Sublime and ridiculous…

In a moment of rashness, I suggested an impromptu trip to Oxford Street for number one daughter on Saturday afternoon.

Although we live less than an hour away by train, London isn’t somewhere we’ve been in the habit of visiting very much since the girls arrived – but now that they’re older and I don’t have to panic about holding little hands in big crowds, it’s becoming a viable option for a trip out, and of course teenage, fashion conscious girls are going to think of London as destination Heaven.

And so Saturday saw us pounding the Street, going into practically every fashion shop along the way. I’ve worked out that the best way to survive these type of outings, is to put my brain firmly into ‘hold’ mode and let all the bustle, noise, and smell, wash over me.

We ventured off route a little to find the legendary Abercrombie & Fitch store in Burlington Gardens. We’d heard about it, and it lived up to our expectations – and more. I defy anyone with an ounce of common sense not to walk round that ‘shop’ and laugh, although perhaps not in the way the owners would have it. Personally I find the option to spend ridiculous amounts of money on average type clothes I wouldn’t be seen dead in, incredibly easy to resist, but I accept I am not their target market.

But I was hugely entertained by their bravado in presenting clothes in Pantone like groups, whilst keeping the lighting levels so low, you can hardly see your own feet. If you really do want to buy something there, I urge you to take your own torch. Having a barely prepubescent boy showing off his hairless chest, in the entrance way, was certainly something you don’t see at M&S (perhaps this is one idea they could copy).

Ridiculous, but in the sweetest way.

— )O( —

After all the excitement of shopping in London, yesterday I needed to smooth my feathers.

We woke to a frost, but the sun was beginning to break through by the time I got the dog up to the woods.

The cobwebs in the holly were glistening, shafts of sunlight were pushing through the trees, tiny drips of melting frost tickled my neck. This was truly stunning – sublime indeed.

Author: Anny

English countryside, old places, making art. View all posts by Anny