It is extremely easy to feel you are living vintage days when walking out and about London, and it is not restricted to the 1960s, when the city had its golden Swinging era.
You can feel you are prior and prior in time since it is very common to find buildings constructed in the 19th, 18th and even 17th centuries.
But it is not only about walking around. It is possible to live a real experience of being in the past, no matter when. Restaurants, markets, parties, shops and tours offer distinguished situations and products that make all the difference!
Photo: Debbie Oakes – http://www.instagram.com/debbieoakesphotos
The Vintage Festival took place last weekend, March 15 and 16, at the Southbank centre. Instagramers London was there to take those magical pictures, and you can take a look at them using the #vintagefestival and #igerslondon hashtags when logging into your Instagram account.
The Vintage Guide to London logo
Being in town or wanting to keep up to date on everything related to the old times, The Vintage Guide to London is the zero point. They offer exceptional vintage scenes arranged by period – from Victorian to the Eighties – and it is possible to search for places in your part of town.
They are part of all social media out there, but the one I love the most is their Tumblr page; there are loads and loads of lovely photos. On Pinterest, pictures are organized by topic – hair and beauty, bars, restaurants, cafés. Very useful!
Photo: Debbie Oakes – http://www.instagram.com/debbieoakesphotos
Lena Weber is its founder and editor-in-chief; she opened it up in June, 2010. She also runs the Queens of Vintage magazine – not specifically connected to London, but a treasure for vintage facts and products.
The free weekly TimeOut magazine keeps a vintage guide on its website, where even speakeasies and swap shops are listed – “Speakeasies were places for illegal boozing that came to prominence during the Prohibition era in 1920s America. But ever since, they have taken on a mythical status: teacups brimming with gin, suave jazz musicians and a glitzy, retro dress code,” they clarify.
Finally, the book The Rough Guide to Vintage London, published in May 2013, is also a terrific source for old times’ guide:
It covers over 200 budget and luxury attractions, from the East End hotspots of hyper-cool Hoxton and Shoreditch to the eccentric emporia of the West End, as well as the pick of London’s markets and the classiest vintage outlets north and south of the centre, all marked on full-colour maps.
It is from Consultant-Editor Wayne Hemingway and written by Francis Ambler, Emily Bick, Samantha Cook, Nicholas Jones and Lara Kavanagh. Grab yours on Amazon and go live those magical old days… Whenever they are.
Photo: Jorge Miranda Jr. – http://www.instagram.com/jorgemirandajr
