carry on films

Carry On Behind

bus stop, carry on films, dollyrockers, Gina Fratini, hardy amies, lee bender, ossie clark, ritva

This is mainly a post about new listings, but I’m very behind in everything at the moment so the phrase ‘Carry On Behind’ keeps popping into my head. I caught the second half of that film a few weeks back and, as with most British films of that era, it right proper cheered me up. If I was going to have to live through an era of gloomy economics, I’d much rather have lived through the Seventies…

I’m also wondering whether there’s a gap in the heaving burlesque market for a naff Seventies stripper type? There are so many Bettie Page wannabes, and even a few Sixties-style go-go girls, but I would personally love to see some jiggling in nylon ruffles and bubble perms going on.

Anyway, there aren’t too many nylon ruffles and sequins in my latest batch of listings. But that’s because there are some seriously scrumptious moss crepe, satin, velvet and jersey goodies. Ossie Clark (twice! I’m too good to you….), Gina Fratini, Dollyrockers, Ritva, Lee Bender for Bus Stop, Hardy Amies and some beautiful unlabelled pieces as well. I hope you see something which tickles your fancy, and I’ll work on the whole nylon ruffles thing in the meantime….

Dollyrockers – psychedelic printed dress


Gina Fratini – Black jersey goddess dress

Ritva – nautical-themed knit sweater

Paul Nicholas & Co – Black moss crepe & chiffon dress

Hardy Amies – Printed silk chiffon dress


Lee Bender for Bus Stop – Black crushed velvet peephole dress


Vivid art deco printed jersey dress


Strapless cut-out flower dress


Ossie Clark – rust crinkle crepe satin dress

Cleo, Camping, Bloggers and Pimm’s

bloggers, carry on films, florence, pimm's, wendyB

It’s been a bizarre and lovely few days since I returned from Florence. After a quick return home to sift through emails and post out items, and after a delicious Latte Macchiato (my new ‘thing’) at the highly recommended Belmondo cafe in Orpington, I shuttled myself across South London to Bromley’s very dinky (as the name might suggest) Little Theatre to attend a performance of Cleo, Camping, Emmanuelle and Dick (originally a National Theatre production about, unsurprisingly, the Carry On films). I haven’t been to an am-dram production of anything for a seriously long time, and I was pleasantly surprised.

Despite the heat and the patchy performance (I’m being kind there) from one cast member who-shall-remain-nameless, it was a rather good, clean, fun evening out. The actress playing Barbara Windsor deserves special mention for perfecting Babs’s delightful giggle and for successfully recreating the bikini-popping scene from Carry on Camping.

I was attempting not to recreate such an event on Saturday when Five Bloggers Went Pimm’sing in London.


Wendy, Kate and Margaret have blogged about the event already, and I was brilliantly useless as ever with my lack of camera facilities, so please do take a look at their blogs if you want to see how frazzled I was looking – even with my cut-out Lee Bender sundress. I don’t do heat very well. Pimm’s does a mighty fine job of cooling you down though, as does the great gloomy British pub. Al Fresco? No thank you. I should like a dark, damp corner please…

It was ever so lovely to meet Margaret, Winnie and Disneyrollergirl for the first time, and as delightful (if not more so because there were no irritating children or waiters around this time) as last time to see the lovely Wendy and Kate.

For both these sweaty post-Florence events I managed to completely forget to take my fan. I purchased on my birthday in dizzy desperation, and it was definitely the best €4 I’ve ever spent. The best €2 you could ever spend would be on Florence’s very own black and white photobooth, which is positioned near the Santa Maria Novella train station. It’s nicer if you just ‘happen’ upon it, but you can look these things up online as well. Click the photo to become a ‘fan’ on facebook. A-ha-ha. I am funny.