miss b loves .......... Istanbul and a visit to the Asian side

Istanbul is one of those fascinating cities which draws you back and we've just returned from another long weekend there to discover and explore a little further afield .....

Saturday began with an early trip to a local market .... no other tourists here ...... everything was on sale from pots and pans to factory seconds but we were mesmerised by the vast quantities and variety of fresh food which we were encouraged to sample! 

A riot of colour ...... I think this deserves a post of its own some time .........   

Our next stop was a market of a different kind ..... Misir Çarşisi (the Spice Bazaar) in Eminönü .....

.... another feast for the eyes and tastebuds ......

We sampled so much Turkish Delight and we didn't need much persuasion to buy half a kilo of pistachio flavour to take back home ........

miss b loves.........Ladies' Day

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Last Tuesday evening we headed over to Oldham Coliseum Theatre to watch Ladies' Day.....

Ladies' Day, written by Amanda Whittington, is about four factory women from a Hull fish-filleting factory enjoying a glamorous day at the races......Royal Ascot in 2005 when Ascot temporarily moved up to York. 

They swap their plastic aprons and hairnets...

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.....for their best dresses and fancy hats....

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miss b loves........cream tea on a steam train!

A couple of Sundays ago we enjoyed a cream tea with a difference....on board an old-fashioned steam train travelling through the Lancashire countryside. This was a surprise treat....and I would never have guessed how we were going to spend the afternoon!

We arrived at Bury station to be greeted by a scene straight out of Harry Potter! 

The East Lancashire Railway has been restored to its historical glory and the vintage Pullman style dining carriages retain many of the original 1920s features.......polished wood panelling, sliding windows and plush velvet seating .... the perfect place to enjoy a cream tea....a very English tradition.

The whistle was blown and we were off on our journey.......

miss b loves.........dresses

Fashion has always interested me. I even used to create outfits for my Sindy dolls and in my late teens created quite a few designs for myself! (If only I'd taken photos!)

I'm also fascinated by the history of Fashion and I knew that I would enjoy the Design Museum's book 'Fifty Dresses That Changed The World' which describes iconic dresses which have had an impact on the Fashion World ...... going right back to the 1915 Delphos Pleated Dress by Mariano Fortuny which allowed a revolutionary freedom of movement ........

There's Marilyn Monroe's halter neck dress from 'The Seven Year Itch'.......
  

...... and probably the most famous little black dress, the Givenchy design, worn by Audrey Hepburn in 'Breakfast at Tiffany's'...

Of course to say that a dress can change the world is a dramatic statement but there is no doubt that many of the dresses in the book changed or influenced the way we dress.......