If you were wondering what is the same price as a family car, a lot more fun, and infinitely more beautiful, try this Alphabet tapestry by Peter Blake. My friends William and Maggie (of French’s Dairy fame) had first told me about the Blake tapestry months ago, but it was only the other day that I got to see my first Blake Alphabet up close. At a quiet £15,000 plus VAT, I don’t think we will be stocking Blake in the shop too soon. A more modest alternative might be John Derian’s Red Letters, or Phil Abel’s ever increasing Gill Sans series of letterpress printed posters… but in the meantime, can we all dream together of Alphabets by Mr Blake?

My best friends Jane and Johnny Holland have just embarked on an amazing project in the beautiful Dorset village of Powerstock. Over the next two or three years, they will be building their own house and restoring a series of ancient farm buildings on a wonderful 6 acre farm on the edge of the village. Jane’s kitchen dresser is the home of six of our Hunslet footed mugs, and very nice they are too for a cup of nescafe on a sunny morning on the building site.

I have a house a little drive away in Long Bredy. And this is the view on the way to Jane and Johnny’s – Eggardon Hill, on the chalk uplands east of Bridport. On a summers evening, I think it is true to say it is one of my favourite places on earth. I hope that more Dorset news may follow. For now, wouldn’t you rather be on Eggardon Hill?

A little while ago, Bridie saw this photograph in the archive section of the Times Newspaper. We were quietly happy to see something almost exactly like our shop shutters, which we carefully designed with our lovely Polish builder Adam when we restored the shop front last November. The photograph, taken in London in the middle of the 1940 Blitz, sums up something rather special, I think.  And we will be stocking Men’s Half Hose quite soon.

Due to popular demand we have extended the duration of  Elaine’s photographic exhibiton for another fortnight; the closing date is now Saturday 30 May. The reception the work has been getting from our customers and passers by has been very positive, many making the comment that it is refreshing to see such fine art images displayed in an environment outside of a gallery.

“Elaine Duigenan’s intriguing photographic images re-contextualise hairnets and stockings, transforming these resolutely feminine accoutrements into strange, eerily beautiful artefacts. “

This exhibition is a rare opportunity to view framed and boxed editioned prints from Elaine’s new series Nylon and Net.

Elaine has exhibited widely internationally. Both series were solo shows in Houston and Boston in January 2009. Two of Elaine’s photographs are in the National Collection at the V&A Museum, and on May 16th these go on display as part of the re-launch of the History of Photography Gallery. Running concurrently with our show, Elaine’s images will feature in an exhibition at her gallery in NewYork, making a timely connection - since the word ‘nylon’ derives from ‘New York - LONdon’.

Elaine often pops into the shop to see how things are going and is always happy to talk about her work. To mark the end of the exhibition we have organised for her to give a brief lecture  about her inspiration and the process she goes through to make such wonderful images.

Please join us at 6.00pm on Thursday 28 May to hear Elaine discuss her work ‘in conversation’, over a glass of wine.We hope to see you there!