[hippo girl]

did any of you old trendies buy your strutting stuff from birdcage on bridlesmith gate...?

[mariag]

hippo girl, on Jun 27 2008, 07:05 PM, said:

did any of you old trendies buy your strutting stuff from birdcage on bridlesmith gate...?

I remember the name but cannot picture it. Did it move to down Hockley? And was it expensive -couldn't have afforded it when I was poorly paid hairdresser...

[hippo girl]

it was on bridlesmith gate until late 80's (paul smith worked here ) and then it moved to the top of hockley....closed recently ..wasn't expensive just original

[Frank]

hippo girl, on Jun 27 2008, 07:05 PM, said:

did any of you old trendies buy your strutting stuff from birdcage on bridlesmith gate...?

I bought my second 3 piece suit from the Birdcage. Ladies downstairs, Gents upstairs if I remember correctly.

Lots of clothes akin to the Jason King era.

[Smithylass returns]

Bought loads of stuff from there...
also there was a shop on ummm the street where peter lords is on the corner,cant remember the name..

there was a 50/60 shop upstairs it was above a shop...bought lots of stuff from there too...ohhh the memories...the mint..hearty good fellow...the garage...rock city etc etc...time goes by far too quickly...

[Charlie]

HMM..................

If Birdcage was acroos the road from the hippo and back towards town a little, I bought a purple budgie jacket and a pair of maroon loons together with a kind of 'accident in a paint factory' shirt with rounded collar..........I still have the shirt, which has a few 'spliff' burns in it.

I also had a kind of cream blazer thing with brown piping AND (which even I can't believe as I write it) a brown maxi-cardi. Pulled in it though...................

And - although they weren't from birdcage, at one time I had a bunch of T-shirts that had litle bits of mirror sewn into the front, with embroidery round them..................

And a black Afghan coat that someone nicked out of the cloakroom at the Hippo!

Those were definitely the days!

[Charlie]

Actually, I think maybe Birdcage was more or less across from the Hippo - and the shop I bought my stuff from was further up - just past the back entrance to the Co-op. Was that Paul Smith's?

[denshaw]

further up - just past the back entrance to the Co-op. Was that Paul Smith's?

Could that have been the back entrance to Marks and Spencers?
I used to go quite regular to a shop on Wheeler gate early seventies called Carnaby Styles. Budgie jacket, Tank top, Loon pants.
I don't wear them very often now.

[Charlie]

Yes - that's it! Thank you very much

[Beefsteak]

Was there an Oxfam Shop round there ,second hand Oxfords, worn out platforms ,oh the memories come flooding back!!!!!

[hippo girl]

there was an oxfam shop on bridlesmith gate near to the goods entrance of M&S

[Beefsteak]

You wouldn't recognise irony if it poked you in the eye............LOL

[hippo girl]

now now beefy whats that all about..vintage clothing is where its at !

[Beefsteak]

hippo girl, on Jun 29 2008, 05:42 PM, said:

now now beefy whats that all about..vintage clothing is where its at !

Sorry sweetie; I was being sarcastic about not having any money to be able to go to Birdcage and buying loon pants and Budgie jackets ,and having to do my shopping at Oxfam instead

[gadge]

Anyone remember UFO jeans? lol

Were they from Birdcage? I recall they came from a shop
across the street and down a ways.

They were so popular, crazy pockets and stitching.

My fave were the light green ones.

[zab]

There's still an Oxfam in Bridlesmith Gate, - in fact it's still opposite the old Birdcage.

Perhaps it still has the odd pair of loons.

I do remember Carnaby Styles plus there was another shop I remember round the corner from Birdcage near St Peters called Image.

[hippo girl]

image boutique was owned ( i think ) by the guy that owned the hippo club......alex the dj who charlie and i are trying to find did the artwork on the walls of image..think it became savills estate agents and more recently the surf shop fat face

[Charlie]

Beefsteak, on Jun 29 2008, 06:55 PM, said:

Sorry sweetie; I was being sarcastic about not having any money to be able to go to Birdcage and buying loon pants and Budgie jackets ,and having to do my shopping at Oxfam instead

Someone fetch the man a violin

[steve banting]

hippo girl, on Jun 27 2008, 06:05 PM, said:

did any of you old trendies buy your strutting stuff from birdcage on bridlesmith gate...?

Still got a pair of stainless steel cufflinks in a wooden box. Somehow they don't seem to go with tour tee shirts. Nice bit of nostalgia though.

[firbeck]

What a coincidence. I was discussing with the family the other night about coming up to Notty for a few days, this led on to talking about taking our 14 year old Goth youth around the various shops I remembered, like Birdcage and Paul Smiths, but it seems that they aren't there anymore then, shame, though maybe they wouldn't deal with Goths anyway.
When I was about to move Daan Saaf, 30 odd years ago, I had to buy a jacket, well I had to look 'presentable' for these Essex architects.
My mate dragged me off to Paul Smiths, while I was wanting to head off to C & A.
I couldn't believe the price of the stuff, even in 1976, as I stood there, mouth open, I explained to the asistant that I just wanted a jacket for work, not for a Palace Investiture.
Next minute, Paul Smith himself appears, looks me up and down and dissapears round the back.
He comes back with this awesome herringbone pattern jacket, 'Try this on, reckon it's your size'
Perfect fit, but how much. ' It's ok, I do all these experimental lines, this is just a prototype, made it myself, looks fine though, you can have it for £20, the new line has gone into production, I can't put this on the shelves'.
Unfortunately, after several years wear and not knowing the significance of Paul Smith at the time, the jacket went in the bin, how hard can you kick yourself.