One for the retro gamers – this classic Asteroids t-shirt from Airside.
Designed by Chris Rain for Airside, it’s all in the detail. Vector graphics just like the original arcade machine and a spaceship hidden as the letter "A". But that’s not all, there’s a backprint too with more rocks and a hall of fame – with the top names making up the word "Airside".
Printed on 100% cotton American Apparel t-shirts and produced in non-sweatshop conditions, you can pick one up for £24.99.
I always associate the Peanuts cartoon with Christmas rather than summer, but when the sun comes out, you’ll be glad you had this Snoopy Sno-Cone Machine to hand.
For Sno-Cone read Slush, Slushy or Slush Puppy – they’re all more or less the same idea. This little machine makes you something in that area, offering you a metal ice shaver, syrup bottle, package of unsweetened drink mix, paper cups, shovel scoop and instructions on how all that works together.
it should produce a cold icy drink when you need one. And when you don’t, it’s a quirky Snoopy toy that’s sure to get people talking.
Available at Fred Flare, it retails for $22 (around £11).
More fashion reissues from the archive – this time from sportswear firm Fila, which has reissued its Trezzan vintage check polo shirts.
If you recall these at all, then it’s probably from the period 1976 – 1980, when they were famously sported by arguably Fila’s biggest celebrity endorsement – Bjorn Borg. They’re back in a choice of red and cream check or a navy blue and cream, both in 100 per cent cotton and featuring a vintage Fila logo on the arm.
Sold in a presentation box, they retail for £45 each.
Find out more at the End Clothing website
If you want to be eco-friendly, you need a good all-purpose bag to replace the plastic bags you pick up everytime you visit the supermarket. And certainly worth a look are these Betty Joy retro flowers tote and shopper bags.
Betty Joy do a fine range of vintage-styled toys, accessories, jewellery and homeware, all for very reasonable prices. These bags are sturdy unlined canvas bags, each with an eye-catching floral design in a range of colours. The difference is in size, the shoppers being bigger both in capacity and size of handle. And the shoppers also come with a custom-made apple pin.
Prices are £18.50 for the totes and £20 for the shoppers.
We haven’t done a Retro Retreat for a while, but with summer approaching, we thought it was time to do something involving the great outdoors – like these Isle of Wight VW Camper Van holidays.
It’s your chance to tour round the idyllic Isle of Wight in your own time and in a 1970s VW Camper Van. It’s kitted out with everything you need for life on the move – cooker, fridge, sink, double bed and two pop top bunks, camping equipment, fresh linen, towels and a hamper of Isle of Wight products (including homemade cake) to start you off on your holiday.
The vans are fully insured and supplied with a full tank of petrol. And if you don’t want to take your own car (you can get a train over), Isle of Wight Campers will even pick you up with your van on arrival.
Tariffs start at £275 for the week (Monday to Friday) or a long weekend, rising depending on the season.
It’s rare to see the word ‘retro’ associated with a mobile phone – apart from the sadly-missed Samsung P300 calculator phone. But today it was used again to promote the Alcatel Elle N°3 GlamPhone, which is claimed to be influenced by the plastic space age design of the late 60s.
I can’t say I’m entirely convinced, but I can see where they’re coming from, with the curved shape and white plastic exterior. But this handset, a collaboration between Alcatel and fashion magazine Elle, is much more modern than vintage. If you like the look of it, the GlamPhone will be available in a choice of colours, each with a colour screen, MP3 player, 1.3 megapixel camera and a matching Bluetooth headset.
No news of price as yet, but it’s likely to be fairly cheap when it arrives in June.
