A Frozen Moment of Time Warmly Recalled

A warm hello to anyone who finds their way to these words, the first of the New Year, and well done for making it this far - and, to start the only way we know, this will be a retrospective look back at the last bit of last year. In other words, this is a late post posing as a round up. No resolve to be more timely will change the habits of this old cat!

Had we been awarded an honour by Her most gracious Majesty in the New Year's throng of gongs, we would have been elevated to an Ear LOBE (*thanks to Simon of Croydon for that cracker gag*) but we console ourselves about the oversight with the totally unexpected prize of having had the best New Year's Eve ever that saw our view elevated if not our status.

Now that doesn't set the bar very high, "best New Year's Eve ever", as there have been some properly shabby ones. So we set expectations manageably low, by deciding to stick with a low-key, local celebration. As I walked to the studio along the Lambeth Walk a few days prior, a poster invited me to bring one, bring all, to a party at the Chandlers Community Hall (its name a nod to the days when the ships of the Thames got their supplies from the streets around here)  on Dec 31st - for £2.50 inc. buffet! The troops were consulted and all the brave hearts were in - 'though to ward off gastronomic disappointment we did decide to pre-bouffe chez nous. The pulsing nucleus of Bedlam appeared with contributions for the table before we waddled over to the hall.  Even Brian came along. And there we found the true bedrock of the Lambeth Walk - the old residents gathered with their families. It appeared that the dj, too, collected his free bus pass quite some years past and I have to say, that new fad for "mixing" really throws away the build up of anticipation you get with a ninety second gap between each record. We loved it.

There was a raffle in which our youngest won a Terry's Chocolate Orange, that I wasn't sure was even made anymore, and I scooped a bottle of Radox bubble bath. Drunk on that success we took our leave of the vintage assembly that we hope sees in many more new years. A day earlier, we had bumped into Wiggy the Carpenter on Walnut Tree Walk. He kindly asked us to watch the midnight fireworks from the roof of the old Housing Association for which he had lately found the key... for "the doorway to a place of enchantment."

And what a view we had! Big Ben that keeps faithful time for us was upright straight ahead with his face glowing gold; in the middle the Millennium wheel (already, canubelievit, almost old enough to drive!) offered us bouquet after bouquet of shimmering fluorescence; and to the right the Shard sent laser greetings to whoever was watching in outer space.

For next year, we might replot the tree that was the only thing between us and the gunpowder but really, there was not one thing to bemoan. Up amongst the Victorian chimney pots we felt like Mary Poppins and and her sooty beau Bert so toasted the infant MMXV with a verse of Chim Chiminee Chim Chim Cheree Chim Cheroo. And let me assure you, "nowhere was there a more happier crew!"

Up where the smoke is all billowed & curled,
'tween pavement and stars is the Bedlamites' world.
When there's hardly no day and hardly no night,
There's things half in shadow and half way in light.
On the rooftops of London... coo, what a sight!

All together now!!....https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xyzrKJAu9Rk

Big Ben at the back; from left to right, Kevin, ambience co-ordinator in chief; myself, Lady C; friend & client Richard; Bedlam's Global Area Desk Tidier Tim; Ian, our Auxiliary Graphic Dept; the Sisters Carr, the graceful caryatids that hold up the Temple of Bedlam; and Protector of Brand Identity, Piers. For a change, Mr Wesley was behind the camera!

The Shard beams into space with the dome of old Bedlam to its left.

That was a schmokin' night!

The Italianate beauty of the Victorian Housing Association on the same street as our studio. Wiggy had us all back to his for further revelry. His carpentry workshop is built around a tree in his back garden.

So far, then, so up to date, but rewind the camera to the closing days of July and you would find us in the yard at Bedlam Mews gathered for the photograph commissioned for their third anniversary edition by Jocks & Nerds, arguably the coolest magazine on the planet -https://www.jocksandnerds.com

The idea was to recreate a photograph so iconic that it has its own Wikipedia entry. Known as "A Great Day In Harlem" it captured a perfect storm / moment in time of a collection of some of the greatest jazz cats of... ever:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/A_Great_Day_in_Harlem_(photograph)

This is it:

To do the job they engaged legendary lens woman Jill Furmanovsky, yet further compliment. Rather than list the enormous amount of iconic pictures she has shot of iconic musicians, I'll give you the link to some of her work:
http://www.rockarchive.com/jill-furmanovsky-prints.html
She has taken portraits of everyone: Duke Ellington, Miles Davis, Bob Marley and perhaps our Nile's favourite ever photo of him with Bernard and the Chic ladies at the Apollo Hammersmith in 1979:

She also took this famous image of Roger Daltrey at the Rainbow in 1972:

As you will see in the last blog, we made some clobber for Roger last year so we were hoping to have  both him and Nile, and Goldie, and some other busy peeps, in the group shot but if you have ever tried to coordinate a few of your mates for a get-together and found it a teeth-gnashing trial, try co-ordinating the diaries of international megastars to make themselves available for a certain day. Nile wrote endearingly, "Hey Mark, unfortunately it's absolutely impossible for me to be there, and it's a shame because that really is one of the best photos of CHIC ever!.. and I'd love to be there to be with you and the genius who took that shot...N",  but we were honoured by a magnificent turn out of clients / friends including local hero Andrew Roachford, crime writer supreme Jake Arnott, MOBO winner Soweto Kinch, Theo Jackson (Bedlam's bad ass musical ambassador); Dave Swift, Steve Murray, Simon Willis, Mr. Harrop from't Mill (Huddersfield Fine Worsteds), Selin and baby Henry, my Ma & Pa, Mark's oldest son Harry, cousin Cayenne, a heap of my godchildren - Marcello & Mathilde, Tommy & Bonnie, Ingmar Patton (great grandson of General P whose graduation suit is currently under construction), Jakub our handsome house model, Vivienne and her handsome brood, and even two horses from the Vauxhall City Farm with their lovely ladies. My god-daughter Mathilde sat atop Molly and Marcela Curbishley (a fine equestrian and wife of Roger's manager Bill) sat upon the other, Pimms. She has a fine horse called Duchess that you may recognise from the leaderboard of the Horse of the year Show, so we thought it would be funny to have her on a proper Lambeth cobb. 

Jill works extraordinarily fast - part of her appeal to the busy rock god - and she had a little team from Hasselblad to assist. Soweto brought his sax, Andy Davies brought his trumpet, as did Jay Phelps while young Noah brought his trombone. Dave Swift brought his double bass (you may have spotted him in the Christmas TV ad for Asda with Jools and the rest of the band, wearing our suit). My heart supplied the percussion when they all started to play and I wondered if the horses might spook and someone lose a tooth. other than one relived itself rather too near Mr Murray for his comfort, they were statues of good behaviour.

There are so many photographs that I shall direct you to the album I made earlier in time honoured TV cookery style:

https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.710267742344179.1073741955.157642327606726&type=3

And here is the shot that the magazine chose:

I have to run home for dinner now before we go to the closing night of the Vauxhall Pleasure Ground Ice Rink, but I shall return later to put up some more images from that wonderful day that caught so perfectly what we are about - a democracy of style and syncopated harmony. We are truly grateful to Jill, and Marcus the Ed. and Mr Webster at the magazine for making it happen. We later got to reciprocate in a small way by taking Jill to meet Nile where she presented him with a print of that moment in time most dear to him, so everybody came away smiling.

Back in a bit, so if you read this early addition, do please check back for the later amendments, in between having the Best Year of Your Lives, with health and happiness in rare abundance. Our thanks  for your enthusiasm and support, it is our very succour.

Caroline & Mark

The Kennel Club

It appears we have become a quarterly periodical. It is nigh on three months since the last post and one's tail is between one's legs. Yes, we're in the Dog House - and not, contrary to what you might expect, the public house of that name in Kennington (though saying that, we did pop in to deliver the new Guv'nor's "Alfie" whistle, inspired by a youthful Michael Caine). http://www.thedoghouselondon.com
What do I plead? Only that I prefer to post a story with a wet nose, a tummy and a tail; a beginning, a middle and an end, rather than leave you hanging for a conclusion.
But some things just can't be hurried.
Anyway, here's what one wears in the Dog House these days, a "tonic" mohair sharkskin - for that smooth look with bite. Real mussel shell buttons, too. On the right, Anthony's "Alfie" suit:

So to get on with the catching up, one afternoon, during the Dog Days of summer, a gentleman arrived for his first appointment. We asked the usual question - who or what had brought him to us? "Jools Holland recommended you," he replied.
For our visitor was Dave Swift, Jool's bass player of twenty-five years and counting.
"That's extremely nice of him," we said, "Not least as we haven't made him anything!"
"Well what's he *$%^£* well doing recommending something he hasn't tried?!"
A perfectly reasonable challenge. We managed to persuade him to stay with the help of grappling irons and the net over the door. He couldn't make a speedy escape down the steep stairs of our studio as he had brought along his dog house bass, an upright bespoke made for him by another South London craftsman, Roger Dawson of Deptford. He wanted to demonstrate the scope of movement required when he takes the curvaceous beauty in his arms. http://www.daveswiftbass.com

He must have been at least half happy with his suit as he promptly put in an order for the next one and invited us to see Jools' band at Hampton Court Palace. It was a golden evening in early June, and the open air courtyard glowed in the sunset. I waved to the ghost of Alice, my great grandmother, who had lived in a "grace & favour" apartment under the clock tower.

My great grandmother Alice lived under the clock which must have been a bit noisy. Anyway there was a joyful racket the night we were there

Before they went on stage we drank their rider in the house provided for the band, as a mere dressing "room" could not accommodate their number.

I went dressed as Axl Rose, for no particular reason

Bill & Marcela Curbishley, Jools Holland, Mr Wesley and Dave Swift

Prior to that night, we had celebrated Mr Wesley's birthday on June 1st at another open air event - "Songs in the Key of London". This was organised organised by Chris Difford (Jools' old bandmate from Squeeze, for whom we are also making a suit) to benefit the Elton John AIDS Foundation in the Regents Park amphitheatre. We give joint honours for the night to the Strypes http://thestrypes.com, who rocked out, and to Gregory Porter, who sang a most tender version of "A Nightingale Sang in Berkeley Square". Dave was with us that evening and introduced us to Alfred, who is making a documentary film about Gregory http://www.gregoryporter.com. We swapped information and said we'd get together at some point.

Meanwhile some international football tournament came and went, and the poppies opened in the wildflower meadow in the Imperial War Museum, now itself reopened, to inspire a silk / linen jacket for Steve:

Pocket detail

Another linen jacket, this one made for Grant, was lined in saucy silk (found at http://www.biddlesawyersilks.com), as sensuous as diving into a tub of ice cream. What appears to be frost flakes are, on closer inspection, licentious ladies in the throes of a Busby Berkeley routine:

Someone else who fancied a linen suit was Roger Daltrey - 'The colour of 'airy string" was his precise brief and we found that under another name in the Scabal "Vintage Linen" book: http://www.scabal.com

We had the fitting at his manager's office, for the suit and coat we have made Roger were presents from Bill. Bill had imagined Roger would choose a traditional, dark worsted suit and expressed an opinion that linen can get, well, crumpled. But that is part of its intrinsic cool.
"I LIKE the crumples," retorted Roger, "I"M a bit crumpled."http://thewho.com

Roger had also fancied the look of the "Clancey" coat that Mr Wesley was wearing when we first met him. Pointing at it, he proclaimed, "I'll have that". So we recreated it in the same Harris Tweed http://www.harristweed.org  but custom printed the lining with the help of our pals at Hatley Print, http://www.hatleyprint.co.uk/Hatley_Print_Digital/Hatley_Print.html, to make it very much his own:

We were properly privileged to see Roger perform with Wilko Johnson at Shepherd's Bush Empire way back in February and delighted to see the huge success of their record "Going Back Home" which has my most darling drummer Dylan Howe bashing the skins http://dylanhowe.com.

But an even bigger cause for celebration is the news that Wilko's original "hopeless" diagnosis may have been mis-delivered. We sincerely hope and pray that is the case and look forward to the follow up release.

Wilko Johnson and Roger Daltrey on stage at the Shepherd's Bush Empire

Love this photo of Bill Curbishley, Mr Wesley & Norman Watt-Roy, bass legend of the Blockheads and now Wilko 

When Dylan Howe first turned up at my jam to play he wasn't strictly, in an uptight, legal sense, old enough to be there #proud

Wishing a long and happy life to both these gentlemen

Thanks to my old RADA class mate, our friend Helen Patton, grand-daughter of the General who made a name for himself in the First World War before making a legend of himself in the Second, we were invited to Highclere Castle on August 3rd for the century commemorations. We took along Ma Butler as she bears more than a passing resemblance to Shirley Maclaine and we thought we might sit her in a booth and sell faux-tographs to people excited to be at the location of some telly programme called "Downton Abbey". 

Mr Wesley chats to Ingmar Patton, our one-time intern, on the driveway of Highclere Castle

.

Ma Butler, me in the new Bedlam tricorn straw hat, and Mr Wesley

Tiger Moth engines clattered in sky over the ramparts

Tiger Moths dog fighting in the sky

As we left, Tiger Moth bi-planes did a thrilling demonstration dog fight in the sky but we had to get back... to collect the Puppy of Peace.

Yes, we sped back to London to give this story its tail. After weeks of waiting and watching him grow with the litter at the Royal Oak pub behind our studio, we finally got to bring Brian home. Named in honour of our dear friend Brian Leitch, suddenly and unexpectedly lost to us on July 8th in Los Angeles, we hope some of Brian's kind and witty spark transferred to this bright little soul.

First meeting with Brian - I called his name over the sleeping litter and he opened his eyes, scrambled over the snoring bodies of his siblings and came to me

Brought home when he was old enough to leave his mummy & daddy. That's us now.

Brian Edward de Bedlam comes to the studio with us every day and pretty much every where we go he tags along. And exudes charm and other substances, some of them liquid, some of the solid. 

A few days after he had joined our household, we received a phone call at 8.00 am on August 8th from Alfred, whom we had met at Regent's Park on Mr Wesley's birthday. He asked if we could make a dinner jacket for Gregory Porter to wear that night at the BBC Proms "Battle of the Big Bands" as he had just got off a plane without his. We regretted that we could not work that fast. They asked if we had a sample in his size - which is as substantial as his talent, at 6'5". I was about to give them a number for Moss Bros when I remembered through the early morning haze that we still had lovely Dolf Sweerts' dinner jacket hanging on the rail. My first call was to him, to ask if we fancied vicariously performing at the Royal Albert Hall that night. With typically generous good humour he said of course, as long as he had it back by Wednesday. And so we delivered Dolf's jacket backstage at the RAH and Gregory looked and sounded magnificent in it.

Mr Wesley with Gregory Porter, backstage at the Royal Albert Hall

Gregory on stage in Dolf's dinner jacket

The next morning we arrived at the hotel to retrieve it and took Brian along in his basket. Gregory showed his appreciation of us having helped him out in a jam by ordering a three-piece suit and an extra waistcoat in, what else, Puppy Tooth check (son of Hound's Tooth).

Gregory Porter gets cuddly with Brian the puppy

The Puppy Tooth check Gregory chose from the latest  J&J Minnis bunch, Worsted Alsport II

Next to touch down was our own Nile Rodgers, in London to be reunited with Duran Duran http://www.duranduran.com and to work on their new album. We were honoured that he wished to give them, and Mark Ronson, a selection of our t-shirts So we presented ourselves at the studio and John Taylor came out to the reception, scooped up Brian and led us into the recording suite. Nile didn't stay too long as he had to have his latest cancer check on Harley Street - which we are relieved to report came back all clear. So he left the band to deal with the puppy pandemonium. Simon Le Bon next had his cuddles before offering Nick Rhodes his moment with Brian. Nick was occupied with his laptop and replied that he was alright, thanks. "What's the matter with you? Don't you like dogs?" demanded his band mates.

"Yes I like dogs, I just don't need one right now," was his response, and, indeed, his prerogative. So someone placed Brian on the cushion next to him. And of course, moments later, a river of wee rolled towards Mr. Rhodes.

Brian whispers to Simon; Nile in the background.

Nile in his Bedlam "Palio" jeans which we think he's taken off since he received them, but not much! Afterwards he posted, "I've just had a great week recording in Duran Duran's studio. I think we're closer than we've ever been."

Really extremely cute. And the puppy's not bad neither.

So there we have it, a Dog Blog with a wet nose, a warm round tummy, and a waggily tail. 

There is, however, a sad coda to this edition - we have referenced above two people, Wilko and Nile, who fought cancer and are thankfully now in remission. It was with great sadness that we learnt in June that our client Andy Wilson was not so lucky. We met him three times only, on the day he came to choose his fabric; at his fitting (after which he went straight to hospital for an operation); and on the day he came to collect it. So only three occasions, but we were honoured to know him at an extraordinarily intense, heightened time for him and his family. Although he was visibly weak, we were heartened to see the pleasure it gave him to take his finished jacket. Last week we saw Andy's wife Emma and she told us that their son is now wearing it for his dad. We hope it serves him well. 

Mr Wesley with Andy & Emma Wilson.  We take this memory of him smiling from our last meeting.