Monday 30 March 2009

spring in the hood


My favourite Sunday activity- the walk from my place in Bethnal Green, East London along to the streets of the Columbia Rd flower market, the top end of Brick Lane and down through the chaos of Brick Lane itself. It always reminds me what a wonderfully diverse neighbourhood I live in. The cockney voices calling out the best deals on flowers, the colour of Brick Lane, the smells- BBQs at Vibe Bar, Bengali curry and the international flavours of the Truman Brewery market... add in a bit of sunshine and it doesn't get much better in my opinion!
Today I spent quite a bit of time poking into the shops in the area. Some of my faves...
Hetty Rose had a lovely pair of handmade shoes that definitely appealed to the spring in my heart... the shoes even have a blog!
The other place that I've always admired- for their local attitude and cool craftsmanship is unto this last. They do really cool pieces in plywood- their stuff just feels good in your hands- with a warmth that you don't get in so many products...
I'm off to make travel plans... more later! x