WIN AN EXCLUSIVE PREVIEW PIECE FROM ALEX MONROE’S ‘BEST OF BRITISH’ COLLECTION
Ahead of the schedule to launch, Alex Monroe‘s ‘Best of British’ jewellery collection instore at the newly revamped Alex Monroe Jewellery Boutique on the 31 May, Adorn London, in collaboration with Alex Monroe, is delighted to announce the launch of our latest jewellery giveaway competition. In addition, I am thrilled to add that Adorn London is the first to show the collection ahead of the official launch; so a big THANK YOU to Alex Monroe from me.
Asked why ‘Best of British’?… and the team reply: "2012 marks the 60th anniversary of the Queen’s reign, her Diamond Jubilee. So as it is such a celebratory year here in the UK, we decided to get well and truly into the spirit of things with this fun collection. A quirky mix of classic British imagery alongside some of Alex’s favourite things, ‘Best of British’ is a slightly tongue-in-cheek look at British-ness and English eccentricity, and most importantly, is quintessentially ‘Alex Monroe’.
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For your chance to win the ‘All the Best’ necklace from the ‘Best of British’ collection simply:
Fill in the comment box below telling us what you would consider to be ‘Quintessentially British’ – anything from the Pearly Queen to tea at The Savoy…
The competition closes on Friday the 4 May 2012 and the judges decision in final.
Good luck!
The determination to do something summery, even when the weather tries to get in the way. Whether it be a picnic in the park, a bbq or a camping trip, a true Brit will be there soldiering on, albeit wearing a Cagoule, with a smile on their face and surrounded by other equally as soggy friends
… It is making the most and always bringing out the best of a situation 
, having said that Im hoping for a VERY hot summer 
xx
British is caravan bank holiday traffic jams, BBQ burnt sausages, wild flower field picnics, festivals, sea side string vests, sandals with socks, sunday strolls before roast in the pub, flood level rain, street shutting snow, hose pipe bans and an endless fascination of the birds and the bees!
British is…tea, Grima jewels, the Crown jewels, a fantastic accent, Anglicanism, double cream, another way to spell the same words, ShakespeareMiltonAustenTolkeinLewisBarrieChristieRowlingHerriotetcecetc, Hastings, Churchill, an unfathomable school system, Black Adder, dense unctous fruitcake, ghastly damp weather, and that wry, dry, wit. Oh, and some of the world’s best soldiers. God bless the British.
Sand in your cornish pasty!!
Enid Blyton
Quintessentially British? Traditional with a Twist. A “Brit” personifies tradition and always finds a way to make it their own. Perhaps, that could also be a definition of true style?
sunday roast
bangers & mash
raining cats & dogs
afternoon tea
leaves on the line
english breakfast
backing the underdog
red post boxes
queueing
pulling together in the face of adversity
these are all qualities & quirks that are quintessentially British!
wouldn’t trade them for anything else!
I’m sure many won’t agree with my comment, but for me, I find nothing more quintessentially british than rain! We may have had a bit too much recently but is there anything more romantic than splashing your way through London taking refused under a british brolly, passing iconic sights like Big Ben, Buckingham palace and St Pauls? We may grump and groan, but Britons visit both sea, city and country in rain or shine with a smile their face. That is British spirit.
This illustation by M. Sasek for This is London sums it up for me http://naturalsalvage.blogspot.co.uk/2009/11/this-is-london-by-m-sasek.html
Stopping periodically for cups of tea throughout the day.
“Quintessential” is a quintessentially British word and what I consider to be ‘Quintessentially British’ would be a British Bank holiday spent at the races or watching cricket or perhaps a game or tennis… if the British weather is permitting, of course. If thats ‘not your cup of tea’ then perhaps some sight seeing, jump on board a double decker bus and see the crown jewels, the Tower of London and changing of the royal guard… or perhaps make a trip to the seaside through the British countryside in all its glory. If all that leaves you a bit weary stop at a pub to order fish ‘n’ chips with a pint of bitter then do some British people watching whilst pretending to read the papers. Round the day off with a stroll and afternoon tea with scones then find a B&B to rest and read a great British book by Dickens or Oscar Wilde then have a good moan about being back at work on Tuesday! Rule Britannia!
A rain-soaked pavement. Sometimes as I scoot and slide through London on my Italian Vespa and nearly crash into a black cab, in that split second just before death, I have caught myself saying…’Woopsie.’ It just comes out. I aspire to something more well, inspiring or at least a proper swear word to show some grit but sigh, I’ll have to keep that in mind. Once on foot I was actually hit by a black cab- hopefully not the same one- I flew through the air, keeled over and after a great pause, shakily stood up. “Are you alright?” the cabbie asked, not sure if he should take my arm as I hobbled, he dithered a polite distance away.”Yes…fine…thank you…Sorry.” I gasped slowly with one foot in front of the other. Our apologetic encounter was very Quintessentially British. For those moments in life when I couldn’t prepare, when I was just Quintessentially me, I scraped through with a little embarrassment, humour and grace and for me that is Quintessentially British.
good old Fish & Chips and no summer. Mother nature has it in for us and our weather sucks but i wouldn’t have it any other way
What is quintessentially British? (Part 2: a continuation of my 19th April entry here on this site)
23. The iconic, red trifecta: pillar/post boxes, double-decker buses, and a dwindling number of red telephone boxes
24. Colourful beach huts all in a row: eye candy for the viewer and an essential, lovely aspect of British seaside family holidays
25. Respect and love of animals, and hence, the high interest in bird watching among “birders” and the ban in recent years on fox hunting, deer hunting and hare coursing with dogs
26. A love for the seas as expressed in major sailing regattas (such as Cowes Week)
27. Enjoyment of delicious picnics and long walks in the great outdoors
A green and pleasant land – and all the rain needed to keep it that way; cricket on the village green; a self deprecating humour; social awkwardness (i.e. only able to chat with strangers if at least one of you has a dog)
And David Bowie
‘English’ is a finely layered thing,
A rambling garden rose, Our thickly petaled flower,
That flourishes from Cumbria’s foothills,
To London’s highest tower.
It’s badgers in the undergrowth,
Bumblebees buried in lavender,
Foxes in our tool sheds,
And cupcakes on the hour.
It’s wellys and socks up past our knees,
It’s brollys and walks in driving rain,
We brave the inclement weather,
Until the sun peeps out again.
It’s horses in Hyde Park,
And Cornwall’s curling, white-sand beaches,
The Yorkshire Dales and Elgar,
Windswept moors and Bronte Sisters.
It’s the tiniest of Islands,
But a speck upon the map,
But once you discover its treasures,
You know there’s little chance of turning back.