Tuesday 29 January 2013

Afternoon Tea Review: The Angel, Abergavenny

Holders of the 2011 Tea Guild's Award, may I present to you The Angel Hotel in Abergavenny here in South Wales.

I have been for afternoon tea there on three occasions, so I can vouch that I have reviewed it thoroughly.  I have sampled lots of patisserie, been served tea of different varieties, and got a good look at the vintage china.  Afternoon tea is £17.80 per person, and worth every penny.


On my last visit in November of last year, we were escorted to the small sitting room adjacent to reception.  The dining room is the main room used for afternoon tea, with a larger function room also utilised at particularly busy times. 

Sandwiches: 4/5
Very good sandwiches - freshly made, mix of white and brown breads (good quality) and fillings were egg mayonnaise, salmon, home-cooked ham and cream cheese.  Nice to see a bit of salad on the side.


Cake: 5/5
I say 'cake' but what you get at The Angel is threefold.  First, there's the patisserie.  All delectable, fresh and exciting.  In our selection we had profiteroles, mini custard slices, mini cream horns and creations involving meringue and fresh fruit.  Next, mini trifles.  I love trifle.  Finally, scones with cream and jam.  I know what you're thinking: I couldn't eat all that!  They know this at The Angel, and will happily and prettily box up anything you can't manage to take home.


Service: 4/5
Perfectly good.

Ambience: 5/5
I really enjoyed being in the snug surroundings of the little sitting room on such a wet and cold day, and it was nice to be afforded some quiet and privacy, as one of my friends brought her baby along.  It's tastefully and classically decorated, but feels quite homely rather than grand.

Crockery; 5/5
All of the crockery used is vintage, and each set is different - you never know what you're going to get!  This time it was a pale pink floral design that graced our teacups.

Tea: 5/5
An outstanding selection of tea.  I chose the rose tea, and it arrived in a glass teapot so that I could marvel at the rosebuds floating in it.  I love rose flavoured and scented things, so this really hit the mark for me.


Overall: 5/5
The overall experience was relaxed, civilised and above all tasty.  The price is perfectly reasonable and I envisage returning again and again.  I am going to make a bold claim here and say it's the top place for afternoon tea in Wales.  I might need to sample a few more places before I can back this up - I'll get back to you with some more reviews soon!

To end, here are a few gratuitous photos of my friends and I playing pass the baby.





Sunday 27 January 2013

For Sale: 20th Century Foxy Dress, Kiss Me Deadly Knickers and More 1950s Handbags!

I am selling off yet more of my vintage collection, desperately trying to scrape together extra money so that my beloved and I can escape the purgatory of shared accommodation and get our own place.  Please visit my Ebay page here - all items start at 99p, even the beautiful vintage reproduction dress.


This dress is a classic 1950s reproduction taffeta dress, one stocked by 20th Century Foxy - and was available last Autumn for £90.  It's the 'Lola-Lou' by Dutch brand Miss Candyfloss, and I have to say the quality is really impressive.  This one is a size Medium, which is roughly a size 12.  Available here.

'Fifi' Kiss Me Deadly knickers in a size Medium, available here.

And finally, a selection of vintage handbags - all on my Ebay page here.




Happy shopping!  Help me buy a house!!

Friday 25 January 2013

Martinis, I Miss You

I'm having a dry January, my choice entirely, and I'm already dreaming of the vodka martini I'm going to make myself on 1st February (conveniently a Friday night, hooray!).  Here's one I made earlier, at a friend's soiree before Christmas.  The amazing cocktail glasses were a gift from my other half.

Is anyone else off the booze this month?


Wednesday 23 January 2013

Outfit Post: Snow & Folklore

 A snowy day in the park, perfect weather to wear my faux fur hat and a folk inspired outfit.

Friday 18 January 2013

Outfit Post: Pussy Bow Blouse & Party Tights

It's snowed!!  Only a few inches, but it's still coming down.  I'm keeping warm, drinking tea and trying to finish off some work.  That's the only thing about modern technology, no excuse not to work even if you can't make it to the office!


Wednesday 16 January 2013

Family Bake Off - We Won!!

I don't think I've mentioned this yet, but I was yet again crowned champion family baker, jointly this year with my partner, in the annual family Christmas competition!  This year there were only three entries - our festive cheesecake, my sister's stained glass window biscuits (hung on a tinsel tree she got her husband to make out of a kitchen roll holder!), and my Mum's lebkuchen.

We slightly overbaked the cheesecake, but it still tasted amazing.  It's from a Rachel Allen recipe with poached pears on a ginger base.  Yummy!




Monday 14 January 2013

For Sale: 1940s Cordé Handbag 99p Starting Price!

I'm sorry to offer items for sale in January, whilst many of you are trying hard Not To Spend Money, but I must draw your attention to this wonderful bag that I am listing on Ebay, with a measly starting price of 99p.  You will know how much these Cordé brand bags can command, so it's only fair to let you know of one going cheap!!

I honestly won't get the use out of it, so I want it to go to a good home.  If anyone has become desperate to possess this bag on seeing these photos, please message me and make me a reasonable offer!  I'd rather sell it to someone who wants to use it rather than let it get snapped up by someone who just wants to sell it on.






Friday 11 January 2013

A New Hat!

I bought a new hat, newsboy cap style, from Village Hats as recommended by Bruce at Eclectic Ephemera.  I'd been hankering after one for some time, as my other half wears one and only occasionally lets me steal it, and always insists I return it.

I went for the Jaxon herringbone newsboy cap in brown, and at 20% off the already obscenely cheap £12.95, with free delivery, I wasn't sure what kind of quality to expect.

The cap arrives with a poker-straight brim, and I actually removed the inner shaping card from the top portion and rolled the brim slightly to make it more flattering - sharp angles don't suit me in the hat department.  I'm very pleased with it, the quality is far above the price bracket, and I am hoping I will get a lot of use out of it.  Here is the hat on its first outing, to the local car boot sale.


Wednesday 9 January 2013

'Vintage' Spices

Making mince pies at my parents' house over Christmas, I was flabbergasted to see an array of very old spices and such in their cupboard.  The ginger label indicated 'Best Before 1991', making it at least 22 years old.  Blimey!  I didn't want to risk it and nipped out to get some fresh stuff from the market.

I had a good rummage, and here's what else I found.  They stopped 1/2 pence being legal tender in the UK in 1984, so the food colouring is probably well over 30 years old seeing as I remember my mum using it to colour playdough when I was a toddler!

What's lurking in your cupboards?







Here's a photo of the two chefs - the half apron I'm wearing was handmade by my grandmother in the early 1960s apparently, and the plates are 1950s Woolworths.



Thursday 3 January 2013

Let's Start the New Year with Awards!

I had a lovely email today waiting in my inbox from Janey at Atomic Redhead informing me she was passing me the Liebster Blog Award.  How sweet!  I previously received this award from Nabby (please swing by her blog This Old Life) back in 2011, but I'll happily take it again!  Thank you!  I enjoyed reading Janey's question and answers, and I've discovered a few new blogs to read from her suggestions.

Here are the questions she asked me, and my answers:


1.  What is your favourite film for fashion inspiration?
The film that started it all was ‘Bringing up Baby’ starring Katharine Hepburn.  There’s a scene where she’s at home on the telephone wearing the most amazing sheer voluminous polkadot dressing gown that puffs out all around her like a cloud.  I remember wishing I could look so glamorous whilst in my boudoir!  More recently I have seen some fashion crackers, including ‘White Christmas’, but always go back to any Poirot episode for a bit of inspiration.


2. What is your favourite flavour of ice cream?
I’m not a huge fan of ice-cream, my tastes are more savoury these days, but you can’t beat a nice lemon meringue pie cone whilst strolling along Penarth sea front.

3.  Where is your favourite place to shop? Bricks-and-mortar or on-line.
On the British High Street I like Laura Ashley, but I love all of the online vintage reproduction boutiques such as 20th Century Foxy.  To be honest, most of my shopping takes place in car boot sales and charity shops these days – champagne tastes, lemonade pockets and all that!

4. Is there a person who got you started dressing vintage? If so, who?
There isn’t one person, it was a ‘scene’ that started it - gosh that sounds pretentious - but some years ago there was a bit of a burlesque boom and I started attending the shows.  Of course I had to dress the part!  My attempts at doing a vintage look were amateur to start with – I remember wearing Agent Provocateur stockings that cost me £25 and tore after a few hours, then spilling candle wax down my pencil skirt.  I looked like I’d been partying all night at the Moulin Rouge, and remember seeing this beautiful Dita von Teese look-a-like standing there in an original 1930s satin gown, looking demure and composed.  ‘Why can’t I look like that?’ I thought, and realised I'd got it all wrong.

5. What do you enjoy the most about blogging?
Blogging has been a fantastic experience.  I enjoy the sense of community, and love sharing my finds!  There’s a limit to how excited my other half gets over a 1940’s Corde brand handbag.  I have also loved learning so much – not just about vintage, but about writing blog posts, taking photos etc.  That’s my main area to work on this year, photography.  My lighting is atrocious at home and it’s really problematic doing outfit posts.

6.  Where do you want to travel to the most?
I’d love to travel more in the USA and save up for a big Californian road trip.  I’ve been to the USA many times but now with my vintage interests there are so many sights to see and shops to visit!  I’m lucky in that I get to go abroad on a short-haul trip once a year at least – this year I might go back to Spain or Greece, and I’m hoping to join my other half on another road trip to the Netherlands when he’s touring with his new album.  As for the UK, I would love to visit Burgh Island, but will have to save for many years to afford it!

7.  What is your favourite book?
Rebecca, by Daphne du Maurier.  It’s incredibly atmospheric, and I love the psychological aspect of it as the female protagonist wrestles with her feelings of jealousy towards a dead woman.

8. What is your favourite lipstick?
Today I’m wearing ‘History’ by Poppy King at Boots.  It’s a sheer red, quite moisturising and not too bright, so it’s perfect for everyday.  I also love a Revlon lipstick in ‘Rosewine’, it’s a lovely Autumnal shade.

9. What do you do when you’ve had a bad day?
I find yoga very restorative, and would perhaps cook myself an extra-nutritious dinner and watch a favourite happy old film with lots of singing and dancing in.  I’ve learnt that the worst thing I can do is to indulge, be it with alcohol or junk food.  It makes you feel better temporarily and then crashes you back down lower than when you started!

10. Is there a vintage-themed event you look forward to all year? If so, what?
Alas, living in South Wales means that there’s not much going on.  We have Vintage Fairs in Cardiff, but that’s about it.  I’ve been to some great events in London but it’s expensive and has to be planned well in advance.  I’m too old to attend festivals - I’m more of a hotel than tent girl these days.  This year I might look at attending some vintage events elsewhere in the UK, wasn’t there some event in Northampton or somewhere?  A cocktail evening?  Please do remind me of the details if you know what I’m referring to!

11. Do you enjoy meeting fellow bloggers in person?
I would love to meet more bloggers!  There isn’t a big vintage community here in Wales – I was talking to a friend recently and she lives in a town where there’s one person who dresses vintage, and is known locally to everyone as ‘40s Jane’.  I find that hilarious!  So, it’s hard enough meeting someone outside my small circle of friends who is in to vintage, let alone someone who blogs about it.  I was lucky enough to go to a bloggers’ evening as part of Cardiff Fashion Week and met the lovely Gemma from FatFrocks, and Amy from Bonjour Cupcake, but that’s the only bloggers’ event I’ve been to.  Cardiff bloggers are quite young and modern, and I’m a bit of a granny at heart.


So, there you go, you now know a little bit more about me.  As I've already passed this award on before, I'm going to pass it on to 5 blogs that I discovered in 2012.  That should avoid too much repetition.  Here they are:

The Folly Bird - vintage and bunnies!
Just Another Wardrobe Experience - regular outfit posts
Fifties Darling - Netherlands based vintage lover
Princess Pin Curls  - sewing up a storm!
Norton of Morton - a gent's perspective

Should the recipients wish to participate, simply choose your own 5 small blogs to pass the award on to, ask them some questions, and answer my questions below:

  1.  What made you decide to start a blog?
  2.  How would you like to develop your blog in 2013?
  3. Do you have any tips for someone just starting out blogging?
  4. What does ‘vintage’ mean to you?
  5. Are there any modern fashion trends that you like?
  6. If you could resurrect one vintage style trend, what would it be?
  7. Do you have an ‘everyday’ vintage look?
  8. What architectural era do you like the best?
  9. Is there a particular vintage piece you’re on the hunt for at the moment?
  10. Finally, what’s your top tip for beating the post-Christmas blues?



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