I know I'd like to beat you senseless with a head of cabbage, I know that for damn sure.

Evening lovelies! After that idyllic, sunny bank holiday weekend today has been a bit of a washout! I also had today off, one of the small perks of working in the bit of the public sector that I work in. Still, after such a sunshiny weekend I can't complain about a bit of rain, really!

On Sunday, I taught my first dressmaking class at Berylune. It was a beautiful day, but I wasn't too sad to be indoors as the studio at Berylune is so light and airy and pretty. It didn't hurt a bit that I knew there'd be delicious cake on hand, too! I decided to wear a new dress for the occasion - bringing me over the making bit of my Me Made May pledge!

Sunday 26th May 2013 - Landlocked dress and red wedges from Primark

Aah! My eyes are closed in this photo. Sigh. Anyway, yes - ANOTHER nautical-type dress. I have wanted this fabric - Rigging, from the Michael Miller 'Ahoy Matey' collection - ever since it came out, and I decided the other week to buy some before it became too difficult to find. Really, the only thing to do with it was turn it into a sun-dress so I frankened up a pattern. This is my by-now-standard gathered skirt, with the bodice from NL 6886 and the straps from Hazel. I really love the end result!

So, being as I can't actually swim and Leamington Spa is nowhere near the sea, I named this the Landlocked frock. My in-laws live by the sea, though, so maybe at some point I'll be able to wear this while frolicking in the surf.

Eyes open this time!

There's really nothing at all to say about this make. I lined the bodice in some navy cotton from my stash, and only needed to make minor adjustments to the shape of the neckline to accommodate the wider straps. The placement of the original spaghetti straps is at a little raised bit, which I changed to a slightly wider raised bit... erm, this explanation isn't very technical, is it? But then, my process wasn't all that technical. I futzed around with it a little bit to make sure that it covered my bra straps both front and back because, gosh knows, I love wearing a proper bra. Anyway, I did get a photo of that but my computer is being so irritating and won't let me rotate it. I'll leave the straps and my chubby back to your imaginations.

Sunday was really great. I had one student, and she had a fair bit of experience in dressmaking but wanted some encouragement to get going on a sewing pattern. I love teaching, and of course I love sewing, but I was amazed by how quickly the day sped by. We have another session this coming Sunday, at the end of which we will have finished one dress and have cut out and maybe started another one! It was immensely satisfying to see my student's confidence grow as the day progress, and watch her become more excited as her dress took shape. We were joined during the day by the amazingly talented photographer Fiona Murray. You can see her photos and read her blog post over at her blog here, and I hope she won't mind me sharing this one with you:

Photo courtesy of Fiona Murray

One of the really lovely things about having Fiona there was seeing how she became enthused about dressmaking as well - and she may even join me for a future date to make a dress to wear to a wedding. I love how the buzz of sewing can be infectious! It's one of the reasons why meeting up with other stitchers is so enjoyable. Nic thinks so, too; it's why he's decided to join me when I go along to Marie and Kat's Birmingham meet-up on 15th June!

Anyway, it was a really enjoyable day. Four o'clock sped around far too quickly, but it meant getting out into the sunshine for an ice-cream in the park with Nic. I'm looking forward to teaching more classes with Berylune, but I'm going to have to be very disciplined if I want to break even at all. I failed on that note this time...

So, yeah. I bought another Zatchel satchel - and some gingham bias binding. Emily sneaked the handmade lemon soap in as a surprise. I'm still waiting on the green satchel I bought from the Zatchels birthday sale - its purchase is turning into a bit of a saga - so I don't feel too bad about splashing out on this beautiful sunshine yellow one! But, yeah. That's probably enough for now.

And that's me for this evening. More me-made-may coming up later in the week, and some Scott and Bailey recaps, too! 

I remember the first time I ate a live taspar. I was six years old and living on the streets of Lakat.

Evening guys! It's pretty rare for me to blog on a Saturday, but here I am! The dinner is cooking, and Nic and I are watching Star Trek: The Next Generation. There are two Rikers in this episode so it's all good. Anyway, we're heading out for the evening pretty soon but I've had a lovely day, and I wore one of my new Me Made May pledge dresses, so I'm keen to share!

So, the story with this dress is that one of the things I definitely wanted to buy in Paris was some toile du jouy style fabric. It's pretty, and also there was this dress from Oasis last year that I didn't buy because it was £85 and probably too short, and £85 flipping pounds - the fuck?

Nice, right? but £85? For that money it would need to come with a kitten. Oasis need to catch themselves on with their pricing.

Griping aside, I was really taken with the willow-pattern style print, and I loved the colours. So when we were in Paris, I made a beeline for the floor in Dreyfus where they sold toile du jouy, but none of it seemed quite right. But then I found something that fit the bill in Tissus Reine, and fell on it. Yes, it had Eiffel Towers on it, and yes, I felt like a bit of a dick buying it. But big whoop, when do I not? Anyway, there was only really one option for it, and that was the Simplicity 2444 bodice and a gathered skirt.

Saturday 25th May 2013 - Rue Paul Albert dress and pink shoes from Topshop

Just a quick word on the fabric - I haven't been able to find it in this colour online really anywhere, and it's not on the Reine website. But it's Toujours Eiffel by Lakehouse Dry Goods if you want to have a look for it. It's 100% cotton, probably quilting weight really but with a lovely drape and gorgeous to sew with. It was about 14 euros a metre, and I bought two metres, which was more than enough for this dress. I sewed this over two evenings but for some reason had to fiddle a bit with it to get it right! Nothing major and nothing worth writing about really, but it's partly why it's taken me a while to wear it. Anyway, as you can see from the photo above of the Oasis dress, it was styled with a pink belt, so I wore this with my faithful pink Topshop shoes.

One of the things that was stressful about this dress is that two zips broke in the process of making it, which is fucking bad luck. Seriously annoying. Nic made a midweek run to Royal Fabrics for me and bought a zip. Maverick that he is, he bought me a blue one, and suggested I let it show in the dress. I love that he was suggesting design features for me, what a cutie!

Rue Paul Albert dress - back view

I make no apology at all for the fact that I love the Eiffel Tower print (and at some point I'll get around to sewing something from the Michael Miller fabric I also bought in Reine) but I really love the colours in this print, and the faded floral print in the background. And of course, it has many happy memories of Paris. I named it from a street around the corner from where we stayed - one that was halfway down the hill from the Sacre Coeur - Rue Paul Albert:

Rue Paul Albert at night

Rue Paul Albert, and the street leading down from it (Rue Muller) had lots of charming bars and restaurants and was just pretty and Parisian. It was a happy place to be! I will tell you more when I finally get around to writing up the second half of my Paris post.

The Rue Paul Albert dress had its first outing to a far less picturesque city, though, as I wore it today to go to... COVENTRY. Oh yes! I work in Coventry so I'm not usually that keen to go there on my days off, by our friends Lauren and Rick had invited us to take part in a Cash Mob, so off we went. This is how this happened:

So, here I am with the Terminator...

...and with my lovely Lauren

Luckily though, Leamington is much more picturesque. After a very successful Cash Mob, and a very enjoyable morning with friends, Nic and I took ourselves off through the fields to the Saxon Mill for a drink in the sunshine. Fine bank holiday weekend fun. And NO RAINING. So that's good!

Looking wistfully in the direction of the pub

It's wine time!

So, in short. Rue Paul Albert dress: Success. Simplicity 2444 is still awesome. I did buy some new sewing patterns today though, so it's time to shake things up in here!

Not right now, though. Right now it's time to go to the pub.

We're no longer called Sonic Death Monkey. We're on the verge of becoming Kathleen Turner Overdrive.

Right now, Nic is doing the washing up to the sounds of Kate Bush. I so wish I could capture how happy that makes me, but instead I'll just try to greet you with Wooooow wooooooow wooooow unBELIEVABLE...!

This has been another week that felt like it was never going to end. Although my new job doesn't officially start until 3rd June, one of my colleagues has been on leave basically since I got promoted, so I've been doing lots of bits of my new job as well as doing my current job, and trying to get some sort of plan together for how to hand it over to my replacement. It's been flipping exhausting! I'm not complaining (not this time anyway, but you all know I enjoy a good old complain) but I am really glad it's the weekend. And a long weekend for me, as I took this afternoon off, and I have Tuesday off as well as the Monday bank holiday. Hurrah!

Not that I have anything major planned, of course. I'm teaching over at Berylune on Sunday and there are still places left on the course, in case you want to make a last-minute decision to join me! Other than that, I'm going to be hanging out with friends, sewing, reading and sleeping.

As I say, it's been a busy week. On Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday I had full-day meetings with external panellists. These days are always good - the people we work with outside my agency are great, and they're a change of pace. But they're tiring because there are no breaks, essentially - you spend the whole day on. So I'm looking desperately tired in the next few pictures!

Tuesday 21st May 2013 - Lobsterlex dress and Irregular Choice Mermaid shoes

This is actually the first time I've worn this to work, despite all my big talk when I made it. I just didn't get round to it til Tuesday, and I must admit that I did hesitate at the thought of wearing this in front of a panel full of teachers! But it was fine, and I think it tells you something about my colleagues and how I usually dress at work that no-one passed any remarks on this dress. Well, apart from Darren, who pointed out that the lobsters must be dead because otherwise they're not red. So that made my dress go from a bit grotesque to gruesome. This is me after a long day, and the dress is hardly creased. This fabric is magic, dead crustaceans or not.

Wednesday 22nd May 2013 - Magnificent Obsession dress and Topshop 'Strawberry' shoes

Every time I wear this dress I feel really happy about it. I know I look tired as shit here, but I'm feeling pretty fabulous, because this dress makes me feel gorgeous. I have to make some more out of this pattern (Retro Butterick B5603)

Thursday 23rd May 2013 - Flood Meadow Cambie dress and Irregular Choice Mighty Monster shoes

I hate this photo so much, you guys! By the time I got home from work yesterday, the weather had completely turned to shit and I had to take the photo inside, with a flash. Look at that shiny face! You can't even see how cute the dress and shoes are. No need to say I love this dress - it's a Cambie, innit? Perfect for work, and for a more chilly day because it's fully lined (I wore it with a pink cardigan, by the way.)

Friday 24th May 2013 - Too Many Dresses dress, green cardigan from Phase Eight and Primark shoes

And that brings us to today! I was working from home this morning, and Nic was out from early this morning until lunchtime. So I didn't get dressed until midday, and then I finished work for the day. I wasn't lounging round all morning in a full circle dress and a petticoat. Although I have been this afternoon, so, yeah. I held off wearing this dress until this point in the month, partly because for some reason I thought it might not fit (although durr, it does) and also partly because I kind of forgot about it. Earlier in the week, though, I bought a really fluffy pink Hell Bunny petticoat, and it seemed the perfect match for this dress. Yeah I know you can't see it, whatever. It's under there. Anyway, I wore this to go out for afternoon tea and then to the pub with Nic. All I can say is I'm glad I had the petticoat on, because the wind today is NO JOKE. The townspeople of Leamington didn't get exposed to anything more than a few layers of pink tulle, this way.

This one makes me laugh because I guess this is what my face looks like when I'm not doing a photo face? I was looking (squinting) at the approximately 5 million school children that were swarming along the street perpendicular to ours. I didn't figure out what they were up to, but it momentarily distracted me from trying not to look too goofy, and the result was goofy. Ah well.

So, Me Made May is going pretty well so far. I mean, the weather is sucking now. But I have enough clothes to get me to the end of the month, and the only thing I'm finding difficult is getting the photos. I obviously don't mind having photos taken of what I'm wearing, but every single day is a bit much. I am enjoying wearing my handmade clothes though. I have been doing that a lot more in the past year, since last Me Made May, and it's nice to intensify that. I don't miss my RTW clothes, but at the same time, it hasn't made me feel at all like I want to stop wearing shop bought clothes. I know it has that effect on some people, but it hasn't on me. I bought a dress last Friday, and wore it out on Friday night. I had worn a handmade dress all day, so I didn't feel bad:

Friday 17th May 2013 - Hell Bunny 'Larissa' dress, Vivienne Westwood for Melissa Cherry Lady Dragon shoes and vintage handbag

I bought this Hell Bunny dress in Magpie on Warwick Street last Friday afternoon. I had spotted it before we went to Paris, but my self-imposed shopping ban was still ongoing, so I decided I'd buy it when we got back, if they still  had one in my size. I love it! I mean, yeah, I could probably make something like this myself for a bit less money (probably only a bit though) and I'd enjoy making it, but sometimes it's nice just to buy a pretty dress. Sewing for myself has made me do that a lot less often, but occasionally, still, it's pleasant to shop. My handmade clothes are becoming a larger proportion of my wardrobe, but I don't think they'll ever be my full wardrobe. And that's okay by me.

Anyway, it's Friday night! There's wine in the fridge and dinner being cooked, and a DVD to watch. See you all soon!

We'll buy cheap booze and run through these backstreets, you be Cleopatra and I'm Marc Antony.

Evening all! This evening in Chateau Clackett it's all about dinner and The X-Files, and maybe a bit of sewing later. I hope everyone else is having as pleasant a day!

Anyway, I had a thoroughly lovely weekend. On Friday evening, Nic and I went to the pub for dinner with some friends and had one of those evenings where the next day your tummy is a bit sore from laughing so much. I love evenings like that! On Saturday we had a bit of a lie-in and then decided to have a little mini day-trip along to Oxford, because it's been ages since we were last there. I like Oxford a lot, and it's a nice day out - it's close enough on the train to not be a hassle, but far enough away to be a bit of a change of scenery. The day started out a bit cloudy but the sun came out, and damn if Oxford isn't pretty in the sunshine. I took a new handmade dress out for a spin, as well:

Saturday 18th May 2013 - Rue Ramey dress and Topshop shoes

ANOTHER Cambie dress. Sorry not sorry. I don't think I can have enough of this pattern. This is made from the first piece of fabric I bought in Paris, and named Rue Ramey after one of the streets nearby where we were staying in Montmartre. I have absolutely nothing further to say about this lovely pattern, except that this is the best sweetheart neckline I've managed in all of my Cambie dresses. Oh, and I know I have a bit of a bullseye thing going on up in the bodice area, but whatevs. It would have been difficult to avoid with this print, and I don't really care that much anyway!

I think it's actually impossible for me to stand up straight. Ah well. These photos were taken at the Old Bodleian Library, which was closed to visitors or I would have stood on the steps. As big fans of Inspector Morse, Nic and I never get tired of being all "Oh this is where someone took a shot at John Gielgud" or "Hey do you remember when Richard Briers dyed his hair black and was totally evil to Roger Allam's wife?" and, less often, "Oh this is where Lewis almost got run over" because, Lewis isn't as good a TV show as Morse. Lots of things happen in this courtyard.

We pottered around in the sunshine, and walked out the Cowley Road to Atomic Pizza, on the recommendation of Rick and Lauren. I liked it so much I'd nearly get on the train to Oxford now to have my dinner there. It's full of excellent comic and video-game memorabilia, and 80s toys and games too (one wall has a massive shelf of My Little Ponies) and the menu is immense. We both had burgers and sci-fries (chips covered in chilli flakes) - Nic had the Johnny Cash (refried beans, American cheese, hot sauce and jalapenos) and I had one called the Monkey Magic - which had, instead of burger buns, two pizzas. It was without a doubt the most unhealthy thing I have ever eaten in my life and I couldn't even manage half of it. I really want to go back and try more of their menu, but it may take my arteries some time to recover. We did a lot of walking though, so I don't feel that bad!

I had some mending and some chores to do on Sunday, but it was so sunny and lovely that I didn't mind! I also put the finishing touches to my second Me Made May sewing pledge dress, which I'm really thrilled with. Nic and I went out for a walk and then spent the afternoon gossiping with friends over tea in Vinteas.

Sunday 19th May 2013 - Sewaholic Lonsdale dress and Charlotte Russe Madison wedges

Look at the derp face! This is not the best picture of me but it really made me giggle. Anyway, yes,  my gingham Lonsdale is a favourite, and so are my gingham wedges! These were super cheap in Charlotte Russe when I was in Florida last year, but the reason they were so cheap was that the sole was basically made of paper. Honestly, it was like cardboard and came away after only a few wears. Luckily I have a really good cobbler who was able to resole them with a proper sole and now I can wear them to my heart's content - weather permitting!

Monday 20th May 2013 - Sewaholic Cambie dress and red jelly sandals from Miss Selfridge

Aaaand we're back to the 'big tired face just home from work' style photo that this Me Made May seems to be marked by. Heh. I haven't worn this dress for a while and I had sort of forgotten both how comfortable it is, and how happy it makes me to wear red gingham. I had a day of running around at work, hence the flat shoes, but at least I felt well-turned out while I was doing it!

So I've had kind of an unofficial Sewaholic weekend - it wasn't planned that way - but I do love these dresses. I still have a Cambie to go before the end of Me Made May, and I'm sure I'll sew more over the coming months. That makes me predictable, but I'm okay with that.

Anyway, it's time for me to go. Duane Barry has just driven up a mountain with Scully in his car - OH SHIT!

Once again, you display an immaturity about vegetables that I think is not at all presidential.

Hey all! It's FINALLY FRIDAY! This week has been so busy at work, it's felt both interminable and also has sped by in a blur. I haven't blogged my Me Made May progress since day 8, so here's a bumper catch-up now! I should warn you now though that most of these photos were taken at the end of busy work days so I am looking majorly crumpled and tired in most of them. Still, keeping it real, YO.

 

Thursday 9th May - Another Eiffel Tower dress and Irregular Choice 'Mermaid'shoes

So here's one where I'm looking tired as shit! After Wednesday being a lovely day, Thursday was miserable and I got rained on and blown about on my walk from the office to the station - I was SOOOOO grumpy about this! Especially as I didn't have a coat with me. But, I loved wearing this dress. When I finished it last year I felt kind of ambivalent about it, but I love it. Good old Simplicity 2591.

Friday 10th May 2013 - green gingham Cambie dress and Vivienne Westwood for Melissa Ultragirl shoes

HELLO WRINKLES! Not much to say about this dress except I love it, and I love gingham, and I want to sew more gingham dresses. I wore flats last Friday because I had a lot of running around to do, and when I was waiting on my train home a lady came up to me and said "You're wearing flats! Me and my friend love looking to see what shoes you're wearing!" which was nice, and weird at the same time!

Saturday 11th May 2013 - Etoile dress and Vivienne Westwood for Melissa Lady Dragon shoes

I wore this dress in a bit of blatant self-publication - I was helping the Berylune ladies out at the Save The Children fair in the town hall, and this is the dress you can learn to sew with me at their workshops! There wasn't much going on at the fair but it was good to hang out with friends and eat cake.

Sunday 12th May 2013 - Majestic Oak dress and Vivienne Westwood for Melissa Ultragirl shoes

Sunday was miserable weather-wise and I was exhausted, having had a late night on Saturday. I was going to declare Sunday a pyjama day, with a me-made crochet blanket but I did have to go to the shops to get stuff for dinner, so I got dressed. This dress is another one that has grown on me since I made it, and it was really comfortable for a lazy day at home.

Monday 13th May 2013 - Hounds of Love dress and 'Strawberry' shoes from Topshop

Monday was the start of a super-busy work week, and you've got me here exhilarated and exhausted after getting through the first day. I love this dress a WHOLE LOT, the more I look at those little foxes the cuter they get. This dress even prompted one of my colleagues - whose style is radically different to mine, and who almost never makes comments about my clothes, to say "cute dress!" which was really nice. You know how much I love compliments, right? I SO SHALLOW.

Tuesday 14th May 2013 - Come Sail Away Elisalex dress and Topshop 'Jostle' heels

So Tuesday was pretty stressful and I didn't manage to get a full length picture. I was really busy at work, and had family matters on my mind as well as my grandfather was hospitalised with fluid on his lungs. Since I blogged about this dress I took the hem up to just on my knee and I like it a lot better. Also, these shoes are new! Well, not new - I got them on ebay for 99p, and I love the colour, and they were 99p!

Wednesday 15th May 2013 - Colette Patterns Peony dress, yellow shoes from Topshop and my lovely Zatchels bag from Berylune

It pleased me how much the elements of this outfit matched, because the blue in the bag basically exactly matched the blue flowers in the dress. One of the external people we were working with asked me if I had my shoes dyed to match my outfits! I explained that I just really like brightly coloured shoes.

Thursday 16th May 2013 - Simplicity 2444 (the first) and pink shoes from Topshop

I think this week has unofficially been 'Topshop shoes week'! I love the shade of pink that these shoes are. This was my first Simplicity 2444 dress and I wear it a lot, but I'm looking tired and crumpled here so not doing this pretty frock justice. Still - sunshine!

Friday 17th May 2013 - Cowgirl Cambie dress and red wedges from Primark via ebay

Again, I had a Friday of running around, spending the afternoon sorting out my project's cupboards in our secure filing room. FUN. But this dress is always fun - I have made a lot of Cambie dresses now, and I have more planned - and a new one made to show to you soon!

That's us up to date now on Me Made May. I'm not finding it difficult at all to wear a different me-made every day, and I have pretty much fulfilled the other part of my pledge too. I am finding it difficult to get photos where I don't look like ass, but that's partly because I'm so busy at work. Although I'm being promoted within my team, I still have a lot of things to tie up and finish before my replacement starts and I start my new job, AND we have lots of activities going on right now. I don't mind being busy, but I look so tired at the end of each day. Ah well - I suppose now you all know what I really look like!

Right, now it's Friday night and I'm going to the pub. Hurrah!

They sold my book in Paris. It's an advance from France!

Bon soir all! Yes, it's that time. Time for me to show you some of the squillion photos I took when we were in Paris, and to tell you about our trip. SPOILER: We had a really good time.

So, being back at work has basically made Paris already seem like it happened years ago, but it was such a good holiday. We had a lot of fun, but it was really relaxing as well. I came back feeling tired, but totally rested, and I still do.

Our Eurostar to Paris left St Pancras in the afternoon, arriving into Paris at 8:15pm. This was nice because it meant we didn't have to rush down to London to catch the train. We had an early start anyway, so we could take it easy, so we started our holiday by having a massive lunch in Yo Sushi and then sharing a bottle of champagne on the Eurostar. It was really exciting to arrive at the Gare du Nord, and I had dressed for the occasion:

The Pursuit of Love dress - Sarah made this for me, and I named it after a scene in The Pursuit of Love by Nancy Mitford. Unlike Linda Radlett, when I sat on my suitcase in the Gare du Nord, I wasn't crying.

I was really in the holiday mood by the time we got to Paris, and even more so when we got to our apartment. It was a beautiful evening, and the apartment was gorgeous, and our host had even provided us with food! After we got unpacked and freshened up, it was time to go out for a walk and for dinner.

The Sacre Coeur was a five minute walk from our flat on Rue Feutrier. Going up there at night is beautiful - I love the view of Paris lit up at night. It's a shame there were so many winos pissing on the ground, but what can you do?!

Le Moulin de la Galette - I think this is one of my favourite photos from the whole holiday. These lights changed colours as we stood and watched them.

We had an amazing dinner in a little pizza place called Trattoria Pulcinella on Rue Eugene Sue. There are so many pizza places in this area but Nic had read some good reviews of this restaurant, and pizza is a good bet for two vegetarians in France! It did not disappoint - in fact, we enjoyed it so much, we went back for dinner on our last night in Paris. After dinner we went for a walk around Montmartre and finished up with a glass of wine outside Cafe Le Saint Jean on Rue des Abbesses - one of our favourite haunts on our last visit to Paris in 2010.

Sunday morning on Rue Feutrier

On Sunday morning we had a coffee in Cafe Les Deux Moulins on Rue Lepic - another favourite haunt in 2010, as it was just across from where we were staying! This time we were further away from this area of Montmartre but were determined to visit Fromagerie Lepic. We managed to buy some cheese just before the shutters closed at the end of morning trading, and hopped on the metro to Concorde.

Tourist in Les Deux Moulins

Dit "Fromage!"

We had a picnic lunch of bread and cheese in the Jardins des Tuilieries, and spent the afternoon exploring the Latin Quarter and St Germain des Pres. This included a trip to Laduree for champagne and cake. Because you know, we were on holiday!

Happy face in Laduree

The champagne was amazing and so was that cream cake. I wish I had both of those right now. I know macarons would have been the obvious choice but I didn't eat any when I was in Paris! I don't love Laduree macarons, what can I say? But this cake was the BOMB, and the champagne was even more so. YES. Looking at this photo makes me happy.

The sun came out and we spent the rest of the afternoon at the Notre Dame, and then wandering the streets of the Marais district.

 

Nic in the Latin Quarter

A love lock on the Pont des Arts

I bought some normal-shaped bread in this Patisserie before realising that EVERYTHING else was shaped like a cock and balls. Seriously, everything. I kind of wish I'd bought something cock and ball shaped.

After dinner and a drink around the corner from our flat, we took our tired selves to bed!

I did a lot of fabric shopping on the Monday, and I've already told you all about that. We spent the day just pottering around Montmartre, which was lovely. I honestly don't think I'd stay anywhere else in Paris, I love it there so much. It was a mild and sunny day, and all we did was walk for a while before stopping for drinks in cafes. It was bliss. After a rest in the afternoon, we went around the corner to a bar called Au Clair de Lune on Rue Ramey. I completely fell in love with this place. It was really cool, but not in that try-hard hipster way that makes you feel like an outcast, it was just cool. I loved the decor, the neon lighting, and the poster for Fin de Siecle by The Divine Comedy at the bar. I also loved happy hour - cocktails for 5 euros with complimentary bar snacks.

The neon lighting in Clair de Lune

Nic with a tasty 5 euro cocktail

Drinking isn't all we did on holiday, but I have some happy drinking memories from it...

I loved the fact that the cocktails came with glow sticks in them! I know that sounds like a silly thing to get excited about, but it made me happy. We went back to Clair de Lune lots of times over the rest of the holiday and the bar staff came to know us - in fact, I think they found us a bit of a curiosity, but it was such a lovely place. This side of Montmartre is far less chic than the Rue Lepic side - it's much more diverse and there are some really shabby streets around Rue Clignancourt, Avenue Barbes and Boulevard de Rochechouart. Our nearest metro station, Chateau Rouge, was a little bit intimidating. But I loved the area - it was so vibrant and so varied, with lots of really cool bars and restaurants. I would stay there again, in fact I'd stay in our apartment again. I'd stay there again tomorrow if it wasn't for my pesky job and real life!

Anyway, I'm going to leave it here for this evening. I'll tell you about the rest of our holiday in a later blog post. There are only so many holiday photos you can look at in one post, right? Anyway, I'm going to leave you with one more for now:

From the steps above Rue Paul Albert - our neighbourhood at night!

Even if you're a mad twat, you tidy up between jobs. You just do.

 

Scott and Bailey series 3, episodes 4 and 5. Also known as: SHIT GETS REAL

Another late recap, due to holidays. So this time I'm going to talk about episodes 4 and 5, which kind of worked as a two-parter anyway as we delved further into the House of Horrors at Peverell Street.

Episode 4 was pretty grim, but I think on the whole these two episodes were pretty cool. Firstly, I'm always happy when I get to see Gill and Julie teaming up, and who doesn't love those fetching blue overall things. No fear of lack of criming this week - the crimes were busting out all over the place.

It seems like Janet has basically given up - the episode opens with her having a rocking night in, playing Monopoply with her mum and daughters.Like, ooh Janet, you know how to live! Anyway, poor old Helen Bartlett shows up at her door and confesses that her dead brother is buried in the basement of her childhood home, and it was her dad what did the killing. In the next scene, as we see Janet explain it to Gill, Gill is immediately suspicious of Helen. This seems a bit harsh, and Helen is a convincing victim.

Nicola Walker as Helen Bartlett

I was pretty shocked by the extent of the crime that was uncovered and, while it piques my interest because I'm interested in serial killers generally,  I did wonder if it was a mistake to do another serial killer story after Stabby Geoff in series 1. I mean, actual serial killers are pretty rare so it does strain the boundaries of credibility somewhat to have two operating in an overlapping timeframe in Oldham! To be fair I'm sure the writers are aware of this but it does add to the strangeness that Janet is basically in the middle of this Venn diagram of Oldham serial killers. What makes the whole thing even stranger is that Janet invites Helen into the very kitchen where Stabby Geoff stabbed the shit clean out of her! She even turns her back on Helen while on the phone to Rachel. Er, Jan, don't you remember what happened the last time you did that? YOU GOT STABBED, LOVE.

I'm no one to talk about knowing a lot about serial killers because I've read four books about Fred and Rose West and just this evening I exhanged a series of texts with my friend Carts about John Wayne Gacy (he started it, though) but ITV seem pretty interested in Fred and Rose. The story of Peverell Street shakes out in much the same way as what happened with the Wests and, if I'm honest, it feels a bit exploitative as ITV have already done a drama about the Wests (the admittedly excellent Appropriate Adult) They seem keen to underscore the similarity in the cases in case, you know, you've been living under a rock. I found it surprising that they didn't at any point mention the Wests - in an earlier episode reference was made to Myra Hindley, and in the most recent episode Beverley Allitt was mentioned. Perhaps this is meant to be a dramatic interpretation of the West case, but I find that a bit strange too.

In any case, any reservations I had about this storyline were definitely assuaged by the performances of both Nicola Walker and George Costigan. Costigan is absolutely excellent, flipping from confused old man to convincing manipulator with frightening speed.

George Costigan as Joe Bevan

The scenes where Rachel interviews Joe, with Baldy Mitch as her second, were really enjoyable. These scenes are often my favourites in Scott and Bailey because the tone of them is so different to the rest of the show, and to any other police procedural I have watched because they are so procedural. In these episodes I was particularly glad of this because I think it did mitigate against the lurid nature of the crime - 7 bodies uncovered, all of whom had died in really brutal cirumstances.

In fact, what I really enjoyed about these episodes was the policing. Because the crime is so big, Gill is sharing it with another syndicate and Julie Dodson is in charge. The slight tension of Gill being a deputy, combined with the fact that they're a great double act, is really nicely written. I thoroughly enjoyed the scene between the two of them in the car, working out the order of burial of Bevan's victims. I love seeing Gill doing policing - "...even if you're a mad twat, you tidy up between jobs. You just do."

A lot of badass in one car - "The whole thing's speculative bollocks, of course."

Of course, there's lots of good character stuff in these two episodes. Janet gets busy crabbing about the new sergeant on the block - Sergeant Rob Not Robbo. Well, not about him, but about how now she wants the job after saying she didn't, and Gill has given it to someone else. Well durr, Janet. Which is basically what Rachel says. The new guy is, predictably, a bit of a dipshit. I mean, not Kevin-level dipshit. Just your basic dickhead. He's OMGAMAZED by Rachel's interview technique, to which Janet drily tells him...

"Yes, well she's trained." = "Yes, you fifth floor wonder boy, she knows how to do her job."

Anyway, I couldn't really give a shit about Janet being sergeant and this dickhead. But I did like the other work stuff. Poor old Chubby Bill is still having a rough time, and now he's being blackmailed by Rachel's slaggy mum. Kevin is still being your average dickhead and is possibly the OMGWTF leak. Baldy Mitch and Brummy Lee are still solid gold awesome. Mitch is Rachel's second when she's interviewing Joe Bevan and the way he bowls into the squad room, all excitedly delighted about how Rachel managed to crack Joe, well it is bloody CUTE. Some critics of Scott and Bailey say that all the men on the show are idiots, but this is patently not the case. Mitch and Lee are good PO-lice.

I love you, Baldy Mitch. CALL ME.

Sean is still being a complete and utter cock, though. To be fair, Rachel is continuing to make bad life choices - episode four ends with her kipping in a sleeping bag in the office rather than going home to him. In episode five, he forces her hand and gets her to say that she's not really interested in being married to him. Hm. Hard to see why...

Ugh.

Part of me totally sympathises with Sean because Rachel's behaviour is really frustrating - we've all been in that shitty relationship at some point in our lives where, rather than just end things, the other person just treats you like a pariah until you give in and dump them. That's what she's doing here. But I totally understand it, because he is an asshat, and his way of dealing with it is to keep telling her that her feelings are irrational, and that she'll get over it, and, charmingly, "I know you're mad. You are mad. This hasn't gone wrong. It's all in your head. You're just feeling trapped." NICE GASLIGHTING, ASSHOLE. Sean can do one. Especially as he's brought Rachel's rough-as-a-badger's-arse mum back into her life. I kind of find him a perplexing character because, why would he be the way he is? But, yeah. He needs to make an exit, STAT.

So, the Peverell Street job is wrapped up with Joe confessing, and Helen arrested for preventing an unlawful burial. But it can't be the end of this tale - that has to be Helen attacking Gill in the first episode, right? And who is the leak? My money is on it being Janet's mum - seriously - but I'm not totally sure that it is Helen in Gill's car. Repeated references to the two teenage girls convicted of killing an old woman and putting her in a wheelie bin and putting her in the canal (yeah, that's pretty standard criming as far as Scott and Bailey goes though) make me think that maybe something else is going on. Or maybe, you know, Helen was more involved and this is the show's way of telling us that even teenage girls can be evil. Teenage girls being evil - shocker!

Aww, you funny, Janet?!

NEXT WEEK ON SCOTT AND BAILEY: Some bad shit happens in a care home. Is Kevin the leak? Do I recognise that woman from Coronation Street or Emmerdale or what? ALL WILL BE REVEALED. Maybe. 

No reason for this gif other than it's awesome. Gill Murray: No fucks to give. 

Scott and Bailey is broadcast at 9pm on Wednesday on ITV.