Famous Five whizz around Northumberland.

A wonderful Autumnal combination of wind+chill+rain=Full 1940's flying suit and open top drive down the coast and then up into the hills of Northumberland on the Scottish Borders. Magical bracing stuff! Went down to the river mouth (where the boats are moored) for a stroll along the beach then up to Alnwick to my favourite old bookstore in the former railway station. Then up towards Rothbury, taking a stop to admire the scenary. A good day to be alive folks!!

Autumn in the PaddyVille Gardens...

After a day at work, it was wonderful coming back to a beautiful Autumnal day with the sun shining, but a freshness in the air that forces one to wrap up. So not to be outdone, a fresh pot of ground Monsoon Malabar beans was had out on the decking, with the boys, and it felt 'good to be alive.' The Virginia Creeper turning a deep red is always the sign in the garden that 'Fall' is coming (and has come!). The apples are nearly ready for an October harvest and the few pears that the boys haven't managed to get (they are fruit bats, the two of them!).
Can't believe the crop of Victoria Plums I managed to pick this year!! far too many and I'll have to give some away over the fence to the neighbour. Only so much jam and pickles one can make. But today has confirmed once again that this is my favourite season 'overall!'

RoughWear WWII A-2 by GoodWear

These photos are a long time in coming, as I've had the jacket a few months now. Made by A2 vintage flying jacket enthusiast, John Chapman up in the northwest corner of the USA. John took his love for detail (background in professional graphic design), vintage flying jackets and in particular the iconic A-2 summer weight flying jacket (as issued to the Army Air Forces of the United States during WWII), and put his money where his mouth is by producing a line of the most authentic reproduction A2's available. He also offers other jackets, including the pre-WWII A-1, the G1 and a civilian 30's jacket (all in leather). Having sourced beautiful hides from Japan, exact copies of snaps, threads, liners, cuff and waist bands, and a range of optional original zippers, John's 'one man band' is raising the bar for authenticity to new heights (established manufacturers, take NOTE).
This man shuns the modern cut, baggy, high street/mall leather jackets, for the trimmer, more classically stylish WWII cut jackets, and he's got quite a following to match his strong and growing reputation!

Without further ado, here's my little piece of 1940's magic!!

Gentleman's Dressing Gown from 1940's

Well I've been keeping an eye out for an original 1930's-40's dressing gown for some time now, and just when you think it's never going to come along, UP POPS this little number!! Early 40's Army & Navy all wool in *as new* condition (not even one little moth nip! or snag). Black (or so dark blue as near dammit black!)with a golden shawl collar, sleeve cuffs and robe belt. Fits to a tee and I'm mightily chuffed to call it mine :) Will go nicely with my 1930-40's Harrod's PJ's - hurrah!
My friend's Rob an Lynne had this little baby all tucked away at their place in the Twinwood's Show, and having seen it earlier whilst in the Peak District (and it was still there a month later at Twinwoods), well..it obviously had 'MY NAME' on it!!
This wouldn't look out of place on Noel Coward, Douglas Faibanks or David Niven.

Tottering about Tynemouth

Had a wonderful relaxing Sunday tottering around the little town of Tynemouth (yes, on the mouth of the Tyne River). It has a wonderful market every Sunday in the old Victorian Railway Station (which is still in use).
You can while away the hours in the little Coffee Houses, or amble up to the Beach which is well used by the Surfers. Then there's the old Abbey or the Church on the High Street which has now become home to lots of little cottage industry type shops. Me...I just grab my Cappucinno, sit outside and watch the world go by...

A Great day for a bicycle ride..!

I've been contemplating getting a 1930's or 40's cycle for some time now, but with only between one and four gears, it could be (will be) hard going with the terrain I live in (hilly to mountainous).
Even with a modern 15 gear bike, the going can be tough, depending on my cycle fitness levels (not as good as they have been!). But today was a good day to be alive and the most wonderful of Autumnal weather for donning the gear and getting the bike out on the road. So went for a good two-hour pedal up hill and down dale and feeling all the better for it. Now just settling down to a fine bottle of chilled Broughton Ale from the Tweed Valley in Scotland, which 'I feel' I have duly earned now :)
As for the 30's bicycle, well...on the back burner 'for now' but you never know, you just never know with me and vintage things...

Emperor HADRIAN'S WALL...

"Just when you think you are at the world's end, you see smoke rising from East to West as far as the eye can turn, and then under it, also as far as the eye can stretch, houses,temples, shops and theatres, barracks and granaries, trickling along like dice behind....one, long, low, rising and falling, and hiding and showing line of towers... that is the wall. " (Rudyard Kipling -`Puck of Pook's Hill')

I am lucky enough to live about an hour's drive from Hadrian's Wall, much of which is still standing, as are the remains of the forts and barracks along its' length. Today was a beautiful day to get the open top out and drive along the old Roman 'Military Road' and visit some of the old garrisons and parts of the wall which goes over magnifient Northumberland scenary. Of course, during the Empire, England and Scotland did not exist, the areas were very tribal and a military posting to the Wall was an Operational Tour of duty.

When the Roman Emperor Hadrian visited Britain in 122 A.D he recognised the difficulties in establishing control in Caledonia and saw that it would be impossible to introduce the Picts to the Roman way of life. The Emperor therefore ordered the construction of a great defensive wall which would mark the northern limits of his empire and consolidate the hold on those parts of Britain already subdued. Hadrian's empire would not include Caledonia.

Hadrian's Wall was eighty miles long, six metres high, three metres wide and built of stone, (though the Cumbrian sections were originally built of turf). Its defences were supplemented by a northern DITCH, a MILITARY ROAD and an earthwork called the `VALLUM' . Together these features formed a `MILITARY ZONE' which restricted the movement of people to the north and south of the wall. This military zone was a `No Go' area for armed `Barbarians'.

The defences of the Military Zone were supplemented by MILECASTLES which housed garrisons of up to sixty men. These were built at intervals of one Roman mile and between each of these stood two smaller defensive towers called TURRETS which held small garrisons of four men.

Most important of the military garrrisons along the wall were of course the great FORTS, of which there were sixteen, each housing between five hundred and one thousand men. The men who occupied these forts and the other Wall defences were sometimes recruited locally, but more often than not they were brought in from some distant corner of the Roman Empire.

Soldiers garrisoned on the wall, thus came from as far away as Spain, Switzerland, Hungary, Germania, Romania and even North Africa. Surprisingly very few of the Roman soldiers originated from Rome or Italy. Instead the wall was a Multi-National Military Zone whose people had brought with them many different customs, languages and religions.