Scout Finch

Ever wondered what lies behind some of Brisbane’s iconic buildings?

Are you like me and always drive or walk past these magnificent places and think I wonder what that looks like inside?

It’s for these very reasons I dragged a good friend Rae along to this year’s Brisbane Open House.

My dear friend Rae joining me on the walk – Spring Hill

This is a free event that is held every year and provides residents and visitors with the rare opportunity to discover the hidden wealth of architecture, engineering and history in buildings and places this glorious city.

It’s held in conjunction with World Architecture Day and includes guided and self-guided tours over a weekend (was in October 11-12 this year).

It has been running since 2010 and continues to grow each year.

Given our lack of ability to follow direction, we decided to create our own little walking tour that suited our interests, and of course around the Spring Hill Deli that I wanted to try out. Priorities people!

So join us on our tour of Newstead House, Spring Hill Service Reservoirs, Spring Hill Baths (which was not on the tour, but we decided to add it), Roma Street Station Heritage Building and Brisbane City Hall.

And the great thing is if you missed the Brisbane Open House event then you can still go and see these places as they are open to the public for viewing.

First Newstead House.  Newstead House is a heritage listed property operating as a  living museum and is considered one of the most significant properties in Brisbane.

It’s got amazing wrap around verandas with views up and down Brisbane River. For more information visit their website. I certainly recommend a visit.

Inside Newstead House (photo courtesy of Rae)

Front of Newstead House (Photo Courtesy of Rae)

How gorgeous is this light and ornate fixture

Servants quarters downstairs

Wrap around verandah of Newstead House

Standing on the verandah of Newstead House overlooking Brisbane River

Inside Newstead House

Inside Newstead House

Next stop, Spring Hill Service Reservoirs. You can go underground and explore the arched brick interiors of one of these 19th century structures that played a vital role in providing fresh water to Brisbane from 1871 to 1962.

It’s absolutely stunning and the lighting they have done in the space is incredible. The great news, to take advantage of the wonder acoustics, the group Underground Opera have been granted permission to perform a show here in November. It’s called Opera in the Reservoir…information here.

Spring Hill Service Reservoirs

Spring Hill Service Reservoirs

Spring Hill Service Reservoirs

Spring Hill Service Reservoirs

Spring Hill Service Reservoirs

Inside Spring Hill Service Reservoirs

After a quick stop at the Spring Hill Deli, which is a must. We detoured to the Spring Hill Baths. Built in 1886, this is a stunning piece of history in all of it’s retro glory.

This heritage listed swimming pool was Brisbane’s first in-ground pool and showcases old world charm with classic changing rooms and grandstand seating. And the great thing is they are now open to the public and managed by Council.

Find out the opening hours and entry fees here. The pool opens all year round.

Spring Hill Baths – now a public pool operated by Brisbane City Council

Spring Hill Baths – now a public pool operated by Brisbane City Council

Spring Hill Baths – now a public pool operated by Brisbane City Council

Spring Hill Baths – now a public pool operated by Brisbane City Council

Spring Hill Baths – now a public pool operated by Brisbane City Council

Next stop the Roma Street Station Heritage Building, via the stunning Roma Street Parklands.

Roma Street station was the city’s first railway station when it opened in 1875 and for 115 years was its major general freight terminal. It is currently under restoration, but is just gorgeous with all the brickwork and archways.

Read up about the works here.

At Roma Street Station Heritage Building

The stunning brickwork at Roma Street

Part of the museum at Roma Street

And lastly, the stunning Brisbane City Hall.

Built between 1920 and 1930, the heritage-listed City Hall is seen as the heart of Brisbane and has been the backdrop to many cultural, social and civic events.

Having undergone a $215 million restoration, City Hall is the perfect place to explore Brisbane’s history with daily guided tours. It’s also got many rooms to hire for events. For more information visit their website.

It also includes theMuseum of Brisbane. This is where I recently visited the recent Costumes from a Golden Age exhibit here.

At Brisbane City Hall – available for room hire and events.

Brisbane City Hall (Photo courtesy of Rae)

Brisbane City Hall (Photo courtesy of Rae)

The ceiling of the Brisbane City Hall

The ceiling of the Brisbane City Hall

As Brisbane Open House always showcases, Brisbane has many wonderful places to visit.

Check out their website, explore some of the places and ensure you are registered to hear about next year’s event.

Happy scouting!

Circa Vintage’s Nicole Jenkins lives by one motto: ‘fashion fades, style is eternal.’

While Yves St Laurent may have famously said the line, Nicole lives and breathes it.

As the owner of one of Australia’s largest vintage web shops, Nicole is a true purveyor of quality and authentic vintage clothing.

Nicole Jenkins
Photo courtesy of Circa Vintage

I should know I’ve been admiring her beautiful vintage pieces online for years.

Armed with a love of vintage clothing passed down from her mum and a desire to never dress like others, Nicole first opened her Circa Vintage store in 2004 and in 2010 carried the brand to an online store.

Due to the success of her online store, Nicole recently closed the Melbourne store to further focus on her web shop and is fast moving towards her goal of owning the largest vintage online shop in the world. Her store (click here to view) currently has about 2,000 pieces from almost 200 years of fashion.

“The brick and mortar shop allowed us to offer a high degree of customer service, in particular with advising people about which pieces best suit their needs, and putting an outfit together,” Nicole said.

“The webshop makes up for these strengths by offering a much wider range, as it’s not subject to space limitations. It’s also easier to find what you’re looking for with an online catalogue, as opposed to a physical shop.

“It also allows us to present items that are too old or fragile to hang in a shop where they might get dirty from street dust.

“Previously we had to factor in the cost of cleaning and mending as some items would get damaged or dirty in the shop – now we can price lower as the overheads aren’t as high. I’m going to miss that one-on-one service but I’m still available for consultations by appointment.”

Photo courtesy of Circa Vintage

The online store also allows Nicole to expand her popular range, which she has been building over the past 35 years.

“Hopefully the new, expanded webshop will be a great success, and the flexibility of no longer operating a retail shop with the structured hours that entails frees me up to do more writing, research and presenting,” Nicole said.

“I’d like to one day have the opportunity to teach the history of fashion to interested people, so I hope to start further studies in that area soon.”

Photo courtesy of Circa Vintage

It’s a far cry from her previous roles in software design and management, but it’s a rather natural fit considering her early foray into the wonderful world of vintage.

“I’ve always had a passion for historical clothing, so it makes a lot more sense to me than other roles that I’ve had,” she said. “It feeds my inquisitive need for inspiration and desire to touch beautiful fabrics.”

A desire and passion passed down from her glamorous mother and her grandmother’s stories of style icons.

“Without my mum’s passion, my life would be very different. Her wardrobe included many old pieces including a wide belt with a large Art Nouveau silver buckle and a silk velvet 20s opera coat,” Nicole said.

“My grandma was very different though: she lived through hard times in Glasgow and London in the Blitz, so associated second hand clothing with poverty, as so many of that generation do.

“She would enthral me with tales of Dior New Look style fashions in the 40s and hand sewn Parisian cocktail hats, but she didn’t keep anything.

“She liked to live in the here and now. I’m not sure what she would make of my career, she’d probably find it very curious!”

Nicole’s store offers customers with a wide-range of eras and genres, but asking her personal preference is like asking someone to name their favourite child. Like a true vintage lover, she has a special place in her heart for each genre.

Photo courtesy of Circa Vintage

“I love all the eras, as every time has something wonderful for the modern wearer, but mostly I dress in 30s, 40s and 50s,” Nicole said.

“These are the golden years of grown up glamour, but for fun I like to dip into the 60s and 70s too. Most of the styles (especially pre 60s) were made as one-offs or in small quantities so you need never fear entering a party to find someone else in your dress.”

Nicole’s love and knowledge about vintage clothing is endless, so much so that she’s recently written about her love in a book titled Style is Eternal. This is her second book after her first book, Love Vintage, sold out.

“Vintage fashion is simply more beautiful, better quality and often cheaper than modern fashions,” Nicole said.

“It offers an unlimited range of possibilities, with hand finishing, decorative techniques and fabrics that sometimes aren’t even made any more.

“They encapsulate the romance of another time, and have survived because they were important to someone, and your life with them simply adds another element to their ongoing story. If you look after them, they also offer an excellent investment as they’re only becoming rarer.”

Amen sister!

We have lived in Brisbane for just over three years now.

I made a pact with myself when we first moved here that I would commit to exploring new neighbourhoods outside my usual haunts.

Like all of my best laid plans that lasted for, say, six months.

So when our anniversary of living in BrisVegas kicked over – in March for those playing at home – I decided enough was enough. I dusted off the sneakers and strapped Barkley in (he’s a dog just in case you didn’t know!) and typed in names into Google Maps.

The first walk was dictated by my need to eat a gluten free donut. Yes, I know, I’m the epitome of healthy walks. We ventured to Hawthorne. After a donut and coffee at the Hawthorne Garage (which make sure you put on your to do list to visit), we walked down to the ferry terminal and walked (zig and zagging in and out of each street) along the river, until we hit Bulimba.

The second walk was a little more structured as we followed the Rosalie Heritage Trail, which has been put together by Brisbane City Council to discover important historical sites and stories. The walk goes past Rosalie’s grand houses and the Rosalie School of Arts and Commemoration Hall.

My second exploration was of Ashgrove. I was fascinated to explore this area after the State elections – yes I know, nerdy with a capital N.

I read so much about this area (that also was a pivotal seat in the past two state elections) and decided we needed to visit and explore. We chose the St John’s Wood walk, which followed the Enoggera Creek and circled around this leafy suburb and gorgeous homes. 

After hob-knobbing with the rich folk in Ashgrove, we went to Kangaroo Point next. Meeting after work next to the cute little cafe up on the cliff (right where everyone abseils down) we followed the river and walked from South Bank back to the main cliffs. Stunning.

Next off the rank was Graceville. This was partly to stalk, I mean find, a house made out of shipping containers that had featured on Grand Designs Australia. We parked at the new Tennyson Tennis Centre and just followed the river.

Last weekend, I finally visited The Bee Gees home – Redcliffe. We walked along the esplanade from the pier to where the main bridge (in and out of Redcliffe) meets.

It was a beautiful walk on a Sunday afternoon. The pier is just stunning. Make sure you add this one to your list.

I also must mention our regular haunt, Nudgee Beach. This is a great spot for dog-lovers as you can take the four-legged member of the family and it is stunning, particularly if you read the tides properly.

Next up on the list, is Bardon, Corinda, Indooroopilly, Ascot and Taringa. So if you see me walk by, most likely not watching where I’m going as I’m too busy looking at house designs and for coffee shops, say hello!

I have extremely fond memories of visiting libraries.

From flirting with the cool dude at the school library to spending weeks-upon-weeks looking up old newspaper stories on the library’s digital files while researching for a book, to now joining my local library today.

Today, I proudly dragged the Pom into the local library for three reasons –

1)      We are currently budgeting like crazy for our home renovations and I can’t get my fix for recipe books, home décor and gardening magazines, like I used to. Apparently, we are mature now and have to reserve money for responsible things like, I don’t know, a bath or shutters. So now, the library is my thrifty replacement for newsagencies and book stores.

2)      I am constantly worried that if people don’t use libraries that they will close and we will lose them. So much so, that when I see someone going into a library I almost stand up applaud them. I figure it’s a numbers game like everything else in government and decided they can add two more votes today towards keeping the local neighbourhood libraries open.

3)      I love the creativity visiting the library evokes in me. I love walking up and down the aisles and picking anything up that takes my fancy. When I’m in a bookshop and it’s connected to me opening my purse, I’m incredibly choosey. I won’t follow a whim or a fancy. I will only buy what I exactly need or must have. At a library, if an old book sparks my interest or a random architecture journal jumps out of me, I’ll pick it up and take it out. Why not? It’s the beauty of libraries. The unbridled sense of freedom to pursue knowledge.

The beauty of today’s libraries (aside from the great range of DVDs and CDs of this actual era – definitely didn’t have that when I was at school or at uni!) is that they are electronically switched on.

As part of my membership today, I can logon to my library account and borrow e-books, audiobooks and music. And yes before you ask, I do mean borrow as they get taken off my device after 28 days – just like a book!

Other great cool things are their schedule of events. Our librarian was telling us about the cheese making workshop they are holding in a few weeks and was also telling us about the library’s online database, which has millions of articles and online information about any topic that sparks your fancy.

And if you want the old moth ball smell and books with spines older than your granny, than they still have that too.

If you feel I am doing the PR for libraries, good. I make no secret that I’m on a mission to get those numbers up. I am asking you all to go and join or revisit your local library because as I said, it’s a numbers game.

If you don’t, it will be too late and the day you do decide to visit it will be replaced with another shopping centre or God-forbid, a Bunnings.

It’s a four-day long weekend and I’ve spent the time pottering around the house, eating many delicious goodies and going for long walks with the boys!

We’ve also spent the weekend catching up with our architect and putting together solid plans for the much-talked about home renovations.

I’m equally scared and excited by the prospect, which is hilarious given we’ve been talking non-stop about them for the past two years.

Finally, a house that we both love and not a property that we live in for investment or functional purposes. We’ve even lived in a house because it was perfect for the dog! Have I mentioned in the 10 years we’ve been together, we’ve lived in seven places?

A house that we want to live in built for us, even complete with a doggie haven: the thought of it makes me giddy.

Like everything else in my life, I have planned and researched this project to the last detail.

When I say “research”, I mean spent A LOT of time flipping through home and décor magazines and pinterest…all in the name of research.

I thought it would be a good chance to show my inspiration board behind the proposed renovations of our small three-bedroom cottage – hopefully we can make at least some of this a reality soon!

If you find this all rather boring and self-indulgent, a post about cool places I’ve scouted out is coming up very soon.

Follow me at https://www.pinterest.com/scoutandfinch/

When we first decided to visit Seoul, I did what any normal vintage lover does and Googled Vintage + Seoul. I do this every time we decide to visit a new place.  Normally I find a lot of references to fake vintage shops that really mean overpriced yuppy stuff that someone has already been through, hiked up the prices by another 40% and then thrown in some new stuff to flesh it out. Not this time, I was over the moon to find so many treasures and gems when I searched for Seoul. One place that sparked my interest was a few mentions of the Gwangjang Market. This market is very hard to find (well was for us) – first we got off the wrong subway stop. Turns out there is also a Jongno 3-ga station. We were meant to get off at the Jongno 5-ga station. Easy mistake, but boy was it a big one. After half an hour, walking around trying out our very poor language skills and me acting out charades for vintage clothes shopping (at one point it looked like I was trying to milk a cow while mimicking purchasing said cow!), Mr Ed cottoned on to the fact there are two stations. Back on the sub and we found it. However, once we got there it just looked like a large food market with plenty street food stalls, like any corner of Seoul.

The food markets downstairs.

Once again, ready to give up with a heavy heart, Mr Ed came to the rescue again. After walking up and down the market for another half an hour (the market is the size of a block), he spied some trendy Seoul hipsters walking up some non-descript stairs and decided they knew what they were looking for. With stealth like moves, we followed the poor couple who did start to look rather alarmed at how close I was following them. And then as we turned a corner, I felt like little vintage angels begun singing while strumming their harps. It was magnificent. It was aisle-upon-aisle of crammed vintage little market stalls.

Just a glimpse!

The whole top floor was dedicated to little vintage stalls, selling a mixture of genuine items, relatively newer versions, brilliant knock-offs and/or creations the store owners had created using different pieces. I was so relieved I nearly moon walked up and down the aisles. But the Seoul hipsters were still watching – and boy they are a trendy lot.  So I shook it off and began to act cool and did what I had been preparing for my whole life. Shop. And shop. Every vintage shop I had visited prior to this was just practice; this was truly the holy grail of vintage markets.

In vintage heaven

The prices were very cheap and the store owners (that we met) were very cool – one even went as far to tell me upfront a Burberry style jacket with a 50s cut was a fake just in case I didn’t know. I walked away with two funky Mad Men style shirts – with funky cuffs, a green flowy 40s style silk skirt and a cool black denim jacket with cool buttons. Oh yes, the store owners love bargaining and love the challenge. Go on give it a go! They are lovely and expect you to bargain. I could have bought loads more, but restrained as it was my first day in town.

Happy as well…you get the rest

I highly recommend you visit when next in Seoul. But before you do please read my instructions so you don’t find yourself acting out charades and stalking Seoul hipsters. Get off at the right station – see above. When you do get off at 5-a, head to the second floor of the market.  Exit 7. When you come out of the station take the first right and keep walking until you see the sign that says Gwanjang Market.

The map of all the stores

While inside the market continue walking straight through the meat market until you see the sign for the vintage market right in front of you. Take the stairs up to the second floor and ta da!

The hidden stairs that lead up to the Vintage Market.

The opening times aren’t clear as most instructions are the operating hours for the market downstairs. Happy shopping.

I don’t know what it is but I’m obsessed with East London. And, no, it hasn’t got anything to do with the TV show Eastenders, which to the amazement of my Pommie husband I’ve never watched.

Yeah, you can all have your fancy Notting Hill, your posh Knightsbridge or even up-and-coming Fulham or Putney, I’ve always felt a strong attraction to the East. I don’t know if it’s the wonderful stories, the grim, the raw creativity, the multi-cultural diversity or just the energy, but it has always appealed to me.

I love going to the warm corner pubs and hearing stories of the gangs, seeing the bullet holes in the wall displayed with a matter of pride, the Jack the Ripper tours or even just the Cockney accents.

On our recent journey back to my second home, we stayed in East London for a few days and went exploring with our trusty Oyster Card (yep, it still worked after six or so years since its last outing) and a good pair of walking shoes.

Armed with a severe hangover, jetlag and a serious craving for a good coffee, we ended up at Bethnal Green on a dreary Sunday morning (ahh England you charming dirty git!) just in time for the iconic Flower Market along Columbia Road.

This market is as iconic as the Tower of London, red buses, Aussies living in Earl’s Court (and sporting Heathrow belly – ie too many pounds caused by beers and eating cheap and crappy chips at said pubs)… and it’s a wonder.

Every Sunday morning the street is transformed into an oasis of foliage and flowers. Everything from bedding plants to 10 foot banana trees are up for grabs. The air is thick with the scent of flowers and the chant of the stallholders “Everthin’ a fiver” is just music to the ears.

A lot of the flower sellers grow their own plants or import flowers from around the world. The flowers are amazing and I’m told that the sellers apply to be included in the markets. Some are multi-generational stallholders and have been selling their flowery wares each Sunday for many, many, many years.

The flowers are amazing and, most of all, incredibly cheap and fresh. Take a look for yourself.

Aside from the Flower Market, apparently, Columbia Road is one of the few commercial streets in the country that has avoided the lure of the chain store and is made up of 60 independent shops. Small art galleries sit next to cup cake shops, vintage clothes stores, English and Italian delis, garden and antique shops. There are also a couple of great pubs, cafes and restaurants. The shops have a common thread, a love of the flower market and its history, and a refusal to be dominated by a retail world where the sense of fun has all but gone.

Columbia Road flower market and shops are open on Sundays from 8am ’til 3’ish come rain, wind or shine and even on Easter Sunday. Columbia Road is in the East End sitting on the edge of the city with Shoreditch to the west, Bethnal Green to the south, and Brick Lane and Spitalfields nearby.

Do yourself a favour, drop in on a Sunday and immerse yourself in the colour and engage with the sellers who could literally sell ice to well you get the drift!

Here’s a handy little map if you get lost (it’s quite tucked away and can be hard to find for the non-local).

The saying keeping it in the family, couldn’t be more spot on with what’s going on in the Yo’ (Banyo for those who aren’t hip and cool enough) at the moment.

First we had the new decor and gift shop Ideology open up (thank goodness!) and now we have a wonderful deli, cafe, restaurant, cooking school and just general cool place to hang.

A few weeks ago celebrity chef Dominique Rizzo opened Putia Pure Food Kitchen, Pantry, Cooking School at Banyo (across from the train station) which is mighty handy when I’m grabbing early morning coffee).

To celebrate the opening of her new deli, I had a chat with the lovely Dominique about her new venture, why Banyo and what is in store…read below. Very exciting stuff, and did I mention the yummy focus on gluten free items…

Why Banyo?

Well I live just off St Vincents Rd. My brother lives next door to me with his wife who owns Ideology (next door to Putia) so it is a bit of a family vibe.

I love the suburb and love that it is so handy to everything. I have been living here for about four years now and it is so convenient for me for travel, work, and now I am five minutes from my amazing new place.

Also I love all of the parks, Nudgee Beach, the wetlands, there is so much around here you just need to scratch the surface a little and the community and locals are so friendly.

What is the idea/concept for the store?

The concept of “Putia” is a multi purpose space for dining, learning and creating. I will be running cooking classes and a series of fantastic lifestyle workshops that include food, gardening, health, nutrition, art, eating for vitality, vegetarian, Spanish, Italian and all sorts of other cuisines.

We will also be open for breakfast and lunch from Wednesday to Sunday and dinner on Friday and Saturday nights leaving the other evening for private dinners/events, workshops, cooking or tasting events and demonstrations. I also have a fantastic backyard area that will also be able to be used for hire, functions, weddings, Christmas parties and where we will be setting up the “Farm to Table Outdoor Kitchen”.

The kitchen space will also be able to be hired out for cooking/kitchen productions for advertising, cooking videos and also food styling and photography. I have an amazing team of creative photographers, stylists and chefs so really this is an every changing space that I purposely built to cater for many different avenues of food.

Tell me the meaning behind the name Putia.

Putia is the old Sicilian dialect word for family run or corner shop where you would buy food and food products. It comes from the Spanish word Bottega which is where you would buy food and wine. The name reflects my Sicilian heritage and my passion for taking tours to Sicily, which I have been doing for the past three years. My love of Sicily and the diversity of the influences on the food and cuisine, which include influences from Spain, Greece, France, Morocco, North Africa, Arab and the Americas so the name really encompasses many details about my culture and the foods I love to cook.

You have so many facets to what you do, ie cooking appearances, tours, cooking schools, travel groups etc What is your favourite? OR do you still prefer or feel the happiest when cooking at the stove?

Well to be honest about 14 years ago, I decided to focus and work in the areas of food that I love the most. All of the facets to my working life, that you have listed, are what I love doing so it isn’t really work at all.

They are all entwined into each other and fulfil me in so many different ways, but yes I missed the aspect of working with a team with a common goal and being the creator of something that has a deeper meaning using food and creating something that I can share with others.

It is the greatest gift to be able to share something your have with others especially when it brings such pleasure and joy.

For me the joy of cooking is behind feeding people that I love and cherish, why did you first get into cooking?

I started at the age of 21 and it wasn’t something that I had always wanted to do. I just kind of fell into the path and then I allowed it to lead me and even now it leads me. I just keep following and creating more avenues to flow into. I created a motto or saying when I first started my business “Pure food cooking – through the sharing of food you share life and one is never lonely or hungry”… and this is what drives me.

I love sharing what I do with others.

Tell me what you have planned for the store?

Next year will be really exciting with new retail lines. I have my own range of kitchen/garden hand and body scrubs coming out, which I can’t wait for and will keep you posted on the rest – you will have to sign up for the newsletter to find out.

How has your cooking or recipes changed when you first started out?

Well, now of course, I am quicker and have more ideas, and I am really focused on making recipes easy for people to replicate at home, giving them simple ideas and inspiration especially to include more salads, vegetables , grains, seeds, spices and herbs into their diet.

Anything else you want to add?

I have a wonderful Sicilian food tour I am running in 2016, which is a sublime tour of Sicily sampling all of the amazing food wine, sights and sounds of Sicily and the Aeolian Islands. If anyone is interested, contact me on my email info@dominiquerizzo.com.

Check out her great website for more details www.dominiquerizzo.com.

Photo borrowed from Dominique Rizzo

The iconic costumes of Judy Garland, Grace Kelly, Fred Astaire, Ginger Rodgers, Lucille Ball, Elizabeth Taylor, Bette Davis and Marlon Brando (to name a few) will be made available to the public in a magical exhibition late November at the Museum of Brisbane.

I’m beside myself.

My love of old glamour and vintage combined with getting a glimpse of beautifully made costumes, you couldn’t make this gal any happier if you tried. But what’s more the exhibition is thanks to the wonderful private collection of local lad (and collector) Nicholas Inglis. Brisbane you are just beautiful.

The exhibition, titled Costumes from the Golden Age of Hollywood, will showcase Inglis’ extraordinary private collection of iconic costumes and props from the Golden Age of Hollywood after remaining hidden for decades in suburban Brisbane.

Mind blown. A wonderful local man has been collecting these gems and is now going to swing open the doors and let us view these iconic pieces. Give the man a medal I say! And did I mention the show is free…oh my.

Inglis has spent the last two decades acquiring hundreds of costumes, alongside countless items of memorabilia.

The show is made up of a selection of nearly 70 costumes, dozens of accessories and props and more than 100 photographs and sketches from the 1920s to 1960s.

I’ve been told highlights include a stunning two-metre wide ball gown from Marie Antoinette (1938) created by the legendary designer Adrian, Gloria Swanson’s elegant pink silk nightgown from Sunset Boulevard (1950) and swimsuits worn by the ‘million dollar mermaid’ of the 1940s and 1950s Esther Williams.

I’ve also been told that the exhibition is the result of a chance meeting between co-curators, Museum of Brisbane Deputy Director Christopher Salter and fashion curator Dr Nadia Buick. They had both heard of a mysterious Hollywood collection, rumoured to be stored somewhere in Brisbane.

“Nadia and I met through a mutual friend and had begun conversations about locating this almost mythical collection and investigating its exhibition potential. As luck would have it, it turned out I had a link to Nicholas through Facebook and we were able to reach out to him and discuss developing an exhibition,” Mr Salter said.

“To create Costumes from the Golden Age of Hollywood, we spent hundreds of hours cataloguing the collection and have been working with one of Australian’s leading textile conservators who is slowly bringing the garments back to life.

“I think visitors will be astounded by the quality of the workmanship in each costume, the corsetry and beading, the luxurious fabrics. People will also be surprised by how colourful some costumes are, considering on screen they only appeared in black and white.

“There is still so much nostalgia for this period of films, and the costumes and props are a very real but magical link to some of Hollywood’s biggest stars, which is very exciting to share with people.”

As mentioned above, Costumes from the Golden Age of Hollywood runs from November 22, 2014 to April 26, 2015. Museum of Brisbane is open daily from 10am to 5pm on Level 3 of Brisbane City Hall, entry is free. For more details visit here.

Last December three things happened.

Some big fat jolly dude who has a serious obsession with red fell down some chimney after too many egg nogs; I turned a year older and got more grey hair; and one of Brisbane’s coolest furniture stores swung open their big antique doors.

Big Vintage at Salisbury. Mark it in your GPS and go.

Big Vintage is owned and operated by the lovely Pat and Sal and shares their great passion for old recycled and industrial furniture and homewares.

The place is full of stunning – and very well priced – pieces, from intricate doors, old lights, chairs, vintage advertising posters, chairs, long wooden tables to small pieces such as jugs, cups and door knobs from yesteryear.

It’s simply delightful. And if beautiful homewares aren’t enough (greedy much?), then Sal also holds cooking classes in the venue. Sal is a wiz in the kitchen and teaches many of the tricks and tips she learns on her travels around the world (check out her blog tastetrekkers.com.au to see how wonderful she is).

Currently, a lot of the items are imported from Sri Lanka and India.

All the furniture is either recycled or reclaimed. For example, they have cool cheese boards made out of old railway sleepers and candle holders from old pillars from temples, which are sadly been knocked down and rebuilt so as they can be more Western.

Aside from stocking the cool industrial furniture they find around the world, Pat also makes beautiful furniture – but don’t’ you dare ask him for a sleek modern tv cabinet or I will personally smack you. That would be like asking Monet to draw you as a cartoon.

Pat sources old furniture from wherever he can, for example he can make old work benches and rusty barbed wire into cool light shades.

They are open Wednesday to Friday 10.00 till 4.00 and weekends 10.00 till 2.00. Also appointments outside these hours are more than welcome.

Check out bigvintage.com.au for more information. See you there!