I want to ride my bicycle, I want to ride it where I like!

When we moved into our home two years back, the quiet leafy streets and beautiful lake nearby convinced us to buy bicycles. We went to this awesome place called Pal and Panther in North Perth which custom made our bikes from refurbished vintage bikes. Mine was duck egg blue and cream and of course had to have a basket, and Jinn’s was a fixie with a red frame and white tires – tres hipster. We had big plans to ride them far far away, mayhap into a sunset or two somewhere, and hopefully even get fit somewhere along the way.

A few months later, I was getting into the car to go to work when I realised our garage door was swung wide open. Thinking that was quite odd, I then noticed something even more odd – the bikes were gone, their locks cut straight through. I called the police in a mild state of panic thinking they would rush out CSI:Miami style to take fingerprints and look for tiny specks of incriminating dust that would lead us to the perpetrators, but was told mildly to “leave a description of the bicycles and we’ll get back to you.” Not exactly the jump-in-the-car-sirens-squealing reaction I’d hoped for.

So that’s it. The bikes were gone.

Thinking I was never going to hear from them ever again, I moped around work, sweeping the floor with my bottom lip…when I received a call from the local police station.

“Is your bike light blue?”

“Yes”

“With cream mudguards?”

“Yes”

“Well you better come in quickly before one of us takes it home, it’s gorgeous!”

So that’s how my treasured little bike made its way back home. I couldn’t have been happier because I knew I’d never be able to replace her. Sadly, Jinn’s bike was never found. But a year later and after a suitable period of mourning he’s managed to move on and so we took ourselves and our two-wheeled friends for a wee test drive around the neighbourhood – just like old times.
***Jinn’s brand spankin’ new bike from Jellybean Bikes, mine from Pal and Panther

***What I’m wearing – patchwork chambray sleeveless top by Cameo, floral trousers by Finders Keepers (gotta love these ones also by Cameo), pink leather shoes by The Horse, sunglasses by Madewell

***What he’s wearing – dark blue t-shirt by Silent Theory via SqueakyTees, light blue shorts by St Goliath (similar), chambray shoes by Pointer via Kaeho, light green backpack by Herschel (colour no longer available), Chicago Bulls cap by New Era, sunglasses by Cheap Monday

Get your festival on…Beaufort Street style!

Wall art by Robert Jenkins

Hope some of you made it to the Beaufort Street Festival! It was a fun day with plenty of different sorts of activities – food, wine, music, art, fashion – seriously you’d have to be some kind of grouch not to have had a good time. Here’s a pick of a few things we did.

It was initially a rather sweltering 34 degrees but it was not long before a sweet breeze picked up and made the heat more tolerable. We ducked into the area hosted by the Ellington Jazz Club to hear Odette Mercy & Her Soul Atomics play a feisty set – mama’s got one hell of a voice! They just looked like they were having way too much fun on that stage, even with the boys dressed in full suits in the heat!

After thirstily downing a delicious and heat-defying raspberry and apple icy pole (Jinn had lime and mint – jealous…), we wandered further down the street, resisting the temptation of the stalls full of multicultural treats – paella, tacos, goslemme, murtabak, okonomiyaki – yes, we had to be very strong! Someone was blaring Justin Timberlake’s Senorita song…no wait, someone totally aMAzing was singing JT, and completely blowing our minds! He sounded just like him (if not a bit better, i.e. less whiny) and he had a sweet band backing him consisting of a keyboardist and drummer. And they’re all music teachers…whaaat? Yeah, they were advertising a teaching company – sign me up boys! If anyone can make me sound/play like that, I’m in. You can find them here.

Sadly I couldn’t stay any longer as I had a hen’s party to go to, but that didn’t stop me having fun! These festivals/street parties are becoming more common here in Perth in the warmer months and I for one am all for it!

Photo art by Keith Clements

See you there next year!

***What I’m wearing – navy blue playsuit by Gorman, tan embroidered belt also by Gorman, tiny yellow flower earrings by someone that escapes my memory (similar), brown leather sandals by Jeffrey Campbell via Urban Outfitters (similar), tortoiseshell sunglasses by Robert Marc

***What he’s wearing – yellow printed t-shirt by T-bar (similar), Brooklyn Nets cap by Adidas, sunglasses by Cheap Monday via Kaeho

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