Windows on the gothic world

Now I’m looking through the oval window and am reminded of the words from cult retro children’s TV programme, Play School. But this is a very grown up play school. It’s Strawberry Hill, the 18th century gothic revival style residence of Horace Walpole, former home to his world famous private collection of curiosities and works of art, and inspiration for the first ever gothic novel -The Castle of Otranto.

Walpole called his castle a ‘plaything house’, as its design deliberately avoided the fashionable classical features of the time, such as columns, pediments, order and symmetry. In collaboration with a group of amateur architect friends, Walpole based his designs on the architecture of the great gothic cathedrals and abbeys.






According to the website, “Medieval tombs, arched doorways, rose windows and carved screens were models for his fireplaces, windows, doors and ceilings. Books of prints rather than the buildings themselves were his reference point and, instead of carved stone, the rooms and ornament of Strawberry Hill are wood, plaster and papier mache.”

Walpole intended a tour of Strawberry Hill to be a theatrical experience. “You enter a gloomy hall and pass up a staircase of grey stony appearance before finally entering the sumptuous state apartment – a burst of crimson and gold.”








































































The house has recently been refurbished to the tune of £9 million and I took a sneak preview, before it fully re-opens to the public in April this year. The works were still in progress - I doubt they will ever be finished, judging by the painstaking attention to detail and requirement for specialist conservation and regular maintenance.





The renovation of Strawberry Hill is a masterpiece of professional craftsmanship down to the very last detail. From the carpentry and gilding, through to the glass painting and even the careful choice of colours used for the decoration – everything has been done with absolute precision and expertise – as you can see from these photographs of some of the fabulous hand painted glass windows.

Gothic style has become increasingly popular in recent years, undergoing something of a modern makeover in fashion as well as interiors. And, thinking ahead to Valentine’s Day, fans of gothic style might like this vintage heart shaped curiosity box from ShopCurious. Or you could always book a visit to the curiously romantic Strawberry Hill instead…

Will you?

PS Read more about post-gothic steampunk style over at The Dabbler blog

Fantasy in the fog

The weather has been the most curious I can remember for the time of year. Before Christmas there was lots of snow and now there’s tons of rain. And in between was… the fog.

I don’t know if you’ve ever been to Cornwall? I spent part of the recent holiday there, though I might as well have been on the moon, considering the circumstances. I understand that virtually the whole of the UK was swathed in similar low hanging cloud at the time, but this sort of climatic condition regularly affects the Cornish peninsula. I was once there for a week in June when the weather was exactly the same. I went to see a play at the outdoor Minack Theatre and could barely see the stage for fog – though it rather added to the authentic atmosphere of The Scarlet Pimpernel.



































Some people find the Cornish mizzle strangely romantic. It can be eerily beautiful to see the gnarled branches of Lamorran wood rising out of the fog. Or to accidentally stumble upon an apparition of a gothic style mansion with lion-topped gateposts - the quirky turrets vaguely visible through the mist (I wasn’t trespassing, honest!)







Talking of gothic, we’ve some gorgeous feather-trimmed, fingerless gloves at ShopCurious – and they’re on sale now too.

Anyway, I’d like to know what you think of this type of weather? Does it make you go all misty eyed? Or are you wary of the ghosts that may be lurking, hidden inside the curiously creepy fog…

Are you?

Curiously cool retro diaries

Around this time of year many of us will be starting new diaries. However, it’s the old diaries that seem to be making the headlines lately.

A curious and growing trend has seen people flocking to read the intimate details of their teenage diaries in front of an audience of complete strangers.

I’m not sure I’d be up for this, though I did stumble upon some of my ancient adolescent scribblings when having a bit of a clear out recently. As you’d expect from the 1970s, these diaries have rather funky styling, with suitably fashionable retro illustrations.























I love the introduction in my 1973 diary, which says:

Keep it? Keep what?
Cool, calm and collected. Your head. Your temper. Keep dates. Appointments. A record of those special occasions. Keep your boyfriend. It might not be easy, if you fix to meet him on Saturday, turn up on the Friday and call him Ted, or Antonio, or Jeff. That’s what this book’s all about. Something to read, something to write in. A handbag computer or a memory-system that never lets you down.

Of course, the stuff about boyfriends is utter girly drivel – perfect, I guess, for someone who was still at primary school at the time. Much more fascinating is that ‘handbag computers’ were already being mentioned in the early ‘70s.




Personally, I still like to have a proper book-style journal. Apart from being useful, especially if your laptop crashes (or heaven forbid, gets stolen), a regular diary is also rather nice as a keepsake. If you haven’t got yours already, I'd recommend the curiously characterful L’Apres-midi Jardin diary from ShopCurious, which is undated so you can make entries and notes any time you like.

I look forward to hearing more about the types of diaries you’ve kept in the past – and you can read more about mine in my post today over at The Dabbler.

Will you?

Pink chintz and charming country style

I’m saving the middle part of my Christmas story till later, but early in the New Year I spent a couple of days visiting friends in rural Derbyshire. I wanted to share this with you first, because if you happen to find yourself in that part of England, I’ve discovered a rather lovely place to stay:

I can thoroughly recommend Park View Farm near Ashbourne. An eclectic mix of granny’s attic style meets faded chintzy boudoir chic, this has to be amongst the most charming Bed and Breakfast accommodation in the country.
















There’s a creaking wooden staircase, four poster beds, free standing roll-top cast iron baths and the main house is adorned with characterful vintage prints, chiming clocks and quirky curiosities.


The traditional pink chintz curtains made me feel completely at home – I have a feeling they’re made from the same Laura Ashley fabric I had in my flat in the late 1980s.















There are wonderfully dated festoon blinds, which are perfect for collecting Jack spiders, so they don’t nibble you in the night. A painting of a curiously cute rabbit hangs above the loo - and, amidst the memorabilia, there are even some old fashioned costume prints to keep us fashion hounds amused.












If you’re in a big party, there’s plenty of accommodation in additional guest cottages with pretty names like Honeysuckle Cottage, curiously appropriate since honeysuckle pink is Pantone’s colour of the year.













There’s also a large breakfast table, where you can congregate for a home-cooked breakfast that (to borrow a word from Jamie Oliver) is utterly delish… What’s more, the table is beautifully set with Willow Pattern crockery, plus there are crystal serving bowls and twirly-stemmed antique candlesticks.




















In terms of practical comfort and simple but stylish home decoration, you can’t go wrong with a country farmhouse style kitchen, especially if you actually live in a country farmhouse and can look out of the window onto an authentic field of grazing sheep.

The host and hostess are a lovely couple who are polite, friendly and amazingly available for a chat at the same time as running a farm and preparing a full English fry up (with mouth-meltingly buttery mushrooms, freshly laid eggs and unusually tasty wholemeal toast). Radio 3 burbles along in the background, though apparently the cows in the milking parlour prefer Classic FM.








Anyway, if you’d like to ‘get the look’ we’ve some uniquely arty Willow Pattern placemats at ShopCurious, along with this fabulous antique porcelain cherub mirror. Perfect if you’re suddenly feeling all romantic.

Are you?

Curiously cold, but crammed with colour

I feel really sorry for all those whose travel plans were disrupted by the snow this Christmas: The time of year is stressful enough as it is. Over the past couple of weeks I’ve done my own rather rushed UK tour, visiting friends and relatives in far flung parts of the country, in addition to all the usual duties like food shopping, preparing Christmas party fare, making a traditional turkey lunch, tidying bedrooms and speed-wrapping stacks of presents.




This year one of my resolutions is to slow down - I’m just hoping that my curiosity to do, see and try new things allows me to pack a little less into my days so I don’t end up permanently frayed and frazzled. Anyway, here are some of the curious things I’ve seen during the bits of the holiday that were spent in London:

Yes, I met a talking tree at the Winter Wonderland in London’s Hyde Park.







Other strange encounters included a lost Father Christmas (above right) and an artificial snowman with child…

Unfortunately, the snow in London had almost all melted by Boxing Day, but remarkably the Serpentine was completely frozen, and looked eerily beautiful in the late morning sun.




















A ride on the helter skelter is about as dare-devil as I get when it comes to fairgrounds, but I’m curious to hear what it’s like on this enormous tower that looks seriously scary to me...




































More to my liking were the VIP views of London from the observation wheel – in a minimalist pod complete with computer-generated Christmas carols and champagne.


















And, a few days later the fabulous lightshow, as seen from my balcony, of the New Year’s Eve fireworks over the the river and Big Ben.


This year there was also an unusual light display around the London Eye. And the dense freezing fog of previous days lifted just in time to be able to see it all, thank goodness…








If you're not already snoring, I'll share a few more photos of my curiously crammed Christmas travels in the next post.








Meantime, this month I’ll be rejigging and re-stocking the ShopCurious website. So look out for a new selection of sale items coming shortly, along with a pared down, but uniquely original offering of vintage and contemporary gifts, accessories and curiosities.

Will you?

2011, romantic pink heaven?

Happy New Year!

The ShopCurious style icon for 2011 is Dame Barbara Cartland – for the following reasons:

1) In keeping with our current nostalgia for (and desire to mourn) all things past, she died in 2000 at the age of 98. Death style is the new lifestyle, after all...

2) Barbara Cartland was renowned for her curiously unique, eccentric style and usually dressed in coral pink - a hot fashion trend for 2011.

3) She was a trend setter in other ways too, being one of the first to carry pretty little pooches as fashion accessories under her arm.




4) Dame Barbara was a working woman, with her own opinions and income from her many romantic novels.

5) She wrote extensively on the topics of love, marriage, etiquette and family values (more on this in my post at The Dabbler).

6) She was Princess Diana’s step grandmother (and therefore related by marriage to Prince William, the soon-to-be-married future King of England).

Above all, Barbara Cartland had style with brains…

Do you?