Friday, July 29, 2011

Retro: Kimmer

Retro: Kimmer

Link to Retro: Kimmer

LINDA RONSTADT AUTOBIOGRAPHY: HEART LIKE A WHEEL!

Posted: 29 Jul 2011 10:47 AM PDT


Linda Ronstadt Fan Page

Linda is finally penning her autobiography set for release in 2013... Boy does this girl have a lot of rock n roll history to share... I can't wait to read this story... Ms Ronstadt is perhaps the most successful woman vocalist ever in American Music... She defied all categorization and definitely marched to a "Different Drum"

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There are so many aspects of Linda's lifetime that interest me. Her choice in recording, her heroes, her family and of course all of the fantastic boyfriends too.... She never married and that in itself is a very brave choice for her time... Here is my favorite Linda Ronstadt song... "Don't Know Much" with Aaron Neville



Read More on RK:

Linda Ronstadt: Most Successful Woman Singer


Linda Ronstadt/Little Anthony Hurts So Bad

GUEST WRITER BRIXTON KEY ON THE KRAYS, JACK SPOT, DIMES, AND DAVID BOWIE!

Posted: 29 Jul 2011 09:00 AM PDT



One of the most people I have had the pleasure to meet is author Brixton Key. Brix is from England but has resided in the US for many years. His parents were very colorful and his Dad was connected.... Brixton is out promoting his novel Charlie Six... But he was kind enough to sit down and pound out a little British organized crime piece for Retro: Kimmer. TY Brix xxooK

BRIXTON KEY IN PERSON AUG 4 SAN FRANCISCO


WHERE IS CHARLIE SIX?: NEW NOVEL BY BRIXTON KEY


CHRIS ISAAK: THE BEGINNING BY BRIXTON KEY

Jack Spot, the Kray Brothers, and Ten-Bob to go get some sweeties (sweets).. Brixton Key



There were always wide-boys, hard men, or gangsters as we'd call them in America hanging around my Dad's pub when I was a boy. They were loud larger than life characters, fancily dressed with money in their pockets, and their shoes shined to perfection when England was dull, grey, grubby, and broke in the post World War Two years. They drank double scotches and splashed out on extravagant rounds for their mates. When they needed a private word with dad they'd send me off with ten bob to go buy some sweeties.



The Duke of York, was in Holborn opposite a bombsite where two whole streets of houses had been obliterated. My father bought the public house from Jack Spot, one of London's most notorious hard men. The night dad took my mother to see the Duke, where we were moving to from staid suburban Hampton, two women in the public bar got into a fight. It ended with one of stabbing the other in the eye with a fork. It was a rude awakening for mum to see my Dad's life away from home. Together they frequented upscale joints like the Savoy, or the Grill Room at Trocadero.



Alone with my "uncles" Maurice and Jack Spot, my father frequented the milieu that bubbled underground in the London of the 1950's. Of course, mum knew what he was up too. It was always a bit of a laugh to her, except for the time one of his mates, a drummer with one of England's popular big bands, and his girlfriend overdosed on morphine in my parents suburban living room. Mum never told dad that she'd once dated the drummer. Dad never told Mum that his driver Fu had supplied the morphine. She never discovered that element of the game until Fu got arrested in a local playground, where he took me on my nanny's day off.

It was terribly exciting for a six year old when two huge burly men, who looked like wide boys, busted Fu as he handed a large package to a tiny little ferret looking bloke. It was like the movies. I can't remember how Fu looked now, but I do remember his accent. It was as thicker Cockney as the River Thames fog that settled over Limehouse. He was the only Chinese East Ender I'd ever met.


Brixton age 15

I always asked him about the package. "Oh," he'd say, "I 'ave to post it later for yer Dad." I never told dad we hadn't gone to the Post Office. I never grassed Fu out, because he never told on me when I nicked packs of John Players cigarettes from behind the bar. I'd sussed it was right dodgy to grass someone out. I'd heard snippets of conversation; I knew razors weren't only for shaving.

READ MORE ABOUT BRITISH ORGANIZED CRIME

I was six-years-old at the time. I was intrigued by the uniformed rozzers that led Fu and ferret face away in handcuffs from the playground. I cried when one of them escorted me from the roundabout to a waiting police car. I didn't reckon the few pennies I had in my pocket would work as a bribe for them to let me go. I sobbed all the way home in car. Gawd was I glad when they pulled up in front of the Duke and escorted me into the Saloon bar.

"And what has he been up to now?" mum asked the copper. I'd been arrested the week before for chopping down a small tree in a local private park my parents subscribed too. They thought I needed some greenery to play in. I thought I'd turn the tree into Robin Hood bows. They were trying to discourage me from breaking up more bombsites. My mum reckoned I missed the garden behind our old house in Hampton. I much preferred bombsites. It was more real playing war amongst destruction.



Later that night after closing time, I could hear my parents shouting in the bar about Fu. I gathered mum was cheesed-off about me being used as a front. But then again they might have been arguing about me being sent to boarding school. They might have been arguing about anything. It's all they ever did was shout and slam doors. I have a photo of my mum and sister, Susan, taken outside the Duke of York before my sixth birthday party. Mum doesn't look happy. Not long after that my parents divorced and I was sent off to the Licensed Victualler's School boarding in Slough for misbehaving at convent school.

When Uncle Jack Spot ( Jack Comer) heard I pushed a Nun into a fountain at the convent, he laughed his head off. He was the man in the East of London. It was his turf. When England's Fascists, the blackshirts, held a rally in the East End before the war, taking their antisemitism into the heart of the predominately Jewish area, it was Jack Spot's boys that sent them packing. He took protection from all the shop keepers in the area. He collected for the Jewish bookmakers who had no recourse to the law. He was always known to be "on the spot."


The Kray Twins

But by the time I was six things were looking bad for him. The Kray Brothers were beginning to move their territory out of the East End into the West End. They saw themselves as an American Mafia type of organization. There was no room for the old guys like Jack Spot. The forced him to move up North after he was attacked and badly cut by Mad Frankie Frazer. They weren't good for my dad either.

We'd see them around, always flash and Italian suited. They looked modern and they were ruthless. They pinched my cheek menacingly. Uncle Maurice left London to live in Spain. He had the money and didn't need their bother. So did my dad when I was eight. The heat was too intense. He burnt through his money, and couldn't keep abreast of the new men running London. We never saw him again. I heard he'd moved to Australia.

When he left, mum moved in with another London gangster for a while. I can't remember his name, but I do remember him punching me in the eye when I was naughty on a school holiday. Mum moved out. We settled in to moving all around London, always one step ahead of the rent collector. We no longer socialized in the milieu, but I still saw my dad's old mates around London. They'd always tell me how big I was getting, asked after my dad, and they always gave me ten bob for sweeties.


Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders From Mars

Before I left England to live in the States an American girl, a groupie from LA, asked me to take her to see David Bowie rehearsing Ziggy Stardust at the Thomas a Beckett pub on the Old Kent Road in the East End. Boxers trained on the second floor and Bowie had taken over the gym to rehearse the Spiders from Mars.

The bars downstairs were hangouts for hard men who followed the boxers. I took my friend there at lunchtime to watch Bowie. We got there early and ordered a couple of scotches in the saloon bar. It wasn't a good idea. I was wearing a pink suit and high heeled boots to match. My hair was dyed henna. One nasty character at the counter decided to have a go at me. He was enormous, and although I put on a load of bottle I knew I was in deep trouble, that is until a deep Cockney voice said: "If yer dad could see you now he'd piss."

"Hey Dimes," (Albert Dimes 1940s-1950s Billy Hills Chief enforcer) I said. "This bloke don't like my suit." "Neither do I," Dimes replied. "But I find this berks' face even more offensive. I think I'll remodel it." "No offense meant, mate," my tormentor said backing off. "But, you are offensive, so piss awf before I get angry."

David Bowie unbeknownst to me had cancelled his rehearsals that day. Dimes took us out to lunch. We mostly talked about my uncle Maurice. He'd died recently in Spain of lung cancer, I felt terribly sad. He'd always been kind to me, he'd always laughed when I was naughty, and he always gave me the best Christmas presents. No doubt they didn't cost him much, he never touched anything that hadn't fallen off a lorry (truck) or vacated a safe late at night when the owners were away.

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dailypop | July 29, 2011 at 2:53 pm | Categories: Uncategorized | URL: http://wp.me/p4kUt-2UQ

Read all about the sequel Spirit of Vengeance and see an image of the Ghost Rider here: http://tinyurl.com/3swwhps http://amplify.com/u/a19vtb

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[New post] Captain America: the First Avenger (review)

Captain America: the First Avenger (review)

Captain America poster by Eric Tan

"I don't want to kill anyone. I just don't like bullies."


Two frustrated cartoonists in 1941 created a hero to deliver a punch to the jaw that Hitler would never forget. Joe Simon and Jack Kirby's creation went on to become an icon of comic book history and a rallying point for the soldiers serving in Europe. An awkward teenager desperate to enter the service, Steve Rogers was transformed through science into a paragon of physical perfection. With his unbreakable shield slung on his arm, he battled through World War II and beyond. Falling out of favor in the 1950's, he met cancellation only to return in a flash of color in the pages of the Avengers thanks to Stan Lee and Jack Kirby (now a member of the Marvel Comics bullpen).

In the comic book world, Captain America was a man out of time, a soldier from the past defending a world that he no longer understood. Fighting alongside colorful heroes, he was regarded as an ideal to strive toward. An elder statesman in tights, Captain America lacked the power of the Hulk, the technological abilities of Iron Man and the God-hood of Thor, but he made up for it in strength of character. How would a modern motion picture capture all of this while also appealing to an audience unfamiliar with his fame?

In the first Iron Man film, Nick Fury appears with an offer for Tony Stark to join the Avengers, in the Incredible Hulk, General Ross is visited by Tony Stark regarding his problem with the jade giant, Iron Man 2 is rife with appearances and references to the Marvel Comics stable of characters (often distracting from the main action). One of the most anticipated comic book movies of the Summer, Captain America: The First Avenger firmly embraces these steps toward establishing a unified Marvel Universe.

From the 1940's to the present day, this is the most definitive imagining of a world populated by superheroes to date. Whereas other efforts have resulted in cluttered results, Johnston's movie provides the solid base for a world that could produce Tony Stark's genius and the sheer destruction of the Hulk. By combining real world elements and fantastic imagery, the First Avenger is the Marvel Comics movie we've been waiting for.


Mark Johnston, familiar to many as the director of the Rocketeer, expertly depicted the world of 1942, complete with period accurate architecture, hair styles, fashions and mannerisms. Steve Rogers struggles to get through the application process into the Army. Seeking to shake his friend out of his mad mission to enlist, his best friend James Buchanan 'Bucky' Barnes insists on Rogers joining him on a double date to the World's Fair where everything from Howard Stark's flying cars to a real synthetic man (the original Human Torch) are on display. Despite the wondrous atmosphere, Rogers gravitates toward the Army enlistment base on site.

Barnes stands by him but can't understand why Rogers would be so ready to risk his life in war. For Rogers, it's simply the fact that he cannot stand bullies. He cannot draw a distinction between a lifetime of standing up to the regular beatings in numerous alleyways and the Allied Forces against the Axis Powers.

It's a quaint way to inform Roger's character regarding courage as a given. For the scrawny young man, there's no other way to live. If you start running from trouble, your troubles will never stop chasing you down. Johnston's film uses this trait as the centerpiece of his film as he builds up an opposing force far greater than anything we had seen before. Johann Schmidt, operating as the Red Skull, has a dream more horrifying than Hitler's. A superhuman being with abilities far beyond an ordinary human being, Schmidt is an incredibly brilliant scientist with a dark twisted mind to match his scarred face forever distorted in the form of a Red Skull.

Searching the ancient buildings of Sweden, the Red Skull and his team of Hydra goons unearth a vessel of vast power straight from the Asgardian armory of Odin. With the cube, Red Skull's organization known as Hydra is finally able to make a bid for global domination. With the brilliant engineer Arnim Zola at his side, the Skull builds a an engine of destruction capable of carving out a new empire.

Captain America Hydra poster by Eric Tan

Unknown to the Red Skull and the Nazis, a young Steve Rogers has been chosen as part of a program designed to single out a soldier ideal for Dr. Erskine's Super Soldier formula. Led by Colonel Chester Phillips and Peggy Carter, the Strategic Scientific Reserve hopes that Erskine's formula will turn the tide of the war. A German refugee, Erskine bonds with Rogers, both are frustrated men who yearn to take part in the conflict against the Nazis but are betrayed by their frail bodies. Erskine tells Rogers of his encounter with Schmidt who stole an earlier version of his formula and became physically superior but deranged. Realizing that the serum enhances what is within a person, he realizes that it will make a good man like Rogers all that more remarkable.

Sadly, the Doctor is murdered after the procedure, leaving Rogers as the only one of his kind. This also leaves him as an oddity to the military who are unsure of his abilities in combat and refuse to risk losing the only specimen that they have. As a compromise, Rogers dons an absurd costume and takes to the stage drumming up support for the war. Reluctant at first, he eventually warms to the role of 'Captain America' and even enjoys the silly tights. It's only when he travels to the front lines and encounters the soldiers fighting at the front that he realizes how much of a fool he has been and how he has been cheated of his desire to fight alongside them.

Reunited with Peggy Carter and Colonel Chester Phillips, Rogers is horrified to learn that a platoon including his childhood friend Bucky has gone missing and there are no plans to mount what would be a doomed rescue attempt. His insistence to help out is laughed off by the Colonel who sees Rogers as a glorified cheerleader. However, once he is in action, it is clear that Rogers is the hope that the Allied Forces had been waiting for. Singlehandedly, he rescues his comrades, destroys the base and strikes a blow to the Red Skull's plans. With a brief glance of the Skull's war room, Rogers can see that Hydra has goals above winning the war and even seeks to destroy Berlin.

Returning to the camp Rogers is no longer a joke, he is regarded as Captain America, the Sentinel of Liberty who bravely faces impossible odds. Arranging a crack team of Howling Commandos (mainly consisting of soldiers that he liberated from the prison), Rogers begins a systematic assault on Hydra's operations.

Leading his Howling Commandos, Rogers faces off against the impossibly advanced weaponry of Hydra. Drawing power from the Asgardian cube, the Red Skull's forces are able to disintegrate their enemies with a single shot. Yet Rogers manages to lead a small squad of men against these odds armed with conventional weapons and nerves of steel. There are of course casualties in his attacks. During a raid of a high speed train carrying Arnim Zola, Bucky is lost, deeply wounding Rogers' resolve.

Undeterred, Captain America storms the very mountainside fortress of Hydra and comes face to face with his enemy, the Red Skull. In the comics, the Skull was a normal man wearing a mask, acting as a rallying leader to the troops on the field, but with ambitions beyond his station. Kept alive by science, the Skull returned in the modern age to continue his battle with Captain America. In the film, the decision to make the Red Skull the recipient of an earlier version of the Super Soldier serum is ingenious. It makes the two men polar opposites in many more ways than they are on the printed page.  For the Red Skull, their superiority to all others should make them allies, but to Rogers, his superhuman abilities are more of a reason to help and defend others rather than rule them.

The Red Skull and Captain America just do not see eye to eye.

The final battle between the Red Skull and Cap is incredibly thrilling, ranging from the hidden fortress to a flying wing and even into a dog fight in the skies. This level of high adventure has not been seen before in film and matches the comic book sensibilities and style with the technological advancements of film making.

Captain America: The First Avenger is a very long film (clocking in at just over two hours) but it every moment is used economically. Characters are developed well, scenarios are well established and the action is pitch perfect. Johnston's movie learns from previous comic book films and builds on those lessons to create an exciting high adventure epic that is grand in scope.

The fourth Marvel Entertainment film, Captain America: The First Avenger was a roaring success at the box office. Fighting against the most financially successful movie to date, the final Harry Potter film, it garnered significant profits and scoffed at those who felt the comic book movie genre was finished.

Reuters: Superhero movie "Captain America: The First Avenger" triumphed at the U.S. and Canadian box offices with $65.8 million in weekend ticket sales as the magic faded from the final "Harry Potter" film's record-breaking debut.

The film's total ticket sales now stand at $274.2 million in domestic theaters and $560.4 million internationally, for a combined total of $834.6 million.

The conclusion of Captain America: The First Avenger saw the first images of the big screen Avengers team that will premier next Summer. Donning a redesigned uniform, Rogers will join forces with Iron Man, Thor, and the Hulk along with special agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. Nick Fury, Black Widow and Hawkeye. An attendant of the 2011 San Diego International Comic Con got some up close photos of the new costume.

The seeds for a sequel were sewn into the First Avenger very well. Comic book author Ed Brubaker met with director Joe Johnston to make sure that his favorite character maintained the high level of attention that he received on the pages of his epic 'The Winter Soldier' and beyond:

"That scene with Bucky and the rifle? That was all me," he said after the credits rolled. Earlier in the night, I had sat down with him for dinner and an in-depth chat about Steve Rogers, James "Bucky' Barnes, the Winter Soldier and other matters of the red, white and blue chronicles, both on the page and on the screen. A central theme: the salvation of Bucky, Marvel's most famous martyr, and the Winter Soldier who just might enjoy his own season in the sun in Hollywood.

"It's amazing to think what Bucky has become and what he was. For years the only thing that was important about Bucky was the fact that he was the thing that Captain America lost. And that remains important — in fact it's the reason the Winter Soldier story worked. Cap still lost. If I was going to take away the tragedy of Bucky being killed in action, I had to replace it with something worse. Cap couldn't save Bucky and because he couldn't, Bucky became his own worst nightmare. And then in trying to save Bucky again — by giving him his memories back — Cap tortures Bucky by making him realize everything he did as the Winter Soldier too. Bucky is such a great tragic character and that tragedy has different sides to it now.

"For me, when I watch the movie tonight I'll be judging the Bucky a lot more than the Cap."
Via LA Times

Close-up shot of Captain America's redesigned costume from The Avengers 2012 image from http://www.comicbookmovie.com/fansites/MarvelFreshman/news/?a=42807

While the Red Skull appears to have met his end by handling the Asgardian tesseract (AKA the cosmic cube), it is likely that we will see him again. His final moments featured a glimpse of the nine realms, and as another blogger pointed out, the cube is one of many secret paths between Midgard and Asgard.

Via ComicBookMovie:

The biggest egg in my eyes is a simple phrase Loki says to Heimdall, "There are secret paths between the worlds to which even you with all your gifts are blind." This phrase set up the route to which Loki arrives on Earth for The Avengers. Yet after seeing TFA we know that the Cosmic Cube is a path between worlds, whether or not Heimdall can see these paths does not matter. What does matter, is the fact that now we have a way for Thor to get back to Earth in The Avengers. When the Skull was sucked into the World Tree, the cosmic universe looked very similar to a scene in Thor, meaning he could have ended up close to Asgard. At the end of Thor we see that Shield has the Cube in custody with the idea that it has unlimited power and it is hinted that Shield may know that the Cube is a gateway to another dimension. Now with Cap unfrozen, he will be able to explain what happened to the Skull, which could lead to someone using it to get Thor back on Earth. Although, I would assume that Loki will have obtained the Cube somehow before Thor is brought back to Earth which would become the day unlike any other.

As a teenager, I was more interested in the anti-heroes of comic books such as Wolverine or tragic heroes such as Daredevil. Captain America was too 'apple pie' for my taste. However, it took Jim Krueger, author of Earth X to clue me into what makes the character so great. His singular fortitude and belief that all people should be free is so noble and indefatigable. There's nothing the man cannot do and he firmly believes in the best of people.

The supporting cast of Captain America; The First Avenger was just astounding with Tommy Lee Jones and Hugo Weaving adding the right amount of star power presence to remind you why they are so successful. Dominic Cooper as Howard Stark nearly stole the film, depicting an earlier version of the sly and brilliant Tony Stark played by Robert Downey Jr. The most successful actress to date in a comic book film, Hayley Atwell was remarkable as Peggy Carter and I have to believe that she will return as Sharon Carter, the granddaughter to Peggy.

Johnston's film captures several aspects of the character of Captain America that make him so appealing. At a time when politics are a dangerous subject, he managed to make a patriotic movie without making it jingoistic or patronizing. Chris Evans, an actor many worried was too cocky or young for the part of Captain America proved that he was born to play the role. I look forward to seeing him in the Avengers and subsequent Cap sequels.

To order prints of the retro posters, please visit Mondo.

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Latest articles from Retro To Go

Latest articles from Retro To Go


New Velvet Cave vintage dress auctions on eBay

Posted: 28 Jul 2011 11:13 AM PDT

Velvet

We have flagged them up before, but worth doing so again, as there are plenty of potential bargains, not to mention cool vintage designs amongst the latest batch of Velvet Cave dress auctions on eBay.

42 dresses amongst the latest selection, primarily from the 1960s, but a few sneaking into the '70s. The one above astir hasn't had a bid, a mid-60s babydoll mini dress, made of a 'blue flecked gauze type fabric', with white lace detailing around the neck and sleeves, plus decorative covered buttons on the front, along with 'puff' shoulders.

The price right now for this one is £4.99, but check out all the dresses on the site.

Velvet Cave vintage dresses on eBay

eBay watch: 1950s midcentury Grundig radiogram

Posted: 28 Jul 2011 07:11 AM PDT

Grun1

Yes, there are a number of old audio systems on eBay right now, but I'll wager there's nothing else like this Grundig radiogram.

In terms of design alone, it's a stunning piece of furniture. Out of the 1950s and offering up some cool midcentury style, it looks immaculate, despite pushing 60 years old. Check out the plethora of images on the site to see it close up - we can hardly see a mark.

It's also (just as importantly) in full working order, the radio and the record player, which you'll find by pulling down the cabinet just above the speaker. You can see that in action over the page. Oh yes, you can also wire up your modern-day electronics to it - that's also shown in action on the site listing. Downside? The price, with the seller asking £840, although you can make an offer.

Find out more at the eBay website

Grun2

Tiger food biscuits

Posted: 28 Jul 2011 06:01 AM PDT

110668

If you read this book when you were young you need to head out and buy some Tiger food biscuits immeditely.

The Tiger That Came to Tea by Judith Kerr is a classic children's book you must have read while young - and if you didn't we urge you to head out to a bookshop near you and buy it now. Only once you've read this literary classic will you understand the greatness of these delicious orange crunch biscuits from the V&A.

Even if you're not a fan they do look rather tasty so we still advise you to buy some for a quirky gift and for only £3.50 you've got no reason not to.

Overlander leather bag

Posted: 28 Jul 2011 05:52 AM PDT

Overlander-Small-M-1-1w

Be fashionable and organised from day-to-day with this Overlander leather bag.

It's annoying to be a man sometimes. Women have a huge range of fashionable bags to choose from and are rarely seen without one. But for a man it's tricky getting the balance of finding a bag the right size that will fit in every you need. You don't want to make the Joey-style mistake of a man bag and with this Overlander bag you won't. It's got the retro look and is a mix between the classic leather satchel and a business briefcase. It can fit any purpose you desire it for - work bag, leather travel bag, a leather laptop bag, for going out and shopping, or as a university or college book bag.

Get yours from the website for £85. It's on sale right now so be quick

Pie & Mash Print by Wasp

Posted: 28 Jul 2011 05:51 AM PDT

Pie-mash-print-by-wasp-bronze-6272-p 
Design company Wasp has created a tribute to traditional British food with its Pie and Mash Print.

Available in either bronze or gunmetal grey, the print mentions porkpies, eels, cockles, mussels and mushy peas as well as the eponymous dish. These food stuffs are combined with slogans from vintage signs from pubs and cafes. It is available in a choice of bronze or gunmetal grey.The print is A2 size and is sold unframed, priced £48.

Buy it online from Rockett St George

Guitar Headstock Mugs

Posted: 28 Jul 2011 05:40 AM PDT

Normal_mugs_-_main_NOTHS_pic 
Invisible Friend has designed this set of four Guitar Headstock Mugs.

Each of the mugs feature illustrations of iconic guitars: Fender Telecaster, Gibson Les Paul, Fender Stratocaster and Rickenbacker 330. They are recreated in bright pop art colours against a neutral background. An ideal way for a budding guitar hero to take his (or her) tea.

The set of four mugs costs £29.50, available exclusively from Not on the High Street.

Mark midcentury-style Bosco sofa and armchair range at John Lewis

Posted: 28 Jul 2011 05:14 AM PDT

Bosco1

Quality rarely comes cheap, which is perhaps why the Mark midcentury-style Bosco sofa and armchair range at John Lewis isn't as cheap as we would like it.

The range is made in the UK, with exposed frames made from solid European oak, as well as featuring serpentine springs and foam and feather fillings for the cushions, the whole thing covered in a viscose and linen cloth in charcoal. Love the shape too, that low profile, buttoned back and exposed wood taking inspiration from the mid-1950s to early '60s.

There's a large sofa, medium sofa and 'snuggled', which in effect is a large armchair. You can see an image of that over the page. Pricing is from £1,600.

Find out more at the John Lewis website

Bosco2

Vintage-style Hollander city bikes in new colours at Made.com

Posted: 28 Jul 2011 04:53 AM PDT

Holl3

We have featured these in the past, but if you haven't got round to picking up one of the vintage-style Hollander city bikes, there's a new selection of colours just landed at Made.com, in pink, cream and khaki green.

As you've probably noticed, this is a Dutch-style city bike, made by a company with 'sixty years experience in creating high quality bicycles', apparently 'well-known for their craftsmanship and attention to detail'. The refreshed range is the women's version of the single-gear bicycle, with luggage carrier, stand, bell, light and pump all included. The frame is steel, with leather, spring-mounted saddle and steel calliper brakes.

Like all Made.com gear, the three bikes are offered heavily discounted for a limited period of time. In this case, £179, down from the high street price of £549. That price is available for around 10 days. See the other colours over the page.

Find out more at the Made.com website

Holl2

Holl1

Siamese Cat Brooch from Tatty Devine

Posted: 28 Jul 2011 04:00 AM PDT

KittyWhat's new pussycat? Well, for one thing, this adorable Siamese Cat Brooch from Tatty Devine.

The design of our little feline friend here was based on ceramic cats that were seen adorning mantlepieces the 60s & 70s. The cream and caramel perspex retro kitty features intricate brown speckles in all the right places and a handsome blue ribbon collar to match its pretty blue eyes. Purrfect.

Available in two other colours. £54 from Tatty Devine. See the website for more details.

1930s Chorus Line Workshop in Brighton

Posted: 28 Jul 2011 02:00 AM PDT

Chorus
Further to our feature on Go-Go dancing lessons yesterday, it would appear another retro dance style is having somewhat of a revival on the south coast.

Budding Busby Berkeley beauties should make sure they're in Brighton on 13th August for the inaugural 1930s Chorus Line Workshop. The session will teach you the dance steps and group shapes made famous in such films as Goldiggers of '35. Learn to strut your stuff like a true star of the silver screen with no dancing expertise necessary. The course is just £10 per person but places are limited so make sure you book in advance.

You can get more information on the Chorus Line Workshop on Facebook.

Get Vintage Festival in London tickets for Saturday for just £19

Posted: 28 Jul 2011 01:03 AM PDT

Vintage_forwebsite2

Seems a strange way of going about business, but right now, the Vintage festival at the Southbank Centre in London this weekend seems to have tickets heavily discounted from the original price. I'm guessing that's annoying if you paid full price. But not bad if you didn't bother and have nothing on this weekend.

One such outlet is Time Out, which right now is doing tickets for Saturday for £19. There were Sunday tickets too, but that offer has just expired sadly. Bearing in mind the full selling price is/was around £60, that's a huge discount for the vintage-inspired event.

It is a limited offer, so get in as quick as you can if you want them. We'll keep our eyes open for a ticket clearance for other days.

£19 tickets for Vintage event on Saturday

Wild and Wolf clearance at Achica

Posted: 28 Jul 2011 12:40 AM PDT

Wolf

Much to appreciate in the Wild and Wolf clearance at Achica.

Plenty of retro-inspired designs (many of which have appeared on this page), not to mention a good amount of the Rob Ryan range. On top of that, the retro phones are in the sale too, including the remade TrimPhone.

This 70s-style gem is back with push buttons instead of a dial for the modern market, but aside from that, looks much the same as the original. Various colours on offer, all limited in numbers (and only available discounted for the next two days). Price right now is £23.99.

Wild and Wolf clearance at Achica

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