second series of De Dag, so many twists and turns!
DeleteIt's worth riding up and down in the lift just to hear Noddy! xxx
I love your outfits. I never wear gold jewellery but it is attractive on others. I am a silver fan.
ReplyDeleteI love the art gallery giving those art books away, so generous. Who doesn't love an art book? The idea of Noddy Holder being the voice of the lift in Walsall is fabulous. Do you have a Walsall accent I wonder?
Thanks so much, Carole! I've never really been attracted to gold, like you, thinking it looked better on other people but visiting museums and seeing some of the exquisite ancient jewellery on display has piqued my interest.
DeleteArt books are my second favourite things to look for in charity shops (after dresses!)
I do have quite a strong Walsall accent, its become trendy after Peaky Blinders! xxx
What an architectural gem the art gallery is. My godfather was vicar of one of the churches in Walsall in the early 1980s. We stayed with them and I can remember spending my clothing allowance in C&A.Arilx
ReplyDeleteThe Art Gallery received a mixed response when it first opened, Theodore Dalrymple described it as "a fascist foreign ministry" and "a sauna of gigantic proportions" but I love it!
DeleteI wonder which church that was? C&A was ace, wasn't it? Clockhouse, especially! xxx
Brilliant outfits as always, and what a good score on the art books, the manager obviously realised that he/she was giving them to someone who would REALLY appreciate them. The art gallery looks just like the buildings I used to make out of Lego when I was small, I was always designing things that were either very tiny living spaces or had floors precariously balanced one on top of the other to either side.
ReplyDeleteI love any film that has Tom Hanks in it! Your outfits have been so fun this week, colour and pattern combos in all my favourite autumnal tones. Hope Tony has a great birthday. Having noted all your travel tips on the last post, I can't wait to see where you're going and what you will be wearing for your forthcoming trip! I think it was brilliant that you were given the Museum books so freely, as you are a regular visitor I expect they know you value things and keep them! Betty
ReplyDeleteAfternoon, Betty! I love Tom Hanks, too. You always feel like you're in a safe pair of hands when his name pops up on a film's credits.
DeleteI think Tony's had a good birthday weekend, we certainly enjoyed ourselves!
You can't beat those Autumnal colours, I love playing around with them and seeing what combinations I come up with. I keep wondering whether to get one of the Audrey wrap skirts (like your kaftan), could be a great travel piece.
I'm very excited about our trip, it feels like an age since we last went away.
I do love an art book, I felt really greedy taking so many but the manager insisted! xxx
def should get an Audrey wrap skirt, I already have one very similar from naked generation so would be too much of the same in my case! She has told me the krohma wrap tops are coming out in a longer style soon so am waiting as the current ones make me look like a fat dwarf! Betty
DeleteI shall have a proper look in my wardrobe just to make sure I need another skirt, I'm terrible when I sell something on Vinted, it's like the money is burning a hole in my pocket! Those Khroma wrap tops are so useful, I love mine. You are daft, I can't imagine you'd ever look like a fat dwarf!!! xxx
DeleteFabulous outfits as always, although as beautiful as that denim shirt is, I can imagine those sleeves are a pain with coats and jackets. The church reminds me a bit of Trinity in Coventry. I watched the Babadook a while back, it was pretty good if I remember rightly. I hope you’re enjoying Tony’s birthday. Xxx
ReplyDeleteThanks, Louise! I can understand now why that Levi's shirt was so massively reduced!
DeleteI'm not a massive fan of horror but Babadook was really good, proper creepy.
We had a fab time celebrating Tony's birthday, his last birthday in his 50s! xxx
ReplyDeleteThe old cemetery is beautiful, great photos.
We have a Biedermeier cemetery here. :)
Beautiful outfits, the red skirt brings so much color into the winter.
Thank you! I love an atmospheric cemetery. I don't wear enough red, it always makes an impact! xxx
DeleteVix you look beautiful!
ReplyDeleteThanks, Pilar! xxx
DeleteWalsall's art gallery looks absolutely stunning and having Noddy Holder's voice announcing the floor numbers is a fantastic idea. St Matthews Church's churchyard is delightfully atmospheric!
ReplyDeleteYour outfits are brilliant as always, my favourite being the black and gold print one and your Levi's and Anokhi combo. I've been on the lookout for something similar ever since I first laid eyes on that gorgeous Levi's shirt!
Much to my shame, I've got to confess that I wasn't familiar with De Dag ... Oh dear! xxx
Thanks, Ann! The gallery is fantastic, I must share some of the Garman Ryan collection again, its been over a decade since i last blogged about it.
DeleteI love that Levi's shirt despite the awkwardness of the sleeves, it would probably be better with a cape but then there'd be a bag issue!
Jon & I love a Belgian thriller. xxx
The Tom Hanks film looks interesting. I watched 'Miss Austen' last night and it was so refreshing. No sex, violence, blood or gore just straight acting. Keeley Hawkes was excellent. Your art gallery looks quite brutalist. I like the addition of Noddy Holder's voice in the lift!Happy Birthday Tony!xx
ReplyDeleteI really enjoyed the Tom Hanks film, the little girl played an amazing part.
DeleteI love Keeley Hawes but Jane Austen leaves me cold, my happy telly is the Pottery Throwdown, we've just caught up with last night's episode. Lots of weeping from Keith!
The New Art Gallery is probably Walsall's greatest attraction, I stood outside with a placard a few years ago when the council threatened it with closure!
Tony had a fab birthday and by all accounts he still is! xxx
Apologies. I wasn't being rude about the art gallery!.I meant brutalist as in the style of architecture!.
DeleteI didn't think you were! xxx
DeleteOh my gosh, your outfits are splendid! I really like the dark colours on you.
ReplyDeleteI bet you'll enjoy flicking through those art books. X
Thanks, Jess! xxx
DeleteWe've just finished watching De Dag and loved it! I've got the Bernadine Evaristo book on KIndle but haven't read it yet. My daughter loved it. We saw Bernadine E in eldest Grandson's restaurant a couple of years back before she won the women's prize for fiction with Margaret Attwood. Wonderful outfits and the pendant made in Malta was such a great bargain. Lucky you with the free exhibition catalogues from your local art gallery - how generous of them. They are usually so expensive that I've never purchased one much as I would have loved to...
ReplyDeletexxx
Hello Vronni! I'm hoping there'll be a second series of De Dag, it really was a brilliant watch, so many twists and turns and impossible to guess the ending.
DeleteGirl, Woman, Other is fantastic, so interestingly written, I can understand why she won the Booker prize. I've seen her interviewed a couple of times and she's fabulous.
I was amazed at those catalogues, you're right, they're usually priced well out of my comfort zone! xxx
Those art books are incredible. I love your outfits and those coin earrings are so cool.
ReplyDeleteI felt really greedy coming out with so many but the boss insisted! xxx
DeleteSaw this and thought of you!!
ReplyDeletehttps://www.liverpoolmuseums.org.uk/stories/which-greek-god-or-goddess-are-you
Elaine Anon xxx
That's ace, Elaine! I'm Athena, the goddess of war and Wisdom. I wonder if that allows me to move to Athens? xxx
DeleteAlso
ReplyDeletehttps://www.theguardian.com/global-development/2025/feb/03/zambia-style-granny-who-went-viral-margret-chola
(almost given up on news/newspapers due to global feckwittage)
Elaine Anon xxx
Wow! What a woman! That's almost worth putting up with the global feckwittage! xxx
DeleteIsn't the Babadook wonderfully creepy? And I exclaimed over Douglas fir in your Art Gallery - that's from my neck of the woods in Western Canada (we affectionately call them "Dougies").
ReplyDeleteI'm drooling over your gold jewelry - been looking for it, but it's scant.
We loved The Babadook, proper nightmarish! That book! Eeek!
DeleteEvery time I visit the art gallery from now I'll think of you! xxx
I love your outfit that makes me think of Dr. Quinn, the medicine woman. The denim shirt and maxi skirt paired with a cowgirl hat is fabulous!
ReplyDeleteI don't blame you for getting inspired by Gladiator II, the visuals of that movie were stunning. Those replicates of Roman earrings are very good. We have a lot of original Roman jewellerly at display in Split's museums as Croatia used to be a part of Roman province of Illyria...and they had some wonderful earrings. One of the things that surprised me is that they wouldn't necessarily pierce their ears to wear those elaborative or big round gold earrings, but rather they would attach the earrings to the braids in their hair. The ladies would often wear braids on both sides of their head, so they would just place the earrings in their braids. Wasn't that clever?
It's wonderful when you have a great art gallery nearby!
Beautiful artistic photos of that lovely churchyard!
Those black&gold block prints with golden bijouterie look Fabulous, you rock them!. Totally understand you've been captivated by classic jewellery, there are some gorgeous pieces, I always admire them at museums. I'm a huge fan of Byzantine style pieces, maximalist as I am!.
ReplyDeleteYou look fab in your waistcoats, both suede and embroidered one are lovely! (I have a weakness for embroideries and copper and turquoise bijouterie!)
I'm admiring your books booty, so amazing!.
besos