Let's fall in love...

Happy Valentine’s Day!

It’s funny how parents explaining the 'facts of life’ to their children are said to be talking about ‘the birds and the bees’. Especially as birds hatch out of eggs, and bees don’t even indulge in sexual activity as we know it. Bees provide a very curious model for adolescent love. According to Bee Wilson, author of The Hive: The Story of the Honeybee and Us, “all the (bee) boys want to sleep with a single girl, but the only ones who manage to do so are castrated and killed in their moment of success, while everyone else dies a virgin.”

I was surprised to learn that the sex life of bees remained a mystery for centuries and was only gradually unveiled in the eighteenth century. Bees are surrounded by honey, yet appear to be immune to the temptation of its sweetness. Perhaps this is why honey is found in celebrations of both sexual ecstasy and chaste worship?

For medieval Christians, bees came to represent the unique combination of productivity, order and chastity, towards which the monastic life aspired. And wax came to symbolize the most significant chastity of all: that of the Virgin Mary. Meanwhile, Kama, the Hindu god of love who gives his name to the Kama Sutra, is often shown riding on a sort of bee-cum-lion creature. This strange beast also appears on the side of honey jars in India, where the bee symbolizes the sweetness of love, as well as its sting. And the earliest stories of Cupid in the 5th century BC had him stealing honeycomb.


Then there are words like honeytrap – a way of snaring someone using sexual espionage or blackmail. And honeymoon. It’s said this may refer to the Viking custom whereby the bride and groom ate honeyed cakes and drank mead for the first month of their betrothal. But honey appears in the marriage rites of many cultures. Even today, in Morocco, the newly married groom is supposed to feast on honey for its aphrodisiac effects. And in Bulgaria, wedding cake with honey is rubbed over the face of the bridegroom.

Never mind their declining numbers, it’s no wonder bees have been getting so much publicity lately… If you’re bitten by the bug, you can try out beekeeping for beginners at the Chelsea Physic garden. Or alternatively just indulge in some delicious English honey from Littleover Apiary. You can also read more about bee inspired product design in ShopCurious’s latest Curious Trends article. Or simply take inspiration from this version of the famous Cole Porter song - birds do it, bees do it:

Will you?

Curiously sweet Valentine gifts

Did you know that St Valentine is the patron saint of beekeepers? It’s said that this may be related to the sweetness of honey, and sweet gifts as tokens of love. There are certainly plenty of Valentine sweets for sale in the shops – especially of the chocolate variety.










However, if you’d prefer to give your beloved something a little more unique and unusual for Valentine’s Day this year, we’ve some handcrafted, heart-shaped rings by Sagen at ShopCurious. They’re made from recycled porcelain and silver – and can be adjusted to fit any finger size.





















And we’ve got some curiously arty cufflinks for him too.



















I’m afraid you can’t eat them, but gifts like these should keep your significant other sweet for years to come...

Will you?

PS Order by the end of the weekend for UK delivery in time for Valentine’s Day. Gift wrapping available.

Art, romance and rad royal photography

It’s not easy to link this item to our theme of birds and bees. However, some of Cecil Beaton’s best known photographs of Marilyn Monroe show her holding a little bird on one hand. This seems curiously appropriate, as in Middle and Far Eastern cultures, birds are often viewed as symbols of immortality and, in some religious traditions, each bird represents a departed soul. Oh, and there’s also a famous photograph of Cecil Beaton wearing fancy dress, including bee-embroidered breeches. There you go… Now that’s out of the way, what I’d actually like to talk about is the latest exhibition at the Victoria and Albert Museum – Queen Elizabeth II by Cecil Beaton: A Diamond Jubilee Celebration.




Apparently, Sir Roy Strong once described the relationship between the Queen and Beaton as “the greatest alliance ever forged between crown and camera.” Beaton was instrumental in shaping the iconography of the royal family in the pre-TV era. With his love of lavish costumes, dressing up and fascination for the rich and famous, he flitted effortlessly into the grandiose world of the House of Windsor. But it was his degree in art history, combined with an exceptional creative talent that enabled him to produce some of the most enduring photographs of the British Monarchy.

Although Cecil Beaton was best known as the outstanding royal photographer of his age, he was also a highly regarded fashion photographer and film designer, which probably accounts for the supremely elegant styling throughout his work.


There’s a wonderful photograph of the Queen in a diaphanous gown, set against a winter scene of ice skaters, that's reminiscent of a painting by Rex Whistler. Curator, Susanna Brown, says that the gossamer gown may symbolize the start of a new season – a summer after the long winter of war – and that this photograph could also be a tribute to Beaton’s good friend, Whistler, who died in battle in 1944.


Many of Beaton’s portraits were inspired by the works of great artists including Gainsborough and Fragonard, but he was also a prolific artist himself – producing drawings, paintings and illustrations that were displayed in various exhibitions and books. Some of Beaton’s scrapbooks are also on show at this exhibition, along with his old Rolleiflex camera and other memorabilia – including a personal album of illustrious visitors’ signatures and sketches by the likes of Dali, Henri Cartier-Bresson, The Queen Mother and Greta Garbo:

One section of the exhibition is dedicated to coverage of the Queen’s Coronation in 1953. The V&A have also made a film, which includes an interview with two of Beaton’s Coronation Day assistants, John Drysdale and Ray Harwood, marking their first reunion after 60 years. Ray is said to have confessed that is was he, not Beaton, who actually took the famous photograph of the Queen against the backdrop of The Lady Chapel in Westminster Abbey.










This ‘Sleeping Beauty’ baby photo of Prince Charles and Princess Anne is one of my favourites. It’s interesting to note how the style of photography had changed by the time Prince Andrew and Prince Edward were born. I won’t give away any more – but do go along, as these photographs are some of the most charming and romantic royal images you will ever see.



And you may wish to check out the assorted books, Coronation memorabilia and collectable vintage photographs of the royal family available at ShopCurious too.

Do you?

Snowbirds in London

London is a curious place after snowfall. A deathly stillness descends upon the city, as the usual sounds of cars and planes all but disappear.

ShopCurious ventured out before most people were out of bed, to track down curiosities of the cold snap. A few early birds were up to catch the fresh snow and make the first snowman.

No one had yet spotted a solitary traffic cone – the perfect prop for a curiously creative snow sculpture. See if you can find it in the pic below:


The recreation ground, that on Sunday mornings would normally be full of bleary-eyed dads who've been packed off with the kids, was eerily deserted.

Meanwhile, on the other side of the park, fearless fitness-obsessives risked hypothermia to participate in an early morning military-style bootcamp.

And the park benches would have been covered in virgin snow, except that birds had walked over them...


















In fact, I even spotted a new variety of snowbird, complete with dinky wings and a cute little tail (see left).

Talking of snowbirds, I think I got my timing wrong – I should have stayed in sunny Florida. Oh, and check out this strangely snowy video clip of the 1969 song, Snowbird, by Canadian singer, Anne Murray:

Will you?

Hearts, lovebirds and Valentine curiosities

I’m recently back from a trip to Florida, which was somewhat more eventful than anticipated (nothing to do with the primaries, or romance for that matter…) I’ll tell you all about it later. I just wanted to add a quick post to let you know about some of the unique gift ideas that ShopCurious has lined up for Valentine’s Day lovebirds.

As it happens, our theme for February is birds and bees – and some of the birds are to be found on Annie Sherburne’s artfully handcrafted Valentine hearts. Her Rococo style brooches and pendants, made from hand-embossed gilt, are intricately decorated with a myriad of upcycled jewels – including vintage glass flowers, pieces of crystal, abalone and pearls.



























































However, the main reason I chose these pieces of jewellery is because of the charming ‘lovebirds’. Though on closer inspection, I think they may actually be swallows. Did you know that swallows swallow insects in mid-flight? Hopefully not bees… But they look curiously cute and romantic together anyway, don’t you think?

Do you?

From blogging to jogging...

I’m taking a bit of a break from blogging this month, to recharge my batteries after the busy Christmas period. Last year I went on a juice fast and yoga retreat, but this year I’m contemplating a slightly gentler, French-style programme of healthy living, which you can read about in my latest post at The Dabbler.

In my efforts to find some suitably chic footwear for my new fitness regime, I designed myself a pair of ShopCurious Shox at Nike ID. I wanted to make them totally unique - I doubt that anyone else will be opting for this curiously clashing colour combo...




Do you?


PS I’ll be back very shortly with some new curiosities for Valentine’s Day. Be first to see them, by signing up for our monthly Curious Cognoscenti Newsletter here.

The Art of Concealment

As the luxury-priced streets of London are gradually appropriated by the likes of Tesco Metro, it’s refreshing to find a gem of quirky individuality on a thoroughfare just off Piccadilly. The Jermyn Street Theatre once housed changing rooms for the staff of the Getti Restaurant (formerly the Spaghetti House).








In 1991, Howard Jameson had a vision to transform the space into an intimate studio theatre in the heart of the West End. The theatre opened in late 1994, thanks to a major donation from building firm, Laing – and further renovations were made in 1997, with the help of a National Lottery Grant from the Arts Council.

Prior to the first night of the theatre’s latest production - The Art of Concealment, a play about the life of Terence Rattigan - I met up with movers and shakers behind the show for a celebratory drink at Getti (see above).















Producer, Alexander Marshall, showed me his Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club tie.

















And, as curiously cumbersome juggernauts manoeuvred awkwardly in the narrow street outside, writer Giles Cole told me about his new play.

Cole’s tribute to the legendary playwright is based on material gleaned during his editing work for Rattigan’s official biographer, Geoffrey Wansell. The plot cleverly weaves together episodes from Rattigan’s early (1920s and ‘30s) and later (1950s to ‘70s) life, to tell a story encompassing homosexuality, deception, torturous familial relationships, ageing, love and loss.

The casting is strong, with Judy Buxton and Graham Pountney impressively taking on double roles. Alistair Findlay makes a very convincing Older Terry, as does Charlie Holloway, as his lover - and Christopher Morgan as Cuthbert. But it’s Dominic Tighe, as the younger Terry, who steals the show, with a commanding swagger of narcissistic bravado that hides inner torment. Tighe’s sonorous voice is worth the visit alone, and his mastery of the play’s most poignant moments makes for a laudable performance.




An after-party, held at the Garrick Club, was a suitably splendid affair.








Inspired by the art of concealment, I whipped out my carefully hidden camera to take a few snaps of the grandiose surroundings and mind-blowing art collection for readers of the ShopCurious blog. I hope that’s not going to cause any embarrassment…

Do you?