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Larking About

Saturday 26 March 2011


Today has been such a busy day! I've been zooming all over Liverpool on various errands - Post Office, library, taking stuff to the charity shop and tip, buying a new bookcase, supermarket shopping, getting the broadband, phone & tv switched over and even the rather vile task of cleaning out the shed, uck.

I did manage to carve out three hours of bliss in the middle of the day though. Ffion and I went to Lark Lane for lunch and a spot of shopping and it's the perfect place for both. I do love living so close to a big city but I quite often can't be doing with going to the city centre at the weekend - too busy, too noisy and altogether too stressful. I prefer the quieter, more interesting haunts of the suburbs.

Lunch was at the Moon & Pea, one of my very favourite places to eat. The food is always gorgeous, it's run by the nicest people and as it's in an old laundrette, there are all sorts of quirky retro laundrette style photos on the walls. Being a good Liverpool establishment, it also houses a couple of Superlambananas. And kitsch fans, do please note the glittery blue Virgin Mary statues by the till.




Did I mention that the food is utterly delish? Here's my posh BLT and Ffi's lamb and halloumi burger:



Suitably full, we wandered down to the farmer's market and then back up again via some of our favourite shops. Larks is such a fab place to browse - we spent ages ooh-ing and aah-ing over all the stuff on display. Downstairs is filled with jewellery, very tempting handbags and lots of Cath Kidston, Ladybird and Rob Ryan delights. Upstairs is vintage homeware. I was very good and bought nothing for myself, just a couple of presents for some lovely fellow bloggers.



Wouldn't some of these fit in perfectly on Vix's Wall of Misery?

And then onto my idea of heaven:


She's being amorous with the cat, obviously...

What better way to celebrate the end of the book buying ban than with these three beauties? It has been such a struggle not to buy any over the past month but I'm pleased to report that I managed it in the end and so I felt totally justified in treating myself to these. And join me in marvelling at the prices - £7 in total and they're all 1950's first editions! I am as happy as a pig in muck.

27 comments:

  1. Wow that food looks amazing! Sounds like you had a lovely day out. Those books look great too :)
    http://cgdn.blogspot.com/

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  2. Salivating over that food. It's made me hungry and ashamed of my sadly boring dinner.

    Books- well done on the ban- no go forth and buy books. I've banned myself from buying books until I'm done with my degree now (68 days to go...) because even though I have my Kindle to eliminate space issues I seriously do not have the time/energy to read anything that is not degree related.

    Think I need to visit Larks too. Scrabble- need I say more?

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  3. Sound like you had a great time. That food looks yummy.

    Well done on lasting out with your book ban. I should think you did treat yourself.

    X x

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  4. That shop looks fantastic, I love a good jam packed shop!

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  5. Oh goodness there is so much to comment on here. It sounds like a truly fabulous time and I'm glad you managed to relax inbetween the errands. The food and decor looks great. And I SO want to go to Larks, it looks and sounds amazing. £7 is a real bargain for the books, it is hard to get 1 new book for that price. Have fun with Char tomorrow and please give her a huge hug from me. x

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  6. Dear Alex, I loved this post. I was going to do something similar today but ended up sleeping. There's always next week.

    Lunch looks fabulous and I'm very jealous of your Monica Dickens. Have a wonderful Sunday xx

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  7. They look like such great places to browse not to mention eat, I'm hungry now! God knows how you managed to fit so many chores in too.

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  8. What a gorgeous shop! You're right, I'm positivly lusting after the miserable kiddie pictures.
    Check out those chips! I'm dribbling over my keyboard. xxx

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  9. I love these photos! What a wonderful place to eat, that food looks sublime!! I am SO HUNGRY now ;)

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  10. I love seeing posts about people's hidden shopping and eating gems! That food looks delish, and The Amorous Cat sounds like heaven.. lucky you with those first editions! (they don't make them like they used to) xx

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  11. Sounds like you had a great day. The food looks delicious.

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  12. Flippin eck! You fit a lot of fun into a day! Looks amazing!

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  13. You have just described my idea of a dream day! (minus the errands but good on you for being organised)

    The café looks amazing, I like the idea that it was once an old laundrette and the food looks pretty good.
    The bookshop looks like a total treasure trove, a place I could spend hours rummaging!
    So glad the book ban is over for you, there is nothing more satisfying than buying a truly fabulous second-hand book that brings you much joy and pleasure x

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  14. I love lark lane, it's like the street time forgot!! DH is from there and he says it was exactly the same in the seventies. They also hold a fab flea market there in the smllca. A certain footballer has been know to hang around the tatoo parlour too :) Your lunch looks scrummie xx

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  15. All I can focus on is the food...so amazing!

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  16. How glorious,darl!! Sounds like my perfect day out too! Those lunches look DELISH!
    XXX Love!

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  17. Oh yum- not only the food, but everything! Score on the books - so cute! x

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  18. That food looks delicious. I went to The Handmade Burger Co. today, a new one just opened here. That was lovely, but now I'm hungry for your dinner too!

    Larks looks amzing, I hope I can go sometime soon.

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  19. omg...the food looks amazing! this is the 4th blog i've visited today posting awesome food from their weekends...gaaah, this makes me want to get out and buy a sandwich..hehehe.

    ♥ vanilla ice cream ♥

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  20. that food looks amazing! that book shop looks adorable too and so glad you found some great books xx

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  21. I'm definitely going to have to visit Liverpool after this post! Those books look amazing, I love old books because the way they smell is amazing. It's the first thing I do when I get a new book, I smell the pages. And thanks for the lovely comment, I'm glad you think my photos are good as they are :) I'm proud to say I don't edit them at all! xxx

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  22. What a perfect sounding day. The food in that place looks amazing. xx

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  23. Love it - productive AND fun - best weekend ever.

    The company my sister works for has one of the big Lambananas in the reception of their Head Office because the CEO of the company is from Liverpool.

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  24. Food, glittery Virgin Mary's and books? You described my perfect day :) This looks so lovely, I'll be sure to check it out if I'm ever in Liverpool :)

    Maria xxx

    P.S. I saw your comment on Fashion Junkie's post and M&S have some great plain black heels and flats, I got a pair of patent black heels for £19.50 :)

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  25. ALEX! thank you so much for the parcel! you are amazing x

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  26. I'm so relieved you did a superlambananas link...wasn't sure if it was a dance or a cocktail!
    Wow, Larks looks like a good place for a mung.
    I haven't forgotten your parcel...just haven't done it yet (sorry).
    Z xx

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  27. I love the food photos, and Lark Lane looks like somewhere I definitely need to visit! :)

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