<![CDATA[POLLEN & REID

<![CDATA[POLLEN & REID - Journal]]>Fri, 30 Jan 2026 12:52:09 -0800Weebly<![CDATA[London's Scarlet Thread: A Fiery History of Redheads and Red Icons]]>Thu, 22 Jan 2026 11:17:06 GMThttps://www.pollenandreid.com/journal/londons-scarlet-thread-a-fiery-history-of-redheads-and-red-iconsLondon through Colour: Red

Before London’s red became a brand—seen on every street corner in the form of a postbox or a Routemaster bus—it was a colour of survival, rebellion, and deep-seated superstition. The scarlet thread that runs through London’s history is ancient, beginning long before the Pre-Raphaelites ever picked up a brush.

Fun Fact: Before "ginger" took over, a popular London insult for redheads was "Dane." This dates back to the Viking age; if you had red hair, it was assumed you were a descendant of the "Bloody Danes" who had invaded the city centuries earlier!

1. The Original Rebel: Boudicca’s Flaming Mane

Long before Londinium was even a settled city, its first major threat arrived with a "great mass of the tawniest hair" falling to her hips. Boudicca, the warrior queen of the Iceni, is the foundational figure of Britain's red-haired legacy. While Roman historian Cassius Dio described her hair as xanthos (which can mean golden or auburn), the legend that has lived in the British psyche—and now stands in bronze by Westminster Bridge—is one of a woman with a fiery, blood-red mane.
When she burned the early Roman London to the ground in AD 60, she left behind a "red layer" of scorched earth that archaeologists still find under the city streets today. For the Romans, that red hair was the ultimate symbol of the "barbaric" North—unpredictable, fierce, and impossible to tame.

Fun fact: spot her sculpture at Westminster!

Spotting redheads in London, captured by a client!

2. The Conqueror’s Fury: William and the "Rufus" Line
By the medieval period, red was a colour of power and "otherness." William the Conqueror was a formidable figure, but it was his son, William II, who truly leaned into the hue. He was known universally as William Rufus--Rufus being the Latin for "The Red." Whether it was his literal hair or his florid, hot-tempered complexion, the name stuck.
In the medieval mindset, red was a dual-edged sword. On one hand, it was the colour of the sun and gold; on the other, it was the "fire of hell." A red-haired king was seen as naturally more aggressive and potent—a useful reputation for a Norman dynasty trying to hold onto a rebellious England.

Fun fact: In the Middle Ages, ginger was so prized in London that it was considered a "rich man's spice." One pound of ginger was literally worth the price of a live sheep!

3. The Scarlet Stigma: Medieval Misunderstandings

The medieval fascination with red was often darker and more complicated. Because red hair was a minority trait, it became a visual shorthand for anyone deemed an "outsider."

The Judas Myth: In medieval art and mystery plays staged across London, Judas Iscariot was almost always depicted with a shock of red hair and a red beard. This was a deliberate artistic choice to make the "traitor" stand out from the other apostles.
The Jewish Connection: This artistic trope led to a long-standing, often painful association between red hair and the Jewish community. During the Spanish Inquisition and in medieval England, red hair was frequently used as a stereotype to identify and marginalize Jewish people, despite red hair occurring naturally across many different ethnicities.
The "Poison" and the "Gold": Folklore of the time was wild—some believed the fat of a red-haired man could be used to make poison, while the alchemist Theophilus Presbyter claimed the blood of a red-haired boy was necessary to turn copper into gold.

4. The Royal Flame: Elizabeth I and the Tudor Red (16th Century)

By the 16th century, the perception of red hair was dramatically reshaped by the most powerful woman in England. Queen Elizabeth I, inheriting her striking auburn locks from her father, Henry VIII, transformed red hair into a powerful political and cultural brand. At a time when red hair could still carry negative connotations, the "Virgin Queen" reclaimed it as a symbol of divine right, celestial power, and English pride.

She leaned into the hue so heavily that it sparked London’s very first "red craze." Courtiers, eager to mirror her authority, famously dyed their hair and even their beards to match her auburn locks. Elizabeth’s use of red extended beyond her hair; she often paired her flaming curls with a ghostly white complexion (the "Mask of Youth") and crimson-stained lips, creating a high-contrast aesthetic that suggested she was more goddess than mortal. By standardising this "Elizabethan Red," she ensured that her powerful presence was felt in every corner of the capital, setting a visual precedent for a city that would eventually adopt the colour as its own official uniform.

Fun Fact: As she aged, Elizabeth owned over 80 red wigs to maintain her iconic image, ensuring the "scarlet thread" of her reign never faded into grey. Queen Elizabeth I is credited with the first Gingerbread Man. She had her royal bakers create little edible figures that resembled her most important guests to impress them at court banquets.

Tudor "Sanders" Dye: Tudor cooks were so obsessed with the colour red that they used "sanders" (ground red sandalwood) to dye their food bright crimson. Red wasn't just on their heads; it was on their dinner plates, symbolising wealth and vitality.

5. The Passionate Palettes of the Pre-Raphaelites (Mid-19th Century)

Fast forward several centuries, and London, a city of sooty greys and muted tones, witnessed a radical artistic movement burst forth, ablaze with colour: the Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood. These painters, rebelling against the academic conventions of their time, sought to return to the rich, jewel-like colours and intense detail of early Renaissance art. And what colour did they embrace with fervent zeal? Red.

Fun facts: did you know Dante Gabriel Rossetti had a house and studio in Chelsea on Cheyne Walk? I took a couple on a private tour to visit an artist in his studio in the back garden of the former home. Rossetti drew a portrait of my ancestor Maria Pollen, an interior designer and author, whose name inspires my business Pollen & Reid.

6. The Royal Mail’s Identity Crisis: London’s postboxes were originally green to blend in with the scenery. They only turned red in 1874 because people kept walking into them or failing to find them! The "Bright Red" (or "Post Office Red") was chosen specifically because it was the most visible colour in a thick London "Pea Souper" fog.

Fun fact: The "Larder of London": If you walk through Butler’s Wharf or Shad Thames today, you are standing in what used to be called the "Larder of London." These massive brick warehouses were once filled to the rafters with ginger, cinnamon, and pepper. Some locals swear that on a damp London afternoon, you can still catch the faint, ghostly scent of spice drifting from the old brickwork.

]]><![CDATA[London Christmas Guide]]>Mon, 15 Dec 2025 14:21:54 GMThttps://www.pollenandreid.com/journal/london-christmas-guidePollen & reid Guide to Christmas in London for history, luxury and whimsy

SHOP
Try Horner's Antiques in Alfie's Antiques Market to pick up unique Christmas decorations (think 1950's Soviet ornaments) that are historic, beautiful and make your Christmas tree look like a drag queen on acid!

Santa Maria Novella for beautiful soaps, lotions and creams. Did you know this Florentine brand is the oldest pharmacy in the world with soaps being made by Florentine monks in 1221.

Les Senteurs in Belgravia for unique incredible perfumes.

Pick up a hat at Lock & Co in St James's Street, or Philip Treacy in Elizabeth Street.

Borough Market have high quality stalls for food and drinks for Christmas. You must try some local Essex oysters at Richard Haward's and pick up some Darjeeling first flush at Tea2You.

Fortnum & Mason's in the City is quieter than the Picadilly branch and great to pick up festive Christmas puddings, mince pies and bubbly.

VISIT

Walk on Jermyn Street, Regent's Street and various streets in Picadilly after dark to see the Christmas lights.

Pop into Southwark Cathedral for a service, or try St Paul's Cathedral for a Swedish Lucia service.

Celebrate Charles Dickens Museum 100 year anniversary by visiting his former Georgian home in Bloomsbury filled with Victorian treasures. The volunteers are incredibly knowledgable and full of fun facts. Did you know Charles Dickens had a memorable style think Regency Dandy with flowing locks, had 10 children, and met a boy called Bob Fagin at the shoe factory he worked at as a 10 year old when his father was imprisoned for being in debt?

]]><![CDATA[Why did I create a walking tour on The Secret History of Chelsea? Part I]]>Mon, 04 Aug 2025 15:31:36 GMThttps://www.pollenandreid.com/journal/why-did-i-create-a-walking-tour-on-the-secret-history-of-chelsea-part-i

Secret streets, forgotten figures and hidden histories.

Many tourists and Londoners are familiar with Buckingham Palace, the Tower of London and Harrods - the latter being London's 2nd most popular tourist destination. But why should they, and indeed you travel to West London to the quiet and green borough of Chelsea.

For me, Chelsea captures the heart of British wealth and history; as well as it's tensions and contradictions: the home of enterprising migrants, Victorian artists, lovesick royals, gardens inhabited by medics and crime authors that supplied cotton seeds to the colonies, and punks who ushered in a new era.

An artichoke plant at the Chelsea Physic Gardens

Chelsea is a village of Palaces, home of rock stars, artists, punks and Princesses. It's royal and bohemian energy may be partly due to it's distance and isolation from the City of London, which is in the East and the earliest place that the Roman's inhabited; and was a bustling town in the Medieval times when Chelsea was not developed and primarily used for agriculture.

It wasn't until the Tudor times that it began to attract King Henry VIII's attention as his Privy Councillor Sir Thomas More developed a grand mansion Beaufort House in Chelsea in 1520. As Chelsea is by the river, it was a convenient place to live to be able to sail to the Palaces at Greenwich and Richmond. Here More courted philosophers and intellectuals from the Continent exchanging letters with Erasmus and other thinkers. Even today, Chelsea is extremely popular with Europeans and has many Italians living in the borough. One of it's state schools is named after Thomas More and it is a specialist Catholic language college. Henry VIII had a manor house in 1536 where Elizabeth I grew up and supposedly planted some mulberry trees.

The original Beaufort House

Chelsea is distinct in it's relationship with the monarchy. It is one of the few royal borough's, and the spine of the borough - the Kings Road, was once a private road built for Charles II to get to and from his Palaces of Whitehall and Hampton Court. Or possibly to visit his lover Nell Gwyn, a former orange seller in Covent Garden and actress who lived in the area and has a building on Sloane Avenue named after her. Few people have noticed the fountain in Sloane Square is decorated with images of Charles II and Nell Gwyn rapturously in love and feeding each other grapes. Charles II had many lovers and sadly no legitimate children with his wife the Portuguese Princess Catherine of Braganza. In order to pass through the toll gates to Chelsea, you would have needed to be an associate or friend of the Royals, and to show a coin to pass through. Many aristocrats moved and lived in this area, particularly towards the late 19th century many developments with private garden squares to lure them in. These garden squares (accessible with a private key), hoped to prevent the ill health that plagued the poor in East London. There was no understanding of germ theory, instead people believed that bad smells caused illness (miasma). As a consequence, Chelsea is a very green borough with lots of garden squares in order for air to circulate.

An example of the coins used to grant access to the private King's Road

Part II coming.

]]><![CDATA[The Secret History of Gabrielle Chanel: Reflections from the V&A exhibition]]>Sun, 22 Jun 2025 16:44:36 GMThttps://www.pollenandreid.com/journal/the-secret-history-of-gabrielle-chanel-reflections-from-the-va-exhibitionThe name Chanel instantly conjures images of unparalleled luxury, glamour, and impeccable taste. It's a brand synonymous with sophistication and minimalism, seamlessly blending classic beauty with modern ideas that have inspired generations across the globe. At its heart lies Gabrielle "Coco" Chanel, celebrated as a pioneer who revolutionised women's fashion and shaped modern style like no other. Yet, beneath the polished façade of effortless chic lies a far more intricate, and at times controversial, "untold story" that transcends the runway.

The stained glass window at the orphanage which may have influenced her iconic logo.

Coco's journey began in profound poverty, born in Saumur, France, in 1883. Orphaned at twelve, she honed her sewing skills in a convent, where the nuns' plain, practical clothing inadvertently influenced her nascent design philosophy of simplicity and refinement. This rigid environment forged her tenacity and ignited an ambitious dream to rise above her humble beginnings. Before her meteoric rise, Gabrielle briefly sang in cabarets, earning the enduring nickname "Coco" from popular songs. Her pivotal entry into Parisian high society was facilitated by wealthy patrons and lovers, notably Arthur "Boy" Capel, who financed her first millinery shop, "Chanel Mode," in Paris in 1910.

Chanel's hats were incredibly simple, stripped back from the excess feathers that were associated with fashion from La Belle Epoque

Chanel's success also lies in her ability to network and collect wealthy patrons (many of whom were also romantically involved with her)

Coco championed a radical new philosophy: fashion should be functional, comfortable, and liberating. She shattered the restrictive pre-Chanel landscape of corsets and voluminous skirts, introducing looser silhouettes and pioneering the popularisation of jersey fabric in women's fashion – a material previously reserved for men's underwear. Her designs actively encouraged women to embrace confidence and freedom. Her most enduring contributions include the iconic Little Black Dress, introduced in 1926, which transformed black from mourning attire into a symbol of ubiquitous style, and the Chanel Suit, a two-piece ensemble inspired by menswear, perfect for the burgeoning post-war working woman. The revolutionary 2.55 handbag, launched in 1955, was the first luxury bag for women to feature a shoulder strap, literally freeing women's hands. She even democratised adornment by popularising costume jewellery, boldly mixing imitation pearls with precious pieces.

Chanel (left) in her radically modern style: clean, simple lines with a touch of androgyny, blacks and whites

A woman wearing Chanel at the races. Classic early Chanel: simple yet clean details; notice the low placement of the skirt and belt at the hips, the pleats and the row of pearls and simple hat.

Beyond her creative genius, Coco was a formidable businesswoman. By 1935, her diversified holdings included boutiques, a textile business, and successful brand extensions like Chanel No. 5, managing over 4,000 employees. By creating a perfume, this was a way to make her brand more accessible through it's affordability as well as creating a product that could be sold and transported easily. All women can wear a fragrance unlike an item of clothing. The legendary Chanel No. 5, launched in 1921, became one of the world's most famous perfumes, famously immortalised by Marilyn Monroe. However, the story of No. 5 is also intertwined with a contentious business dispute with the Wertheimer family, her Jewish partners. During World War II, Coco controversially attempted to use Nazi Aryanisation laws to seize full ownership of Parfums Chanel, a ruthless act that revealed a darker, opportunistic side to her ambition. Declassified documents have also revealed her direct collaboration with Nazi intelligence, operating as Abwehr Agent F-7124, though she was never formally charged, reportedly due to intervention from Winston Churchill. The Chanel exhibition at the V&A does suggest she also worked with the Allies but this evidence has been contested.

Chanel with Winston Churchill (r) and his son Randolph (l). She met them through her relationship with The Duke of Westminster who introduced her to shooting, fishing and the Scottish Highlands which influenced the development of her own tweed suits.

Marie-Hélène Arnaud in tweed suit from Chanel's Fall/Winter 1959 collection, wearing Chanel shoes and the 2.55 Chanel handbag. Chanel would pin the materials to the model rather than a mannequin to create more natural shapes which women could move in. She hated Dior's New Look for re-introducing corsets that restrict women.

Chanel eventually sold her business to her the Wertheimer family and spent the last 20 years of her life living at The Ritz in Paris. Local folklore is that on her deathbed she was said to have exclaimed to a maid, 'this is how you die!'. Style and drama: classic Chanel!

A palette cleanser to the exhibition: a simplicity of black and white with fascinating details on the collar, wrists and the jacket cutting mid-thigh whilst the skirt just above the knee; incredibly flattering and feminine.

]]><![CDATA[George Orwell: a great single dad; & a walking route inspired by him]]>Tue, 17 Jun 2025 09:31:10 GMThttps://www.pollenandreid.com/journal/george-orwell-a-great-single-dad-a-walking-route-inspired-by-him

You probably have read Animal Farm or 1984 by the British writer George Orwell but did you know George Orwell was a fantastic father?

George Orwell believed he was sterile and adopted a son with his wife Eileen O'Shaughnesy in 1944 calling him Richard Horatio Blair. Sadly Eileen died in 1945 and whilst George was always searching for a wife to help him look after little Richard, he was a surprisingly affectionate and hands-on father.

George was a dab hand at changing nappies and bathing Richard with a cigarette in his mouth. George bought a cottage in a remote island Jura, in Scotland to write and relax with his son.

Richard said, ‘My father was completely devoted to me. When Eileen died, he really cared for me, which was very rare at that time. He fed me, changed my clothes and nappies, he gave me baths: most fathers at that time never did that sort of thing’.

This was extremely unusual for the time but then Orwell, despite studying at institutions associated with the establishment such as Eton College, was incredibly non-conformist.

For those interested in discovering more about George Orwell, you can spot his home on 22 Portabello Road, Notting Hill where he lived in 1927. Apparently the room was so cold that George had to warm his hands over a candle-flame before he could start writing in the morning.

Orwell would then set off in old clothes to meet tramps and down-and-outs who slept along the Embankment in spikes (shelters of last resorts), or workhouses. Many of the workhouses have been repurposed today as schools or NHS hospitals.

Whilst there are old clothes sold in Portabello Market, they are generally vintage, antique designer brands.

A wonderful walking route after you visit Portabello would be to walk through Kensington Gardens and St James's Park towards the Strand and finally ending up in the Embankment. Whilst you pass Kensington Palace, a monument to Peter Pan, a former leper colony (Green Park), the beautiful Palladian buildings on Pall Mall, you might also pass elements of inequality and inequity that inspired Orwell's novels.

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