Townhouse Returns

Jacques Townhouse, which I enjoyed last year more than I thought I would, returns as the summer's answer to staycationing with a wee amount of alcohol pimping at the side and this time it's heading up to Liverpool as well.  Right now, the London townhouse at the beautiful Chandos House is in full swing with people Facebooking like crazy for tickets, reservations and the thumbs up to this interesting concept from a cider company.

Those clev-uh marketing types have also got their blogger-pleasing patter down to a fine art of course and gave us all a preview that would have had me in a photo frenzy were it not for the fact that I had two minutes to whiz through the house.  Even then I was accompanied by a dapper gent of a staff who offered his arm as an assist and helpfully pointed out at every given opportunity that I could feel free to take pictures.  I find it quite frightening how attuned the whole set-up is to the whims and fancies of fashion bloggers.  We apparently all love a quirky prop or two, a rail of vintage/high street clothing (this time supplied by Rokit and River Island) to play around with, hats, shoes and wigs as high-octane clothing props and a profesional photographer on hand who will quickly upload the pictures (speed is of the essence people!).  All the better to get a few images that give readers an impression of what fun and games we're getting up to as bloggers.  

I think about Topshop pioneering this idea of inviting bloggers for a dress-up session back in 2009 and now countless brands and retail stores have run away with it.  It hasn't escaped the people Jacques and of course the beauty of the townhouse is that it can be enjoyed by an audience wider than bloggers (well, if you're 18 or over…) and is more of a public engaging event.  Still, as I whazzed my way through the consistently beautifully decorated house (lots of those Tim Walker-isms lingering on from last year…) that came fully loaded with a hair and make-up salon, a manicurist, a back massager, a group of chirpy stylists on hand to give us all feel-good vibes as well as role-playing staff who were eager to call me Madame and play the charming hotelier, I couldn't escape some of the personal fashion bloggerisms that have become the tricks of the marketer's trade.  No bad thing of course.  Just a pondering over how far things have come that an actor/waiter at townhouse sponsored by a drinks company would be so considerate as to think about DSLR-snapping opportunities at every instance.

I had to succumb at SOME point even if I did only have two minutes to whizz around the place…