M & S Packaging

"M&S Packaging" blog post banner

selection of Marks and Spencer food items with special Diamond Jubilee and London Olympic 2012 packaging

M & S continues to produce some fantastic packaging. We bought a few items last week – and thought we’d share photos with you in case you haven’t seen any of it.

Marks and Spencer New York pepperoni pizza box illustrated with characters of a cop and Texan tourist wearing a stetson

We’ll start with this pizza box for the pastrami pizza – with its New York cop and stetson-wearing tourist.

detail from a Marks and Spencer New York pepperoni pizza box showing a cartoon illustration of a cop detail from a Marks and Spencer New York pepperoni pizza box showing a cartoon illustration of a Texan tourist wearing a stetson and a camera around his neck

The characters are very reminiscent of Miroslav Sasek book illustrations from the 1950s & 60s.

Marks and Spencer chocolate teacake packaging decorated with illustrations of British bobby, Union Jack flags, school children, birds and bunting

The other products we picked up have much more of a British feel – perfect for this Diamond Jubilee & London Olympic year.

detail from Marks and Spencer chocolate teacake packaging decorated with illustrations of birds and bunting

These chocolate teacakes are covered with Union Jack bunting & flags. What does that pigeon know that we don’t?

detail from Marks and Spencer chocolate teacake packaging decorated with illustrations of a British bobby, Union Jack flag and bunting

Next up we have the old red telephone box.

Marks and Spencer shortbread tin in the shape of and decorated as a red British phone box with figures including a British Bobby, city gent and punk

It’s harking back to the days when telephone box queues were a common sight – pre mobile phone days – the variety of characters each waiting their turn.

detail from a Marks and Spencer shortbread tin in the shape of and decorated as a red British phone box showing the figure of a city gent

We just love the punk rocker blowing his bubblegum.

detail from a Marks and Spencer shortbread tin in the shape of and decorated as a red British phone box showing the figure of a punk

It’s a close run thing, but our favourite item of the batch is probably the biscuit tin below. Again, the artwork is very Sasek inspired – with a bit of Bill Charmatz thrown in.

limited edition Marks and Spencer biscuit tin produced to commemorate the 2012 London Olympic Games decorated with illustrations of London and other British landmarks

The design a real classic with scenes of the British Isles to the sides and traditional London sights to the lid.

detail from a limited edition Marks and Spencer biscuit tin produced to commemorate the 2012 London Olympic Games showing an illustrations of Green Park detail from a limited edition Marks and Spencer biscuit tin produced to commemorate the 2012 London Olympic Games showing an illustrations of the Mall

Also, the tin will last years and can be used over & over again.

lid from a limited edition Marks and Spencer biscuit tin produced to commemorate the 2012 London Olympic Games decorated with illustrations of London landmarks

It’s fantastic when you buy a useful & beautiful storage tin – crammed full of lovely biscuits that you just have to eat first!!

Wednesday Wish: Dennis Morris, Growing Up Black

"Wednesday Wish" blog post banner

Cover of Dennis Morris' limited edition book, "Growing Up Black"

I’ve seen a few different reviews printed recently of Dennis Morris’ Growing Up Black – A Chronicle of Black Britain in the 60s and 70s. The accompanying images really capture an era in London in which my parents & I must have been a part before we emigrated to Trinidad in 1973. His images portray the everyday in the lives of the African Caribbean community in London – the political, the religious, the social and the domestic.

I was also unaware until now that Morris was the creator of many of the iconic images we know and love of Bob Marley, the Sex Pistols and Public Image Limited.

His images remind me of those of the talented Daniel Meadows, whose early work we recently went to at the National Media Museum in Bradford – portraits of urban communities, families, friends and individuals.

The book’s been published this month as a limited edition of just 500 copies – the introductory price is £250, which includes a silver gelatin 10 x 12” print signed by Morris. Thereafter the price rises to £300 + P&P.

Wednesday Wish: Trip down to London

"Wednesday Wish" blog post banner

Yayoi Kusama surrounded by a selection of her paintings

We’ve not made a trip down to London in YEARS! It’s not that far for us to travel – only about five hours away, but Fudge isn’t good at spending time in kennels.

self portrait by Lucian Freud

There are two art exhibitions on at the moment in the capital that we’d really love to see – completely different work, but equally exciting. They are the Yayoi Kasama at Tate Modern and Lucian Freud at the National Portrait Gallery.

They both run until early summer, so hopefully we’ll manage to fit in a visit! Have you been to see either? Are there any others you’d recommend? Let us know!

L is for… London

'L is for... London' blog post banner

top of a vintage biscuit tin with illustration of Marble Arch, London

There’ll be many eyes- all around the world – focusing on London this week with the Royal Wedding happening on Friday…

…so ‘L’ just has to be for London!

detail of the top of vintage biscuit tin with London illustrations of such as a Pearly king and queen, beefeaters, street hawker etc

We’ve gathered images of H is for Home shop stock items – past & present, that celebrate the capital city…

detail of the sides of vintage biscuit tin with cartoon-like illustrations of tourists at London sites such as Buckingham Palace and Trafalgar Square
…famous landmarks, archetypal characters and classic scenes.

vintage tea towel featuring a London scene with a crowd of double decker buses at night around Christmastime, probably Oxford Street

They’ve appeared on all kinds of products…

vintage Chance Glass pin dish featuring a London double-decker bus designed by Kenneth Townsend
…lots of tins, pottery and book illustrations…

vintage Kenneth Townsend tile featuring a London beefeater

…and tea towels, posters and postcards.

vintage Kenneth Townsend tile featuring a pair of Chelsea Pensioners

We’d be tempted to have quite a collection if we were London dwellers!

vintage Kenneth Townsend tile featuring a London gentleman with bowler hat, briefcase and umbrella

We can’t resist a few pieces, even though we live out int’ sticks oop North.

vintage 1959 London Transport postcard. "Roundabout" designed by Victor Galbraith

We often see London-tastic products in the glossy interior magazines and websites – and we usually forget to bookmark them!

vintage 1960s Trans World Service menu cover depicting two horse guards in helmet and bearskin

However, you’ll always find some good stuff at places like the London Transport Museum or V & A Museum web shops…
vintage Carltonware moneybox in the shape of a London bobby

…and take a look at the “London Calling” Etsy Treasury that we’ve put together.

P.S. – Another special London event started last week – commemorating the original 1951 Festival of Britain.
triptych of images of an original 1951 Festival of Britain exhibition brochure
We loaned a few items to Kiera Buckley-Jones from BBC Homes & Antiques Magazine. She has recreated rooms from the period. Read her blog series charting its development here. We’re hoping to take a little trip down south to see it before it finishes in September.