retrostoreworld.com Blog

The other day ,following-up an interest in modern retro furniture from the second half of the 20th Century, I hit on a very interesting website which is about the lifestyles encapsulated in those exciting and innovative three decades that were the 50s,60s and 70s. There are excellent articles and illustrations on it about and from those times. But please don’t take my word for it,you will have to judge its value for yourself. You can go to the retrowow website by clicking here

Of particular attraction,as I said,were the furniture items. There is a write-up and pre-publication ordering facility for a new book called: The G-Plan Revolution:1952-1970 by Brian Hyman and Steven Braggs. This will be of great interest to people out there who own, or would like to own G-Plan; or just plain want to know about this phenomenon of pioneering branded furniture introduced into the UK in 1953 by the furniture manufacturers,E Gomme. During the G-Plan production period there were other branded makes like Stag and Parker Knoll ,but Gomme were the first to really put their product widely out there through its marketing.

You will see on retrostoreworld from time to time (for example, see 25th September 2007) G-Plan stuff. So,if you are looking for pieces,perhaps to act as a room divider or centre piece in a retro room ,or to complement more modern items of furniture in your sitting or dining room, why not keep an eye out. In my next post, I hope to have something of G-Plan for you.

In the meantime, if your interest has been kindled by the prospect of a dedicated book on G-Plan,although not yet published (5th Nov maybe ?), you can place an order with the publisher,or at Amazon where you may be able to buy it for a lower price.Click here The G Plan Revolution: 1952-1970 Your copy will be sent to you as soon as it is received from the publisher.

The simple plug fuse, the ubiquitous component without which most electrical appliances down the years would not work, has now provided the design for an attractive lamp. The BS 1363 inch long fuse, spares often to be found in tool box and back of drawer up and down the land,has been and continues to be indispensable ,but now it can provide a fun style for your living room.Magnified many ,many times, the design provides an interesting lamp base. And there’s more,and other lamps,including laver…click below
Firebox

Eating-out in the 60s and 70s meant for many sampling the delights of that staple three course menu promoted by the Berni Inn restaurant chain:prawn cocktail for starters,then steak diane with chips and peas,finishing with black forest gateau and cream,and coffee. Wine if ordered would most likely be a bottle of the ubiquitous Mateus Rose or Blue Nun. So what was wrong with that, you may ask.

Tastes in food may have moved on but thirty-odd years ago there was not the variety and availability of food produce for the table, particularly for a popular and affordable establishment. Abundance of a kind required a very deep pocket from the diner at a top restaurant.

My attention was drawn recently,though,to the report by Frontier PR recently of the Porth Tocyn Country Hotel (above), on the Lleyn Peninsula near Abersoch ,which recently celebrated its appearance in the Good Food Guide for the 50th consecutive year. This still family-owned bastion of good food and service was first listed in the Guide in 1957. Owner Nick Fletcher-Brewer says that keeping high standards year-in-year-out has been the recipe for success – no dishes served in beginning have survived,though. This is a pity. For those of you who would like to retickle your tastebuds with this retro fare, or experience what it was all about you can see revival recipes by clicking here for

prawn cocktail

steak diane

forest gateau

…and the Blue Nun? Well, I am told more bottles per annum are currently consumed than in its supposed heyday in the mid-80s, but then we are consuming more of everything today.

This cassette deck, looking like something out of the 80s, can transform your many cassette tapes (which you can’t play now as you have no equipment) into MP3 recordings which you can play to your hearts content on PC or Mac. Just imagine all those private recordings you would like to hear again: Uncle Bill (or other relative) giving his all one Christmas in a rendition of ‘Danny Boy’ two decades ago, the first recorded words spoken by your children, or a mix of pop from the 70s/80s you may have compiled and recorded from the radio. You will be surprised at what a treasure hoard of sounds and memories you have tucked away in the attic,garage,or back of a drawer.

The USB cassette desk is easy to connect to your Mac or PC and,therefore, to use to quickly convert your old prized,or perhaps forgotten, cassettes into a readily accessible and playable library of recordings in MP3 format on your computer!
You can:

• use the dual dubbing facility
• transfer without drivers
• select for particular tape-type- metal or CRO2
• use either your Mac or PC

So fast-forward to the future, the man said…order today at
Firebox

For over twenty-five years no new stylophones were made. But now this is to change with the re-issue of this versatile pocket electronic organ much loved by children,pop musicians and Rolf Harris. You can now pre-order this small instrument that created massive interest in the late 1960s and throughout the 1970s.

Although originally probably intended as a children’s toy,you could just pretend you are buying it as a Christmas present!Many adults (several million) obviously did something similar all those years ago.So if you want to make some music quickly and easily pre-order here at
Firebox

copyright (c) M P Ryan and CFM(Services)Limited.All rights reserved.

You may want to collect items from the 1970s. You may like them for sentimental reasons,their utility factor, or because,like many well preserved items they have become collectable. But how will you know what you are buying, whether what you want is an original, and is it worth collecting. Well, you may need the help of Collecting the 1970s by author,broadcaster and presenter,Katherine Higgins. Widely respected in her field,well known on the Antiques Roadshow circuit and other popular TV and radio shows on collectables,she writes clearly,with knowledge,and obvious passion for her subject: the 1970s.Here she covers the range of homestyle,fashion and leisure providing a generous description,illustration and value for each product. So, if you are wondering what that 1976 Minolta reflex camera might now cost you, or a certain maxi-dress by Karl Lagerfeld, or,indeed whether that poster you possess from the period is worth keeping,you will probably find the information in this excellent and entertaining reference source.
Miller’s Collecting the 1970s (Mitchell Beazley Antiques & Collectables)

Remember this one? The Stylophone . Even if you don’t it’s worth the look to see what it was all about.

Invented in 1967 by Brian Jarvis, the Stylophone is an electronic hand held musical instrument. A 3 million best seller at the height of its popularity, the standard 20 key model is operated with a stylus on a metal keyboard. A second model, the 350, was also produced, as were a number of other variants, with additional features including an additional stylus, 40 keys, audio input and output, and different tonal effects.

Made into a global product, with much help from TV promotion by Rolf Harris ,it sold originally as a children’s toy. It also found resonance (particularly the 350) among top recording pop artists of the day. David Bowie is known to have been a keen player, and it was employed to great effect during his recording of ‘Space Oddity’.
Since the 70s, other groups, notably Pulp (1992/4) have used this miniature electronic organ in recordings , although the company , Dubreq, which originally made them, ceased to trade in 1980.

The early Stylophones are most sought after as collectables , and there is even a collectors’website to support this interest For details of models for sale of this quirky instrument
click here

For many years, the ’soft pad’ leather lounge chair, designed by Charles Eames for Herman Miller, frequently supported me during my daily labours for a medium-sized public limited company. I can ,therefore, comfortably commend the craft,style and longevity of these iconic chairs which were all the rage in office and lounge throughout the 70s ,and far beyond. The chair and its several variations in bases, with or without castors ,and upholstery , look as fresh and elegant as they did when they were first introduced as an essential part of the discerning corporate scene. It is pleasing to see original pieces of the many styles from this prodigious and innovative furniture designer coming up for sale.You should click here for current purchase opportunities.