Vintage Tea Towel Tuesday.

This one's special because it's got the date that "Merle and Bert" bought it neatly printed on its top right.

(Merle volunteers at the local hospital kiosk and Bert helps out at the Railway Museum - he's a tinkerer. This is when they're not grey nomading their way around Australia in their caravan. A Viscount. Purple upholstrey. Its got a sticker on the back which reads something like "Spend the Kids Inheritance or Die Trying!")

I reckon the 17th of August 1988 must have been a particularly exciting day for M & B. After all, they were holidaying in Coffs Harbour, home of The Big Banana weren't they?!
I say this, having not had the pleasure of seeing T.B.B. in the flesh...yet! I have however, written about other Big Banana t.ts. so I consider myself well qualified. Plus we're of a similar vintage.

Anyway, it's a treaured t.t. in pristine condition and I really love that "Merle" wrote the date atop it (in Hobbytex, I think...) The colours are much brighter than they appear in my pic and despite the fact that it was made in the 80's, I still think it's pretty cool.

The hibiscus flowers, frangipanis, palm trees etc are all self explanatory but who is the bearded man wearing the baggy green? Please drop me a note if you know. Ditto if you get the vintage biplane reference (I think it might be Les Holden's, Canberra)

Thank you x

Is anyone else watching this ?

You know, you really should because "dreaming is free"

Cherise Collins' beautiful home, designed, built and decorated by architect Damian Campagnaro.

Fifteen minutes up your sleeve on a Sunday night? Watch Dream Build.

(As much as I love Kevin and last night's house, it's all repeats as far as he's concerned, and I reckon it's nice to see some interesting Australian homes on the telly, don't you...)

Dream Build: 8.15, Sunday nights ABC1.

Woobinda

Yesterday I bought a pile of vintage Little Golden Books from the op- shop where I used to volunteer. It cost me $2.50 for 15 of them (and that's without a(n ex) staff discount. Most of them were published in 1973, but the earliest, Wagon Train, was published in 1958. 

I still love Ladybirds more than LGBs but when LGBs are of this vintage and so cheap what's a girl to do???

One of them is called 

published 1973

and to say it's not what I've come to expect from a LGB would be a massive understatement.

Woobinda starts off inanely enough: it's the story of John Stevens outback veterinarian and his daughter Tiggie. Other characters include Peter Fisher, John's offsider (a recent vet graduate from Germany(!?) and Kevin, an Aboriginal boy, adopted by John.

Remind you of anything ?

It's on the third and fourth page when things start to get interesting. Look

"After receiving treatment, most of the animals are handed over to...Tiggie"

You'll see more of Tiggie in a sec.

Here she is on page five

Not the usual stuff of Little Golden Books. No Eloise Wilkin in this one. They weren't meant for thirteen year old boys...were they?

"She is half in love with Peter" (half in love?) "who treats her like a younger sister"

(Peter is a far stronger and more virtuous man than many! Jeez, he'd have to be, to resist Tiggie's very obvious charms!)

Anyway, as I was flicking through Woobinda in wonderment (a pet chimpanzee makes an appearance on page fourteen, remember we're talking outback NSW!)

the penny finally dropped. A quick google search later and my suspicions were confirmed. LGB Woobinda is based on a 1968 television series and Tiggie provides the sex appeal.

Here's a publicity pic of Sonia Hofmann, the actress who played Tiggie

image via

Sonia also had a role in the short-lived Australian series, The Unisexers (that's more like it!) in the 70's.

Did you watch Woobinda when you were a kiddo?

Skippy the Bush Kangaroo  was must watch viewing when I was little, on the telly straight after school, but until now I had never heard of Woobinda.

I like how old stuff teaches you new things, don't you?

I think Woobinda is a little gem. I'm glad my ability to resist temptation is not up there with Peter Fisher's. If I had his strength of conviction and steely determination I would've walked out of the oppy without it.

he doesn't mind a cuddle with a chimp though...

x

p.s.

just a little aside you might be interested in, last year Liza Goddard, the actor who played Clancy in Skippy the Bush Kangaroo had this to say:

"I wish I had flashed it around, as I had a lovely body, but I was prim and lacked confidence. Now I tell all the lovely young girls I work with, 'You’re gorgeous. Show it off.'"

So there!

p.p.s. Woobinda is meant to be an Aboriginal word for veterinarian, but I cannot verify this.

Linking with Sophie's Flea Market Finds here

   

    

Vintage Tea Towel Tuesday

There's vintages,

Greetings from Merimbula

Pure Linen. Designed in Australia. Hand Printed.

and there's vintages...

Made in Italy

Which one do you like best?

(bet I can guess!)

Answer: la bella Italiana

Si?

x

Kylie and Anth Visit MOMA (Perth Edition)

Yesterday Anth and I hit the big smoke and got all cultural at the W.A. Art Gallery's tribute to Modern Art: Picasso to Warhol Fourteen Modern Masters. *

"For the novice, modern art is not nearly so terrifying or so grotesque as it may seem at first."

(Pic and quote from my latest op-shopped treasure, Womans World - can't find a publishing date on this, but I'd guess late 50's.)

It was an amazing exhibition, breathtaking even. If you live in Perth and love 20th Century art etc you must go. Over 100 masterpieces are on show by 14 of the most iconic artists of the 20th Century (paraphrased from the official blurb)

Here are some of our favourites

Night Fishing at Antibes, Pablo Picasso, 1939.

Forget about hanging this on a wall, I felt like diving into it!

Woman by a Window, Picasso, 1956.

Painter and Model, Picasso, 1928.

  (It was about here I had an altercation with art gallery security for using flash photography! O-Oh!)

We both love, love, loved this by Matisse

Gourds, Henri Matisse, 1928.

"We would suggest that you view modern paintings, whether resembling something you know or just an abstract pattern, with your feminine intuition. Say to yourself, "Does it stimulate any reaction? Does it soothe me or annoy me?" (Womans World)

This one soothed

Interior with a Violin Case, Mattise, 1918-1919.

Some artists were less familiar

Woman with a Book, Fernand Leger, 1923.

I especially liked his

Big Judy!

(I can't remember the details - sorry. But isn't it fab?  Apologies also to the stranger in the photo)

And Anthony, this

The Nostalgia of the Infinite, Giorgio de Chirico, 1912-1913.

(Catchy title, no?)

I took oodles of photos and was moved by all of them in some way.

"The greatest condemnation of any modern painting is that it leaves you completely unmoved" (Womans World)

And, also in reference to the (hilarious!) notes in Womans World, none of them annoyed me.

I'll end with the Warhol's, our least favourite artist of the 14,  (but I think that's purely to do with over-exposure to his work) 

Campbells Soup Cans, Andy Warhol, 1962.

I would like to try

Cheddar Cheese Soup, would you?



Before and After, Warhol, 1961.

Brillo, Warhol, 1964.

And here I am in a cute little cafe called Little Willy, it's on William Street in Northbridge. You could go there for a coffee after you've been to the gallery...

 

(Poser!)

...if you want to.

Now it's really, finally (thankfully!)

Tom Gibbons. Born in Lancashire 1928, died in Western Australia 2012. Not in Picasso to Warhol, but I like it just the same x

p.s. you can be sure I'll be trotting out more little gems from Womans World, down the track.

* until 3 December.

F.O.T.C. Review, well sort of...

The boys  were awesome. I knew we were in for a good night when Uncertain Smile (the the) was blasted out in all its honky tonk (I'm talking about the piano bit in case you were wondering...) glory, while we were waiting for the show to start. I think I was seventeen or eighteen when this song was recorded and I've still got the album. The guy sitting next to Anthony wondered out loud who the band was, we felt really old (and I felt just a little bit cool - I know I'm a dag) that we were able to tell him.

Ah memories...

vintage coasters, picked up from an op-shop

Arj Barker was another unexpected bonus, we had no idea he was the support act (or special guest star - that's how he referred to himself!) and he was v. funny.

My only regret was that I didn't read Emma's comment before we left home. If I had, I would've been the owner of a Bret and Jemain t.t. right now. I had no idea they were selling them from the merchandising van. I suppose I could order one online, but that just wouldn't be the same...

(Another big tick for the boys. Tea towels with their faces on! Yes! That's definetely my kind of merchandising! Tee shirts = Boring! I wonder if Richard Till has one in his collection?)

I had to end with this note from Margot and Richard, written on the back of the coasters. "Thank you for being you"  No need to say more, is there?

Have a lovely weekend x

And just in case you want to...

Vintage Tea Towel Tuesday on a Wednesday. New Zealand Edition.

Tonight we are going to

the Flight of the Conchords. Yay!

(image via)

To mark the occasion I thought I'd show you some vintage tea towels from the land of the long white cloud, and the birth place of Bret and Jemain, New Zealand.

First up is this beauty from Wanganui "city of history and charm" and "gateway to scenic splendours"

Irish Linen. Maylin. Fast Colours.

Designed by and made expressly for the D.I.C. Wanganui

This one's got it all:

gorgeous Kiwiana border: check

fantastic, domed roof modernist building: check

(Wanganui War Memorial Hall, built in 1958, architects Geoffrey Newman, Gordon Smith and Anthony Greenhough)

image via

awesome scenic view of Wanganui City: check

chubby little Kiwi: check

Like me and wondering where in N.Z. Wanganui is located?

This vintage scarf should help you get your bearings...if you could see it properly ie! Let's just say Wanganui is on the South-West coast of the North Island

and Nelson is located on the North coast of the North Island.

Designed Exclusively for Don Thomas and Christoffersens Linen House Ltd and guaranteed to put a smile on the dial of the most miserable drier-up-er-er. Don't you think?

Apparently the sun's so bright and shiny in Nelson, even it needs sunnies! And I love that yellow "sunshine province" font(?) very much.

The next t.t. in my special Kiwi extravaganza(!) is one of my all times faves (and you know, that's saying something, don't you...) 

I thought it was waaaay too special for an Aussie girl to shove into her third drawer down and forget about, so I sent it to Max (check out her doll house craft room. It will blow you away!) who loved it as much as me. Max kindly sent me this pic (I forgot to take one myself)

Unfortunately it's impossible to truly get this hilariously funny t.t. without reading it. Basically it portrays N.Z. as being the ants pants, bees knees, numero uno, while the rest of the world - especially Australia of course, sucks.

Btw, Max and I are not the only ones who think this is an excellent t.t. Celebrity N.Z. chef Richard Till likes it too. It makes an appearance in his book Every Tea Towel Tells a Story, which Max discovered when she borrowed it from the library! How cool is that? Well it is for a t.t. tragic like me anyway...

Here's Richard with his t.ts.

My new crush?

The last vintage tea towel from N.Z. I'll show you today has already had its three minutes seconds of fame on this blog, but because that was back in the days when no-one actually read my posts, I thought I'd show it off again

worthy of a second look, right?

At the risk of confirming my status as a big fat loser, I'll end with this

I hope the boys are as funny in the flesh, I'll let you know x

 

 



Jubilee Swap Goodies

Here are the jubilicious goodies I received from Donna, my partner in Lakota's Diamond Jubilee Swap

two gorgeous vintage Royal Pictorial Souvenir booklets - I can't find a publishing date, but when they were bought new from the E. J. Brown Book Shop and Library in Bendigo (of all places!) they cost 2/6.

fascinating to see the interiors of Clarence House change over the years...

Here are some of my favourite pics from the booklet of a young Elizabeth (thought you might like them too...)

at a birthday party September 1935 (Princess Margaret, second on-the-left)

"the Princess looks well ahead on her new tricycle"

oops! How did that get there??? (you know I like a childhood photo!) It's Kylie Elizabeth, looking well ahead on hers!

Sandringham August 1943

arriving at Malta, November 1949

I love this photo. Those smiles. Happy, happy.

I love this one too, for the same reasons - not posed at all.

"Elizabeth gave this delighted smile when she was presented with a toy cooking stove for Prince Charles"

Donna also gave me some delicious Shortbread (a nod to Balmoral and all eaten!) and a vintage doll footguard complete with bearskin cap

(bearskin cap's are 45.7 cms tall and weigh 1 1/2 pounds. They are still made of real fur - no faux fur or polar fleece for these chaps!)

Here he is guarding my Ladybirds

Thanks Donna-it was a lovely parcel x

(and thank you Lakota for persevering with those spreadsheets!) 

Just one more pic before I hit the publish button. Here is the beautiful hand-made ring I included in Donna's parcel

cleverly made by Tam. Contact her here if you'd like one too.

p.s. you can check out more patriotic pressies here 

p.p.s. like my mammy biscuit barrel? It belonged to my Nan, Corrie Elsie (isn't that a lovely name?)

 

  

Vintage Tea Towel Tuesday

Fast Colours * Made in Czechoslovakia * All Pure Linen *

I was so excited about showing you this tea towel, it is really lovely in the flesh, much nicer than you'd think from this pic. I know the camera never lies, but in this case it's telling fibs (big fat ones!) and that's no lie.

Let's see if a close-up is a little more flattering...

   

Hmmmm? not really (we're of a similar vintage so I know how it feels...)

One of the special thing's about this t.t. apart from the beautiful linen it's made of (in unused condition, still with its original sheen) is that it's signed and dated. HK 1967.  I don't know who you are HK, but I love your work.

For something completely different, check out the gorgeous t.towels Donna sent me as an extra bonus with her Jubilee Swap parcel (more on those goodies another day...)

Donna likened them to 70's swap cards and I reckon she was spot-on, don't you?

Donna lives and breathes the 70's - you really should check out her blog. Her Freaky Friday posts are hilarious. So bad they're good.

In fact this hair style

reminds me of the mushrooms on those t.towels!

(I know there's a photo of me with a "do" like this somewhere, I have to hunt it down, just might submit it for Freaky Friday Donna. Now that would be F-r-e-a-k-y!)

p.s. I was only twelve, so I can blame it on my Mum!