News

Catching up ... November 24, 2017 16:49

Greetings Earthlings,

Yes quite literally, I last blogged in July (and, with the absolute intentions of being regular and punctual with all future blogs) and yet again ... here I am, apologising, feeling embarrassed again ... such a reasonably straight forward task and yup, epic fail  ... ha ha ... it has been really like 'between a rock and a hard place' yes I know, before you say it (I can hear it in my ear) thats not an excuse! No, but seriously, you set off with the best intentions and then suddenly you've just gone on a little too far and it seems impossible to compile a catchup or your busy, or your not in the mood, or when you do have time your minds not in the zone ... not sure if anyone else out there suffers the same deal and can offer some advice, would love to hear your thoughts?

Okay RIGHT (enough rambles) Let's get RAMBLING!

So, July was eventful, half of us got a couple of days in Amsterdam which was very EPIC indeed ... from classic culture, architecture, riverboats, open bus tours, great pancakes to the Sex Museum and the Cat Museum ... might just be all you need?

We shall keep it clean ....

Soon after this our 'step brother' Alex who incidentally stole off to Las Vegas and got married to his long term sweetheart Kelsey (CONGRATULATIONS) came to visit ... another lets just be mild on this 'Gear Head' came with his '70 Chevy Nova and then ensued endless car talk, beers. BBQ, more car talk and more beer followed by some outdoor snoozing and the next morning some car driving and photographing at RAF Coltishall (as you do on a Sunday).

Here are the lovely married couple with their '70 Nova.

It all seems to be a little bit hazy now but the theme of the summer was either commitments, shows and guests ... Retro Festival 2 was a blast and great to catch up with Debbie and Anna, meet several of our lovely customers, some new, some old ... all whilst being entertained by Sam and Voodoo Betty's Boutique.

These guys were awesome ... The Like Minded Fools

Here was our stall, and the weather pretty much behaved too!

As for August, well we got a new kitten to join the team ... his name is 'BEAR' and he's fast growing up already ... we had a few weeks of serious cat politics and moving around the house was a little like going into decompression chambers in a submarine, equalising pressure and water etc ,,, just a little crazy!

Here is Bear.

Things really are fuzzy right now (laughing as I'm writing) ... trips to Brighton, Lincoln, Preston, Ipswich ... then came Autumn ... Halloween, Fireworks oh ... we then attended Alex & Kelsey's wedding party in Rickmansworth ... there was Coors Light on tap ... all fun yet a bitterly cold night for the panoramic view we had a firework shows and private fireworks all around NW London.

So, were virtually caught up!

A few futures ... we are going to put together a little gift guide in the next blog- 

For Her / For Him / For The Home  kinda thing and also we hopefully will have a little 'Give Away' for the build up to Christmas.

Don't forget to check out our Black Friday and Cyber Monday Deals.

We are also in stock of new lines and are just sorting out some new colours and styles on our Lawn & Patio furniture so expect a lot more information on that to follow shortly.

Just to mention we have 'Seafoam Green' Coolers back in stock!

Okay Folks ... thank you for reading through our catch up blog ... have a great final few days of November and I will be back  with you very shortly to run through new products!

Happy Trails

 

Mr Ed 


Overdue! November 24, 2017 15:36

More like 'Overboard' ... ha ha, apologies, the blogging has been flatlining over the past months ... I NEED TO DO BETTER!

Howdy Guys & Dolls

Before I get going on any kind of seriously overdue catch up .... (going to leave this to another blog) ... just a few details on current news:

As I am sure you are all aware, after (US Thanksgiving) comes Black Friday & Cyber Monday, a pre-Christmas sales drive that seems to have been fully imported without the Turkey trimmings ... we have a few deals for that, this weekend, which are below, just in case you've missed them.

 

 

Hope y'all find yourselves some bargains and get a good few items ticked off the Ole Christmas List ... have a great weekend (seriously I am going to press right away with the actual catch up blog) :)

 

TTFN

 

Mr Ed 

 


Hey Folks .... Welcome ALL to another Health & Happiness Show July 19, 2017 15:36 1 Comment

Hope Y'all keeping well and were not too adversely effected by last nights storms?

Wimbledon is done (hopefully) that means the end of the rainy season and we can really get our Summer kicked off ... 

I would like just to start by again thanking everyone for their tremendous support last week for 'The Big Reveal' on ITV's Love Your Garden ... so many shares and good wishes etc, very very appreciated, thank you! Not so many thanks to our 'freeze frame' buddies Andy and Emily in Stevenage for their posts of our milli-second appearance on the show ... ha ha!

 

We just cannot say it enough but this lovely Lady 'Rebecca' AKA Girl In A Whirl ...

not only tattoo's in her shop Madame Butterfly's in Hastings she is the one stop shop for bespoke 40/50's dresses, tourist jackets, skirts, ultra cool mens "Pin-Up" ties, and so much more, ALL handmade to order ... please look her up and follow her on Facebook & Instagram. She has the most amazing home and garden ... it's literally a corner of 'Palm Springs' in Hastings and she loves her Swingoramic Coral Patio/Lawn Set so much that she just lets everyone know and the world too :) Thank you Rebecca your a STAR! xx

This is very belated but I also wanted to say a huge thank you to 'Debbie' Debbie's Vintage World (can be found in Crews Hill Vintage Emporium, Enfield) or in an Airstream around the country at most of the shows and festivals selling awesome American vintage shoes, clothes and accessories for thinking of me and sending us this great mens evening scarf with my name embroidered to it. Thanks Debbie! xx Get along and see her either at Crews Hill or she will be with Anna serving up great vintage at Retro Festival and Atomic coming up soon.

 

And now this: 

We were contacted by Rebecca form ITV's Love Your Garden on a Friday and asked about taking part in the show ... there wasn't much down time and once we had completed the formalities we made up a set of furniture and took off in the direction of Southampton (Chandlers Ford) very early on the Wednesday morning in order to miss the M25 commute, once we had parked up and introduced ourselves it was a question of trying to stay dry and mud free .... our show case however looked fantastic and we hope the family loved their new backyard and accessories. We were briefly filmed unloading the van and walking furniture to the location for probably around 20 minutes but after the edit room had finished our patio furniture was well exposed and the rest is history ha ha 

At the reveal at least the awful weather decided to cooperate and the after garden party was dry with a little evening sunshine ... we literally had to wait for the patio grout to cure off, it was that close a call.

Onto other news 

New Lines & Stock

Kit-Cat Clocks are on order, we have the 3/4 size black Kitty-Cat returning and some new colours in the Lady & Gentleman Clocks ... so please look out for those arriving soon.

Literally as I am writing we have just received some traditional American made Pink Flamingo's featuring (bubble gum) pink colours, in pairs (one looking up and one looking down) with two wire legs and googly eyes. These are UV rated and should survive the vigour of our weather without colour fade (an issue I have noticed with our previous flamingos sourced from China) I will post more details on this, shortly ... but keep a vigil (we don't have many pairs). 

On the subject of Flamingos we have launched a smaller one legged plastic version and two quite fantastic new metal flamingos .... watch out Flamingo Friday, here we come!

 

Here is the USA made patio Flamingo Set ....

Please see the website for our other great new Flamingos.

Got a few limited edition 'new Tee-Shirts to also look out for including GM Chevrolet (with a Camo Bowtie), Ricky Bobby (from Talladega Nights), Bob's Big Boy Diner & Gas Monkey Garage Unisex Vests ... be on IG and Facebook shortly! (Thank you Lizzie_Bear for modelling xx) 

We also have a few limited number items some really cute Cactus Make-Up Bags and this very cool LaDeeDa Doll .... if you love Water Melons this is your gal  she is £25 plus P&P and will not be on the website so please contact us directly and we can arrange PayPal :)

More more more to come ... we have super awesome Cactus Door Stops and I also have the iconic great American Farm Windmill ... an 8ft version so please also look out for these items all available this week.

Please send us your pictures of product in situ - we love to see how creative all our customers are and leave us a review on Google or Facebook if you have time, its greatly appreciated.

Hope everyone has a great rest of the week and a fantastic weekend whatever you have planned .... will be aiming for Wensum Valley "Lazy Sunday' car meet at Lenwade ... if anyone we know is reading this see you there ... "If the good Lord's willing and the creeks don't rise" of course.

Catch y'all very soon folks!

TTFN

Ed (Swingoramic.com)

 

 

 


12th of July ITV1 8pm (Tonight) July 12, 2017 11:54

Welcome to our July 12th Blog ..... 

Tonight as I hope most of you are all aware now, some a our 1955/56 steel patio & lawn furniture is to feature on ITV's 'Love Your Garden' with Alan Titchmarsh. We would just like to say a huge thank you to everyone who has helped share this and spread the word for us, its greatly appreciated! Special thanks to Rebecca AKA 'Girl In A Whirl', Susie and Simon 'Wake Up Little Susie' & Artbeat 64, Lindsay @USA Cop Cars Ltd /American Action Vehicles , Elaine - Miss Tiki Miles, Rebecca & Ben at Classic American Magazine, finally Rebecca Veselka (Horticulturalist) for getting us involved  in this great cause and super show ... and ALL of you, friends and family ALL of you out there on Facebook, Twitter & Instagram who have been shouting us out ... and anyone we've forgotten to mention.

Later on this week I will tell you more about the day on location but for now no spoilers before the show is aired this evening.

Here is the synopsis for tonight:

Love Your Garden
Series 7: Episode 4
Tomorrow on ITV from 8:00pm to 9:00pm
Alan Titchmarsh and the team head to Chandlers Ford near Eastleigh in Hampshire to turn a neglected suburban garden into a woodland-style retreat. The overhaul is for the Richardson family who are facing a very difficult future, because father-of-two Jason has been taken off the heart and kidney transplant list after several challenging years. He survives only by means of a portable but cumbersome external machine which keeps his heart working, as well as three weekly sessions of kidney dialysis. The whole family are tied to their home and desperately need an outdoor space on their doorstep to serve as an escape.
Just leaves us to say ... 'The Show Must Go On!' 
Hope y'all having a great week and we shall be back very shortly.
TTFN
Ed

Bonanza 4th of July *INDEPENDENCE DAY SPECIAL* July 3, 2017 16:53

Howdy Folks ....

Ok here's the deal (strictly 4th of July ONLY) so tomorrow (or if your reading this on Tuesday, TODAY or unfortunately any time thereafter your too late) 

Buy any 2 (Single) 1956 Thunderbird Lawn/Patio Chairs and we will send you a third chair absolutely free .... (a three chair shipping rate does however apply this will be automatically calculated on check out).

You choose the colours of the two you purchase and just email your third colour choice and we shall dispatch later this week.

Three for two .... this beautiful combo can be yours for £198 plus shipping to most standard UK postcodes .... 

Here is our official flyer:

Alternatively please contact us on the 4th if you'd rather use Paypal.

All transactions must take place between 00:00 on Tuesday 4th of July 2017 - 23:59 Tuesday 4th of July 2017. (No Reserves or Deposits Qualify for this Offer).

Just leaves me to say that we hope you all had a great weekend and have a great Independence Day Tuesday 4th of July.

TTFN

Ed

Swingoramic.com


SwingOramic News Flash! June 29, 2017 11:31

Greetings Friends & Neighbours 

Hoping y'all are doing good and enjoying a good few rays and a little decent early summertime?

I hope you have ALL heard the news but incase some of you haven't? We are VERY PROUD to announce that, for a fantastic cause SwingOramic product is to feature on:

Yes 'Love Your Garden' with Alan Titchmarsh on ITV1, Wednesday July 12th 2017 at 8pm!

Of course we are super excited about this and we hope you guys get the opportunity to tune in or catchup or watch online .... we shall provide links shortly after Wednesday 12th.

In other news .... we attended Retro Festival 1 at Newark Show Ground ... this was an inaugural location for the organisers and the entire weekend went very smoothly the only downside being the wind which really other than late on in the evenings, just did not let up!

It sure was nice meeting many customers, followers and fellow traders. 

Being on the road delivering in the plus 30c heat has not been pleasant I must add (must get the A/C re-charged and new valves fitted) :)

We have however managed to enjoy a little of this epic weather too, enjoying a joint birthday BBQ, family visits and just some lounge lizard'ing around. I also managed to get my childhood boat ship shape and with my eldest son we have been re-exploring the Bure River and its twists,turns, fallen trees, shallowness, mud, mosquitoes etc. worth all the oar blisters however ... just forgot how much fun a little kayak'ing can be.

Just leaves me to wish you all a very pleasant weekend (4th of July) for the US ... so please look out for a couple of little promotions we have running this weekend and a 'Mega Deal' next Tuesday.

 

Happy Trails & TTFN

Ed


Howdy Y'all .... May 19, 2017 13:19

Welcome everyone to our (very overdue) Health & Happiness Show :)

Well, Summer is nearly upon us (really) Im not convinced this week at all, bring on the rays please!

So I won't dwell too long on the fact that I have failed to blog for an eternity (my apologies) I have certainly been smacked and am staying smacked!

This week we have been helping out on the 'Love Your Garden' Show on ITV with Alan Titchmarsh ....other than to say (for now) those guys do a fabulous job, often under extreme conditions, time constraints and all the adversity that comes hand in hand with a re-vamp reality show. However it is for a great cause and must have a tremendously positive impact on an individual and their family. It certainly was an honour to take part and contribute ... great to meet everyone on location! More on this story to follow ....

On a little catch up, we managed to spend a little time in Sweden with family and I ran away to America more recently to mask a certain birthday I won't mention ha ha ... 

NEWS:

We are very happy to announce that will will be trading at Retro Festival again this year, Newark in June and again at Newbury in August. Also we shall be at the Joy Festival in Royal Tunbridge Wells this year too ... (more on all of these events to follow shortly).

Parasols:

We have the Bettie Mermaid now back in stock, we've added Pontiac to our list of awesome GM & Ford parasols.

All the above and more news and exploits I will discuss in more detail in subsequent blogs .... however as always a big thank you to ALL our customers, friends and neighbours!

I will leave you for now .... just giving you a chance to catch your breath as you must be a little light headed (seeing a Swingoramic blog) :) ... 

Have a great weekend and please stay safe and dry!

Mr Ed

 

 

 


Independence Day Weekend (FLASH SALE) July 1, 2016 13:49

Hey Everybody

This is our 4th of July weekend 'Flash Sale' and if you dig Mid-Century

Retro Cool .... this is an opportunity to beat the blues .... 

Just to address a few questions we have received so far:

THIS DOES INCLUDE ALL EXISTING OFFERS ALREADY ON PROMOTION VIA THE WEBSITE.

Typically you will really 'grab a mega deal' on our mid-century metal 1955/56 Lawn and Patio furniture.

The Classic Car Set is £175 for two  blue fold-away chairs and a  blue cooler less 20% plus shipping.

The Blue Flame Deal is £235 for two Thunderbird Patio Chairs and one Square Side Table less 20% plus shipping.

            *****BEST DEAL BEST DEAL BEST DEAL BEST DEAL BEST DEAL*****

1956 Patio Set £450 includes one Thunderbird Double Glider, two Thunderbird Patio Chairs and one Square Side Table less 20% and FREE SHIPPING! This equates to £360 for the FULL SET delivered to your door .... just can't get better than this ... limited time offer only at this price until 11.59 PM on the 4th of July.

All other products, Yard Decor, Kit-Cat Clocks, Signs, Parasols and Accessories are all subject to 20% Off when you spend £76 or more!

Any issues at checkout, concerns or questions please do not hesitate to contact us ... we can mix 'n' match colours but please specify this with an email to info@swingoramic.com

 

Thank you very much and we sure hope you all have a great weekend.

 

Ed

 


Over the last few days June 29, 2016 17:33

Hey Y'all 

Well, I sit here as I did last week, looking out over more grey clouds, lashes of rain streaking downwards ... it could be 'deja vous' in some respects but in others it almost seems like the world is a different place since my last blog. Respectfully I do not wish to debate political issues here, or pass on my views but just to say certain aspects of the last few days has been quite shocking to say the least. Anyway, enough of that onto more positive notes .....

We would like to say a massive thank you to all our customers last week, and in particular those who have shouted out so positively to the world about Swingoramic.

In particular: Claireabella's Closet in Leicester, UK

Offering an exquisite range of vintage, retro, alternative and current daily fashions including dresses, tops, bottoms, accessories and lingerie. Featuring brands like 'Bettie Page', 'Pin Up Couture', Voodo Vixen amongst several others .... please go checkout their FB page and website www.claireabellascloset.co.uk you'll be amazed!!

Sarah's Doo-Wop Dos

Vintage Hair and Make-Up Experts in Bedford, specialising in Weddings, Vintage Festivals, Workshops and Tutorials ... please check Sarah's FB page and website on Sarahsdoowopdos.wordpress.com now ... you will also been blown away :)

We'ed also like to say a special thank you too Juliette over in Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada for all her lovely posts, shouts and photos!

Here is Juliette enjoying the some rays with our GM Chevrolet Parasol.

Now to the last week, in words and pictures.

Last but one weekend saw our Mama visiting up from London ... the ladies of the house spending time in Norwich shopping and browsing whilst I did a little work whilst keeping a close eye on the Le Mans 24 Hour race ... focusing on the GT class it was an amazing win for the return of the Ford GT (officially only accepted into the class by all the other manufacturers) as technically you are not allowed to participate without a commercial street going version of you car being available for sale. Racing with their winning years numbers, '66, '67, '68 & '69 they sure looked the part. In turn they dominated the field and with Brad Pitt in the garage area adding his support too it made for a exciting race, really only slightly hampered by poor weather at the start resulting in several yellow flag laps to commence proceedings ... after that it was ALL Go.

The week following was really about fulfilling orders to our lovely customers and trying to prep for the weekends events ... this certainly made rather frustrating by our crazy weather, floods and electrical storms. Spending the week with everything (literally) crossed for a dry Friday night and dry Saturday really was asking a little too much ha ha.

Friday finally arrived and with the van loaded, the '54 cleaned up and semi presentable our attention was turned to our friend Denise's visit and a crazy girls night out with Elizabeth (Lizzie-Bear) at the Waterfront, Norwich for the Lemmy (Motorhead) Tribute Night ... this was certainly going to be a heavy one and the now traditional Jack and Coke (the Lemmy) was the staple diet of the evening ... sore necks and bad bad heads were to follow :) 

Meanwhile, I was to arrive at a Norwich residential address to collect the lovely Kayley and her friend Rhiannon for their Prom Night at Sprowston Manor Marriott Hotel & Country Club ... moody clouds were rolling in and it became obvious that all the various crossed body parts were having zero effect .... just as we waited with Kayley for her friend to arrive the heavens opened .... sitting out the worst of that lashing we then made our way on the short journey to Sprowston Manor ...

But soon the sun came back out yayyy!

Kayley & Rhiannon pose for pictures with their family and friends :)

Before it got to busy with other Prom Cars and the usual difficulty of limited two way access I got a good getaway ... and enjoyed a little sunny cruise around Wroxham and Coltishall before grabbing some supplies at Tesco ... the '54 was then to be on duty the following night at the Aylsham Prom (Peter Ash - 'crazy hot rodder') behind the wheel. A quick dinner and an attempt to watch the Taking of Pelham 123 with John Travolta & Denzel Washington resulted in me falling asleep on the couch ... oops I was on duty to collect the ladies from the Waterfront, alas I slept through all the calls, they had to get a taxi :)

Saturday AM up at 5.10 and on the road to Knebworth Village, Stevenage with a van full of 21 chairs, sun loungers, flamingos and parasols to provide outdoor furnishings for a lavish 1950's private birthday bash. The trip down was sunny and quiet, with picturesque views from the A11 through Norfolk and Suffolk, turning off at Duxford and onto Stevenage via Royston and Baldock ... on arriving through Knebworth Village, the access road was a tiny as the little lanes of Norfolk I was utterly amazed at the immensity of the location ... accessing via the paddock gates (a mud bog, lashed up with tyre boards and hardcore) I entered the rear of the estate ... full of vans and busy marquee assemblers, prop guys, cooks, servers you name it ... I met up with the events organiser and he briefly showed me around, the back office was impressive but when you got to see the extent of this project I was astonished ... from the galley into a 1950's Diner, booths and seats for at least 75-100 people, a 13 meter bar, a stage room featuring more bar stools and high top tables, '59 Cadillac Loungers and a Wurlitzer Juke Box backdrop, it all really took my breath away.

So, to work! Unloading the van, is easy, compared to the pain involved in loading it ... assembling all the furniture outside the diner, followed by props and parasols.

 A couple of hours of assembly into the staging area, a little polish here and there, knocking in the parasol anchors, whilst all the other teams present ran hoovers, polished cutlery and glasses, removed plastic floor covers, polished chrome and finally rolled out the red carpet for guests. At this stage I was joined by our friend Aaron, a local lad who helped out and supplied his Dad's 1957 Ford Fairlane 500 Sport Sedan as the final extra prop for the day.

Guests started to arrive at noon, the party was underway ... the weather was actually co-operating with just some very light spits the sun made a strong appearance and my forehead suffered as a result (glowing just a little) ... catching up with Aaron and his Dad, chatting to the 1950's Pro Jive Dancers ... fending off a few eager youngsters from wrecking the car .... a good catch up with Aaron and just being generally entertained by his Dad. The party ran over by an hour and at 6pm, the eventual heavens decided to open ... after a brief downpour it was a towel dry and re-load of the van before getting back on the road through various almost zero visibility storms to sunny Norfolk.

A successful weekend which I was very proud to be involved with .... big thanks to Murray for the opportunity, all the great people I met, plus Aaron and his Dad.

Sunday was a re-coup day, before getting back at a new week. Thanks all for taking the time to read our blog and can't wait to get back to you all soon.

Have great week!

 

Ed 

Swingoramic.

 


Things gone past, news, events and what were up to? June 16, 2016 16:03

Hot Diggity Dawg Diggity to you ALL

As promised, were back with more ... so just to set the stage ...

Sitting at my desk, looking out over rain, hail, grey skies, pondering on the so many things I need to get done outdoors, being held to ransom by our Summer is not part of the deal ha ha.

The Euro's are into the second game of the group stages, Copa America is at the quarter final stage and were close to Wimbledon (oh dear as I write Gareth Bale has unleashed a wonder free kick) it's not surprising the summer sun is not co-operating.

Before I really get 'rambling' I missed a few thank you's ...

Rebecca at Classic American Magazine, a great supporter and customer and in advance Ben Klemenzson @Mortons Media for some future press for Swingoramic ... thank you guys!

Gary Yallop, for all his shares and great photographs at Lou Lou's Vintage Fair, Gressenhall and last years Little Vintage Lover Fairs at Heydon.

Stewart Homan at Dream Cars for a great product placement lead ... Cheers Stew now I need to sell you some chairs for that great project you have in the pipeline :)

Kevin and Jenni Armstrong at Happy Days Retro Vacations ... for the free range run of a truly awesome trailer park, featuring rental Airstreams, Avions and other vintage caravans ... fantastic back drop, thank you so much for the use and your hospitality (Kevin's going to buy our truck you know, when he's saved up)

Back to rambling now folks ...

We have been everywhere man ... literally, since our last but one blog we attended a joint 50/60th birthday bash in London, saw 'Hot Club of Cowtown' in Camden Town (including a rather 'beverage' influenced rendition of Long Tall Sally at the tops of our voices at 'The Worlds End Pub too) ... attended the 5th Anniversary Bash for our great friends at ThoughtShift (a Brighton based Web Design Co) ... what an event, Black Tie, held at the Brighton Pavillion ... (kinda felt a little 'Made In Chelsea' that night). Trips to Hastings, Hertfordshire ... incidentally our good friend and fellow small business owner Jess at Rosita Lollipop (Hitchin) has just won 'The Muddy Stilettos Award 2016' for Best Gift Store in Hertfordshire .... so A massive CONGRATULATIONS to her! Other than June 5th (my eldest son's birthday) we had attended all the Wensum Valley, Bears Grill Car Meets and we also got to the Skeyton Goat Show and to the show at Flixton Air Museum (a beautiful day which we require a lot more of please). A weekend getaway in Finland, Helsinki to be precise, an open top bus tour, some sightseeing and much good food and 'Long Drink' (Gin/Grapefruit) consumed. We also managed on the gig front to see Fun Loving Criminals and The Stranglers. (England have just levelled).We traded at Gressenhall, Dereham, Norfolk ... great day (less the weather again) we had a trade stand, a blend of vintage and retro. Our furniture and parasols featured on the Wake Up Little Susie Fashion Show too.

 

Enough about what I should have blogged about ... here is some future news:

Friday next, I have Prom duties and then on the Saturday Swingoramic will be helping to furnish a private event party in Stevenage ... supplying 21 chairs for a showcase event including a custom built 1950's Diner and Stage .... we will be furnishing the area around the Diner, with chairs and parasols, flamingos etc ... should make for some great photos that I sure will blog about.

 

WE SHALL BE ATTENDING RETRO FESTIVAL, THIS YEAR!! (more info to follow) but if you would like to see, sit on, touch, feel and see some of our furniture in it's all its colourful glory, please come down and see us ... we will be trading on Rock N Roll Boulevard in the 1950's quarter for the entire festival, so please make a date!

 

We have some new lines on there way, to add to the portfolio ... so please check out the next blog for more details on product etc.

 

Enjoy the football and the sunshine 

TTFN

 

 


It's June, and where is the Summer? June 16, 2016 14:16

Howdy Folks

I have to start by apologising as my blogging has been, literally non-existent, yes I know there is no excuse for it ... but were back with a vengeance ... :)

Not really sure where to start, there is much ground to cover so I propose to get through this over a few blogs .... 

So, I will start by shouting out for some very deserved friends and supporters ... 

A Big thank you to Elaine & Si Miles at Franky Boys Apparel for their shout outs and adding us to their cool links page .... please go check them out @ www.frankyboysapparel.com for some of the coolest 'Greaser Gear' around.

As ever ... a big thank you to our friend Susie,  www.wakeuplittlesusie.co.uk

and Simon, Artbeat64.com (what a crazy cool couple). For all their great shout outs and help with the Rock 'N' Roll at Gressenhall Day. Susie kindly featured our Thunderbird Lawn Chairs on her catwalk ... (I will post more on this event, shortly)

You can catch Simon this month at his 'Pop Up' Studio for PEEP (you'll just love it)

Art Beat 64

PEEP on 06 06 2016 10:00 @ The Barber Shop Gallery, 124 Magdalen Street, Norwich

And NOW This: 

Introducing Rebecca @Girl In A Whirl Custom Clothing (and Minnie)

Rebecca is a bespoke dressmaker/designer, tattoo artist, mid century collector, (has the most awesome house on the planet)  and her work is just second to none, please check her page out on Facebook. Aside from that she a lovely lovely lady and has not stopped her praise and shout outs for Swingoramic ... for which we are eternally grateful :) If Art Deco, Kitsch, Mid-Century, Atomic, Dress Making, Cars and Bikes don't float your boat but doggies do ... then I am sure you'll just love Minnie & Mabel (Boston Terriers) and Claude (a French Bulldog), Rebecca's Backyard Team!

I also owe a big thank you to Anna from Alice Browns Cupboard for all her help and advice as well as Bad Kitty @badkittynorwich www.bad-kitty.co.uk - please check out their cool website and Facebook pages for great vintage/retro offerings.

 

This just leaves me to THANK YOU ALL our great customers, from the UK, USA and CANADA , future customers, supporters, our family and friends.

Other subjects to cover:

New Products

Coming Soon

Events

News

Loads loads more, please stay tuned!

Swingoramic

 

 


Artwork, new lines etc. February 23, 2016 14:36

Heya Folks ....

Hope all is well and this week is treating you all kindly. Looks like several folk we know were having fun at the weekender in Hemsby ... ?? Norfolk Soul Club, 60's Soul & Mod Weekender .... We had London commitments and went the other direction, for an Aunty's 50th and a Step Mothers 60th combined ... was quite a do, the free bar did run dry quite early but our lift that night were running a 10k race in Stratford the following morning, so we were not out that late.

Hope you have had a chance to check out some of our new lines on the website? ... This week so far has been an eye boggle into the deepest realms of photoshop ... trying to put together some refreshed flyers for Spring, logo's for Easter, new offers etc. Perhaps many of you haven't seen but we do have an Etsy Store, this however we are going to change. No new lines or any website media will feature, this will now become 'Swingoramic Vintage & Collector' all items will be vintage wares or limited edition collector items and as soon stock has been refreshed we shall let you know.

We shall be at the Unicorn, Aylsham this Friday 26th to see the Hal Wrayzer Combo ... it's free entry and kicks off at 8pm ... if anyone was after anything off the site and perhaps wanted to save on shipping, please let me know ... we accept Paypal and I can bring any small items up to the Unicorn. (Please email: info@swingoramic.com or use Facebook).

Well, we hope you all have a great rest of the week and weekend ... perhaps we might catch up with some of you in Aylsham on Friday night?

TTFN

 


Just a reminder to you all .... February 18, 2016 17:11

Howdy Everyone ....

Just wanted to remind you all that our ALL METAL Retro Thunderbird Lawn Chairs are available at only £99 for a single chair in any colour.

The full 1955/56 Anniversary Set (2x Chairs, 1 x Glider & 1 x Square Side Table) is £450 

Two dark blue Fold-Away authentic 1950's "Show' chairs with matching cooler are £175

Matching Red or Green Coolers Are Just £74.99

Get set for Spring/Summer 2016 ... NOW!!

To ALL our local friends and customers we do offer FREE delivery at a pre-determined time, when most convenient and we can help with assembly and set up if needed.

Just call or mail to discuss.

We accept PAYPAL

Have a great day! :)

Swingoramic

 

 


Latest news, the website and busy busy! February 16, 2016 19:25

Howdy Everyone ...

So far we have been rather spoilt with an ultra mild winter ... however I may have to eat humble pie as it has been on the frozen side the last few days ... hopefully we will have plenty of winter warmers (to keep your spirits up). In fact this morning, I nearly did the 'mid air' Icky Shuffle whilst skating on black ice ... that was just to get to the car ... I was close to needing both hands to prize open the doors and then to top that, the ice was so hard and bonded my scraper protested "do I have too" and I ended up needing at least half a bottle of de-icer. 10 miles up the road came the fog and I still had not got a clear windshield .... took virtually 20 miles until I was driving a thawed out car. :)

I would like to take this opportunity to thank all our friends, followers, customers, for your continued support and shares etc. ... your very kind and all that effort is greatly appreciated. Welcome to our new followers on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and Pinterest.

Lately, we have been busy trying to procure some new lines and the evidence of that is filtering through to the website. Our Kit-Cat and Kitty-Cat Clocks have been very well received ... we have an interesting collection of metal signs and wall decor, some great quality plasma cut Bettie Page Hot Rod and Mermaid ones too - please check them out.

For anyone interested in mini American Lawn Furniture from the 1930's -1990's we have a cute set of four, micro chairs at £12 for the set, great art deco clam shell styling. Fun for the desktop, sideboards, the Christmas tree in fact anywhere around the home or office ... if anyone noticed the squirrel on a yard chair, munching a corncob, (mounted to a tree trunk), I posted ... ours, are a little smaller but would even be great for mice or (men) hamsters ha ha

We also have some 'Detroit Chrome' necklaces featuring officially licensed retro Ford and GM logos.

Ladies, I have some compacts in the Detroit Chrome range, V8 and Pontiac Logo's in deep flake, unfortunately they have suffered very slight abrasion in transport and will be marked down, well below RRP so keep an eye out and grab a bargain.

Great news is, we hope to be setting up a show case down in Suffolk with 'Happy Days Retro Vacations" an awesome RV park ... please stay tuned for more posts .... those guys have a really great spread ... please go and find them on Facebook .... their getting real busy, so if your planning a retro getaway or trailer park wedding get on that phone ASAP.

Looking forward, we have some great metal flamingos on their way from the USA and plenty more, so we shall keep you to speed, that's a promise.

Hope you all had a great Valentine's Day by the way?

We managed to get down to see the Cadillac Three at The Riverside, Norwich, what an awesome gig that was ... Country Fuzz is their genre, slick slide guitar, bluesy country with a good twang of the old Kings of Leon ... well worth a listen if that sounds like your thing. Half of us got to see Fun Loving Criminals on their 20 years since the first album tour ... at UEA, I gather that was a blast too. 

Valentines Day consisted of Wensum Valley Restorations ... Bears Grill car meet at Lenwade, followed by a nice Sunday Roast.

Next weekend ... family and friends to see in Hertfordshire, with a combined 50th / 60th family birthday bash in London Town (and it's a night off from driving).

Keep safe in the icy conditions and will be back with more news and 'jibber jabber' shortly.

TTFN

 

 

 


Congratulations are in order! January 27, 2016 10:54

Hey Everyone, and welcome to another brief Swingoramic Blog.

Our friends over at Wake Up Little Susie have already been busy with sales days in Norwich ... but they have had some exciting news ... Susie has landed the Norwich, Managerial Role for Lou Lou's Vintage Fair ... she is previously engaged for the 7th of February Fair but will be learning the ropes and taking up her role for the Spring fair (date to be announced) ... we would just like to wish Susie 'good luck' and congratulations in her new role.

You can catch up with Wake Up Little Susie on the 13th of February at the Valentine Mini-Market and Pyjama Party at Platform Twelve Wine Bar, 12 St. Benedicts Street, Norwich NR2 4AG info@platformtwelve.co.uk 

www.wakeuplittlesusie.co.uk 

See you all soon :)

 


Exciting new arrivals for 2016 January 18, 2016 16:42

Howdy Friends and Neighbours 

We sure hope you are getting through our cold snap safely and also finding yourself back into the usual routine after the holidays.

We predict that January's resolutions are still fairing well, gym, diets, quitting those bad habits, watching the purse strings and facing up to the dreaded credit card bills .... must admit at Swingoramic we are a little late starting but one must be committed to the cause and clear of all those little temptations still to be found in the kitchen etc. Oh, it can be a miserable time of the year ... but we are determined to keep up the cheer and let you know about a few new lines we have on our way .... before I do ... just a quick mention on our last blog regarding New Years Day ... Bears Grill ... despite being quite chilly there was a great turnout ... plenty of trucks including Kelly's Heroes (who incidentally I came across yesterday having mad fun with their trucks in an icy Norwich car park - say no more) ... Rats, Classics, European, Military and even a London Bus were all in attendance and a great time had by all.

Now to more serious matters .... new lines .... we procured some limited edition (since 1932) Kit-Cat clocks ... first invented during the heart of the great depression ... with his (and hers) signature wagging tail, rolling eyes and contagious smile. Co-ordinated to go with our current chairs we have green, red and pink, soon available, in the classic 15.5" size. (Green and Red are Gentlemen Cats our Pink is a Lady Kit-Cat).

Hunter Green Kit-Cat

Burgundy Kit-Cat

 

Strawberry Lady Kit-Cat

 

For those of you more traditional we have the smaller black Kitty-Cats at 12.75" on their way too.

 

We also have some great summer (paper) parasols on their way:

GM, Chevrolet, Corvette and Cadillac plus Ford and V8

Also we have some great metal signs to for the garage or home ... Bettie Page, Mars Attacks and several others.

Please check in for more information ... I am hoping they will be on the website in 4-5 weeks.

Well, that's all from us folks, keep warm and safe ... back shortly :)


Happy New Years! December 31, 2015 15:15

Hey'a Folks

Hoping you all had a wonderful Christmas and wishing everyone a very Happy New Year!

Obviously a time to reflect on an eventful year and to look forward, 2016 here we come. May as well start the year as you wish to continue ... so I will be at the Bear Grill, Lenwade (sharp in the AM, c/o Wensum Valley Restorations)) for their New Years Day Meet ... hope to see some of you guys and dolls there?

Christmas was quite peaceful (just imposed upon by the dreaded cold/flu) ... one could say was a blessing in disguise as the previous week my Pop's then my sons were all visiting ... full house of chaos and late nights, with plenty of un-refined drinking, should we say a little more befitting to a scene from the Viking's :)

As promised we have some new lines and will be adding to those in the new year ... so please keep an eye out via the usual channels.

 

Leaves us to just say 'Skoal" 


More news, crazy winds and Carlos. November 25, 2015 11:35

Hey Folks

We all sure hope you kept safe in those crazy winds (Barney caused chaos around our home) and then we finally were treated to some freezing temperatures .... well on a brighter and warmer note we have a few new stock lines which we hope will put a smile on your faces. Pictures and prices etc to appear on the website shortly. With just a few weeks to go until Christmas we turn our attention to lights, decorations, presents etc and of course for those of you who celebrate, Thanksgiving tomorrow and Black Friday, to see out November.

Here is a sneak peak ....

Micro metal yard chairs, 4", cantilever frames, clamshell styling, four

colours ... great for the Christmas Tree, desktop etc

We got the chance to go and see friends, relatives and dear old neighbours last weekend ... great to see Andy and Emily and their new home ....spend a little time with Jess at Rosita Lollipop in Hitchin (thank you so much for the oil cloth) of course Carlos and the Bandidos were playing at the Times Club, Stevenage. After catching up with a good few folks we hadn't seen for years, consuming way too much Old No.7 and digging the great sounds of Carlos ... we felt a little worse for wear ... despite that Mama jumped up on stage and took over the Maracas for a song ... (in my case I soon realised I wasn't the only one suffering ha ha) - great night, good to see and catch up with Roger, Mark Martin, Aaron, Hannah, Carlos and Lisa, Sonia, Debbie and everyone I've missed, thanks for the drinks guys.

Sunday was the case of ... mmm not having been hung over for a while, a day of suffering, however made better by an awesome roast, a sofa, loads of tea - thank you Cheryl and James, plus little cute Tilly for keeping me on my toes.

I will post more news on our new stock very shortly ... hope y'all enjoy the rest of the week, happy hump day.

 


Halloween, fog and recent news! November 2, 2015 14:10

Hey Everyone .... 

Sure hope y'all had a great Halloween and are enjoying the falling autumn leaves, colourful landscapes and the crazy fogs .... not so great for the Monday morning commute.

The clocks have gone back and it sure takes some getting used to those dark early evenings .... 

We got out to see Simon and Susie in Norwich at their fantastic exhibition 'Hammer AD1972' care of ARTBEAT64 ... at St Michael's Church on St Benedicts ... it really was awesome and a great back drop, setting off Simon's epic B'Movie artwork and tribute to the great Hammer film 'poster' era. I sure hope you got the chance to check this out in person, if not I include some pictures and do go to www.artbeat64.com (or on FB and eBay) ... Susie dressed the church in a befitting Halloween theme and it really looked the part ... I'm only sorry we didn't get to their after show party which looked a real blast!

Hammer AD 1972 (Please see all my pictures on Facebook)

 

Other news .... I have some great small four inch cubed mini lawn chairs on there way ... four pastel colours and are rigged as Christmas ornaments ... will look great on your Christmas tree this year ... I will post more information shortly.

We have opened an Etsy Shop now ... please check that out if you get the chance www.etsy.com/shop/swingoramic ,,,, there are some new off season prices for the fold away chairs and cooler boxes ... and the Summer Tribute Set continues.

Halloween ... was great ... some pictures included .... I was gifted the new Savage Hornets CD so looking forward to giving that a blast!

Now, we turn our attention to Remembrance weekend .... and saluting our veterans and those that made the ultimate sacrifice for the freedom and liberty we enjoy today.

Back with you soon .... as we begin the run in to Christmas (Arrrgghhh) :)

 


Time for a whirlwind catch up .... September 24, 2015 15:22

Hey Y'all

We've been quite busy here at Swingoramic and have managed to cover a little ground too ... we got up to Lincolnshire for the Kustom Kulture Show which was great (apart from the wind and cold) ... we acquired a rather cool bottle of 'Slayer' red wine in a presentation coffin box :-) ...  the poor weather continued the next day, Sunday, but had a great day at Seething for the "Charity Air Display' and it did actually brighten up for the entire air display ... epic passes from The  C-47 Dakota, P-40 Kittyhawk, P-51 Mustang and of course Sally-B (B-17) that just was awesome as always. 

Our pop up store at Glory Days in Holt had to make way for the 1940's Railway weekend so we no longer have any product there to view but our showcase at Highnoon House Interiors is still very much locked in, and you are more than welcome to pop down at any time to check out our retro metal lawn furniture and all the great interior upscale furniture in two showrooms.

Last weekend we traveled down to Hertfordshire to stay with our good friends and old neighbours Emily and Andy (avid readers of this blog I hear ... so howdy guys and thank you for your hospitality and a great weekend). After a Saturday night of catch up, car talk, beers, pizza and worlds to rights conversations we were up early to attend the A602's Autorama 6 show at Fairlands Valley Showground in Stevenage ... a really fun show, busy with a great turn out of performance, custom, classic American, hotrods etc ... a great band and great stalls ... hats off to the guys for putting together such a good show ... oh and thank you Mr Sunshine for also coming out to play .... we timed our journey back well, riding past Duxford as Sally B was again making a few runs very close to us and we disappeared over the M11 just to catch the Chinook entering Duxford Air Space.

We have added plenty of new pictures up to Facebook including how well our chairs look and work in a more traditional English Country Cottage setting, so please check that out. Also ... I have been trying to pass on a little history on Lawn Chairs and their many styles ... so keep your eye on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter too :)

Just a few days left on the free shipping offer, you can save over £30 shipping on the 1955 Tribute Set and you'll be all set for next Spring/Summer ... 

We will soon be showcasing product in interior settings so please look out for that, coming soon.

Fall/Autumn is open us ... but appears there is some pleasant weather forecast (we are certainly planning a BBQ Friday evening) ... 

We are hoping to get down (Im not quite sure in exactly what capacity to the Vintage Fair in Chessington 31/10 - 01/11 more detail to follow but it is Surrey's No1 retro fair ... and it's emphasis is on the Rock 'N' Roll era and everything 1950's ... more information to follow.

 

Enjoy a few photos and see you all soon

 

An English Cottage Garden

1950's Metal Fold Away Chairs @ Kustom Kulture

P-40 KittyHawk @ Seething Charity Air Show

Absolutely stunning 1955 Pontiac Starchief Two Door Hardtop @ Autorama 6


This weekend? September 2, 2015 18:37

Howdy Folks!

Well, as you may have noticed I have used a question mark on our title as the fantastic UK summer has not entirely been co-operating with outdoor shows and events this year ... all fingers and toes are crossed as we hope to be making the trip up to Lincolnshire on Saturday for the Kustom Kulture Blast Off and then on Sunday, one of our favourite events of the year, The Charity Airshow at Seething.

I enclose some images of each event and I hope to either have some product or at least plenty of flyers to circulate ... see y'all out and about!

Happy Trails!

TTFN

 

 


Saturday Night @ Tom & Sally's Wedding Reception (Wymondham) August 10, 2015 15:21

Congratulations to Tom and Sally who were married on Saturday 8th August 2015

The ceremony looked awesome and afterwards close family and friends went to Mr D's Diner on the A11.

We joined the reception in Wymondham ... with a packed venue and the awesome sounds of The Dog Gone Honkabillies 

An awesome wedding cake and cool props, including inflatable Saguaro Cacti, dressed the venue.

1928 Ford Model A and a '59 Cadillac Flat Top

It was a great night with Skinny Jim (DJ) rocking up some great tunes and of course The Honkabillies, epic as ever!

 

Everything in life is made better with a Steel Guitar :)

A concerted effort was made through the evening to entice Tom (The Groom) to the stage to sing, apparently not his favourite thing to do ha ha ... but eventually the guests and Sally (The Bride) got their way ... despite this Tom remained as far from the microphone as physically possible ... You Are My Sunshine, My Only Sunshine!!

Just leaves to say thank you to Frankie Riedel (possibly even Stephen Plumb) and Sally & Tom themselves for allowing me to share some of their photos.


NSRA Supernationals @ Old Warden Park - Biggleswade August 10, 2015 12:28

Sunday .... morning at 7am we took off in the Plymouth, a little worse for wear after Sally and Tom's wedding reception Saturday night :)

A good run down ... nice and quiet but the mercury was rising .... 

Into the show ground and in-line for entry, it was going to be a hot one .... this suffering '55 Chevy (behind the '60 Ford) had  already rolled out to cool off!

Beautiful grounds around the house .... filled to capacity with muscle ... I believe to be the biggest show here to date.

Lovely green Dodge Challenger .... but this was only a small section of the Sunday Show and Shine area, cars were still rolling in at 1pm and of course all the full weekend guys were in other areas.

My favourite and show winner for me was this 40/41 Chevy .... Jeepers Creepers Van ... awesome!

Took a good while to get around and see all the show cars .... and then check out all the stalls ... we got a nice period (weave style hand bag that looks like Captain America's shield) A US Road sign and few needed sundries. After a self catered lunch we managed to get out early ... around 3pm for a far busier three hour run home!

Following out a great Chevy Biscayne!

 

 

 


Glenn Miller Army Air Force Band August 10, 2015 10:56

Good Morning Friends and Neighbours .... we feel compelled to tell you the story behind this 15 x EP (45rpm) set and booklet acquired on Saturday in East Runton.

At first glance, it stood out to me as an American released set (RCA Victor) and featured a nice booklet with several illustrations from Mr Miller's Army Air Force tour in England, during WW2. The Ep's are in fantastic condition and feature some unusual radio transcriptions, several still not available on any modern variants (to my knowledge). Of course, this was fantastic but I was not satisfied and enquired on the history and if the couple on the stall could tell me how they acquired the set, now it gets really interesting?!?!?

Turns out, not only were the couple from my hometown of Aylsham, they were married in a 1955 Chevrolet Bel Air, they were both avid fans of American Classics, Rods, Customs and the VW scene, not only that they conceived and pioneered the Cromer (Annual) Custom Car Show ... now if this is not enough history to wet your appetites ,,, then just get this .... in 1962, in you could say the height of the Cold War (this gentleman and I were now engrossed in conversation) served in Her Majesty's Navy, a Submariner and a member of the Special Boat Service (SBS). They were challenged by the US Navy, Coastguard and New York Port Authorities to try and enter the port passed the Statue of Liberty, acquire evidence to prove this and then turn around and exit the port, un-detected?? Of course they rose to this challenge - and one night running deep and silent, full stealth mode, they breached all security with virtually everyone looking for them, reaching close to harbour ... released a small raft and stole ashore. There they acquired the first edition of the New York Times, returned to the raft and back to the sub ... making the same cautious exit - above them sonars and searchlights scanned the waters. Of course they slipped away and once in international waters, surfaced and then proceeded to contact the US Navy. With glee they told them what the front page news was that morning, this went down rather like a lead balloon and they were cross referenced on many details of the paper and the contents before there mission success was accepted.

Well, what has all this go to do with a Glenn Miller EP book I hear you ask? Well as a reward, the US Navy allowed the submarine and its crew to visit Washington DC and I guess in a kind of parade of glory ... there they were allowed some shore leave ... (not as masked frogman all dressed in black) ... this EP set was acquired from a Georgetown Record store as a gift for his wife and returned to England on the Sub. 

Such a fantastic story, I asked if they really wanted to let this go .... they said they had offered it to their own family but know one had expressed any interest so now I am the lucky owner ... (various names of folk and vessels I have omitted from this story for now) but with their permission I hope to keep this documented with the record set, when we next hook up, which I hope will be on Sunday (at this years Cromer Custom Car Show).

The couple was loaded with other great stories including how they infiltrated some of the Soviet ports too ... can't wait to tell you all more. :-)