couples in hay

It's funny, how everything seems connected... I'll be in one place (say, the V&A garden) and text a friend out of the blue, and she was in the same spot, unbeknownst to me, the day before. When I was at the Hay Literary Festival last month, I was amusing myself with a series on couples.. here are some from the series.

this is a man's world

But it wouldn't mean nothing, without a woman, or a girl.

Photos, by me, at the Hay Festival, May-June, 2011. Second shot, David Baddiel. Third, Tim Smit, founder of the Eden Project, Cornwall. Fourth: not a clue, but the moment I took this shot, we both burst out laughing.

hay, happy father's day

Wishing you were here, Dad. But I know you are.

Thank you for all that you've given my mom, my siblings and I, and all who knew and loved you. Thank you for giving me your camera, and your photographic eye. But especially, thank you for listening, and looking after me, and when I was feeling down, for helping me see the bright side of any situation.

Happy Father's Day to fathers - and mothers - and daughters - and sons, everywhere.

Shot at the Hay Literary Festival, 31 May, 2011.

hello, sunshine!

As per yesterday, more festival style. REAL festival style.

From top: Daisha, who deals with the press and PR for the Hay festival but for other clients as well - she is FABULOUS, really cool girl. I wish I could show you the whole look: I loved the dotted white top with tan shorts. That is so what I wish I could wear if it would just ACT LIKE JUNE. 'It's raining again!' Mr. Do just said. 'Not much of a summer, is it, little cat?' (he is literally talking to the cat).

Then a lovely girl from Sky TV: they were part of a whole collection of talks, events, and even took turns wearing animal costumes of endangered species (see yesterday) which really was great on the cold days, not so much so on the hot and/or rainy ones. Soggy fur isn't a good look.

Third but not last: one of the sweet young writers selected for something I believe called the Beacon project. I forget her name but we chatted for a while when I met her with one of the others - who I shall include shortly, in my 'boy's festival style' post, coming soon.

Interesting how both in Poppy's post, and your comments/tweets/msgs, the main issue is.. uh, toilet tissue and all things port o san related. That's another things I like about the Hay Festival: gorgeous, clean port o sans, really top drawer. And lots of them.

the truth

While I don't spend much time on Twitter - life is too short - I do have favourite.. Twits? Tweeters? And one is definitely Poppy Dinsey (@PoppyD). She just cracks me up. (AHA: she just tweet msg'd me: SHE DID THE POST! click here, it's brilliant).

Something she said yesterday ('Now that I've lost my festival virginity, I want to write a really honest festival fashion guide. Because all the ones in magazines are LIES') got me thinking: I don't know about you but my inbox has been absolutely INUNDATED starting in March with festival style this, festival style that. Every high street brand has been flogging all kinds of wares in the name of 'festival style'.



And the truth is, while granted I haven't been to a music festival yet this year, judging by the more cerebral (or, so you'd think) Hay Literary Festival, I can say that the whole whispy wafty look.. you just can't really in practice pull that off in the UK, without catching a very serious cold.




So for your viewing pleasure.. my guide, for the moment, consists of this:

• dress warm

• pack rain gear: waterproof hooded thing, and ideally, wellies

• bring a wafty kaftan type maxi 70s thing if you like, but don't come crying to me if it gets ripped, stained, or muddy

• wear whatever you'd like: truly, anything goes

and when in doubt..



• leopard is is always a classic

As this guide is a work in progress, I am open to suggestion. And how timely is this, just in from Reid Peppard ('why i hate festivals'):

bex variations

I don't know about you, but I love those little articles (or sometimes, someone will do a post) on 'what to pack when you go away.' This is a big issue for me: I can't seem to travel light, even for a weekend. I'm getting better (or so I think), and then I slide back into my old ways. It's insecurity, I'm sure. When I'm feeling confident, I can put together a tide little bag, and just KNOW this is what I want to wear. But when - as is usually the case - it's 8:00 a.m. Mr. Dot is shouting (and you've stupidly thought that if you saved packing for the less minute you'd pack less but instead, started getting into Evacuation Panic Mode), and like this time, for the Hay Festival, we were bringing the cat and there was all the loading the car with cat litter, etc etc, - not to mention getting the cat, who was wising to the idea, having seen his travel case, that he was about to be reintroduced to the dogs-in-law, and had gone into hiding..

This time, anticipating previous gloriously sunny Hay Festivals past, I brought about 27 tee shirts and bikinis, half a dozen summery frocks, two pair of swim goggles, six - no, seven, pair of sandals, if you count the 70s platforms, three of which were hot pink or orange, only for it to be wintry and rainy most of the time. I actually had to borrow a pair of men's green Hunter Wellies from one of the sheds, and then just layered everything I brought, in no particular order.



Which brings me to this post. I found it fun to see what Bex wore each day, how she creatively put together whatever she'd packed in what I like to think was a neat, confident, organised little 'weekend' bag. Which she made work for her the entire ten days. (I bet, for example, she had the confidence to say 'right, this jumper will be my ONE jumper for cold weather'). Note how the same little black boots worked for the cold weather look as yesterday's post - with bare legs. That's smart, confident packing skills.



As per previous post, neither of us had time to really pose the shots, and while I'm such a perfectionist about the background not ruining my composition, this time it was a rather 'what the f**k' situation. I started embracing the bad backgrounds and have included my favourites for your viewing pleasure, or amusement.



Most people at Hay - of all ages - were really stylish. I swear. And I love the joy on one of the sunniest glorious days, when everyone brought out their most girly, flowery frocks.

hay, bex!

Back home in London after ten days at the Hay Festival - lovely lovely. My head is so filled with ideas and soaking up all the goodnatured stuff - the people at this festival are just amazing - and it was such a privilege to be one of the festival's photographers this year. Such a great group of people that are part of the festival itself.

Case in point: Bex. I met her soon as I arrived - she happened to be on the desk - and we both ran into each other (literally) - we'd always be rushing in opposite directions but she became kind of my muse.. I just loved the way each day she'd evolve her clothes (she must have packed for all eventualities) so I'll start her series off with the one most glorious hot day of the ten days - but I love how she's wearing this dress with bare legs and black boots:



Not the most ideal of compositions and backgrounds but I didn't want to hold her up - she was rushing into the bookshop (where the book signings take place - each event is separated by half an hour so everything is run with like military precision. You should see the offices on site: it looks like a war room but everyone's so chilled: if only governments were run so smoothly). So just a few quick snaps (note the plastic carton of strawberries in her hand - that must have been lunch on the run - they were selling the BEST local Hay strawberries, cherries, asparagus.. the flat is loaded with them now).

I saw in one of the style sections recently, an editorial where the model was wearing a sleeveless white dress (belted), bare legs, black ankle socks and black flats. I've worn that look for years but it got me so in the mood for it. Alas today is absolutely pouring, dreary, cold, and I must run out but couldn't leave without at least starting off the Bex series.. haha. Hope you're well and thank you for stopping by - it's such a nice warm cosy feeling to know that you're out there. Miss you (virtually) and will be back visiting your blogs soon.

teamwork

This man was Mr. Dot's choice. He spotted him, but I dotted him.

Hay Literary Festival, Saturday.

every picture tells a story, don't it

Shot at the Hay Literary Festival on Saturday.

something tells me we're not in kansas anymore

Okay, now it's getting silly. Mr. Dot got came in while I was uploading photos, asked what I was doing. Posting pictures of Hay, said I. More? Said he. Well, yeah.
He's concerned I'm veering off the London streetstyle theme, but - hey - most of us at the literary festival were from London anyway, so it's kind of London streetstyle, once removed. I think he should do his own blog if he's going to be so bossy. Now I've gone underground, and am posting secretly. Our marriage is in trouble if I'm not just hiding shopping from my husband, but now posting as well.





Anyway, here's what I saw at the festival (besides fascinating talks by various favourite writers). We saw lots o' local colour. Lots o' pink, and warm shades of orange and brown. A surprisingly large proportion of basic black, but the sun did seem to bring out more passionate warm colour than we've been seeing in town. Not a lot of white yet, or the pale nudes and pinks we've been expecting, but it's early yet. Hope you all don't mind I'm bending the rules and posting non-London style, but it does say on the byline 'LONDON • ENGLAND • THE WORLD'. I mean, Wales, last I looked, was still in the World. Although, that weekend, it did feel like heaven. Imagine: all the people, living life in peace.

hay hay hay

Just more images of Hay.. these in pale shades of grey.. nothing more to say. : )

hay fever

Hey there! I'm back from the dead. Sorry for the delay in posting but I got knocked sideways with a killer migraine, brought on, ironically, by hay fever. It's almost gone now & I can finally start posting some of the shots from this year's Hay Festival. (by the way when I put things in colour on these posts, you can click on them to links, in case you didn't know). So if you're wondering what the Hay Literary Festival is about, well wonder no more! It's basically the Glastonbury festival, but with writers instead of musicians. So it's a little quieter, but often, no less muddy.

Apart from this year. Which was gloriously sunny & dry. And a good excuse for girls to put on their most flowery summer frocks (altho most, especially the ones from London, were sticking firmly to black). It was so fabulous, and we had such a great time staying with friends, that I'm inspired to finally start a sister blog, coming soon, called lifestylelondon (pics by polka dot).

Have no idea who this couple are, or where her dress is from, so no point in asking me. More to come and thanks for your get well thoughts and your patience! xoxo