Keep Calm and Arrive Late to the Party.

After coming across what is now my latest desktop wallpaper via Hello You Creatives, I became inspired to write a post about the 'Keep Calm and Carry On' brand which has been growing in popularity for two or three years. I became aware of 'Keep Calm and Carry On' after The One Show featured a story on Barter Books.

Barter Books, a second-hand book shop in Northumberland, discovered a copy of the poster in 2000 and due the image being in the public domain, subsequently reprinted the poster for customers, a trend later transferred carried out by others, mugs bags and clothes soon followed. The popularity of the phrase has been linked to a sense of nostalgia for stereotypical 'British-ness' and the ability to keep going, particularly in the times of trouble from which this 'motivational' poster originates. The phrase has also been transferred back onto recent times of hardship in Britain regarding the current recession.


The design was initially printed by the Ministry of Information in 1939 as part of a series of posters sending the message of King George VI to his people that all capable measures were being taken to defend the country. Only a few of these posters actually made it onto walls and the prints remained largely unseen by the general public until it's discovery at Barter Books. The origins of this iconic expression and it's designer are unknown.

With the popularisation of 'Keep Calm and Carry On' not only came a stream of homewares and clothing but also a seemingly endless amount of phrases playing parody to the original. I for one enjoy the phrase as a simple framed poster, but it has to be said that the Etsy shop, Keep Calm Arsenal really have outdone themselves with their wide range of Keep Calm parody prints.


I can't wait to do some proper nesting and have my very own Keep Calm Arsenal print as part of my interior landscape. Here are some of my favourite related Keep Calm and Carry On images that I found while researching for this post (yes I researched it, I used Wikipedia and everything, just because I'm allowed to now).

(via Google)

(via Matt Jones)

(via IamTh3q)

BBC - Who owns 'Keep Calm and Carry On'?

A wide range of Keep Calm and Carry On merchandise is available from numerous different sources. I would recommend 'Googling' it but I found that Etsy comes out on top, particularly for un-cheesy original parody designs.
Keep Calm and Carry On Shop
Keep Calm and Carry On at Heal's
Keep Calm and Carry On at Etsy

Desktop: 25/08/2011

Not anything particularly exciting but I figured that I should blog something before I head off tomorrow, and considering that I haven't packed yet and there's more job hunt to do, I doubt that I will have much time.

I figured that I would include another desktop screenshot as I haven't posted another one since the first one. I think I'm due for a change now though because it makes me uncomfortable that the image doesn't fill the whole screen.

So, I'm off to France tomorrow, I know it is quite British and untravelled of me, but I was all the way in Hong Kong a few weeks ago, and I do quite like the area of France that we're going to. I hope we get some sunny weather because I'm really fed up of how temperamental it has been here.
So looking forward to spending time with Moon and lazing about, as well as 'getting away from it all' — and 'the' pool.

We're going to St Malo via Portsmouth, which is an overnight ferry, I love ferries and I love being on the sea. This time we actually have somewhere to sleep too, which will be a luxury as last time Moon and I had to scavenge for a sleeping spot and ended up in the children's crèche in the café, really.

As always I'm looking forward to taking lots of photos, which only enhances the fact that I really must update my portfolio when I get back because relying on this just doesn't really cut it. I mean there are a lot of photos on here that I've taken that I like but that I wouldn't show off to a client, quite uninspiring when being a 'photographer' is supposed to be my ultimate goal - but that's something to worry about when I come back.

Should perhaps try my best to prevent this from happening to him again...

Desktop: 15/08/2011

Quite like being nosey and looking at other people's desktops, so I thought I'd start to 'document' mine. I don't think I particularly change it that often, but we'll see how it goes.

Think that I will be more likely to work on my website once I have a desk again — I'm currently at my Gran's — and when I'm out of 'holiday' mode; it's my birthday tomorrow then there are few family events before I head off to France next Friday. I signed up for another recruitment agency this afternoon and I have an sign-up interview with another one on Thursday, let's hope that something comes from it. I'd really like to have something to occupy my time for a bit, although I'm sure the website will be fun, *derp.