I think they have finally gone mad in the workshop.
Mayo sent me this picture. Looks like our little rabbit has been practising for the Olympics. Either that or they’ve got too much time on their hands over there (or, of course, we have sent them round the bend with too much work!)
Anyway, I love the photo. Thanks Mayo!
Alex 
Rabbits
Phew. Seven of us had difficulties with the stairs on Monday morning. Our 10k run was great fun, we all enjoyed it. But I for one felt a teeny twinge climbing the stairs here at A.M. HQ. I didn’t get loads of pics because I left my phone at home, but here’s a few. We found ourselves next to an A.M. customer, turned out she never takes her necklace off so why not run in it? Here’s Tamlyn as we prepare to set off…
A feather necklace spotted on Tamlyn just before the run
And some of team AM just before the start
Denise, Nazan, Alex, Julia, Harriet.
Alex, Amina, Denise
Me? Just over an hour. That’s OK for an old boy isn’t it? Here I am looking decidedly not good!
Alex puffing along
I think we will have raised about £4000 for Fight for Sight. Big thanks to everybody!
I gave a talk at Holts Academy. What a lovely audience, a real variety and all ages. It was great fun and nobody fell asleep! It’s a great place to learn about Jewellery. Really good courses.
Alex giving his talk at Holts
Then off to judge the awards for New Designers. I love this show. It’s really worth checking out next year.
Judging at New Designers
And my old friends from Tokyo came to town. The gang from Antipast (best socks in the world). They always look after me when I’m in Japan so it was a good opportunity for me to say thanks. A tour of both workshops and lunch at the Garrison round the corner.
The Antipast crew
Our last ever Summer fair at Dog Kennel Hill Primary School. My youngest Libby played steel pans. I’ll really miss it. She’s off to secondary school next year!
Libby playing the steel pans
Last night I was in Liberty doing a Meet-and-greet, then on to the Grosvenor for the Jewellery Awards, which I judged a while ago. I wore a suit! No photos though… although someone said there was something on Twitter?
As I said… Phew.
Hi All,
It’s our Team A.M. charity run on Sunday, the British 10k. Seven of us (Me ((Alex)), Denise, Frieda, Tom, Sarah, Amina and Nazan) are running to raise money for Fight for Sight. They do lots of work researching into blindness. You may remember I raised money for them on my LeJog (Big cycling trip) two years ago.
Anyway, we have raised £3680.00 so far! Denise did a jewellery sale at the week-end in Camberwell so thanks to everyone who came and bought and helped etc. More money to come I’m sure. Anyone who fancies chipping in a few quid here’s our Just Giving site; http://www.justgiving.com/teamalexmonroe
As per usual, we’ve been really busy so I haven’t posted a blog for far too long. So much has happened I hardly know where to start! Japan I suppose…
… ah, Japan. The food! It was a fairly busy schedule as usual, three trunk shows this time, two in Tokyo and then one in HP’s Goldie store in Hakata. I had to stay over so HP (HP are my distributors in Japan) offered to put me up in a hotel. But I’ve always wanted to be James Bond in You Only Live Twice so I google-mapped a tiny island in the Sea of Japan called Oshima. Mayo helped me and we found a fisherman who would put us up. The underground, trains, buses, a walk, a ferry, and another walk and we were there. Oshima was beautiful, we hired a couple of bicycles and explored. I was very sorry to have less than 24 hours there, but I hope I’ll go back with the kids some day. The best thing? Getting out into proper countryside on a bike… and the food. I ate Blowfish which was a first. And without it killing me which was a bonus.
Supper in Oshima... fish!
Fantasy Island
Terrible monsters in Hakata
Blowfish (or Fugu in Japanese) It has to be prepared properly or it can kill you! Yummy!
Me cycling in Oshima
A proper bit of forest
Then back to the workshop. No rest. I had to make some new samples for a Christmas project. Luckily it was Faith’s birthday so the cake flowed… (can cake flow? Well, you know what I mean).
Faith's birthday at Iliffe yard
More soon, Alex.
This May will see two fellow stalwarts of Englishness come together to celebrate the quintessential afternoon tea – with a shrimpy twist.
The Goring Shrimp!
The Goring, the only 5 star hotel in London that is still owned and run by the family that built it, and celebrated British jewellery designer Alex Monroe – whose famous Bumble Bee pendent has hung on the necks of the most discerning fashionistas, have collaborated to create an exclusive necklace. The Goring Shrimp, accompanies a special Alex Monroe inspired, afternoon tea at The Goring.
Making and sketching the original
The Goring Shrimp pays homage to Alex’s whimsical childhood memories of the perfect afternoon tea,
“As a little boy I would run wild in the Suffolk countryside accompanied by my brothers and a dog called Sheba and buy huge bags of shrimp from the fishermen and sail them home for tea which consisted of a huge pot of tea and crusty white bread smothered with cool butter. These teas would last all afternoon until the sun sank below the high walls. So The Goring Shrimp will always remind me of Spring afternoons lazing in the walled garden at the Old Parsonage. And of drinking tea of course.
The Goring shrimp is a very likeable little chap; there is a great sense of fun about him and a tiny touch of nostalgia. I almost feel guilty that my mouth waters when I see him!”
Close-up
Exclusive to The Goring, the quirky yet charming shrimp with its own chain (together priced at £165) is hand made by Alex in Silver and plated with Rose Gold – and even has irresistible little eyes made from two black pearls. The Goring Shrimp is set to be one of the most coveted pieces for jewellery lovers this Spring. It will be available to purchase exclusively at The Goring alongside the Alex Monroe Afternoon Tea, for the month of May 2012.
“The Shrimp necklace will be delivered to the tea table in a special box by your waiter a quintessentially English surprise. How could anyone fail to be charmed and delighted by that?” says David Morgan Hewitt, Managing Director of The Goring.
Alex Monroe Afternoon Tea, including The Goring Shrimp necklace, is priced at £195pp and afternoon tea without The Goring Shrimp is £35pp.
Alex Monroe Afternoon Tea will be available from 1st May 2012.
Afternoon Tea at the Goring is served daily from 3.30pm – 4.30pm in the sunny Terrace overlooking the gardens, or in the warm and inviting Lounge.
To book please call +44 (0) 20 7396 9000
It’s been ages since I did a blog!
I keep meaning to, but always seem to find something else to do.
So here’s a catch-up… what have we been up to since… when? (oops, just checked, the last time we blogged was February when Susie and April went to Germany!)…
Here goes in quick;
At half term I went to Barbados (good friends lent me their house!). We had a wonderful time of course.
Here's me and the girls in Barbados at St Nicholas Abbey
(St Nicholas Abbey is my fave place on the island)
While I was sunning myself in the Caribbean my Mum went to visit my brother in Costa Rica. That’s where I’m going next year. It sounds fab. Younger bro. Tom runs a bar called Chillerz in Tamarindo. Beautiful.
Mum and brother in Costa Rica
Then it was time for the Paris shows. We did a great display at the show…
Paris exhibition
Lots of customers!
… which was as busy as ever.
Great grub at Kigawa
And of course, great grub, here’s a dish at Kigawa. Perfect French food cooked by a Japanese chef! Well worth a visit if you’re in town, but it’s small so be sure to book.
and I found this brilliant hat on the Stephen Jones stand. Perfect!
Nice hat!
Having worked with the Goring on our fab Shrimp Tea (served during May) I stayed for a night, and it really is the most wonderful hotel. I must admit, I’m not usually a hotel sort of a person, but the Goring is a whole nother cup of tea. Champagne waiting in the suite, supper in the restaurant… and a tv in the bath! Perfect.
... our sitting room.
Just a little detail but it sums them up, the light switch has these great settings… I loved the ‘Oooh’ setting best!
The best light switch in the world!
We’ve been working on our bespoke and precious jewellery. Look at this gorgeous Amethyst ring we made.
A new Amethyst ring
And these pretty champagne-brown diamonds we found in Antwerp. Can’t wait to set them set!
Champagne/browny diamonds
Easter in Suffolk as usual (wonderful weather and lots of it!) I’ve been training for our big run in July. Seven of us are doing the London 10k to raise money for Fight for sight. More about that later though…
The view on my run in Suffolk
My youngest Libby’s new fave thing to do is climbing trees! I used to love that.
Libby climbing a chestnut tree
And back at the ranch I was busy delivering boxes of boxes for Amina in dispatch. I knew my French postman’s bike would come in handy!
They're working me too hard! Those boxes are heavy!
Back sooner I promise!
A
Well, it’s Movember time again. Last year I grew a ‘tache in November because my dear old Dad had Prostate Cancer. Well, it got the better of him a few weeks ago, so this year I’m doing it in his memory.
Basically, I look rediculous with a ‘tache, so when my old friend Emily from Penhaligon’s told me they were doing a free pop-up ‘tache trim and shave shop in their Covent Garden store I booked up straight away. (check it out here!) It was lovely, hot towels a trim and a shave by the lovely Lee. If you do pop in say Hi to Richard. He manages the shop and is fantastic. You’re bound to have a laugh if he’s there. So now I look slightly less like Ned Flanders and slightly more like someone who would try and sell you dodgy nylons in 1940′s Britain. Ah well. Just wait. By the end of Nov I’ll be waxing it!
Anyone interested in Movember and all the good work they do check ‘em out here
My personal profile page is here http://mobro.co/agmonroe (any donations very welcome!)
And here’s a pic or two…
Back soon,
A
Me before the trim, and Lee in the Covent Garden Penhaligon’s
I’m just back in the studio from the Paris shows… and it was boiling! But I had a cunning plan; I flitted about and left Emma and Suzy.A to do all the hard work. Lunch in the Marais, coffee in the park. Not too bad at all.
Paris was beautiful of course. We had supper at my old favourite Yanase near Porte de Versailles on Saturday night. Japanese-French mix. Luverley.
Tuileries Sunshine.
Sunset on the way home.
Talking food… we had a super meal at Jamie’s Italian in Angel last week. Very nice too but nowadays we are such a big group the table was about half a mile long!
Jamie's Italian
Then back just in time for Mayo’s birthday. Dim Sum out in the yard with chocolate cake to follow.
Mayo and Susie polish off the Dim Sum
Feeling rather stuffed now…
Alex
We were sent this lovely pic of Eliza Doolittle at London Fashion Week. She’s looking lovely wearing our owl-on-a-perch earrings. My daughter LOVES Eliza so I might even get a teeney tiny bit of respect when I tell her (even though I’ll continue to play my old Bob Dylan albums much to her dismay)
Eliza Doolittle
Thanks to everyone who came to the London Fashion Week-end sale. The girls had great fun, but poor Jutta had to take Monday off because she was sooo exhausted, they were incredibly busy again! Thanks to you all.
See you,
Alex
Well… I’ve had some highs and I’ve had some lows. We have won lots of awards and honours, but nothing has come close to what happened this summer. I entered (jointly with my Mum I must admit) the Framlingham Flower and Produce show… and got a FIRST for my cucumber, a FIRST for my quinces, and a SECOND for my pumpkin! It doesn’t get much better than that! (Except next year we are planning much much more…).
Prizes!
Prize winning cucumber!
It’s been a good week or so all round. Fresh from the Framlingham flower and produce show I was swooshed off to dear old Kate’s (Moss of course) party in Battersea power station with Rimmel. Kate and me? Best buds now (except I didn’t even see her and left early for the babysitter).
Denise walks the red carpet at the party....
Coooooool party!
Rosie did a fab photo shoot with the help of her friends of our new collection. They came up with several pics, the one we chose for LFW was the big wicker chair one. Anyway, here’s a peek, see what you think. Big thanks to all involved! (more info on facebook) These aren’t the final ones, I’ll post the proper finished ones asap.
This was our absolute face with the wicker chair.
The slightly mysterious green door.....
And this frilly one is pretty gorgeous too.
London Fashion Week was great, but there always seems to be lots of annoying politics…….this time too many skinny posh 13 year-olds (the organisers) being unhelpful as we set up. We weren’t allowed to use Rosie’s lovely pictures on our stand! Boo hoo. Still, we got lots of orders so it was almost worth the agony.
Glam girl Suzy.A at the show.
The display for Summer's Embrace.
We are setting up at London Fashion Week-end today. We love this show!
Hope to see all our fave customers there. Just check their web-site for details.
And we just caught the last of the summer sun yesterday. Tea outside in the yard with cake bought by Catherine. Thanks Catherine!
Tea in the sun!
And just had our new display cabinet delivered from Spain. It’s going in the shop soon and then we can open! Fingers crossed.
Spanish cabinet.
More soon,
Alex
Big congratulations to our lovely Suzy A. She got married to the also lovely (and very lucky) Nigel last week. We declared a national holiday here at AMHQ, shut the studio down and headded off to Marylebone registry office. Gasps as Suzy came in, looking AMAZING in her dress and it was all over in a few minutes. Short and very sweet and out onto the old routemaster which whisked everybody off to the Albert for a right old knees up. The sun shone, drinks all round and we sat and chatted and ate all sorts of deliciousness. I was really pleased to meet Suzy’s lovely family and particularly her Dad. Very glad to be able to tell him how much we all love his wonderful daughter. I had to leave at about 6-30 and left the gang getting very merry and set to boogie the night away. Here’s some pics. Well done Suzy and thank you so much for the best day ever! (oh yes, and sorry to Tom but I couldn’t resist the last pic., somewhere there is one of me wearing the veil but why would I blog that?)
Here she comes!
On the steps
Suzy posing in the pub garden
Good grub... mmmmm...
Tom is looking goood...
Bye for now!
A
