Another find from Islington’s wonderful ‘Past Caring’ which is the kind of old junk shop that hardly exists anymore. We just love the simplicity of the chunky font, the embossed faux leather paper and the embossing of the type itself. Each letter is defined so that the embossing plate is multi-layered and sculptured to create that plump cushioned effect. Yum!

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This little book was first published in 1951 and is a wonderful insight into Festival of Britain, round-the-clock London. Illustrated by Osbert Lancaster, London Night and Day is full of tourist facts and figures including a list of night clubs with entrance fees, pubs by area and restaurants. I picked it up for the cover at the Hay on Wye literature festival but it wasnt until I started reading it that I became enchanted.

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I bought two tiny leather bound Thackeray novels from one of those cardboard boxes that you find outside antique shops thinking that they would always make good props. When I got home and was flicking through them this beautiful and pristine National Book Token with separate book plate fell out. I had no idea of the date or who illustrated it - though it looked a bit like Bawden.

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These knitting patterns were unearthed at curio shop ‘Past Caring’ in deepest Islington. The three boleros are from the carefree days when a ten year old girl had no qualms about being dressed the same as her four year old sister. The ‘chap’, sporting a 1940s ‘slipover’, is equally untroubled, with an inch of fag ash about to burn his fingers if the photographer faffs around any longer! Post Comment

Andrew found this fantastic deck of playing cards in a car boot sale in a field in Norfolk. It was one of those finds that made the whole trip worthwhile. Every card shows a 1950s pin-up girl in a different pose and slightly revealing outfit. Illustrated by renowned Swiss artist, Heinz Villiger, this set is not as saucy as some!

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OK so it’s spiral binding - but how clever is this re-use of old annual book covers and coasters rebound as notebooks and journals. We picked these up at a Vintage fair in Islington, fully intending to send them as christmas gifts but we couldn’t part with them. Made by Retro From Scratch the Schoolgirl Annual is just the right side of naughty and the Pony coaster - the little drink with the big kick - was one of my favourite teenage tipples back in 1981.

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