West Sussex was saying it with flowers for its annual Floral Fringe Fair. On the invitation of friends, we spent the last weekend of May in the county helping out at their vintage stall, with Knepp Castle as a most charming backdrop. Vintage cars and vintage dresses were de rigueur so I dressed for the occasion in my busily floral silk '30s dress, bought at Annie's Vintage in Islington's Camden Passage, a primrose-yellow '50s quilted bed jacket, and fabulously 'out-there' sunglasses from Paraphernalia. To shake it up were my vividly-coloured African beads, and a modern shaggy bag from The Dulwich Trader. Early in the day, my 1980s suede heels were swiftly replaced by trusty Aigle boots. Last year, for this May event, I wore the '50s Hardy Amies floral suit.
Amongst this sea of green, there were pops of eye-catching colour, such as these graphic, stripy deckchairs - a favourite of my daughter's, who was also channelling the vintage vibe and mostly borrowed (from my wardrobe), especially the handmade reversible jacket from Montreal.
All the vintage goodies photographed were sourced by Diane and Simon, of Cafe Murano in Hurstpierpoint, whose 'great food and great coffee' feature in Best of Sussex.
P.S. Been keeping a low profile recently in the whole blogging department, because it's the season of GCSEs. I may not be 16, but I definitely have nuclear fission sussed, and I could tell you a thing or two about the Middle Ages...
Florals were an endless refrain over the weekend in West Sussex at The Floral Fringe Fair which flags itself up as a 'quirky, quality, friendly, foodie, arty, plantaholics, informative, wildlife event with a vintage twist!'. Set against the backdrop of the John Nash-designed Knepp Castle, home to the Burrell family, both days boasted fine weather, a grand setting, and good trading. Cafe Murano of Hurstpierpoint set up its outpost and sold a variety of collectables from chintz and statuary to a particularly alluring cherub(!); Louise Bunning's stall, Faded Charm, lived up beautifully to its name; whilst Arundel-based Linda Chivers was selling stand-out bras and bags from the 50's and 20's respectively, along with recycled and vintage textiles. Home to the Re-Wilding Project, Knepp also boasted a 'pop-up' tree house, built for the occasion by Inhabit Treehouses, in cedar and Douglas fir. Also the castle had its own flock of birds nearby, albeit of the sculptural variety. I wore my most quintessential English suit: a 50's silk Willow-patterned two-piece by Hardy Amies, bought for a song in Suffolk. It has previously had outings to weddings in the North of England and Goodwood and was much remarked upon...
I came away with a pair of pegs from WildWood, who specialise in charcoal and coppice products and sell everything from besom brooms to Sussex pimps and can turn their hands to hedgelaying and hurdles. I also bought some lovely plants and a charming book of poetry: Bridge Bluster, self-published at Burblebooks by Robert Edwards, who rhymes Putney with chutney. My favourite? Albert Bridge. All in all, a fabulous floral affair!
