Staying out for the summer, playing games in the rain.

Ever heard the expression “They f*!k you up, your Mom and Dad?”

Well, sometimes, a lifestyle brand can do the same to your lifestyle.  At the end of July we were jaded, overworked and creatively spent.  The obvious answer may not be a 1,700 mile road trip around the Scottish Highlands, incorporating a 4 night stay in the Outer Hebrides, but that’s exactly what we did.  

Regular visitors at the croft on Lewis

Horgabost, Harris

We drove on pothole-ridden roads through stunning mountain ranges and around hare pin bends rivalling Italy’s alpine roads.  We lost count of the number of lochs and lochlets we passed, although we kept a close eye on Loch Ness (the monster was a no-show) and walked, awestruck, along deserted silvery beaches - some without names - and even squeezed in                        an arduous 6 hour trek to the                      summit of Ben Nevis and back.

A witty sculpture at a road side on Lewis

Returning home, we couldn’t shake the feeling of wanderlust and so didn’t turn down the offer of a weekend in Cornwall with old friends.  We visited Fowey Regatta, sampled the local ice cream and pasties and again found ourselves strolling along yet another sandy beach.  

Gaz's favourite shop, Fowey

Driving rain and weariness provided enough justification for us to have a final, cheeky holiday. A most decadent Exmoor homeward-bound stop off in a hotel suite once occupied by C.S. Lewis (the author of The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe) complete with – yes – a wardrobe, plus an enormous four poster bed. our guilt assuaged by the supply of stickers we took along for the trip, enabling us to process and despatch orders on the road. 

Gaz prepping orders in luxury

Four Poster Suite, Exmoor

Back into the swing of things last…er…Tuesday, we started packing up for another weekend away, but this time our destination, although picturesque, was Camper Calling, a music festival with a Vdub flavour, at Ragley Hall in Warwickshire and we had work to do.  A sticker was designed, orders placed, checklists were checked, boxes were packed, loaded and unloaded, gazebos were erected, clothes were hung and a “touched up” Dr Jones made a more low key appearance under cover of canvas, so as not to bleach his newly illustrated thighs.

Check out those thighs!

I had to wait in for a delivery on Friday and so sadly missed Thursday night’s set-up slot, which coincided with a torrential downpour of biblical proportions and resulted in Gaz taking to his bed in the changing room of our very understanding (or should I say tolerant) friends Vicky and John of Kinky Melon fame.

The scene that greeted me on arrival could not have been more different; blistering sunshine, a stunning stately home, manicured grounds and a glistening lake flanked by mature trees.  Friday afternoon was a pretty laid back affair, which allowed Vicky and I to disappear for an intended foraging workshop, cancelled due to unforeseen circumstances.  Instead we sat and whiled away the hour with another festival goer over an early evening tipple.  The vibes were good and the line-up even better.

Gemma in her Voodoo St headscarf, Camper Calling

Friday night saw polished sets from Dodgy and The Magic Numbers which set the standard for the weekend.

Saturday morning was a mixed bag in terms of weather and there was intermittent, brisk trade. A deluge of rain during the afternoon forced us to shut up shop for an hour, but weirdly as soon as Dodgy frontman, Nigel Clark, was spotted walking around the trade area, the weather seemed to clear up….dare I say the sun was

“staying out for the summer?”  

Soon talk turned to outfit plans for Saturday night’s headliners, 80s icons, ABC.  Having Kinky Melon trading near by is always a bonus, but with an 80s theme on the cards, their rails of vintage clothing beckoned.  However, cocktail dresses and gold lame suits were not to be, for once we spotted a pair of unicorn masks, there was no going back!  We struck a deal on the masks and with the addition of a couple of flowing ivory gowns, hey presto, we had nailed our festival look.  Gaz was a little more reluctant to depart entirely from his Voodoo Street wardrobe, but did agree to don a safari jacket alongside this year’s magic eye/camo bucket hat.

Camper Calling, with Vicky Brierley and John Baker

It turned out to be a most surreal, enchanted evening.  The unicorn masks were a real hit, providing photo opportunities, tears of happiness, high fives, drinks on the house and to top it all off, a song dedication from Mr ABC himself, Martin Fry, who dedicated Poison Arrow “…to the two unicorns.”

Available to order at www.voodoostreet.com

Sunday brought with it steady trade, chats with our regulars, positive comments aplenty and we more than covered our costs.  We had sold out of our Voodoo Street Camper Calling stickers by close of play on Saturday and so re-prints are available to order online as we speak!  

As last minute decisions go, the decision to trade at Camper Calling was one of our best.

Eight Shows Eight Weeks

OK.  Where were we?  It's the end of July already and there has literally been no time to blog.  We have completed over 8 consecutive weekends of trading with a shed load of work in between.  Talk about living out of a suitcase!   

Our Monday to Friday routine has been unpacking the van, stock taking, processing orders, administration, preparations for the next show, haemorrhaging money on new stock and supplies, struggling to keep house and home afloat, before packing up the van again for the next trip, the next show. 

Sometimes we’ve been lucky with the weather (Dubs in the Middle)....and at others it’s been biblical (Deva Dubs), the stock’s had to stay in the van and our trusty pop up tent has been home for the weekend.

Rainy Selfie at Deva Dubs 'n' Rods

  

Each show has also been memorable in some way (usually to someone's detriment!)

Dubs in the Middle, Evesham - friend’s ankle sprain. 

Boddelwyddan Castle, Wales - severe sun burn to feet.

Dubs Mania, Shropshire - attracting the attention of drunken revelers and receiving random hippy hugs.

Deva Dubs, Shrewsbury - wet and windy weather, resulting in a torn window panel and a very leaky gazebo.  

Bristol Volksfest - inadvertently returning home with keys to the van and leaving Gaz stranded in Bristol 

Mid Summer Mini and VW Meet - The sheer novelty of trading literally 5 minutes from our home.

Camper Jam, Weston Park - forgotten sleeping bags and flying suitcases.  

Dubs at the Castle, Monmouthshire - the tastiest burger ever, cooked by our trading neighbours from Doncaster and an interesting challenge involving a world famous rock star.

Anyway, some shots from recent Voodoo Street trading outings before they become yesterday’s news!

Kicking back at Dubs in the Middle

Dubs in the Middle highlights included burlesque (a first for us) and a long overdue reunion with some close friends who rolled up in their stunning Bay Viking Superior.

   

Dubs Mania was not one of our best trading days - we spent more time walking round talking to people - but the sun shone brightly and a night spent in the stunning landscaped grounds of Weston Park can never be called a waste.

Show and Shine, Dubs Mania

Plus there was one of the best show and shines we’ve seen.

  

Bristol Volksfest was a revelation.  If it’s at all possible, I felt that BVF offered a little Glastonbury magic.  Maybe it’s on the same ley lines.  Who knows?  But there was definitely magic in the air on Saturday night and the slightly pagan burning VW sign only added to the vibe.  

Silent discos, great music, a DJ working from inside an ice-cream van, Surreal Spaces (beautiful willow garden structures, lit from within and created by a former roadie for U2) and some incredible cars and buses were just some of the features that made BVF so special.

Flaming VW

Camper Jam’s entertainment was spot on (Musical Youth and The Major Toms, a David Bowie tribute act who didn’t murder Heroes), even if the trading layout somehow affected the vibe this year.

And finally, Dubs at the Castle, our first trading outing at the fascinating medieval Caldicot Castle in Monmouthshire.  We’d like to go again as campers just to be able to pick our own little camping pitch in the scenic grounds.

Caldicot

Seeing our artwork on cool cars never gets old!

Next booked shows are Bus Fest and VDubs in the Valley, but hey, we've been known to book shows at the eleventh hour, so catch you somewhere soon!

Crazy Cats

This week has been pretty cat-heavy.

Still in mourning for our dear departed Mowzer, I’ve been attempting to form a relationship with his look-a-like mate, who appeared like a ghostly apparition at our back door within days of Mowzer’s passing.

He’s pretty timid.  Even after 3 months of hard work, Michelin Star quality cat food and my own special human-to-cat eye blinking communication method, I’m lucky if he’ll touch my fingers with the tip of his nose.  However, a new cat on the block seems to be empowering him.  A voluptuous ginger queen is his new food rival.  I caught this snap of the two of them on our patio a couple of days ago and it’s clear that our little friend is going to have to man up if he stands any chance of competing for the daily Voodoo Street catch. 

The very fact that I took the time to photograph two neighbourhood cats is also giving Gaz concern that I am morphing into The Simpsons' Crazy Cat Lady!

Meanwhile, Gaz has been on a voyage of discovery locally.  We often head over the border into Shropshire in our free time, avoiding the West Midlands connurbation...and yet, our locality just got a whole lot more interesting after he discovered a new Tea Rooms fusing Vintage and Steampunk themes and the Black Country's answer to the Old Curiosity Shop - an endless rabbit warren of rooms housing everything from G-Plan furniture to vintage record players.  

Feeling inspired, we realised we’ve been neglecting our steam punk influences of late and so yesterday, we decided to re-visit some old ideas, languishing in cyber space. 

The results of our efforts are 2 new Steampunk inspired stickers, one bearing a Steampunk version of our logo...

...and the other a cathartic release of my cat obsession. 

 Note his Steampunk monocle and glassy eyes.  It’s worth noting that the cat’s eyes were inspired by a batch of prosthetic eyes acquired by our friend Yvette of Creative Curiosities, which she has since mounted in the clutches of crow claws. 

 This has haunted my dreams for some time now!

Yvette knows that we're big fans of her work (Dr Jones, our illustrated mannequin, is testament to that and she and I have a shared appreciation of taxidermy), so she won’t mind me saying that.  But clearly, I owe her a thank you.  They obviously penetrated my psyche!  Now it’s your turn.

Sleep well!

Blinded by the Light

A weekend in the country, albeit working our arses off at Derbyshire Dubs, was just what I needed to take my mind off some worrying eyesight issues.  I had literally been seeing stars and periodic flashes and shadows in my peripheral vision and the sudden onset of summer; its sunlight, reflections and leaves dancing in the breeze, were playing havoc with my imagination so that I could no longer distinguish reality from tricks of the light.  For the record, I'm now fine and wear and tear is to blame for this thankfully temporary issue (the human body amazingly often heals itself), so nothing to do with too much partying, or anything so rock n' roll!

The drive to the site was one of the most scenic I can recall for some time.  Climbing up and over the Roaches (a prominent rocky ridge situated above Leek and Tittesworth Reservoir in the Peak District) with a pale blue, cloudless sky stretching ahead, was stunning.

Derbyshire Dubs, virgin territory in every sense, took place on a hillside, with panoramic views of breathtaking countryside, near to the village of Wardlow in Derbyshire.  As there are usually issues with first time shows, lighting seemed to have been overlooked, so other than the odd campfire, catering trucks and entertainment marquee, the light faded from bright sunshine to pitch darkness in a few short hours.

I loved this uber cool Airstream Wine Bar - Vin Van Voom!






After a misty start, Saturday unfolded into a blistering hot day and the main mobile Bar (Beerbuz), made an awesome decision to bring along one of our favourite local ales - Enville Ginger.  My enthusiasm for this beer never wanes and most of the punters were obviously also feeling the love, as by Saturday lunchtime, owner Gaz, had to borrow our daily runaround, a Mk 4 VW Golf (230,000 miles on the clock and still on its original engine and clutch) to drive into Wardlow to restock on beer!

We were also stoked discover this beautiful Californian import decorated with our stickers.

It's only been in the country for 3 weeks, has a gleaming Porsche engine and is now on UK soil and in the hands of its second ever owner!

Right up our street was the New Orleans Jazz band which appeared without warning on Saturday and marched right past our stand. Shame they didn't look like extras from Live and Let Die!

This cool customer made a purchase from us, gave me some tips on head scarves (a knack I've never managed to perfect) and the best rum on the market (Kraken Black Spiced).  We also randomly discussed cars, her partner's numerous inkings and randomly, the artist known as "Shag".  If you haven't heard of him, Google the name and you'll be sure to recognise his work.









Leaving a little earlier due to other commitments, my drive home on Saturday evening was a fraught affair, punctuated by flashes of blinding lightning and marred by torrential rain.  I got home, drank 3 little bottles of French lager straight off, checked Gaz hadn't been struck by lightning up on the hill in Derbyshire and went to bed!

Gaz returned home on Sunday night with a less-than-perfect gazebo.  The wind had picked up on Sunday and tossed it into the air and over a stone wall.

Here's the scene of tranquility shortly before our stand was windswept!

But still, with no time to fix it and in true Voodoo Street style, Gaz (aka lastminute.com) committed to another show at the 11th hour last Friday night and made an appearance at All Types at Bodelwyddan Castle in North Wales.

Voodoo show stickers were also produced for the occasion!

So Gaz spent Saturday evening with this as his backdrop.  Mine was a little less salubrious but no less enjoyable as I stayed behind and caught up with friends over a curry and beer.

Weather Bombed!

It was not a great start to the weekend.  All geared up for Bus Types, the forecast was grim on Friday morning.  Periods of grey, wet nothingness, punctuated by biblical downpours and snow.  We took a view to pack the van and head off first thing Saturday morning, as the forecast for the rest of the weekend was good.

At 10.30 pm, just as Gaz packed the last box into the van, I took a call from Sophie, a Bus Types rep. 

“Have you set off yet?” she asked, “cos if you haven’t, I would recommend you don’t come.” 

With tales of traders being towed on site and off again, due to waterlogged ground, which would require days of blazing sunshine to recover, we reluctantly admitted defeat.  To top it all off, I developed a sudden and extremely painful toothache.  With a sense of foreboding that only a trip to an emergency dentist can bring, I topped my glass up and hoped for the best.  Hard liquor might just see it off.

The view that greeted us - bleary eyed - early on Saturday morning, was enough to cause snow blindness!  The weather was definitely living up to the apocalyptic warnings.  On the plus side, the toothache had subsided to a more manageable level.

At a loose end on Saturday with a van full to the brim of Voodoo Street stock which should have been unleashed on the unsuspecting revellers at Bus Types, we felt a little jaded.  This wasn’t helped by photos emerging on social media, with blue-sky backdrops, of a pretty good turn out in spite of the adverse ground conditions.  One point to note is be very careful how you search for “Bus Types” images on Google.  One small slip with the keys and some pretty alternative images pop up!

Time to count our blessings and make the most of some time off. 

Last week we sold one of our beloved barrel boards.  Never intended for retail, they were made with love and always draw attention on the VW circuit, so I suppose it was only a matter of time before we caved and agreed to sell one. 

This vintage oak beauty is on its way to a discerning customer as I write.

I also had some time to engage with cyber friends on social media.  Working so closely with Gaz from home, it’s easy to become detached from the big wide world.  Sometimes that’s a good thing, but it can be quite insular at times.  The awesome thing about Instagram is the immediate connection you can make with other creative, like-minded nutters!  Social media is like a virtual office to me, so I had an exchange with the lovely @Janie_evo, randomly, about sphinx cats and wiled away some time googling these fascinating creatures.

I managed to squeeze in an hour's shopping at a local emporium I've recently fallen in love with, which is like stepping back into a way cooler era.  On Saturday it was bursting at the seams with the usual suspects, pineapple ice buckets and vinyl collections, but I also spotted rolls of Flash Gordon wall paper circa 1981 and these playing cards, which I bagged for our road trips.

An impromptu basketball session in glorious sunshine finished off our Saturday and then we kicked back with pizza, a movie and a few jars.

Sunday we took a little road trip into the Shropshire countryside and admired the gleaming scooters grouped in Ludlow Market Square.  This one caught my eye, as it payed homage to one of my favourite TV series, Life on Mars.

Later on when we lamented our lost weekend in Oswestry, one of our mates sent us this photo, which kind of says it all really. 

  

We’ve put it behind us now and are crossing everything for a smooth run at Derbyshire Dubs in a few weeks’ time.

Bikes, Boxes and Blogs

OK, so it’s been a while since I posted and today is the day that I make good on my new year’s resolution to bore you, sorry, blog more frequently.

Running a business, child containment, crappy day-to-day domestic stuff and maintaining sanity and fitness is a struggle many of us deal with.  Waiting for the perfect week to blog about is never going to happen and there aren’t enough hours in the day to labour over the words to write, so this week’s as good as any to let you in on the random events, irritations and lifestyle of the three of us here at Voodoo Street.

Monday dawned with the usual mixed feelings; a new week in prospect and all the potential that brings, coupled with the knowledge that we face the nightmarish back-bothering task of lugging our entire stock down from the loft (once quite a nice room, now a dumping ground for Voodoo Street’s growing collection of stock, skulls and curiosities) to the front room and again outside into our VW van ready for Bus Types this weekend.  An intense 30 minutes swim at the local pool helped reinvigorate the senses (or dull them just enough to cope with the week in prospect!)

Tuesday was a race against time to supply our friend and super talented BMX rider Pinder, with some Voodoo Street tees.  He had been asked at short notice, to film a video for Rockermini BMX in India, but we all failed miserably with Pinder stuck at work in Birmingham after 9 pm having still not packed for his 3 am flight.  Thankfully he still has enough Voodoo swag to rep us out there and we’ll hopefully share some of his updates.

In between, I’ve been assisting the boy with SATS homework, babysitting tortoises (!), booking a ferry to the Outer Hebrides (more of that at a later date), talking Gaz down from finishing off our complete tool (not in a good way) of a printer with a lump hammer, tackling a gremlin on Facebook which has served to arbitrarily delete our posts, ironing stock, updating our web store and photographing an array of items we have accumulated in recent months, some of which might be on offer at Bus Types. This Packaway Stove might be on offer for example.

Bus Types is in Oswestry, one of Britain’s oldest settlements, and in keeping with Voodoo Street’s trading history, no doubt set to be the scene of apocalyptic weather for the next few days!

As I type, the living areas of our home have been sacrificed to boxes, filing cabinets, paperwork and our SMEG fridge door sticker display.

 

I have accepted that until Monday evening, our home is more likely to feature on TV show “The Horders Next Door,” rather than gracing the pages of Ideal Home magazine.

Today, with Gaz organising stickers, lifting boxes, ensuring Dr Jones, our tattooed mannequin, is ready for business, I’m wrestling with the more important business of what to wear.

Always keen to rep the brand, I shall be donning one of our logo beanies at the very least.  But those of you who know me, also know my penchant for vintage and that I like to mix things up a bit.  So, given the forecast is damp and chilly, these are going to be my key pieces:  Voodoo Street Logo Beanie, Doc Martens, ageing nicely and vintage faux fur jacket.  I might also throw in one of the maxi dresses acquired from our trader friends Kinky Melon’s Retro Boutique alongside my jeans.

If it ain’t nailed down, it’s going in a box or a suitcase!  Til next time. x 

Getting Our Groove On

We have finally christened our illustrated man, thanks to our two Facebook follower winners, Charlie O'Hare and Rachel Louise Lunt.  Now, when we dress (and, more to the point, undress) our mannequin and we actually know his name (Dr Edwin Jones), so it's less...awkward.

Facebook followers may also have noticed a couple of Wednesdays ago, we posted a link to an Undertones song featuring Wednesday in the title.  For some reason (wishful thinking?), we always think of Wednesday afternoons as gathering pace for the weekend and feel the urge to celebrate.  So yesterday, we interrupted our news feed with some classic Jimmy Hendrix - Voodoo Child.  From now on, we're christening Wednesdays, "Get-a-wiggle-on-Wednesdays!"  Any song nominations are welcome - just steer clear of boy bands and Bieber!  

Now that the weather's turned pants, we're taking stock.  Literally.  We're going to be adding beanie hats and hoodies.  Keep your eyes open and your ears uncovered and we'll update you as the new stuff arrives.  Also on their way are more of our popular hot rod tees - in "man size" and in hoodies - (we hear you!) and some logo tees.

Finally, we are in the process of adding to our Voodoo Street Vintage line - currently featuring our "Haunting of Voodoo Street" retro hoodies.  From time to time we come across vintage items, something a bit special, we think you will love.  Given the success of our Vespa/Lambretta/Mod-inspired stickers, when we discovered a little cache of genuine vintage Mod scarves, we couldn't turn them down.  These are one offs and should appeal to all men who like to look dapper once in a while.  Everyone from Johnny Depp via Paul Weller and Martin Freeman to Liam Gallagher has been spotted wearing one of these scarves.

CJ has for this purpose, assumed the roles of blogger, fashion stylist and photographer.  Plus Dr Jones seems a little more upbeat, as these threads make a nice change from T-shirts!  He scrubs up well don't you think?  Little does he know that he's going to be donning Cuban shirts next, but more of that soon...