Hot on the Highstreet Week 34

I’m excited about this week’s Hot on the Highstreet. After discovering my featured items in last Tuesday’s Metro newspaper, I felt inspired by the article to investigate further and blog about it.

The familiar brown, orange and yellow striped material must surely bring one thing to mind? When I spot this pattern it screams London Underground. It is iconic of London’s subterranean upholstery and although we rarely sit on it now (only the oldest, most retro tubes and buses still have it) it is part of our capital’s heritage; it is the design dominating London travel throughout the 1970s and 80s.

Most things come back in fashion at some point or another, and right now, this vintage print is super chic again. Squigee, the innovative surface design company, were invited to add a distinctive edge to the original London Transport moquette textile design. Moquette is a uniquely serviceable, natural wool-based material used by transport providers because of its durability and texture.

Remember your commute with one of the pieces from the collection: oven gloves, apron, tea towels, cushion covers, even an ironing board, and your kitchen will be the trendiest around. All items are on sale with prices ranging from £2.99 to £15.99. Visit the TFL website here, and get your very own piece of memorabilia.

Boris' Bikes

London has gone bonkers for bikes. It has been talked about for ages and now Boris Johnson (London mayor and clown) has introduced the scheme to the centre of London. He hopes to make London a greener and healthier place to live and work.

To start with 5,000 bikes have been put in place at 3000 docking stations around the city centre. It has been calculated that 6,000 journeys were made on the first day of the scheme. If the idea continues to be popular there will surely be talks to expand it further afield.

I have already spotted several stations around my work but unfortunately can’t spot any near my house in West London, making a journey home quite tricky. I am yet to try a bike, and although the idea excites me, I am a little apprehensive about the dangers of riding around in such a hectic city. For those inexperienced at dodging traffic on a bike it could be quite dangerous.

Other European cities have used bike schemes for a while now, the idea has working well in places such as Paris and Dublin. London’s bikes seem to be a little more pricey. Up to 30 minutes is free but then the tarifs steadily rise up to £50 for 24 hours, more expensive than hiring a car!

Check out the TFL website for more information, and let me know what you think of them...