This song has haunted me for months – there’s been much googling of “Say that you want me,” to no avail. It definitely brings back some memories, like driving for hours with my friends in the dark nights of 2004, my little iPod mini hooked up to the stereo. Black sand beaches, highway ghosts, abandoned power stations.
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Karangahape Road, Auckland, in 1910. Rendell’s Fashion House, George Court and Sons, Jas Clarkson, the British Photographic Studio and The Frisco Candy Kitchen. There is a car on the road as well as carts and pedestrians with a pram
Don’t you think Frisco Candy Kitchen would be a great name for a K Road bar? Or maybe just a high end chocolate shop, selling salted caramels and stretchy taffy. I miss this place, and I never stop dreaming for it.
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Nostalgia for the old days; when I had the friendliest pet bunny, lots of time to sleep and great teeth! The last one is my passport photo from when I was five. I like how at 25, I have pretty much the same hairstyle.
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Please allow me to introduce myself , I’m a man of wealth and taste… Sympathy for the Devil by the Rolling Stones is one of my favourite songs. A personal top 10 ranking, definitely. Various sources state it was inspired by Mikhail Bulgakov’s The Master and Margarita, which I have just finished reading. Also – how smooth and wonderful does the video look? It’s the joy of real film.
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Down at my favourite watering hole under the stairs (the Wine Cellar), Hazel & Jack have been regularly cranking Toto on Tuesdays. Strictly the karaoke hits – Hold The Line, Rosanna and Africa. Let’s dance!
(My favourite!)
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Auckland is experiencing some hot and sweaty weather right now; which while rather uncomfortable (hug the fan!), makes me long for South East Asia. From the archives, I present Thailand 2005. Highlights included: eating in street-side restaurants, exploring 14th century ruins, temple hopping, ankle massages, and haggling ever day at the markets.
This is Richard. We met when he was living in Auckland for a year, and he amicably agreed to come to Thailand and be my travel buddy. Since then we’ve met up in Japan, America and I’ve been to his house in Sheffield, England. He’s awesome!
This amazing melded tree/Buddha is amazing can be found in Ayutthaya, an old capital of Thailand an hour and a half north of Bangkok. It’s famous for its ruins, and recognised by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site. It’s said Ayutthaya was one of the world’s most prosperous cities in the 17th Century.
The post title comes from the “One Night in Bangkok” – the song originally sung by Murray Head for the musical Chess, circa 1984. Take me back, only this time I’ll bring enough money to make it to the islands! Have you been to Thailand? What did you enjoy?
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After a decade of flirting, I have finally entered into a committed relationship with the gorgeous, bustling, and nefarious Karangahape Road.
K’Road – as it’s commonly known – holds a lot of fond memories for me. Moments such as: skipping school to go drink bitter short blacks at Brazil (I was 14 and remember trying to make myself like coffee); evenings spent eating hotter-than-the-sun pizza at Crazy Crust; watching my friends start their musical careers along the strip; attending a wealth amazing art exhibitions and parties.
Now I am living a nano-second away from the strip and am having the time of my life. Vintage stores, cute cafes with vegan cupcakes, the Film Archive, wine bars, and army surplus stores are all on my doorstep. There are also ladies of the night dancing on my doorstep occasionally! It’s never boring…
Here is a portrait of my beloved road in 1987. The film is ‘Walkshort’ by The Front Lawn:
The big smoke in New Zealand in the eighties was small just a little village. And it still is today. I think as I get older I appreciate this more. Alright, I’m off to go get a coffee!
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The Bots Master: rap, robots, lazers and copious high fiving. I remember watching this as a kid! Oh yeah.
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I have a total soft spot for ridiculous 80′s movies, especially if they are set in THE FUTURE. In this case, the future is a post-apocalyptic year 2017 – Las Vegas is smothered by sand and outlaw is a popular career choice.
Cherry 2000 (dir. Steve De Jarnatt, 1988) is so bad it’s incredible. By the looks of it, we’ll be able to take robot wives, enjoy Kartell kitchens and have Larry Fishburne serve as our Glu Glu lawyer.
I love the outfits and interiors of the movie. Camp-tastic. If you’re ever flicking through the outer reaches of your cable subscription and you see this movie playing, stop. It’s well worth watching for the laughs, and a sneak peek at the guns we’ll all be toting in 7 years…
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Hello friends! I have just finished watching the Adventures of Milo and Otis and am high on cute.
It’s the tale of a pug, a kitten and the adventures they have. It starts on the farm… but Milo never listens to his mother. Here’s two of my favourite scenes:
Crab Attack
Otis Meets The Fox
Did you know that Milo and Otis is a Japanese made film and was released in English 4 years after the original release? Me neither! Did you know Dudley Moore was the vivacious and hilarious narrator? Not I!
While there has been some controversy over the use of animal actors in the movie, I still love this romp (and have done since I was 5). It’s a good film to watch from bed while hanging out in your pyjamas. Nostalgia rules.
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Vogue Body and Beauty by Bronwen Meredith is my new favourite old book. I finally took the time to read this beast, and it’s fabulous. “This sumptuous yet eminently practical handbook gives the facts and possibilities about health and beauty honestly and without feeding women’s dreams and illusions.”
Great book, but I must say; seventies diets for health are outrageous… really, how many grapefruit can you eat in a week? There seems to be many copies of this floating round, so if you have the chance to get your elegant wee paws on it, do so. From the eating plans, to the DIY treatments, to the Vogue full-colour plates – it’s good in so many ways.
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Vogue’s More Dash Than Cash by Kate Hogg was first published in 1982. Despite a vintage of almost 30 years, it’s an incredibly relevant and straightforward guide to looking good on a budget.
After a chipper and suitably stirring introduction, the book covers the following areas:
Here’s some of my favourite spreads:
Intriguingly, a lot of the looks feel like they could have been shot yesterday – think bloggers in high waisted denim cut offs and Doc Martins; or the latest Stolen Girlfriends-esque Prairie girl look. And oh! Are those some moccasins I spy? (Above in the last shot). New York was going mad for those when I was there last month. Ah, isn’t it funny how the wheels of fashion turn.
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I found this Better Homes and Gardens magazine while fossicking in some old boxes at my parents’ house. It’s the August 1982 edition!
Summer fruit puff recipe! Redecorating a 50′s house for the 80′s! Oh yeahhhh. It’s a real retro goodie.
In this one magazine, there’s an astounding 24 pages of full colour cigarette adverts, plus the the back cover. That’s out of 143 pages total. Shocker! The ‘death of print’ and recession aside, could you even begin to imagine that in a modern magazine?
I scanned this Parliament Lights ad to share:
Benefit driven drivel, with a condescending tone. I’m not too sure why, but I am really attracted to this style of excessively persuasive communication. It’s very satisfying to write.
In fact… here’s a fictitious radio ad I wrote for a competition. Entitled, “Smoother & More Satisfying”, please imagine this being read by a 1960′s era male announcer, with formal enunciation:
“We know it’s hard keeping up appearances in today’s fast paced society… but the reward is worth it! What you need in your life is a mild good tasting cigarette, like Durrys Slims Extra Mild.
Smoother than a fine whiskey, more satisfying than cheap sex. For added vigour, to forge your path to victory – do try Durrys Slims Extra Mild cigarettes today. For all of life’s thrilling moments… with Durrys, you have no worries!
‘Mad Men. Sundays 8.40pm. It’s on Prime.’”
Hee! I’m sure I don’t need to remind you that smoking is for idiots who want nasty wrinkles and foul breath. Mwah!
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I enjoyed this Marie Claire shoot of the Sofia Coppola designed line of accessories for Louis Vuitton. Shallow depth of field, golden chains, and retro references like Polaroids & records – it’s lovely. Here are my favourite shots:
While this I really love the styling – the bags are not so to my taste. The black suede clutch is more appealing than the monogrammed version; but I just don’t think I could ever spend that much money on a handbag, regardless of how loaded I was.
Spenidng hard earned cash on pink champagne and old Rolling Stones tunes is much more my style!
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Hello! My name is Amber Parkin. I'm a New Zealander living in London. I'm a writer obsessed with fondue, chesterfield sofas, vintage dresses, foxes, and 35mm.
Here I like to talk about fashion, design, food, travel, writing & books, and culture. Everything else (including my photography) goes into my digital notebook.
If you'd like to email me the address is amber@codeforsomething.com
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