Retro Chick Reviews – Du Wop Private Red Lipstick
February 18, 2011Norwich Fashion Week Launch Party
February 22, 2011Essentially my weekend revolved mostly around tea and cake.
On Saturday I decided it was time to give a new tea room in Norwich a try. Biddy’s Tea Room is on Lower Goat Lane above furniture shop Perfect Pad. It only opened on Valentines Day so it’s still brand spanking new.
We had cream tea, for the very reasonably price of Ā£3.95 each, that came with more tea than we could possibly drink between us and was beautifully laid out on a tiered cake stand.
It was really beautifully decorated, with a vintage feel without being too “twee”. There were comfy seats thoughtfully placed by the window and I could just imagine spending most of the afternoon in there sipping tea and watching the world go by. I heartily recommend you pay it a visit if you’re in central Norwich!
For the record, the jumper in the top picture was knitted for me by my Nana sometime in the mid 90s from a vintage 60s pattern, and the hat is vintage from Mr Chicks Mum, so a bit of a family flavour to the outfit!
On Sunday I was booked in for yet more tea at The Library Bar & Grill for Norwich Fashion Week.
They’d organised a 50s style tea party in conjunction with local shop Daisy & Lola’s to include aĀ catwalk show of vintage and pin up style clothes from the shop.
It was the first event of this kind they’d put on and it did suffer a couple of teething issues! The sandwiches had evidently been left uncovered and were very stale, and, despite having a beautiful vintage tea cup on the table my tea order was taken and bought to me in a glass. I looked around and could see other people with tea pots, so I was a bit confused. I did a very un British thing and complained, and was promptly and uncomplainingly bought lovely fresh sandwiches and a nice pot of tea. So I think these were just little teething troubles really.
We were then treated to a catwalk show, featuring brands stocked in Daisy & Lola’s including Tara Starlet and Freddies of Pinewood, with typically lovely hair by Flamingo Amy.
Then.
CAKE!
We then went for a bit of an explore of the wonderful old building that the Library restaurant is housed in. It was the first public lending library in the UK and book shelves still line all the walls. It has a beautiful high ceiling with a gallery around the top of the main space. Amongst all this splendour, for reasons known only to my own tea and cake addled brain, I decided the best place to take an outfit photo was a semi darkened, abandoned room at the top of the building. Therefore, this is the best I can do to show you my carefully planned tea party outfit.
ā¤ Dress - Hobbs via a Charity Shop ā¤ Belt & Pearls - Vintage ā¤
ā¤ Stockings - WKD Back Seams ā¤ Shoes - Bertie via eBay ā¤ Gloves - Charity Shop ā¤
ā¤ Handbag - 1940s Vintage ā¤ Dress Clips - 30s Vintage ā¤
I was wearing my What Katie Did waist cincher, as I’ve managed to rip one of the clips off my trusty regular girdle, so despite a valiant effort I was unable to fit ALL that cake inside it. I had a jolly good go, but in the end the Library wrapped it up for me in a little handbag made of tinfoil and we took it home to enjoy that evening. Leaving all the lovely ladies behind enjoying cake and tunes from the Swing King.
12 Comments
I love a tea-and-cake-fest. We’ll most definitely pop by Biddy’s next time we’re up in Norwich!
Love your teaparty outfit: the gloves set it off wonderfully.
Oh definitely do. It’s so lovely!
Love the Hobbs dress. Your tales of tea have made want to eat scones.
What a lovely post! Biddy’s is on my list of places to visit when I’m next in Norwich. When did the city get so vintage-cool? It wasn’t as good when I was there (but then that was 15 years ago, haha!). Love the outfits too. I’ve seen a really pretty tea dress in Dorothy Perkins and have been umming and ahhing over whether yo buy it. I think I will now! x
It’s fabulous here now, there’s so much going on and everyone involved is so enthusiastic!
I had a similar weekend, my was all about tea, i went to Sheffield vintage fair on saturday then spent all of sunday drinking tea, sat on the sofa! my weekends five years ago was all about cider, oh how times have changed!
Oh I discovered Biddy’s Tearoom this weekend. Think it might be a new favourite too. I was going to blog about it too – you beat me to that too ha ha. Fab outfit at the Library xx Claire
Ha ha! Sorry! š
niiiice, I would so kill for some tea and cake right now, lovely comfort food.
Love the dress you wore to the event, beautiful flower print š
Nothing wrong with tea and cake – sounds perfect to me! And I had NO idea that Norwich had its own fashion week! How cool.
I love the fine china and mismatched chairs of the first place, Biddy’s. It’s the type of place I’d walk into and absolutely squeal!
The cakes and treats from the Library look amazing.
I am going to check out Biddy’s! I was disappointing a lot of the Norwich Fashion was based in The Library. For the reasons you mentioned above and a few more. I heard from people who were there that the fashion show was fabulous though, but I would say you were not alone in the food experience. x