A question I’m asked a lot is – primary school teacher to baker and vintage crockery provider, how did that happen? Well the exact ins and outs of that question belong in another post but as for my love of vintage crockery that’s pretty straight forward.
Over the years, I’ve had plenty of time to unpick my vintage sensibilities and I can say with certainty that they can be traced back to the influence of my very lovely nan.
As a child and then teenager I spent many a half term holiday with my nan. We spent our time together watching old Hollywood movies, immersing ourselves in the fashion, music and glamour of the 1930’s and 1940’s. She would tell me stories of the dances that she’d attend as a young girl and fondly remember corsages and strapless evening gowns and I would sit and listen in awe.
We’d swoon over impeccably dressed leading men and glamorous leading ladies. Her favourites were Gene Kelly and Bette Davies. Mine were Carry Grant and Katherine Hepburn and Gregory Peck and Carmen Miranda and Rita Hayworth and Audrey Hepburn and Myrna Loy and the list goes on and on!!
Our movie watching would be accompanied by tea and biscuits in china cups. The marrying of these tangible objects and the sights and sounds of the 1930’s and 1940’s were visceral and so my fascination with vintage began around the age of eight and a half.
Don’t get me wrong I’m a
thoroughly modern girl: I can barely function without a pair of trainers on my feet. So as I got older I found that it was the everyday glamour that I liked best, putting your best foot forward with a beautiful red lip (or in my case deep pink) and a nice frock – that’s the kind of vintage glamour I’ve found myself emulating over the years.
But it is the tea and biscuits in china cups that has never left me. It led on to collecting vintage cups and saucers and then to creating Rosie Lee and Cake, a catering business specialising in afternoon tea and now with Bristol Vintage my life is surrounded by beautiful vintage crockery.
I will remain eternally grateful to my nan for introducing me to the glamour of bygone eras and now and again when I host an afternoon tea pop up and Glen Miller appears on an event playlist he is there in memory of her – Rita – my lovely nan.
Lisa x