Happy halloween.

Creepiness courtesy Sally jane Vintage.

I have a suspicion that the starting point for makers of BBC documentaries is their own archive. Tuesday night’s episode of the six-parter British Style Genius was no exception, exploring the contribution of the ‘country look’ to British style with wonderful clips from the thirties right through to Sloane Rangers partying hard in the early eighties.

Highlights included Jeremy Hackett’s portobello find (HRH Edward VIII’s riding boots), Noki’s reinvented riding boots for Luella, a “hello Dorctor Freud!” interview with Laura Ashley’s children and photographs of their models with Paul Simonon pre-Clash.

Whatever you think of the series so far the historic footage from this episode is marvellous. Watch it here.

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British Style Genius screens on Tuesday evenings for three more weeks.

The extensive art collection of Yves Saint Laurent and Pierre Bergé will be auctioned at Christies in Paris, in five sales, on 24, 25 and 26 February 2009. For those on a budget, the catalogues are a snip at £160…

Sometimes inspiration strikes in the strangest of places.

I love this peacock cane chair, which reminds me of my sister’s house when she was just married in 1980s Australia. She also had a camphor wood chest and a silk kimono with the chair in the bedroom, both of which I thought were totally louche. She is 16 years older than me, and that’s not her in the picture.

The picture is from Sexy People.

The rough collies aren’t bad either.

On Facehunter today.

Fine artist and former architect Neave Brown is exhibiting his life drawings at Jugglers Gallery, Hoxton in December.

As an architect, Neave headed up the Camden Town Department of Architecture, where he nurtured talent like Gordon Benson and Alan Forsyth, and was responsible for the Alexandra Road housing scheme, just off Abbey Road.

“I particularly love the simple clean lines of the flats; the sense of airy space despite their small size and low ceilings. I’ve seen interiors as diverse as Laura Ashley busy to Bauhaus austere, working equally well in these flats — they are well suited to transformation to personal taste. The walls are so thick that neighbors’ noise rarely penetrates. One of the very best features, in my opinion, is the ingenious heating system - no icy corners and draughty hallways, and no ugly radiators in sight.”
Su Cross, resident

Today’s weather here in London is abysmal, and with our dog Rita laid up with kennel cough (really) I am quite happy not to venture out, and to eat this in front of the fire instead:

Cabbage braised with ham on crumpet with poached egg.
Serves one.

Shred, wash and drain about 200g of savoy cabbage, and cut a good thick slice of deli ham into half centimeter strips. Melt a decent tab of butter in a small pan and add the ham, frying gently for a couple of minutes. Add the cabbage, stir and season generously. Turn down the heat and braise, half covered, for about 20 minutes. Once done stir in two teaspoons of wholegrain mustard.

Toast a crumpet, and poach an egg in water. Place the cabbage and ham on the crumpet, and the egg on top.

Nice with a beer….

From a recipe by Matthew Fort cut out from the Guardian about four years ago.

Dance it out bitch.

Matching boots of course!

I missed this vintage (and tiny) French leather corset on ebay, only because I stumbled on it minutes before the auction ended.

Then as if to taunt me further these boots appeared via Wikstenmade on ebay, 3 sizes too small for me!! Oy vey!

I remember an interview with Melissa Auf Der Maur in a Sunday supplement a few years ago, maybe just after she’d left Hole, where she wore knee-high lace-up Victorian boots with worn-thin jeans and a simple black and white thin striped top. Perfect. I have just spend half an hour trying to find it, and if anyone does I will kiss them on the mouth.

Here she is looking like she wants to climb in that corset and play some bass.

Cuba, Ed van der Elsken.