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England

Rural Life – Zeitgeist of the Noughties

Back in London walking up Kensington Church Street today I noticed a shiny new addition to the musty antiques stores, the Chegworth Farm Shop. I know Chegworth from their fruit stand at the Saturday morning Notting Hill Farmers Market in the parking lot just behind. It seems they decided to go for a more permanent foothold in this posh London neighborhood. They are not the first to figure out the urban lust for the simple life – Daylesford Organic in Harvey Nicks precedes them (I’ll save the Daylesford Organic in the real village of Daylesford in the Cotswolds for another blog or two).

At the risk of going all “Al Gore, I invented the Internet” on your ass, husband and I do think we were a bit bleeding edge with our escape to the country. It’s admittedly a bit paltry, but husband cites evidence in the fashion press: Paul Smith went flat caps and tweeds this spring; The Artic Monkeys donned the same at the Brits back in Feb., even if it was in jest. Husband also notes with pride he purchased tweeds and a flat cap from a gentleman’s shop in Cirencester way back in 2007. Paul Smith is apparently for posers

I personally think the country zeitgeist is all about the current nasties of the world: war in Iraq, credit crunch, property bust (shall I stop now?). Organic veg and designer wellies are a welcome retreat.

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