Into The Woods - Bedlam moves to the Forest

It’s been huge, our move, back in September, hence the delay in getting head space to post appropriately - we have relocated to an enchanted location, the ancient woods they call The New Forest, in Hampshire, in the South West of England.

We are slowly getting unpacked and back on our feet but have already taken a reassuring amount of Autumn orders for beautiful bespoke work.

Thanks to our steadfast allies Huddersfield Fine Worsteds, that supply the majority of our gorgeous cloth, we maintain a foothold in London’s Soho for those who prefer to render-vous in the smoke. Should you be willing and available to venture into the countryside we will happily collect you from Southampton Station (the nearest major node) or Ashurst, our closest platform. From Waterloo (our old neighbourhood) to Southampton on the fast train is an hour and ten minutes.

By next year we hope to be able to offer clients their own self contained cabin in the grounds should you wish to stay over… for now there is a spare bedroom in the house if you’re brave enough!

Never thought the gal born in Guys Hospital on the banks of the River Thames would be saying it was the right thing to do but we are in harmony and as one when we say it was a timely decision well taken and, exhausting as its execution was, we survived, we are recovering from the effort day by day. Waking to this extraordinary beauty is an elixir that tastes sweet.

We look forward to welcoming you here in person or staying in communication via our varied virtual portals as we do.

Here is the Guardian of our gate at the New Bedlam HQ:

A Decadence of Rebelegance - a gallery installation to celebrate ten years of Bedlam

     
          Ken                          noun:     one's range of knowledge or understanding

Kennington             location:      16 Windmill Row, London, SE11 5DW

 

ken artspace

is delighted to welcome
 

Earl of Bedlam

with

A Decadence of Rebelegance

 

1st - 30th September 2020

Earl of Bedlam is a Kennington-based design-fashion house, bespoke tailoring studio making delicious clothes from the finest ingredients. Mark Wesley and Caroline Butler are delighted to have veered to their tenth anniversary, styling the achievement as “A Decadence of Rebelegance ”. That last word was gifted to them by friend-client-investor, musician of renown, Nile Rodgers. Asked how he envisaged his latest suit commission from EoB, “Rebelegant” was the reply. The word is an apt portmanteau -  they take classic templates then free them from convention. There are no rules.

 “You hum it, we sew it”. 

Photo by Sadia Barlow

Here’s Nile Rodgers on the red carpet wearing his most recent EoB suit. The buttons are antique Japanese satsuma ceramic, each showing one of the Seven Lucky Gods. His huge hit with Daft Punk was called “Up All Night to Get Lucky” and he loves everything to do with Japan. The silk lining was printed with an etching of the Gods. The front is a trellis of gold silk embroidered by Katherine Creighton Jones who was at the time a student at the Royal School of Embroidery.

         Simon Le Bon wearing his EoB coronet tee...

 

          Michel Roux jr in his tee on telly...

   Detail from a Regency-style waistcoat made for Antiques Roadshow expert Mark Hill, a client-friend-neighbour:
 

 Singer Gregory Porter in his EoB suit on the Graham Norton show:
 

A Quipao commissioned for the Museum of Silk in China printed with an ancient map of Marco Polo on the Silk Route...

A Decadence of Rebelegance is open
Wednesday - Saturday 11 - 6pm
Sunday 12 - 3pm

For information contact:
Caroline & Mark
Tel. 07711 160 654
5 Bedlam Mews, London SE11 6DF

www.earlofbedlam.co.uk

Twitter: newsfrombedlam
Instagram: Earl of Bedlam
FB : http://www.facebook.com/pages/Earl-of-Bedlam/157642327606726

Ken is a small new art space in the heart of Kennington run by artists 
Rob Kesseler and Agalis Manessi dedicated to occasional exhibitions and
pop-up events.

Copyright © 2020 Ken Artspace, All rights reserved.
All images copyright the artists

web:     www.kenart.space
email:   kenartspace@gmail.com
tel:  07931541417
Twitter: @ArtspaceKen
instagram:  https://www.instagram.com/kenartspace/

Ibsen, Chaplin, Cormoran, Bedlam

Our friend and client Tom Burke excelled last year as the lead in the West End adaptation of Henrik Ibsen’s “Rosmersholm” . As a RADA student like Tom, some er, short time apart, there was a time I saw pretty much everything on at the theatre and that production was a highlight of my theatre going life.

Also last year, but in the cinema, he took the male lead role in “The Souvenir”, a harrowing piece of autobiography from director Joanna Hogg. It won the Grand Jury Prize and the Sundance Film Festival and was nominated for a host of other awards.

We were privileged to make the suit that “Anthony” wears for much of the film and were thrilled that critic Guy Lodge name checked it in his review for Variety Magazine. Here he is (below) across the table from Julie (Honor Swinton-Byrne, daughter of Tilda) as the besuited civil servant (not his infamous naked colleague), described by Lodge thus: a “pinstripe-clad Foreign Office dogsbody with a passion for art history, he exudes a precociously worldly, sophisticated air that turns out largely to be stale cigarette smoke and mirrors… Burke is entirely extraordinary as an internally collapsing man trying to hold everything together with expensively tailored privilege.”

There aren’t many people to whom Brian pays obeisance in this fashion, but he cast himself at Tom’s feet when he came for a fitting at the studio:

This weekend Mr B (Burke, not Brian) returns to the small screen as the endearing shuffling gum shoe private detective Cormoran Strike, adapted from the novels by J.K. Rowling.

Do please consider buying the t-shirt we created with Tom to benefit one of his preferred charities “Operation Smile” that performs surgery to correct cleft lips and palates. It shows Tom’s fine drawing of Charlie Chaplin’s boots. Chaplin as you may know had a miserably poor boyhood in Kennington before going on to become the most feted actor-director in the world. He also wrote the bitter sweet song, “Smile (Tho’ Your Heart is Breaking”. It is available of our e-shop on this website. £10 from every sale goes to Operation Smile.

Get yours here: https://earlofbedlam.bigcartel.com/product/charlie-chaplin-boots-to-make-you-smile-tee

Here is Tom studiously sketching in our studio:

EoB favourite gets MBE from HRH

We couldn’t be more thrilled for our pal Andrew Roachford who has been awarded an MBE by HRH Queen Elizabeth II in her birthday honours list for this year. Mr Wesley naturally immediately wanted to know when he would be receiving his. I explained his is known as an A.S.B.O.

Andrew is a loyal and treasured friend of many decades standing. He used to delight the clubbers at Heaven when he would turn up and play at Lady C’s (in)famous jam sessions at that legendary fleshpot behind Charing Cross station in London. He also graciously played at the opening of our funny little ramshackle shop at the Oval back in 2011 (was it?!). here is a slightly tipsy, starts off sideways but hang in there, video of that night when rambunctious guests stood suddenly quietly in awe as he sang for us. Thanks to to his wonderful brother Stephen who is always there, making thing happen, as he did that night:

https://youtu.be/1NBICuIoW9g

And here is one of legendary lens woman Jill Furmanovsky’s fabulous portraits of Andrew with Mr Wesley gazing on rapt, taken at the Duchy Arms in Kennington after the photoshoot we did some years back for the Jocks & Nerds mgazinephotoshoot. Andrew wears Earl of Bedlam #howsuccesslikestodress

Remember to see “The Souvenir”

We’re proud to claim some small involvement with “The Souvenir”, the film written and directed by Joanna Hogg that just won the Grand Jury Prize at the Sundance Film Festival and ecstatic reviews from all who have seen it so far.r

Starring Tilda Swinton and introducing her daughter Honor Swinton Byrne, it boasts our buddy Tom Burke in the male lead. His character is, in contrast to Quentin Crisp, a well dressed civil servant, obsessed with the finest English menswear. Proving himself a very good friend indeed, Tom lobbied for us to get the suit gig.

So it is that you will see him wearing an Earl of Bedlam pinstripe flannel suit. We were thrilled that it made an impression on Variety reviewer Guy Lodge who references Tom Burke’s character trying to hold his life together with “expensively tailored privilege”. Glad we turned in a convincing performance of a top dollar whistle!

https://variety.com/2019/film/reviews/the-souvenir-review-1203120073/amp/?__twitter_impression=true

Tom then took us down the red carpet with him at the Berlinale where it was next screened, wearing the famous waistcoat we made him from a “Three Musketeers” extra’s pair of peasant’s pantaloons.

The film has now secured US distribution. It was exec. ptoduced by Martin Scorsese

Civilised, nous??

We are simultaneously delighted and astonished to be included in an exhibition currently celebrating London culture at the Museum of Civilisation in Quebec, Canada.

For this honour, we must thank Genevieve Borne who was invited to curate examples of the way our great city fulfils the senses - and the fine quality of our fabrics was deemed to be a treat for connoisseurs of the touchy feely. Genevieve  - who put the Belle into hit Canadian TV music show, "Belle et Bum" - had been invited a year previously to compile her guide to London by a Canadian publisher who had the clever idea of asking respected types for their insider tips on their favourite city.  We were puffed to find ourselves in that, and have received Canadian tourists at the studio as a result, again to our delight and astonishment!

Genevieve wore our coronet t-shirt to the opening night which is being stocked at the Museum store whilst the exhibition is on (it runs until March 2019).

The Chap Magazine, Autumn / Winter 2017 Peaky Blinders special feat. EoB!

The latest edition of The Chap magazine, with newly spruced production values, took over newsagents on November 17th, the same week as the new series of Peaky Blinders took over the telly. We're proud to be in it, with a fifteen page feature, including a spotlight on Huddersfield Fine Worsteds, from whom we source the majority of our fabulous fabric and whose support we are grateful to have. The shoot was a blast and after exhaustive research by our in house location scouts we decided our locals, The Three Stags and the Oxymoron (quite the most characterful pub in Kennington, but our models arrived fully loaded with character), were the perfect backdrop.

Brian, Hound of Bedlam, made his editorial debut. Everyone was dressed in EoB (obvs) except for Brian, who was dressed by Ralph Lauren, in their AW17 wool / cashmere dog coat. For this we extend our thanks to Carolyn Randolfi, SVP and Sweater Supremo for Mr Lauren.

Join the gang, grab a copy. You'll find them lurking in W H Smith and Waterstones or order on line: 

http://thechap.co.uk/2017/05/brand-new-chap/

Bucolic Bedlam erupts at Browns of Stockbridge!

It may be chilly outside but we've a warm, wonderful feeling about being launched in the Hampshire town of Stockbridge on Friday December 1st, 2017. Nicki Berman-Brown, la patronne of bon gout, is hosting a champagne party on the night and we'll be there, popping our corks. Brian is coming along to pop their Jackapoodle Poppy's cherry and, we hope, make puppies who will symbolise in a vital and very literal way the union of our two enterprises.

Ben Amure

We're most terribly sad to post the news that Ben Amure, who took the black & white photos on our home page and our tube poster, succumbed to a wretched food allergy last month. At his funeral on August 5th we joined a packed congregation at Christ's Church Brixton to hear Reuben James and Soweto Kinch, amongst others, play their tributes. Reuben played "In my Solitude" with such sparing tenderness that it was quite heart wrenching. Ben was jazz crazy, and the in house photographer at Ronnie Scott's Jazz Club - never could their have been a better match of man to metier. There all be a tribute night to him upstairs at the club on Weds August 31st.

Below, Ben with Soweto during a Bedlam shoot; Andy Davis; Casper; the first time we met him - thanks to Theo Jackson; in our studio; and the final black & white shot of him alone as taken by his talented "apprentice" Deborah Adelabu.

RIP Ben.

A world class monument to Kennington community designed by a client of Bedlam

Visitors to the Cleaver Square Fete in May - at which we presided over not one but two tables - saw a model for the proposed new notice board outside St. Anselm’s. It is to be built and maintained by old style public subscription and donations from local businesses / associations. In this age of increasingly digital communication, it was noted by Lady C of EoB that there always seems to be someone who misses the memo about a local event, or who does not have, or wish to have, access to Facebook, Twitter et al. She mentioned the idea of a notice board to one of our many clients who are eminent in their field, local resident Edward Hutchison. Being a man of action, he appeared for his next fitting with a portfolio of preliminary sketches. For who better to mention it to than Edward, who designed (at world famous architectural practice Norman Foster) the bus shelters on the Champs Elysées. These were deemed so beautiful and functional that they were rolled out across Europe and are most recently installed in Edinburgh. It is a lovely thing when you can murmur a dream to have someone listen and progress its journey to reality.

The site outside St. Anselm’s church at Kennington Cross (the grand junction of Kennington Road and Kennington Lane) was considered the natural choice, for as well as having space the intersection symbolises a confluence of community, which we hope this monument will come to represent. A map of London shows how Kennington is the hub from which many roads and bridges run as spokes, and inspired by this, Lady C devised an emblem (see below) for the project. Our Auxiliary Graphics Department (our beloved Ian Vincent) then translated her original draft in Chanel "Peridot" nail varnish to a version in grown up graphics. To run parallel to the garden hedge of another top Bedlam model Rev. Aagaard, the board will create a “piazza” effect in front of the church and be built in materials sympathetic to the listed building (Portland Stone if funds allow).

Yet another of Bedlam’s clients, Andrew Wheatley of the Cabinet Gallery (due to open this summer at the Vauxhall Pleasure Gardens, roll up, roll up!) joined the Board of the Board and proposed another local, Malcolm Brady, as structural engineer. Malcolm duly organised a meeting with Lambeth planning officer Doug Black who “did not doubt the design excellence” and gave us advice as to what would most likely be approved.  As a result, we have now a pleasingly asymmetric synthesis of old style village church yard paper notices with a space age digital map of Kennington and its surrounding area on the other side, featuring the pubs, restaurants, galleries, farms and interesting local businesses that make where we live so great.  Also incorporated will be a chalk board for those who can’t resist making their mark (a.k.a. organised vandalism); a panel for a weekly children’s art exhibit; seating; and an eave to protect people from the elements.

Please admire, below, Edward’s beautiful isometric drawing of our proposal, and the bank details to make it a 3-D reality! We have already had some most generous donations from Counter restaurant and LASSCOs in Vauxhall; the Three Stags and the TommyField; the lovely Boule-In Bullens; Caroline’s mum; Mr David Beck and many people at the fete. If anyone took a leaflet and made a transfer subsequently we thank you and have a share certificate for you, a covetable watercolour wash by Edward, to enhance your sense of ownership. Rev. Angus has kindly allowed us to use the parish bank account, but do PLEASE use “notice board” as a reference:  

Account name is North Lambeth PCC

Account number: 34275088

Sort code: 60 60 04

The blue blob is Bedlam. Kennington Cross lies where "A3204" is written.

Lady C's original draft of the emblem for the new KC board, executed in Chanel nail varnish (peridot) and felt tip pen.

n aerial view of Kennintgon Cross from the roof of our pals at the Dog House public house. The vicarage, and Angus' garden hedge, is just behind the tree to the right.

Bedlam Chart Busters

As the memorial roll grows longer this year for artists that have shaped and inspired such creativity as we possess, it is some comfort to see that P J Harvey's latest album, "The Hope Six Demolition Project", went straight in at #1 last week, her first, long overdue, taste of the top spot:

http://www.officialcharts.com/chart-news/pj-harveys-hope-six-demolition-project-becomes-her-first-number-1-album__14696/

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-36114348

Predictably it was bounced by Beyoncé this week, but it's to be celebrated that grown up music such as Polly's can still reach a commercial  pinnacle after a career of sticking to musical principals. And playing on the record, an integral part of the band, is James Johnston - one of our newest clients, who happens to live across from Bedlam Mews, and is becoming a fast friend. This week we deliver his suit for the tour. Polly likes her band in black. 

James' own band is Gallon Drunk, and he also does duty as a Bad Seed for Nick Cave. The first time he came over with his missus Nicola, to choose fabric and be measured up, we were beguiled, not to say fooled by his gentle way and lovely manners. Being slow on the uptake, we went to check out Gallon Drunk only to find that everyone we know had already "liked" and "followed" them. Not sure how we missed that memo. Anyway, thinking it only polite to get up to speed we watched them on Youtube and were slammed to the wall by the power that James unleashes onstage! Take a look, enjoy:

But wait, scroll back through the years, and what did we find in their archives?!?! Only a song called "Bedlam"! It was written in the stars, or on the back of a beer mat anyway, that we would one day dress James. Here it is to get your Monday roaring:

In the same weekend, Gregory Porter, a smoother songster to calm you down again, was on Channel 4's "Sunday Brunch" show (photo below), wearing his three-piece Bedlam suit in the John G. Hardy "Alsport" tweed, as promotion for his new album "Take Me to the Alley" went into fifth gear. It's released this Friday, May 6th, so here's hoping G can now spring Beyoncé and have his turn at #1. 

Then came the broadside news about Prince on April 21st. Gregory was chosen to lead the tribute on the BBC's Later with Jools Holland on April 26th. Again Gregory was wearing the waistcoat from his suit, but showing you don't have to precious about mixing up the pieces with other separates. It looks great under his blue jacket and we felt a little tingle to see a bit of Bedlam doing its bit during a moment of tender drawing-togetherness.

My own personal Prince recollection was of going to a club in London one night with my flat mate of the time, who was possessed of a rare beauty that could possess a man's soul in turn (where are you now Jodie?). Prince appeared with his Sumo sized security and settled into a dark booth. Dark enough for us to not see in, but clearly he could scan the room for soon a Sumo plodded over and declared, "Prince would like your number." This was in the days before cell phones so our shared land line was inscribed and delivered. I didn't leave the flat for days, hoping to play receptionist-pimp, but sadly, it never came. Ah well. So much pleasure he gave me, I shall forgive him that. 

Palio - See the Film, Buy the Book, Wear the Glory!

You have but a few more days to catch the documentary film Palio on the big screens in the UK. GO!!! In the USA it opens on November 6th. Produced and directed by our friends John Hunt and Cosima Spender respectively, it is a documentary about the ancient horse race that canters around the town square in Siena. It is real life that makes fiction look inadequate. "Ben Hur crossed with the Godfather" is how we described it after the first screening we saw. Even though we knew the ending when we watched again on its first day of commercial release, it was still as goose-bump seat-leap thrilling as the first time! Book your tickets here: http://gb.thepalio.com/tickets

To help your heart calm down, relax with the beautiful book that John has published to accompany the film. As you turn the pages, each one more beautiful than the last, you will come across Fashion in the section on the cultural influence of the race. There, next to the princely Florentine House of Pucci, is only... scallywag us! For when we were introduced to John through the auspices of Nancy Hunt and Nile Rodgers, he asked us to see what clothing items we could imagine. Mark, inspired by the Leocorno contrada (the "Unicorn" neighbourhood), made a flowing, dynamic graphic which has since graced jeans for Nile and his godson Jasper; suit linings; and t-shirts. Order your copy of the book here: http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/099326770X/ref=cm_sw_r_tw_asp_QLixJ.5BE0MAG

Here's Gus demonstrating the heights you can reach in a Palio print t-shirt:

Here's Maestro Nile Rodgers wearing his jeans in the Duran Duran recording studio:

And here's the sherbet zing colour way that Mr Simon le Bon chose for his silk suit lining:

At the opening night last week, Cosima was present for a Q&A after the film. A lady in the row behind us requested the mic, and introduced herself as Sienese. She said they had come to fiercely criticise, find fault, and point out all the things they had got wrong. "There is nothing," she conceded," you have captured it perfectly!"

We do exhort you to see it, you will thank us!

Cardboard Crowns

The technology of posting a web article to the press page has defeated us so we shall make a "News" item of our appearance in the online chronicle of Kennington life "Kennington Runoff". We were really touched and delighted by how positive it is, and shall strive to find some dignity appropriate to our new regal status:

http://kenningtonrunoff.com/earl-of-bedlam-king-and-queen-of-kennington/

In the Life of Brian, the Greatest Day to Date

It was most generous of the parish of North Lambeth (or "NoLa" as I like to call it) to invite us to be a part of their summer fete, and for the Archbishop of Canterbury to give up his garden at Lambeth Palace for the purpose. So we had wares displayed and made a special Lambeth Walk t-shirt for the occasion, celebrating the long forgotten musical artist Lupino Lane. He made the song famous and there is a block of council flats on the Walk named for him, but how many of the residents, we wonder, know why.

In the programme of events, we noticed there was to be a dog show and wondered if there might be a "Naughtiest" or "Best at Chewing the Centre Tube from a Toilet Roll" category. There was not. But there WAS a Fancy Dress section. And so we made Brian an antique lace neck ruff (ruff) and four little paw rug (ruffles) and a velvet hat trimmed with a cockerel feather. We entered him as... 

The Earl of Bedlam, as painted by Van Dyke.

And he came First. That'll be A#1. The Top Dog. He beat the Archbishop of Canterbury's mutt on home turf. Simon le Bon came for his fitting a few days later and enquired, "Where's Brian?" 

"He's a bit busy doing press, interviews," I replied.

At the moment of prize giving, both Brian and I were (quite) hysterical. I thought I might explode with unholy pride. Brian just wanted to get his paws on the squeaky hedgehog that was part of his haul of trophies, and which took him about ten minutes to eviscerate. No photograph exists of him wearing all components at the same time, as that lasted about .001 of a second but this should give the gist of the majesty. 

 When Ma  Butler arrived for the fete and saw Brian's get up she remarked, "Ah, you've cut up the General's lace from the raj." I hadn't realised the provenance but everyone would agree that the prize justified the means.

 A special mention should be made of the hedgehog, who gave up his squeak so that Brian might revel in his Moment.

A whole Bunch of Bedlam and an English Pub in New York

This week - of July 20th, 2015  - sees the unveiling of a new bunch (technical term for the smartly leather bound swatch books of fabric we show to clients) called "BEDLAM". Created by Gladson - parent company to our clothier Huddersfield Fine Worsted - in New York City, it was presented to us by the redoubtable Mr Harrop, who came down from Yorkshire with it. Gladson is still a family company and their fortunes were founded by salesmen they sent out across the prairies with cases of cloth to show the farmers who, they had heard, would be giving away a daughter, in the matrimonial sense, and might need a suit.

Mr Harrop and a whole bunch of Bedlam

To celebrate this, they have created a Bedlam "pub" in their beautiful landmark building office on Fifth Avenue, across from Tiffanys. So if you're in the vicinity and fancy a game of darts and a cold beer, do please go in to say hello - suite 503, at 730 Fifth Avenue, at the HMS HQ. Their elegant ex pat Creative Director Justin MacInerney will be happy to show you the selection!

Music in the Mews

Bedlam's musical mascot, a young cat called Theo Jackson, has recently signed to cool NY jazz label, Dot Time Records. To mark this, we will have our first “Son et Fou-miere" at the Mews, when Theo will perform his recently released album “Shoeless & the Girl”. To promote it, he is doing a little tour performing his music in strange contexts, and non so strange as the Bedlam atelier. He will bring a keyboard, a bassman and someone to stroke the skins. We’re asking if people might kindly bring a bottle of plonk to please Apollo, Deus of da Groove, and we shall see what happens. We would ask you for an RSVP to LadyC@EarlofBedlam.co.uk so's we might get a sense of the invasion! 

Here are some reviews of Theo’s album: 

‘One of the most interesting jazz vocalists and composers to emerge on the British scene in recent years, Jackson can flit between ballads and rapid-fire scatting in the blink of an eye’  The Daily Telegraph

★★★★★ ‘Shoeless and the Girl is as close to perfection as a debut will ever be’ UKVibe

‘A genuine jazz talent… it is safe to say he has a bright future’  Jazz Journal

‘Listen out for Jackson’s beguiling song-writing skills delivered via his strong earthly vocals and alluring charm’  Time Out London

'Theo Jackson's second album, Shoeless And The Girl, is an old-fashioned kind of record. That's "old-fashioned" as in melodic, swinging, understated, lyrically engaging—old-fashioned in a really good way.' All About Jazz

New Year New Logo!

The New Year is the traditional time for a little shake & spruce up. Much as we will never stop loving our original logo, with the vacant cell and its open door - wrought with the help of Utah Saints' Lee Dyson - we are now rolling out a new, crisp logo, with less frenetic detail, more clean coronets.

So if you have a piece with the original in it, cherish that and sign up quick as you like for a new one!

The photograph below is used with the kind permission of Mr Bailey wot took it. No, not THAT Bailey, rather ALFRED B, photographer and one time, he won't mind me saying, sewer for Gianni Versace. He has, therefore, a well honed sensibility when it comes to things beautiful and we are delighted that he asked us to create him a velvet jacket. The lining will be printed with a ciné camera as he is also a master of the moving image. His current project is singer and Bedlam client Gregory Porter, on whom he is making a documentary. We may even make a mumbling appearance.

Royal Guards Poppies - all proceeds to the Royal British Legion

One of our long standing suppliers is A.W. Hainsworth & Sons, in Yorkshire. Founded in 1783, the company won the contract for the British Army in 1813 which they still hold and as I never tire of saying, there are still three people called Hainsworth on the board. The scarlet of the Queen's Royal Guards is supplied by Hainsworths - http://www.hainsworth.co.uk/hainsworth-since-1783/gems/royal-guards/ - and we are making poppies from the same fabric - a fancy one for the ladies and a simpler version for the gentlemen (but don't let us pigeon hole you, wear whichever you like!). A black leather button is used as the centre, or one from my grandma's button box. Each are as they come for we are making them by hand. We are selling them for £5 and 100% of that goes to the Royal British Legion whose HQ is not far from us in Borough. Please drop me an email if you would like one: lady@earlofbedlam.co.uk

BEDLAM WINS "MOST STYLISH SCARECROW" at the Kennington Country Life Festival

We were delighted to be invited to take part in the Kennington Country Life Festival at St. Anselm's - and then to win "Most Stylish Scarecrow" was... a relief! We dressed him up in the leather collared brushed cotton shirt, double breasted tweed waistcoat (with the shell buttons "wrong" side out) and the "Arthur" cord trousers, tied with string of course.

The overall winner was this chap created by the children of the Ethelred Nursary, and quite rightly so!

EoB feature in Jocks & Nerds, contender for Coolest Mag on Planet title

Available now for the first time on news stands, the third anniversary edition of Jocks & Nerds features the monumental undertaking that was the group photo of (some of) our gang. We were paid a trio of great compliments - first, that the magazine should want to include us; secondly, that they should reference us in the same frame as the famous photograph, "A Great Day in Harlem", when all the great jazz musos of the day were captured in a perfect storm group shot, so iconic it has its own Wikipedia entry - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/A_Great_Day_in_Harlem_(picture)

and thirdly, that they should book legendary lens woman Jill Furmanovsky for the gig. Jill is to music portraiture what Annie Leibovitz is to Hollywood fashion. She has taken everyone from Duke Ellington to Bob Marley and, indeed, got possibly Nile Rodger's favourite ever photograph of himself and Bernard with the Chic ladies at Hammersmith in 1979, and this Rock-God in action shot of Rodger Daltrey at the Rainbow Theatre in '67:

While we were disappointed that neither of those gentleman could join us in the end (Nile wrote: "Hey Mark, unfortunately it's absolutely impossible for me to be there, and it's a shame because that really is one of the best photos of CHIC ever!.. and I'd love to be there to be with you and the genius who took that shot...N"), we were honoured by a fine turn out of clients / friends including Andrew Roachford, Jake Arnott, Soweto Kinch, family and even two horses from the Vauxhall City Farm. The next blog to be posted will cover the day in detail but meanwhile, check out Jill's work here:  http://www.rockarchive.com/jill-furmanovsky-prints.html ; and buy the mag!