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Categories: Pixie, Uncategorized

A Road Trip to Wicksteed Park – The UK’s Oldest Theme Park

The Summer Holidays are here and those great intentions you had were exhausted within the first fortnight.  Every great plan you had has fizzled out and the kids are driving you up the wall.  Let’s be honest, we’d be following them up there if we could only find the energy right?  Every year it’s the same, for me it is anyway and I know I’m in a slightly different boat than most parents being a Special Needs Mom, by the third week I’m fresh out of ideas and going stir crazy.

I think I might have found a pretty great option for parents and kids alike that require a bit of a road trip (probably) as it’s right in the middle of England.  I was offered a press trip to a theme park called Wicksteed Park on dates of my choice and given that I had a trip to Cadwell Park planned which isn’t too far away, we thought we could plan a pretty sweet week long road trip with Wicksteed Park right in the middle of it.  I had to do a little research prior to the trip because unlike all of the standard British theme parks that you’ve all already heard of like Alton Towers, Flamingo Land, Thorpe Park et al – I’d never heard a peep about this one.

Turns out Wicksteed Park is actually steeped in history.  I’ve never really given a lot of thought to how theme parks appeared or developed into the huge attractions that they are today after a little research it actually turns out that Wicksteed Park was the first.  The blueprint for all others.  It’s the oldest theme park on UK mainland and has been there in the same place since 1921 with the ethos that all children, whether rich or poor, should have a place to play with free access.  Pretty cool right?

So, we left Cadwell Park and headed straight for Wicksteed Park on the hottest day of the year so far.

Pixie Tenenbaum and son Plankton Tenenbaum arrive at Wicksteed Park, the UK's oldest theme park

Where is Wicksteed Park?

It’s in Kettering which is pretty much middle of England, you drive through one of the most beautiful villages ever right before you arrive, literally every single house looks like Kate Winslet’s cottage in The Holiday.  The place is just gorgeous.  As you arrive at Wicksteed Park the park is set up for several different types of access so you can either drive in and access the main car park which is used for daily access to the park, or you head on through and follow the signs to the campsite at the very back of the park if you’re planning on staying overnight or longer.

Oh so you can camp and make a proper trip of it?

Yes!  There are a lots of different nightly combinations available and prices are very reasonable when compared to other campsites we’ve stayed at, meaning it’s a brilliantly viable option for a family visiting the park.  For example, a Sunday to Thursday stay (or any combination of nights in that period) is £15 per tent per night and there’s a shower block on site as well as a dish washing station.  One of the best things about camping at Wicksteed Park is that it gives you a half price discount on second day wristbands.

The campsite is at the back of the park which closes pretty early so there are no ride noises late on a night.  It’s right on the edge of the lake too which has a cut through so you can walk around it on an evening.  We found it very quiet and peaceful when we camped, even with the mega lightning storm through the night.  Still loved every damn minute.

Why do I need a wristband?

Ok, so this is the part where you need to pay attention:  Access to the park itself is completely free.  Yes you read that right, it’s gratis, free, you don’t pay at all.  And it’s beautiful.  The park is a Grade II English Heritage Listed Park & Garden and it shows.  From the manicured lawns and trees to the rare cultivated flowers, the place is just gorgeous and you could spend hours exploring the grounds – which is exactly what they want you to do.  Wicksteed Park has been part of a huge regeneration project recently called the Heart of Wicksteed where the Trust are aiming to restore the central part of the park back to its former glory.  After completion they’ll move on to the boathouse.

If you’re feeling more adventurous and you’d like to experience some of the thrills and rides that Wicksteed Park has to offer, then you’ll need to spend some cash.  You’ll either need to buy tokens like the traditional seaside fairground – each ride or game has an equivalent number of tokens and you can either top them up as you go, or agree a certain amount with your kids if you’re on a budget.

The alternative to tokens is a wristband.  Wristbands give you access to most rides but not everything, there are some things which come with an additional charge such as Clip n’ Climb, Zip Wire and Bag Jump.  Wristband prices vary depending on the time of year but in peak season (which is when we visited) a child wristband is £17 and an adult is £14.45.  Yes, you read that right, it’s cheaper for an adult than it is for a child.

Zip Wire you say?  I like the sound of that!

Man it’s good!  Definitely worth checking out whilst you’re there.  There was an offer on during our visit meaning each zip was £4.50 instead of £9 – something you can’t knock back.  Basically, if you’re unfamiliar (where the hell have you been?!), you’re given a full safety briefing on the ground that’s full of humour and gags as well as the important stuff before being strapped into a harness and helmet.  You then climb 15m up inside a wooden tower so you never get the opportunity to look down and feel that pang of regret.  Once you’re at the top, Wicksteed Park’s friendly team of staff talk you through the safest way to step off and on to the wire.  Plankton and I did ours side by side and whilst he needed a little coaxing to step off, he later said it was his favourite thing about the entire trip.  It’s pretty quick too, because of the length of it it whips you up to 30mph before bringing you in at the lakeside.  Definitely one to add to your agenda if you visit the park.

And the Clip n’ Climb?  Was that any good?

Dude, Clip n’ Climb is awesome, hilarious, terrifying and amazing all at the same time!  Firstly it’s a treat for the senses, you find it over by Wicky’s Playbarn; we struggled a little with the location of this one but got there in the end.  When you first walk in it’s like sensory overload.  Because each individual climbing wall has to reach a certain height, the ceiling is real high and they’re all brightly coloured like a ginormous living game of Tetris.

An image of the new Clip n' Climb attraction at Wicksteed Park in Kettering. Brightly coloured clibming walls for children and adults alike!

Again, you step into a container for a safety briefing with your designated Clip n Climb Session Leader and you’re given instructions on how the session works.  There are only a few golden rules to remember:

  • If a purple mat is on the floor, never walk over it
  • If you want to climb, find a purple mat in the ‘up’ position and stand next to it.
  • Never walk over the orange egg

Plankton spent most of the session shaking and climbing to around 12ft off the ground then refusing to come down and Bo aced every single wall in the place in record time.  I guess that means the kid is not a chip off the old block.  In terms of fun, Clip n’ Climb has it all, there are walls a plenty and each one has three challenges.  Walls range from easy to insanely difficult so if you’re thinking this one is just for kids, it really isn’t, some of these walls have been designed to mimic cliff faces and some have under and over hangs too so this is one the whole family can enjoy.  The Instructors in there are all experienced climbers too so if anyone gets stuck, runs into trouble, or just needs a little motivation, they’re more than happy to shimmy up alongside you and give a helping hand with no judgement whatsoever.

You must have worked up an appetite!

We really did!  Luckily for us there are food vendors on site, which is good because leaving the park in the middle of the day is probably a bad idea as it’s not that close to much.  Food prices on site are actually pretty reasonable, the most expensive food retailer is the ice cream shop – it’s also the busiest.  For dinner we had fish and chips from a proper little fish and chip shop on site.  Portions were good and we were pleasantly surprised at just how good the food was. At £7.95 for fish and chips (ours was included in our press trip), we thought that was comparable to high street prices.

The ice creams at Wicksteed Park are definitely worthy of a mention because I’m willing to bet that you’ve never seen anything like them before.  These badboys are the size of Olympic torches and that’s no exaggeration.  Sure you can get a regular ice cream for a regular ice cream price, but you can get those anywhere.  If you’re there and you’re buying ice cream, make it the biggest one and when you realise and accept how awesome it is, remember it was me who told you about it.  If Carlsberg made ice creams……. Just saying.

And the rides??  Tell me about the rides!

Well remember that Wicksteed Park is the oldest theme Park on UK mainland and a huge part of their appeal is that they try their hardest to remain true to their heritage.  Founder and developer Charles Wicksteed was an Engineer who built and developed the rides and play equipment in the park and so a lot of it may seem quite basic but after reading about it, I thought that was quite appealing.  So, what’s there?  There’s a mixture of amusement park type rides and attractions such as bumper cars (although there is a VERY strict no bumping allowed rule), a kids race track with mini petrol cars that circles the Thrill Zone of the park, as well as more typical theme park attractions such as flume rides, a short click clack coaster and a pedal mono rail.

You’ll also find that Wicksteed Park have introduced some more modern initiatives such as crazy golf, a treetop rope walk and a laser tag arena for kids looking for a little more stimulation.  Personally one of my favourite things on site was the bird aviary – a dome housing some amazing tropical birds which fly and hop around as you walk through, they really do get up close too!  All three of us found this super interesting.

As with most British theme parks you’ll find stalwarts such as a carousel, teacups and a swing boat.

You mentioned a lake earlier?

Ok yes there’s a lake, so rewind, maybe start by hopping on the train.  We did this at the end of the day but in retrospect it’s probably a great way to start your visit and give you a good look at the park in all its glory.  If you like facts the track was actually hand laid!  Anyway, it’s a circular track with no jump off points, the station is right next to the park entrance and the loop of the park doesn’t take too long, on a sunny day it’s beautiful.  The train takes you around the periphery of the park, you’ll pass the field where the archery sessions take place before approaching a tunnel, this section runs alongside the lake.

Once you’re clear of the tunnel you’ll get a clear view of the lake and the different boats available for hire (all included if you have a wristband), the lake is actually a decent size in comparison to say, Lightwater Valley.  The train crosses a small bridge over the top of the lake so you’ll be able to see all the different access points, if you pay attention, you’ll notice that you’re actually allowed to swim in this man made lake if you approach it from this South side.

A quick walk back down to the boathouse will take around ten minutes and you’ll find small boats you can hire with lifejackets included.  We opted for a Canadian kayak and were accompanied by all kinds of huge glowing dragonflies on our peaceful trip out on the water.  In the days following, this was one of the things that Plankton talked about the most – he paddled and there was something about the water, the sunshine and the lack of time constraint that seemed to make him more relaxed than I’ve seen him in a long time.  If the weather allows then this is a must do (leave your bag and cellphone behind though as they’ll get soaked).

So what did you think of it?

Wicksteed Park is weird and wonderful.  We all really enjoyed it and would definitely go back as paying customers.  It’s not like any other theme park I’ve ever been to where they concentrate on packing rides in and it can become very quickly like a trailerpark fairground and lose focus.  Wicksteed Park is different, I love the history to it, the background and the fact that the Trustees have stayed true to that original ethos.

An image of green space an manicured trees in Wicksteed Park. The UK's oldest theme park, found in Kettering. Plankton Tenenbaum running across an open field to the pavillion building

The thing that I really loved though was the open, green space.  There are huge expanses of grass and no signs stopping people from walking on it.  Wicksteed Park is far from formal, but its gardens give off a vibe of richness.  It’s a hard place to describe but it has a most excellent feeling of community about it, the staff for example are friendly and helpful and you can tell that they enjoy working at Wicksteed Park.  Barbara in the coffee shop had no idea we were there on a press trip and made time to chat to us as if we were old friends, speaking about her love for the park.  The Manager of the ice cream shop told us she’s having her wedding reception in the park because she loves it so much.

I guess what I’m trying to say is that it’s genuine.  Sure, it’s not as extravagant as Alton Towers when it comes to thrill rides.  But what it lacks in huge rides it most definitely makes up for in character.  Wicksteed Park provides free access to beautiful green space where children can burn off energy in the Summer Holidays.  Throw in a laser tag neon maze and some fun rides, a tree top walk, a zip wire and an awesome camping trip and I’d say you just made your kid’s week and gave them an awesome news story for their first week back at school without blowing the budget.

Pixie

Categories: Pixie, Uncategorized

Cadwell Park with No Limits Track Days

The first week of the Summer holidays has been pretty action packed so far, we kicked off with Bo’s 40th birthday which led to more carnage than you could possibly imagine.  I don’t know how I missed it because I didn’t drink but the next day I woke up to find the fridge door had been completely battered beyond repair and the kitchen TV barely hanging on to it’s wall bracket by just one side.  One wall covered was in dents and I don’t even want to discuss what happened to the stair carpet, or the light switch, it’s a very, very sore subject.

An image of Bo at Kielder Reservoir on his 40th birthday in full leathers next to his Kawasaki ZX7R on a sunny day
Bo’s 40th Birthday

Anyway, after that we were treated to a lovely little trip up to Beadnell Towers in Northumberland by my management company to celebrate Bo’s birthday whilst Plankton was in respite which was lovely.  The weather was dreadful so we had the chance to explore the boutique hotel and really take advantage of everything it had to offer, you can read more about that here, it’s definitely a place we’d go back to in better weather so we could get out and explore a bit more of Beadnell too.

An image of Beadnell Towers Hotel in Northumberland under stormy skies
Beadnell Towers Hotel

The morning of checkout we discovered my beloved Z4 had been quite badly damaged in a hit and run style accident outside the hotel and were a little thrown off our planned course by having that to deal with first – we swung by home, swapped our car for our van already pre-packed with two of our best track bikes which we’d brought to our home the week before to prep for track day (we don’t keep all of our bikes at our everyday home as we only have a single garage and can’t fit them all in).

Once we were on the road we realised we’d forgotten our child and had to turn back.  Just joking we had him in a cage in the back with the bikes.  Just joking, I promise he was up front with us literally shouting out the name of every single car we passed en route from the North East all the way to Cadwell Park.  Cue forced grin emoji.  So, with our bikes, our tent, our barbecue and food and clothes for the next 7 or so days (we were planning an epic road trip), we spent the next three hours listening to awesome music and wondering what we had forgotten…

OK so, track days, what do you need to know?

We book ours through No Limits (no affiliation).  They’re a huge company who provide track days all over Europe and possibly even further afield, they have access to some of the best tracks around and most importantly, some of the best instructors if you’re looking to learn some tips, improve your riding style or just get to know the track a little better, faster.  They also have good banter on social media.

Why did we choose Cadwell Park?

Cadwell Park Race Circuit

Personal preference.  Simples.  We’ve been talking about going for ages and a track day came up that fell just a couple of days after Bo’s birthday which worked out perfectly.  The track is known for being one of the best in the UK and if you’ve ever watched any racing on TV from Cadwell Park then you’re probably already a fan of the track and it’s famous ‘Mountain’.  In reality the track is huge and as a spectator there’s a huge stretch of it that you can walk which gives you great viewing of any event or track day motorsport – which is actually pretty thrilling to watch.

Fancy trying one out yourself?

Well you’ll need a bike licence, a decent set of leathers – either a one piece race suit or a two piece which zips all the way round, a lid and decent boots and gloves as the minimum.  Our preference is to always ride your own setup, it’s familiar to you and it’s part of the thrill, however if you don’t have a bike, or if you get there and something’s gone drastically wrong en route, there are a couple of companies in the paddock that hire bikes for the day with insurance.

How long is a track day?

The clue is in the name, it’s a full day.  Our best advice is to pack everything up, travel to the track the night before and camp.  Camping at Cadwell Park is free if you’re participating in an event (yes really),  you can pitch up anywhere and the site has a toilet and shower block with basic facilities which are open 24 hours.

How do I know my capability?

There’s a group for that, choose the group that fits your capability when you book.  You’re either a novice, intermediate or advanced rider.  Don’t be a dickhead and book into the advanced group if you’re not competent enough for it and don’t book into the novice group if you belong in the intermediate group.  This shit ain’t rocket science.

What if I’m not riding and just spectating?

There’s still loads of fun to be had watching bikes go fast around a track.  The chances are if you’re at Cadwell Park it’s because you like motorsport.  Groups are called in 20 minute intervals and so if you’re there cheerleading for someone, you’ll be with them for 40 minutes and watching them on track for 20 minutes, if the weather is good Cadwell Park is an absolute sun trap.  There are several professional photographers who show up and shoot track days & post watermarked images in FaceBook groups available to buy if you find it hard to shoot your own.

When we visited it was 30 degrees, dry, hot and sunny – the weather couldn’t have been any better if we’d commissioned it.  as I mentioned before there are sections of the track you can walk around and there are log seats, designated children’s play areas and other small attractions dotted around trackside.  Not far from the paddock there’s grandstand seating which gives side on viewing of the Mountain although in my opinion that’s not the best place to view it.  I prefer to walk a little further round so you see it from the back, this gives you a far greater appreciation for the height of it.

Bo on a Honda Fireblade at a No Limits Track Day in July 2019 at Cadwell Park

On the other side of the paddock there’s a viewing platform and a cafe too so there’s plenty to keep kids and adults occupied just be sure to bring ear defenders if little ones are bothered by the noise.  Personally, and I speak for all three of us, we loved it.  It’s definitely not our first bike track rodeo but it was our first at Cadwell Park and it was long overdue.  We’re hoping to be back before the end of the season, but next up we’re pitching for Anglesey.  First though we need get to Wicksteed Park and then burn our tent to ash as it has a spider infestation…

Pixie

Categories: Fashion, Pixie

What I Wore: Styling the Vintage Prairie Dress

When it comes to trends there’s one that’s been building momentum for some time now.  It started with the resurgence of vintage dresses from a particular era as far back as seven years ago and the emergence of new brands like Batsheva and The Vampire’s Wife who have dedicated themselves to creating modern versions of Gunnies and the prairie dresses we scour vintage rails for.  Now designers like Bora Aksu are reinventing the prairie dress for a new audience to great effect.

I do own a Batsheva frock and two Vampire’s Wife dresses and I do feel amazing in them, but it has to be said, there’s nothing quite like an original vintage prairie dress.  The thrill of finding one, especially when it fits and it’s the perfect length and composition – well, that’s just unbeatable.  So, what exactly is a prairie dress?  Well, let’s get that clear first off…

A true prairie dress has three main features (and a lot of vintage sellers will list any old maxi dress with a few ruffles and call it a prairie dress which is absolutely not the case), so what should you be looking for?

1. a high, stand up collar

2. a feature waist – either elasticated, belted or ribboned, but not empire line

3. a flounce – that’s the detail which appears in the bottom third of the dress

Anything in addition to this is a lovely bonus.  If it has an empire line it’s a different type of dress from the same, or a similar era and your vintage seller is cashing in on your lack of knowledge, or maybe even theirs.  The rules are simple though, if you like the dress, buy it, if you’re definitely and resolutely looking to buy a prairie dress, then stick to the protocol.

Here’s my current favourite (subject to change literally daily) and the one I wore to the VIP launch of The Cosy Club at Durham’s Riverwalk complex.  It’s a full length navy blue true vintage dress, fully lined and covered in tiny polka dots, bought right here in the North East from an expert vintage curater and re-seller called The Pansy Garden.  It’s a dream to wear because it’s so light and flowy and not at all heavy meaning that when it’s warm outside you don’t get all hot and bothered in it.  I’m wearing it with a Topshop leather and chainmail belt which I bought a few years ago, you can find a similar one here, a Western style works well.  Chuck on a pair of cowboy boots (again mine are Topshop) and a fedora (out of shot because the wind picked up), and that’s one fast, easy, and pretty damn sustainable outfit.

Pixie

Categories: Fashion, North East, Pixie

Sustainable Fashion: Finding Treasures in Your Own Wardrobe

We all know that rush that comes from buying a new pair of shoes, or a really great, well-made handbag, ore even just the perfect pair of jeans.  In fact, shopping is up there with addictions such as gambling and alcohol, and is often termed a “secondary addiction’ as it quite often slides in after a different addiction disappears.  Yes, we’re a nation of shoppers.  We spend what we earn and the fashionistas amongst us put our wages straight back into our wardrobes and shoe closets.

A shot of Carrie Bradshaw looking into her closet longingly - Fashion Voyeur Blog

“I like my money right where I can see it, hanging in my closet.” – Carrie Bradshaw

But in 2018 there was a huge shift in the fashion industry, one that saw a light shone on the damage done to our environment and the finger of blame was largely pointed at fashion.  We were shown an ocean once thriving, now nothing but dust.  All for the production of cotton for fast fashion.  The cries were that fashion is fickle, but it’s also a very complicated beast to understand as there are so many tiers, so many layers, and so many season and micro seasons within each level.  It’s difficult to find where the blame does lie, other than to know that garment production plays a huge part in the responsibility of environmental destruction.  Making clothes out of a non sustainable material, unethically, is a challenge.  One which may, or may not be solved.  Pointing the finger most definitely will not solve it, making more conscious decisions at a personal level however, can definitely go along way to make your own contribution towards potentially conserving our environment.

Here’s what I suggest:

1.RE-DISCOVER ITEMS IN YOUR OWN WARDROBE

Pixie Tenenbaum Photographed by @meganlscottphotography
Pixie Tenenbaum Photographed by @meganlscottphotography

This is a personal favourite of mine.  We all have wardrobes and closets of different sizes, I’m a hoarder so mine are huge, I never throw anything away, just move it from floor to floor or from property to property so when I rediscover something, it’s like finding treasure.  (I’m aware that makes me sound like a fucking gross snob but I swear I’m not, I still burp and pump like everyone else.)  I found this Gucci Jackie O bag in black leather and denim when I was looking for something else.  It’s pristine, I bought it when I was 20 years old and living in London and I’m pretty sure I was so terrified to use it that I never did.  That means it’s now brand new and twenty years old, still stuffed and in its original dustbag – probably classed as vintage now.  Simple things like this amaze me.  I took it out to shoot with my Blogger and Photographer friend Megan Scott and I swear, this brought me so much joy you wouldn’t believe.  I also rediscovered a dress I haven’t worn for years, I put it away in a box in the attic, it’s been in there for around 9 years and when I tried it recently it just worked.  Obviously I’m 40 now and my body has changed, my hair is different and my style is different.  Things change, don’t throw things away, hang on to them and restyle them.  Fuck Marie Kondo, if you have the space and you genuinely think you might use it again, keep your stuff.

2. TRY OUT CHARITY SHOPS / THRIFT STORES / VINTAGE FAIRS / ANTIQUE FAIRS

All of them. Charity shops are a little more hit and miss as you’re more likely to find damaged items, or pieces that are just other people’s rubbish, however, in recent years, they’ve gotten a lot better.  St Oswald’s in Jesmond is a good bet and they put together a pretty enticing window display.  There’s also a very good one in Chester Le Street which seems to change it’s name every week so I won’t include it because by the time you visit it’ll be different.  In terms of vintage, Clerkenwell Vintage Fair at Freemason’s Hall in Holborn is amazing, it’s seasonal but generally four times per year.  Trendlistr is an amazing curated vintage seller with a studio for viewing and trying on, and there’s also an online selling platform too for the pieces that aren’t in the studio.  If you’re up here in the North East, you get the best of both.

The best thrift store we have up here is one I change my mind on quite a lot, at the minute it’s probably Retro which is on High Bridge Court, but last week it was the Durham American Thrift Store which is a HUGE thrift store in Langley Moor.  It just depends what their stock is like.

Antique fairs are a bit more exciting.  You can roll through these in a flash, especially if you’re looking specifically for clothes and accessories.  I tend to get caught up in picking up stuff for the kitchen but generally speaking, antiques fairs are where I go for hats, they have the best and most outstanding (by that I mean as in standing out from the crowd) collections you’re likely to come across.  You’ll find crowns, tiaras, hats, widows lace, cloches, all kinds of weird and wonderful hats at an antiques fair and the one I tend to head to first is the seasonal Colin Caygill Antiques Fair at Gateshead Stadium.

3. BUY LESS, WEAR MORE

Try different ways of styling what you already own.  I know that’s easy for me to say as a Stylist, but trust me, there are lots of different ways to wear what you already own, it’s why a Capsule Wardrobe is called a Capsule Wardrobe.  Set yourself a Rail Challenge where you pick yourself 12 items from your wardrobe and see how many different ways you can style them in a 7 day period.  If you work in an office it’s something that can be great fun, if you’re a busy mum parenting the kids at home – not so much, then you need to get your fashion kicks in other ways.  As a busy mum myself, I take great pleasure in wearing my son’s clothes when he’s at school, I’m contributing to the sustainable fashion movement and still getting a new outfit every day.  Plus, he has some freaking cool clothes man.  Double the wear and he doesn’t even know I’m doing it.

4. DO NOT BUY INTO THE “YOU CAN’T WEAR AN OUTFIT MORE THAN ONCE” BULLSHIT

This is one thing I can’t stand about the Blogging / Influencing community and something I appreciate that I’ll never be able to change on my own.  The whole ridiculous ethos of “I would never be seen in an outfit I’ve been photographed in”, or, “I can’t wear something I’ve worn before”.  It’s utter bullshit, I don’t know how this came about, it’s like Bloggers suddenly believed they were A-List celebrities, except an A-List celebrity would never behave like that.  You are single handedly contributing to the problem you are preaching about.  By saying that you won’t be seen in the outfit you just posted to Instagram, you are contributing to the sustainable fashion problem directly.  It’s just crazy and unbelievable that people don’t see that.  I’m more than happy to be seen in my clothes more than once, twice, three or more times, clothes are built to last, hence the term sustainable.  I’ve had other local Bloggers say to me that they wouldn’t dare, and they think it’s disgusting that I wear the same clothes a second time, or “Do you know you’ve worn that before?” (er, yes I do, they’re my clothes) “It might be time to throw that T-shirt away, you’ve worn it before” and “You’ve already posted that on Instagram”.  I’m literally facepalming right now.

Wear your clothes.  Wear them out.  If you get sick of them and no longer want them, pass them on to a friend or a charity store. Or, and that leads me on to my next point….

5. ORGANISE A CLOTHES SWAP OR SALE

Got a closet full of clothing and accessories that no longer fit, isn’t your style, no longer works with your brand new hair shade or you feel you just need a change?  A clothes swap or sale might be for you.  So what’s the difference?  Well, a Swap is basically a night in with a selected group of friends who each bring round some pieces from their wardrobe that they no longer want.  You agree to showcase your pieces and then swap anything you don’t want, for something you do want.  Simples.  The problems with this is that you generally need to swap with a group of friends who are all the same size –  I don’t know about you, but my friends come in all shapes, heights and sizes.  This is why sometimes a sale is the best option.

A Sale is similar except you exchange cash.  You might be saving up for something, moving home, saving for a car, for medical treatment, decorating or giving proceeds to charity (all of these are perfectly acceptable).  You set a price, your friends might haggle, once you agree, you complete the sale and sell your item.  I like these ones, they’re like eBay or DePop but more personal, usually in someone’s home, with a few drinks, a few nibbles and you generally get to pick up some amazing bargains and make some awesome new friends.  I went to one in London and met legendary designer Pam Hogg which completely blew my mind.

I’m actually thinking about holding a private sale at my home maybe in April of this year so drop me a comment, message or email if you fancy coming – I promise, it will be mint.

Pixie

Categories: Fashion, North East, Pixie, Uncategorized

What I Wore: To My Birthday Dinner

I turned 40 this weekend, a huge milestone in one’s life and apparently as older people will tell you, it’s the point that things begin to take a downward slide.  Totally not the case.  In my case it’s when things get a whole lot more fun, I’m taking more risks than ever with fashion, I have an even bigger “fuck it” attitude towards most things, and I’ve kicked more stressful shit aside than ever.  Being 40 is mint and don’t let anyone tell you otherwise.

My lovely husband Bo organised a surprise birthday dinner and gathered only the best members of our family to a venue that was shrouded in secrecy, I was told to dress however I wanted to and to keep warm as we’d have a little way to walk from the car.  I have a bit of a love / hate relationship with surprises and Bo knows this, I really, really love them.  But also really, really hate them, so knowing this, I was assured that this was one that I’d love and to just go with it.

So, the facts: a dinner, the best peeps, possibly some cold weather.  I hit my middle floor closet and pulled together an outfit I’d put in the “Cute” category.  A dress covered in space cats bought for me by Bo as a Christmas present (with pockets), opaque black tights, my M&S boots which I bought a few months ago now and have since sold out but I’ve literally never had them off my feet, and a custom made necklace given to me as a Christmas gift by Pop Up Studio in Low Fell which says “Fuck You All” – Yeah, they know me pretty well.  Also, debuting my new shorter hair forced upon me by a pre-Christmas fuck up in the hair salon.

A short car ride later and we were parked up on the Gateshead Quayside and walking in the direction of the old and now infamous Buffalo Joe’s and Baja Beach Club Sites.  As we crossed the road and entered the new By The River Brew Co. site I knew instantly where we were headed, I’d been talking about visiting ever since reading Jay Rayner’s glowing review in The Guardian calling this place a “must visit” and possibly “one of the best restaurant’s in the UK”.  As we entered Träkol (Swedish for Charcoal) the first thing that hit us was how dark and atmospheric the place is.  We visited on an uber cold Winter’s night with the wind whipping our heels on the way in.  The main source of light was a warm, low glow from a free standing Parkray fire in the middle of the main room.

As this is an outfit post rather than a birthday dinner review, I won’t go into extreme detail as I’ll go way over my word count but let me say this, Träkol exceeded expectation.  The whole thing, the ethos of nose to tail meant that the menu proposed dome difficult options but we needn’t have worried, everything we ordered was delicious.  Even Plankton, our twelve year old son was able to order something and finish every last scrap of what he was presented with, the food served is divine.  It’s prepared and presented with care and attention and every ounce of flavour can be tasted.  We weren’t there as press, or Bloggers, we were simply there as a family who paid for a birthday dinner together and we’d highly recommend that you check them out if you’re in the area.

Pixie