Retro TV W/C 1st February 2008

Barry Murphy returns once more trawl the TV and radio guides (so you don't have to) to find anything worth tuning into this week. All listings are for UK terrestrial TV, Freeview and national radio, with the shows running from Friday 1st February to Thursday 7th February.

Highlights of the week

Everybody's favourite un-pc PC is back on our screens on Thursday 7th Feb, when beer swilling, spaghetti hoop-munching hardman DCI Gene Hunt (Philip Glenister) returns in Ashes to Ashes, the sequel to Life on Mars. This time the action is set in London in 1981, and joining Gene and his faithful sidekicks Ray Carling (Dean Andrews) and Chris Skelton (Marshall Lancaster) is DCI Alex Drake (Keely Hawkes) a female detective from the 21st Century who is stuck in the past after an accident.

In other highlights, BBC 4 devote a night of programming to jazz pianist Oscar Peterson on Friday 1st, and on Monday 4th broadcasts two shows of interest to any sartorially minded modernist - Ready to Wear - a look at how the suit has changed from the sixties to the eighties, followed by Saville Row, the first in a 3 part series, looking the tailoring houses of Mayfair's famous street.

Pierre Paulin's Orange Slice Chair

Much like the word vintage, iconic is a word that is over-used, but the Orange Slice Chair by Pierre Paulin is surely one piece of furniture worthy of that honour.

Designed in 1960, it is one of Paulin’s series of chairs for Artifort that combine an inner structure of steel tubing with foam and fabric to create a structural piece. It is still being manufactured today by Artifort and it can be bought online from several place, including from Modern Classics Direct where they cost £399.

They are available in a wide selection of colours, although ironically it seems, not orange!

Visit Modern Classic Direct to view their selection.

Aaron Foster Bob Dylan Portrait

Artist Aaron Foster specialises in found art, that is reusing old things in a new context. His chosen medium is discarded license plates, which he uses to create some amazing pieces of art.

He started off by producing a map of the USA using license plates, but has expanded his range to include images of cars (a fairly natural association) and more surprisingly portraits of rock stars. Pictured here is his Bob Dylan portrait, which if you look at closely, you can see is made up of license plates.

Each one of his pieces is handmade in California and can be bought online from American in XS. The Dylan portrait costs $1,300 (approximately £650)

New Biba pieces available on pre-order from Matches Fashion

No one needs telling how much the Biba brand is synonymous with the swinging 60s, so it's hardly surprising the brand's relaunch was met with whoops and cheers.

They're still coming up with retro inspired wardrobe fillers, and though some don't match the wow factor of their vintage counterparts, there's a few gems among the bunch.

A select few pieces from Biba's new range for Spring/Summer '08 are now available to pre-order from Matches Fashion, including these striking burnt-orange Greta shoes. This pair will set you back a very designer £275.

Find out more at the Matches website

Cole & Son launches the Vintage Glamour Collection - wallcoverings from the 1920s to the 1950s

High-end wallpaper retailer Cole & Son has launched the Vintage Glamour Collection, re-creating 16 authentic designs from  the 1920s to the 1950s, the kind of thing once found in mid 20th century ocean cruise liners, hedonistic hotels and haute couture.

HIghlights include Carlyle (an Art Deco design that simulates an embossed leather book binding), Belgravia (coiled ribbon design on a leather grain background), Crocodile (a 1930s Cole original of simulated 'buffed crocodile skin'), Fairmount (50s archive design reviving an 18th century look), Chevron (Art Deco chevrons), Dolly (3D-style fan design from the 50s), Palm Court (1920s archive design featuring olive leaves and stylised flowers) and Molino (Art Deco half circles).

Expect them being available to order in the coming weeks, prices to be confirmed.

Find out more at the Cole & Son website