Showcasing Shottery style!

At the age of 13, Mrs Cross (then Miss J-Lu) sat in a small room in Kendrick School, Reading, taking the 13+ in the presence of her own personal invigilator for a grammar school in Shakespeare Country. About six weeks later, the famille Lu moved into Lu Towers in Shottery, walking distance from said school. Stratford Girls' Grammar is where Mrs Cross spent many happy years - funny memories include playing an elaborate game of hide and seek/treasure hunt called "Safari Man" in the Manor gardens. The balcony of the Manor is rumoured to have inspired Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet.

Needless to say, there is a wealth of talent to be found at Shottery, and now my intake have all hit the magic 30-year-old birthdays and beyond, I had the chance to catch up with a few of my classmates to find out how they have been getting on and developing their careers. Among the Shottery collective, there are those that have gone into fashion and style, and with some great success. This blogpost highlights three fantastic ladies of the class of 2000; they are pretty modest about their skills though, so I felt it only right to sound some fanfare about them - and justly so!

Let me first introduce Anna Barnett, who owns Indoor Picnic based in the Antiques Centre (who doesn't reminisce about the sandwich board man-about-town...). Anna opened her shop in September 2011, where she sells her own "Love Scooney" products, alongside an array of antique and vintage china, retro-style fair-trade aprons by Sterck, mid-century refurbished furniture, and other lovely homeware and gifts. Anna has also ventured into silversmithing, encasing oddments of China in silver, producing unique pieces ranging from rings, pendants, bangles, cufflinks and more.

Next on the fashion parade is Kate Hawkridge of St Martin's College fame, who is an established graphic/textile print designer, working with household names such as Debenhams, New Look, Primark, Tesco and others while also working freelance for streetwear brands. This dual aspect to her business allows Kate to balance being commerical and cost-effective in design, while also maintaining her own original and graphic style. Kate also has her own Clumsy brand, selling unique homeware and accessories designed and made in England.

And finally, drumroll please for Bethany Jane Davies, who is a vintage make-up artist and hair stylist, creating fabulous looks from the 20s to the 60s. Bethany's team are able to create bespoke retro hair and make-up looks for private and corporate events, re-enactments, weddings, film sets and photo shoots. The pop-up salon can be hired wherever authentic vintage styling is desired.














I have often wondered what it might be like to run my own business, but the scaredy-cat inside me is just one of the many barriers that prevents me from doing so. Hats off and respect with a capital R to those that are able to set up on their own and make something of it. Shottery Style girls - we salute you!

*Bethany's photographs were taken by Madame Boudoir Photography Studio

Earl's Court - the perfect recovery to a sleepless night...

The blog is back! Yet again! My excuse for the sabbatical his time is Baby Cross, moving house, and Baby Cross again. How many nappy changes does one baby girl need? The right answer is too many! Still she is a lovely little girl and the way she nearly shuts her eyes when she smiles (just like Mummy...) just melts the heart.

Baby Cross is teething, cue sleepless nights for Mummy and Daddy Cross. The best method for recovery is to park baby with Grandad Cross and escape for a day out with partner-in-crime, Granny Cross to the Ideal Home Show.

There are often lots of opportunities to obtain or win free tickets to the show so keep an eye out on the ever excellent MoneySavingExpert for these freebies. Granny Cross and I were lucky enough to partake, though it is very much a fastest finger first affair, so do act quickly.

The show is going into its final weekend, closing on Sunday 30 March, and there are deals to be had. An outing to the Ideal Home Show is bound to conclude in copious unlikely purchases. One year, I returned with an order for an electric garage door, much to the admiration of my next-door neighbour. This year, Granny Cross and I intended on being more scrupulous and discerning purchasers, though whether we succeeded in this venture or not remains to be seen.

Often, IHS is a way of meeting entrepreneurs from far and wide who are more than happy to chat and persuade you to part with your hard-earned cash. Helen Fung from Happy Dragon, (who sources all her products from China) helped me to choose a linked purple jade necklace with silver joinery and fastenings. A piece of jade jewellery is bought to celebrate and mark important landmarks in your life such as marriage and the birth of a child. And corresponding lack of sleep...

A little while later, we came across a decent chap called Dermot Barry, who sold us a beautiful merino wool throw which can be used as a luxurious baby's blanket - warm in the winter and cool in the summer. The throw combines practicality, beauty and quality. And made to last.

Thinking again of Baby Cross, I bought a handmade hat and dungarees outfit from Seesaw, which makes designer children's clothing in Kent. Lovely pieces that are reversible, and more importantly, machine-washable.

Granny Cross was having thoughts about the other grandchildren and was hoping to spruce up their room in Senior Cross Towers. Walltastic has some fantastic wall murals and sticker sets that will instantly brighten up a child's room.

I must also use this opportunity to step away from show exhibitors to highlight the great work of Carren Lu at Artistic Touch. As a client of Carren's myself, I was thrilled with her work on our wedding stationery including a hand-painted seating plan, as well as a wonderful old-fashioned style Winnie the Pooh mural for the nursery.

Back to Earl's Court, and over on the ecolightings stand, we picked up an excellent tip from Tiger Kang on washing crystal chandeliers with white vinegar. He advised that this was in preference to trying out all-singing and all-dancing crystal cleaners which often proved to be expensive and disappointing in their results.

Stopping off for an ice cream, we came across Salcombe Dairy with its delicious choice of scrumptious and sophisticated flavours. In its waffle cone, I greedily scoffed a scoop of honeycomb crunch and choc choc flake.

Needing a present for Mr Cross to get me out of trouble for a hard day's shopping, I rushed over to Val Elvis at Celtic Spirit Co to sample a 12-year-old whiskey. I myself am not a whiskey drinker - my husband has an extensive collection, but somehow I could appreciate the silky smoothness of the the tipple and merrily purchased a bottle.

Finally, the Edinburgh Natural Skincare Company do skin products in genuine Kilner jars with ingredients tested by chemists to ensure maximum efficacy. Their geranium cream was a firm favourite, so much so that one pot had to come home with me. The skin is still soft hours after application, as I can well testify.

Overall, the Ideal Home Show offers a fun day out with shopping options galore. As we boarded the tube to go home, many a happy customer joined us with bags in hand. Exhausting, yes, and maybe not the ideal antidote to a sleepless night, but a worthwhile and satisfying one all the same.

A lady can learn a lot in three years...

Dear audience of web version suitable for the 22nd century

On reviewing my blogs over the last three years, I decided to repost a blog post I published over three years ago when I first had the luck of meeting Yevgeny at Margaret Court in Tiddington. Margaret Court is named after Auntie Margaret who is the wife of Uncle Bob. Uncle Bob is a true gentleman and when I once aided his political campaign to lead the Lib Dems out of their plight in the local area, he only did it because he wanted to make a difference, and not to fuel ambition. I myself would never be a good poltician as Nick Clegg's wife might believe as law and politics do not mix very well. Peaceful co-existence is not the phrase that comes to mind! Rather a battle of wills.

However, in a war of attrition, I think I would beat the best of them - my favourite British policy is "wait-and-see" which has stood the test of time. Those who do not learn the lessons of history are doomed to repeat them as my wise history teacher, Mrs Willis once remarked. She also said something about the great mass of filthy unwashed, which had me in hysterics, as it sounded much like London on a very hot day!

Anyway I am rambling now and repost my thoughts to you below.

This one's for you Yevgeny!

********

During a lovely weekend stay back in Stratford-upon-Avon at Lu headquarters, Uncle Bob and Auntie Margaret invited us to be their guests at a piano recital of the young and rather promising Russian pianist, Yevgeny Sudbin. Already hailed as one of the most talented musicians of the 21st century, my expectations were high. And I was not disapppointed.

Everyone loves Chopin. And particular Sudbin's interpretations of the mazurkas and ballades. His technique is rather impeccable and his manner is vibrant and energetic, though under a degree of considerable control. It was unfortunate that it appeared as though the piano did not meet with Sudbin's standards, remarking politely later at tea that the piano "had once been very good". Note to the Civic Hall that perhaps they might consider an upgrade...

I am a bit of a groupie, so while I was waiting for him to unwrap my CD before signing it, we had a little chat about this and that. He doesn't like Alitalia, flew with BA recently from Holland but was unaffected by the strikes, enjoys yoga and would like to find more time for the gym, but can't and generally seems like a very amiable chap. When I asked him to write "practice makes perfect" in my CD, he said in a bemused fashion "Well it doesn't always".

Sudbin appeared a little tired while we bantered. In the middle of a world tour, off to the states next, this 30-year-old wonder seemed weary, though not wary. He indulged me in my funny questions and attempts at banter, and actually I think he did rather well.

You can catch Sudbin at the Queen Elizabeth Hall on 25 March playing the same programme as heard in Stratford upon Avon, or at the Royal Festival Hall on 15 April when he performs Shostakovich's second piano concerto with the Philarmonia Orchestra.

Tune in next time for more cultural chit-chat. Until the next time...

High flying adored

It's been a long time since I blogged, and now I am back. You will be relieved to know that I am not going to lead a hate campaign against a certain Spanish bank that must-not-be-named, nor will I mention a very awful supermarket that rhymes with UNESCO, instead I am flying the flag for saving the pennies and revealing my patriotic side in this glorious Jubilee year.

First off, saving the pennies. What is the one luxury that you cannot possibly live without? When the chips are down and the banks are printing more money just to make the world go round, I would say the one material thing I could not go without is a good holiday. Buyer beware, or caveat emptor as we lawyers might say. A cheap holiday may leave you with a whole lot more than you bargained for.

Take for example a flight with a low-cost carrier. More often than not, these airlines employ a "stealth pricing strategy" involving added charges for hold baggage, seats together, so-called priority boarding (have you ever seen us Chinese queuing???) and don't even get me started on expensive food. The cruellest and most evil thing anyone can do on a plane is to order one of those overpriced ham and cheese toasties, or a bacon sarnie and smile sweetly as the scent wafts gently down the aisle of the aircraft. Enough said.

Anyway, by the time you have paid for all these added extras, you may as well have gone with a regular airline, got your free paper, drunk your bubbles, thank you very much, and not had to wear a jacket that doubles up as a suitcase. Besides, the flight times with these more traditional fleets generally tends to be more civilised so travelling is just less stressful.

On our recent trip to China, Mr Cross insisted we pay for Premium Economy as he is six foot tall and played American Football at university (it's called college football for those in the know, and it's called a lid and not a helmet in case you were wondering!). On the return journey, I was so exhausted and stressed out from the 16-day tour, that I made up my mind that I was going to get us a complimentary upgrade to Club. If you don't know me, as many of you don't, you will soon learn that when I decide to do something, I don't do it by halves. All or nothing as the croupier might shout.

The short version of the story is that it took me 30 minutes of refusing to budge from the check-in desk, my best Sportmax coat, a lot of charm and patience, and a combination of English, fluent Cantonese and conversational Mandarin, and sheer dogged determination, and after that half hour, I emerged floating in a bubble, not quite believing I had done it, but I had. And no, it didn't cost me the 11,000RMB per person I was quoted from the outset. It cost me some time, possibly one grey hair (Mr Cross can pull it out at a later date), and a few glares from some staff and fellow passengers, and all I can say is that for the 13-hour flight back to Terminal 5, it was the best deal I have struck thus far. Well I don't count my marriage contract - there are some that may say that Mr Cross has done a deal with a little red devil.

Call me what you like, but just remember this: DON'T CALL ME JANE!!!

Vintage at Southbank

It was a fun Friday lunchtime today when Lady Cross and her pals found themselves wandering around the wonderful stalls at Vintage at Southbank.

There are some amazing finds, fabulous frocks and wonderful people, all of whom are friendly and willing to sell. Here is a quick preview of some of the best.

My favourite jewellery stall was bobbin & bow, with this hummingbird necklace being a choice pick. The jeweller was inspired by her grandmother, who was also a designer. All the pieces are handmade and extremely wearable as well as being beautiful.

In terms of big-hearted personalities, one big hit with the girls was Galina Sherri. She is a stylist extraordinaire and has record-label musicians on her books. Her amazing emporium of goodies included a pair of open-toe Ferragamos (sadly size 4.5), mother-of-pearl antique cuffs and a gorgeous array of clothes to suit any discerning vintage buff.

And when it's time to stop for tea, when who better to call than Mrs Stokes. Lovely tea sets at affordable prices, including great names such as Royal Albert and Webster. But that's not all. Mrs Stokes offers a china hire service, haberdashery, cake-plates and stands and even tea parties.

After all, a nice cup of English breakfast always tastes better in fine china. Why not make it vintage?

Lady Cross seals the deal

Hi all

I thought I would share with you a quick hint about how to save money when making purchases, by sharing a recent shopping experience with you. I am not sure whether it is because of my non-practising lawyer status, or because of my Chinese heritage, but when purchasing items, I always remember the number one rule of negotiation - never accept a first offer.

Take for example the approach I took to buying a piece of jewellery for a close relative's special birthday. The piece that I picked out was not in the sale, and was priced at over £200. I sent a polite e-mail to customer services asking if they could offer me a discount code as I was buying a present for a 60th birthday. I pointed out that the item I wished to buy was not reduced, was retailing at a couple of hundred, and I would really appreciate any help they could offer me in relation to a special deal. A couple of days later, a very friendly and happy e-mail from a customer services adviser from H Samuel offered me an online code with a 15% discount. I also benefitted from cashback from my favourite cashback site Quidco (have you seen their latest advert on TV?).

I spoke to a friend at work about my success and she said she felt she could not bring herself to ask such a thing of a salesperson. I do have sympathy with that. If you feel uncomfortable about asking, then just don't. And to be honest, if you have that kind of vibe as you nervously ask Mr-Shiny-Shoes-in-a-Suit for a deal (while avoiding eye contact), the chances are that you will probably not strike gold. My friend agreed however that the worst response she could receive was a no. Which is true. And it is their prerogative to say no after all, so be prepared for that.

The key thing is to be polite, firm and non-abusive (non-abusive is important). After all, the staff are there to serve you and they probably make commission from your sale, so if they can help you commit to the sale with an incentive, then it is win-win situation - the best outcome in a negotiation scenario.

I know at times, customer service can be frustrating (you know my history with Santander), but at the end of the day, these people we encounter are not personally responsible for the bad experiences you have had. To be fair, sometimes they add to your irritation by being rude when you complain, which only exacerbates the situation, but generally I like to think that people are not horrible and do not have anything better to do then make your life a misery. Or has my foray from the steely legal sphere into the world of legal publishing left me soft and less cynical?

I'll let you be the judge of that.

Wedding touch

Hello!

In the spirit of Royal Wedding madness, I am going to introduce you to Wedding Touch, a business venture of our friend Carren, who helped us on our special day. Check out her portfolio at http://www.theweddingtouch.blogspot.com/ which includes some pictures from our wedding.

Place cards, menus, table plans - all tailored to your specific wishes. My sister got our guests to sign their table menu which is a lovely wedding keepsake from the day. The table plan is beautifully framed and has pride of place in the study. I am particularly pleased about the table plan as each table was named after a Shakespeare play (well - our wedding was in Stratford upon Avon!) and Carren found old-fashioned pictures from each play and used them as watermark backgrounds for each table, with the guests names printed on top. The big "Jane-May and Graham" in the centre was handpainted.

Carren's magical touch in attention to detail, and quality and beauty of design was the icing on the cake (!) and providing the perfect finishing touch to our wedding day.

Have fun this Royal Wedding bank holiday weekend guys and gals - enjoy the sunshine! And maybe even enjoy planning your own wedding with Wedding Touch!