A truly vintage holiday.....

I feel a certain level of envy at people who can immerse themselves more fully into their historical lifestyle, not just clothes but furniture, appliances and even their house itself but I have to say, with a young baby still in nappies (cloth of course dahhling!!!), the idea of life without the comfort of a proper washing machine and dryer is horrifying, so much so that I paid for a new dryer on credit (paid off now though) and I am calling in a repair man for the washing machine next week. Yes it means no lovely extras for a few weeks, but you can't actually have lovely extras as a mother on a restrictive income and let's be honest, what is more vintage than that?

I mean, we have SO much in general and waste so much.  So I am going to be really frugal the next few weeks, luckily for me I don't celebrate Christmas, but even if I did I would have a vintage Christmas too.  It pains me to see the ridiculous excesses that most mainstream people enter into, bff spends a couple hundred on each child, she has four, this time of year costs her a small fortune and to be honest, they are not the more appreciative children in the world, in fact they are incredibly entitled.

Let me be clear, I love, love, love the trappings of Christmas, I was brought up in NYC and no where (as far as I know) in the Western World comes close when it comes to Christmas excess.  Beautiful lights, not just in large shops and major thoroughfares as is the case in London, oh no, in New York every house was awash with colour, even the Jewish homes were brightly lit with a rather glorious electric Chanukiah

Like this one

New Yorkers love the Holiday Season and they are making sure that no one of any religion misses, non Celebrants mean less money so heck yeah it is all Christmas by another  name.  The Jews have Hanukkah (or they just celebrate Christmas as a non religious festival), the Muslims have EID  (or they just celebrate Christmas as a non religious festival), the African traditionalists have Kwanzaa (but they definitely DO celebrate Christmas too), the Hindus have Pancha Ganapati, the Pagans have Yule (they'll have the exact same traditions as Christmas but claim first dibs) Buddhists just go with the flow and the secularists, the large mass of 'not really anything at all but I was christened as a baby....'  they will definitely be celebrating Christmas.  So in all, the Christians have won this one.

The blatant consumerism of the time did far more to turn me off of it than my religion and beliefs.

But nothing makes me feel more squee!!!  Than a Victorian Christmas, I love plum pudding, warm fires, felt bonnets and A Christmas Carol, yeah I know, I had this same moan last year but it is my one weakness, drop me in the middle of a Victorian Christmas festival and I suddenly turn into a High Anglican from rural Kent or something...it really IS my kryptonite.

Vintage Mama pt 2

OK, so we are back from picking up the Vintage pram, the historic geek in me is not sure about the gold colouring, that seems too anachronistic but I am loathe to go messing about with it when I have so much else to do.  Perhaps a project for the future?

Aesthetically  it is a thing of beauty on its own and....I loved it, worth the loss of one baby sock and some coffee whilst waiting for the train in Kings X carrying the babe in arms.

One thing I had to get used to were the stiff wheels, no swivel wheels in yonder days, oh I had to be lot more patient because it was easier waiting for some one to move, than try to manoeuvre the buggy around them.  

Pros

Oh my....the handle is rather nice and high, no more bending down for this tall lady.

Made to last.

 The babe can sit up in it and look at me, rather than outwards like the buggy.

It IS lovely

Get to play Damsel in Distress to fine Gentlemen when faced with a step or two (but not stairs, see below).


Cons

Well, It IS lovely and girl you have to have your A game going on if you intend to walk out with one of these, it will attract attention and therefore so will you, so going out looking au naturelle...not a good idea. Today I wore a pencil skirt, boots and my half cape. Thank goodness I thought ahead and wore make up!!!

They are huge, it's taking up all the space on the landing, I am in the humorous position of folding my every day buggy down to make way for the occasional pram...doh!!!  I have decided to make it into some sort of feature up there, maybe putting a few old fashioned dollies on it or something?

If there is a lift failure you are well and truly buggered because you do need help with stairs, lucky for me, my route today was from Kings X to Liverpool Street and it is entirely step free...huzzah!!!!!

Supermarket twisty queues?  Ermmm, no, not again thanks.

I was very lucky to get this at a bargain price, perhaps the gold paint put bidders off (stupid people, pram paint is not hard to find) but I am usually outbid. Finding one with SO little work needing to be done, under £200 is very rare, I was very, very, lucky. Keep checking daily if you can and you can watch one at a good price.

So now I have my little girl sorted out for events...where are we going to go?

Vintage Mama

Check out my new perambulator!

I searched and searched for a vintage pram within my price range NO END before the baby arrived and it has taken me 6 months to find one.  Alas it is a little later than my preference, but only the most determined of authenti-geeks would notice so I am not stressing about it.