Wee Birdy

Sneak Peek: Tracey Neuls + Sanderson shoes

Chintz has never looked so chic since London shoe designer Tracey Neuls got her hands on Sanderson's reissued vintage textiles.

This somewhat surprising collaboration between the British heritage wallpaper company, which celebrates its 150th anniversary this year, and one of London's more avant-garde shoe designers will coincide with London Fashion Week next month.

Neuls' gallery-like Marylebone Lane shop (read my shop tour here) will be transformed into an eccentric English tea party, complete with a large-scale installation by sculptor Nina Saunders. And apparently birds will be involved - I await with baited breath!

Admittedly, I've got a soft spot for Neuls' rubber-soled shoes, as her mid-height heels are about as high as I can go with my rotten old arthritic toes. It hasn't been easy finding anything attractive I can actually wear, with season after season of increasingly vertiginous heels. So I can't wait to see what she's done with Sanderson's prints - her signature sculptural silhouettes combined with her penchant for dramatic contrast piping will give the chintzy florals a quirky edge. 

'Most Curious'
Footwear from Tracey Neuls
Sculptural installation from Nina Saunders
To celebrate Sanderson's 150th Anniversary
From 17 February 2010 to 30 June 2010
Tracey Neuls
29 Marylebone Lane
London W1U 2NQ
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Click here for more Wee Birdy shop reviews on Marylebone Lane.

Christmas shopping nights in London – part 2

 
As promised, here's part two of my Christmas shopping round-up, which actually includes quite a few fairs and fetes, so it's not strictly nights. Part three coming tomorrow...

1 December: Supermarket Sarah
Get stuck into the spoils of Portobello market courtesy of Supermarket Sarah, when she’ll be setting up shop in the Poke foyer of the Biscuit building on Redchurch Street. You’ll be able to shop online as well. Email [email protected] to get on the guest list. Click here for more details.

2, 9, 16, 23 December: Columbia Road Christmas Wednesdays
With the promise of mulled wine, mistletoe and mince pies, Columbia Road’s Christmas Wednesdays is one of the more romantic ways to shop for Christmas. Check out my write-up on last year’s event. Don’t miss some of my favourite independent boutiques, like Cerise, Ryantown and Lapin & Me. From 5-9pm.

3 December: Content Beauty Shoppping Night
Head over to London’s gorgeous organic beauty boutique for free makeovers, drinks and a hefty 20 per cent discount. RSVP to [email protected] as space is limited. Click here for more details.

3-6 December: East London Design Show
Boasting an impressive line-up of UK and International designer-makers, the ELDS is one of the biggest independent shopping events in London. I went along last year and picked up quite a few good Christmas presents – and took full advantage of many of the special deals and discounts on offer. Adm £4. Click here for more information.

3 and 11 December: Cheshire Street Late Night Shopping
As many of you will know, I have quite a soft spot for Cheshire Street and its lovely line-up of independent boutiques, including The Shop, Shelf and Labour and Wait. Head over to the East End and enjoy drink or two whilst you shop, and don’t miss Mimi and Dragana Perisic for special discounts on all purchases. From 6-10pm.

4-6 December: V&A Christmas shopping weekend
Stock up on arty Christmas gifts and enjoy 15 per cent off all purchases at the V&A shop this weekend. If you can’t make it over to the South Kensington museum in person, you can redeem the discount online by entering in ‘VAXMAS091’ into the offer code section when you come to the payment details screen.

5 December: We Make London Christmas Fair
Lots of local crafty goodness on offer here, from the likes of Fabric Nation, Beeb Design and London Clay Birds (love!). Pop along to Chelsea Town Hall for all the fun. Click here for more details.

5 December: Tea and Make (a great British Christmas fete)
Well worth the trip to Forest Hill in South-East London for this lovely little fete, offering an excellent variety of wares by the likes of Selvedge Magazine, Hannah Waldron and Polly George. There are also free craft workshops and fun stuff for kids. Click here for more details.

Birdy pick of the week

Enamel bird pendants, from £75, by New Zealand jewellery designer Kirstin Ash at KJ's Laundry.
Click here for more birdy picks.

Christmas lights up London

I went for a stroll around central London and Marylebone last night, and found that it's beginning to look a lot like Christmas. My vote for the most charming Christmas window? The vintage decoration display in the window at Content Beauty/Wellbeing (above). I don't know how store owner, Imelda Burke, managed to colour-co-ordinate so many beautiful vintage glass decorations, but she did a mighy fine job. So pretty.

I also really liked the sculptural magazine "tree" in the window at KJ's Laundry...

In terms of sheer scale and magnificence, Selfridges have surpassed themselves with a rather anti-credit crunch theme of "the more the merrier", featuring Santa in 19 different window installations.

Santa at the cinema...

Santa gets a beard trim...

Santa takes the Tube...

Santa does his laundry...

Santa goes to the disco...

Santa has a bubblebath...

Santa takes tea...

Santa goes shopping...

Santa eats sushi...

while Oxford Street goes twinkle, twinkle...

and St Christopher's Place goes sparkle, sparkle...

I LOVE this time of the year.

Top London tea spots: Paul Rothe & Son

This traditional café-deli is one of my favourite places to relax with a good cuppa and a sandwich after hitting the shops on Marylebone Lane. The shop itself dates back to 1900, and it still retains that old-fashioned charm of the village grocer.

I really dig the old-school caff set-up inside, complete with ‘60s laminate tables and folding leatherette chairs. The place gets packed during lunch hours with local workers flocking for the daily fresh soup and line-up of delicious sandwiches (my pick is egg on rye, but the Austrian liptauer and kummelkase are legendary).

A good cuppa, egg sandwich and Time Out ... happy, happy.

The walls are stacked with jams, chutneys and relishes, but I’m here precisely because it’s the antithesis of your Prets, Starbucks, Café Neros, et al. You’ll always find Paul Rothe and son donning their traditional white deli coats behind the counter, and the tea is a straight-forward, no-frills, honest-to-goodness brew. I will never grow tired of this place, it’s an absolute London gem.

Paul Rothe & Son
35 Marylebone Lane
London, W1U 2NN
Tel. 020 7935 6783
Nearest tube: Bond Street
Click here for a Wee Birdy map.

Opening Hours:
Monday to Friday 8am - 6pm
Saturday 11:30am - 5:30pm Sat
Closed Sunday

Click here for more shops in Marylebone