Bunny hops round Norfolk

Hi There

How time flies; half term has passed with various trips and activities to occupy us and keep me from the blog!  On Valentine's day I surprised Deadman, not with the bat wing glasses, but with fish and chips for two at a local pub. He was happy, especially when he overheard other diners discussing his favourite programme; Bargain Hunt.

Last Sunday we joined Bunny in one of his two favourite Norfolk activities; visiting the beach. He left his favourite haunt of Cromer and ventured onto Wells beach. It was a beautifully mild day and the sea was faintly visible in the distance. Deadman junior walked with a small amount of fuss (an achievement).  

Al Bowlly

Bunny's other Norfolk pastime is pursuing vintage bargains either by ferreting in charity and antique shops or hanging round the sale rooms in Aylsham. He has a fine collection of vintage records and a Dansette turntable to play them on, one of his favourite musicians is Al Bowlly.

We have just watched the last in the series of BBC's "Ripper Street"; a drama following the police of Whitechapel in 1889. They really seem to capture the feeling and certainly get the glasses correct. Have you noticed it's the baddies who wear them? Is it like the American films where the badddies are always English? The dodgy psychiatrist Dr Karl Crabb had a good pair of gold round eyes. I didn't trust him from the start, he was far too involved with one patient.

My favourite character has to be Jackson the American surgeon with a spurious past (all the characters seem to have those). He is good at his job and a bit naughty too, just like Deadman.

Bunny and I do like a good bit of period angst and swap DVDs excitedly, we are fairly flexible on time periods; Victorian to mid twentieth century. Atonement was a big favourite of Bunny's but we suspect that Keira Knightly may have been the main draw. The Deadman however rolls his eyes at all this emotional turmoil; that is for girls, he prefers intrigue. 

TTFN Mrs Deadman

Call the Midwife and spot the cool glasses

Hi there
This week, in honour of Shrove Tuesday we have been partaking in a bit of seasonal pancake tossing. Here at Dead Men's Spex we do not like to miss an opportunity to enjoy our food so Deadman Junior and I whipped up a batter with eggs from our chickens. Yes, they realise that spring is on the way even if the weather isn't very promising. Dead man took to the frying pan; he is a man of many talents.

We are looking  forward to the weekend so we can indulge ourselves with some Sunday night TV drama, namely "Call the Midwife" set in Poplar in the East End of  London in the1950s. The story lines and music are good and there's a fair smattering of great glasses. There is even a story line where Sister Bernadette opts for a new pair of 1950's upswept Supra frames to replace her broken old round eye pair. In 1958 the new pair would have been her own glasses and not NHS frames which were very utilitarian. This seems a little frivoluous for a nun, but then she is out to impress the doctor.

Miranda Hart who plays the likeable but clumsy Chummy has a pair of round eyes, these could have been from the NHS but she is more likely to have bought them herself as she is from quite a well to do family. 

Sister Evangelina (Pam Ferris) was definitely following fashion when she was seen on her rounds in sunglasses. These were a luxury as most people did not have sunglasses prior to the 1950s

Valentine's Day for glasses lovers

Hi There
Despite more cold weather love is in the air and Valentine's day is on Thursday 14th February - of course. Being an incurable romantic I do like Valentine's day, in my youth I was a florist and it was my favourite busy time; full of excitement and promise. You never know, Deadman could surprise me!!?

American Optical heart shaped frames

The Deadman has recently sold a great frame just in time for Valentine's and being vintage they were a one off, but Deadman Junior and I have created our own version, made from faux racoons' tails. They are fully glazeable (with clingfilm) 

Mrs Deadman's heart shaped frames 

I also had a rifle through the Deadman's drawers (he is still recovering) and I found a very sexy frame ideal for those steamy nights in. They are from his collection and not for sale, sorry girls! This is not the first time these frames have been seen in public, Fleur de Guerre writer of Diary of a Vintage Girl has modelled them for us.

1950's black cocktail glasses 

 I hope you find your heart's desire, a look at our website could help, or in my case chocolate takes a lot of beating, (If you're listening Deadman.)

TTFN Mrs Deadman

Monocles; a style statement.

Hello there,

Patrick Moore the much loved astronomer died in December 2012 aged 89. He was as famous for his monocle as he was for sharing his passionate enthusiasm about astronomy.

Evolving from the hand held quizzing lens, monocles became fashionable from the late 18th century, soon becoming a regular accessory of the Dandy.

Victorian monocles were usually made of rolled gold, often being fitted with a raised gallery on their back edge. The gallery aided in the wearing of the monocle by keeping it clear of lashes and supporting it between the brow and cheek, for more comfort. Wealthy customers had them tailor made so they fitted perfectly.

Unfortunately, monocles experienced a fall from grace due to their popularity with German military officials - a group most people wanted to distance themselves from after World War II.

Now after 70 years the monocle is seeing a renaissance. Luckily, at Dead Men's Spex we sell modern galleried monocles complete with cord and reading lens for £28.50 and original vintage Victorian rolled gold monocles as and when we can source them.

TTFN Mrs Deadman

      

                                                 

Miss Frosty makes her debut.

Hi There
We are very excited here as we are now living in a Winter Wonderland, it was minus 12 in Norwich on Tuesday night! Deadman Junior had two days off school and we have been playing. We created a lovely new model, Miss Frosty, and introduced Mortimer to the joys of snow, he's not overly keen on it, more of a man about town than a rustic type.

Miss Frosty

 Mortimer out of his comfort zone

Despite the weather Deadmen's Spex is still functioning; the glazing machine is swaddled in a lovely selection of towels and sleeping bags to protect it from the frosts. I went to the post office in Fakenham to post out our orders, but not before I had enacted a Miranda style performance of climbing into my Matiz  via the boot (the only door that was not frozen shut.) Luckily for me no one passed by to witness this spectacle.

Deadman keeping up with business on his morning stroll.

Hope you haven't had too much disruption and that you manage to have a bit of fun in the snow.
TTFN
Mrs Deadman

Welcoming in 2013 with Mortimer

Happy New Year from Dead Men's Spex!

I hope you have all survived the Mayan prophecy, floods and sickness bugs and managed to enjoy your Christmas period with some feasting, festive cheer and lots of pressies.

Santa remembered us, but alas, he did manage to mix up one of Deadman's presents with one of Deadman junior's presents; surely it couldn't be that he had forgotten his glasses?? Not in this house!! It must've been the cumulative effect of all those glasses of  sherry. Despite this little mishap he managed to deliver a bumper crop of presents, most of them for Deadman junior, but I did get a lip plumping gel which looks fun, we are known in our family for thin lips, maybe miracles can occur; I just hope I don't land up like Eddie Murphy in The Nutty Professor!

Look at that pout.

We are also proud to welcome a new member of the gang; he is Mortimer our mascot and from now on he will be popping up every now and then.

Mortimer

Have a good time celebrating and thank you for your support of  Dead Men's Spex throughout 2012.

Happy New Year 

Claire xxx

Merry Christmas from Dead Men's Spex

Hi There
The festive season is upon us and even our mascot Mortimer is feeling jolly.

We have started getting into the Christmas spirit at Dead Men's Spex, festooning the place with tinsel and baubles. On Saturday we took Deadman Junior to Sheringham Little Theatre to see Jack and the Beanstalk. It was great fun; Jack's mother, Dame Molly Coddle was fantastic, her outfits were to die for!

 Jack, Moo Tube the cow, Jill and Molly Coddle in Sheringham.

This week Deadman is busy in his workshop, I think he may have to go and help Santa if he gets snowed under. I will be slaving over a hot stove, we do like food in our household, and are particularly fond of pies. I hope you have a fun time, but if it all gets too much you can always resort to some rose tinted specs.

Tinted Pince- Nez

Just remember go steady on the Christmas booze so you don't fall over a balcony and lose your glasses!
(Yes Ewan, I mean you.)

Merry Christmas to you all.
Claire