Bridport here we come!!

As you know I have recently joined the Vintage bloggers, and having had a fantastic day at the V&H fair, decided to visit the Bridport Christmas market. We travelled down visiting Honiton & Beer & Lyme Regis on the way.

Items that we found on the way, my cousins & I had one of these horses & spent hours on it as children,(destined for Malvern) and although a little shabby the footstool is gorgeous.

Since the last time that we stopped in Lyme there are a few new really nice shops selling vintage & vintage inspired lovelies, however being so excited I didn't take pics & have forgotten the names, however if in Lyme Regis, put your back to the sea and walk up the main shopping street, up the hill, and they are on either side of the road! In one of the shops I met a couple of ladies that I knew from Chipping Norton, isn't it strange when that happens! Moving on......Michael was getting peckish ! After a pasty on the Cobb, we set off to West Bay where I announced that we should gather driftwood, mmm under a cliff face that had had a very recent landslide, in rain, wind & failing light, good idea....????

driftwood booty

This piece is prized & will be made into a coat hook!

Having started the next day at the Beachcroft B&B (http://www.beachcroft-westbay.co.uk/) in Westbay, an exceptionally clean & welcoming B&B with very pleasant hosts Sue & Peter. Michael was stuffed to the gunnels with the f.e.b. we went off into Bridport.

I have never been to Bridport, bypassing it for Weymouth where my son has dived many times and we have spent many wonderfully exciting hours driving a rib out at Lulworth & around Portland Bill. So I was very happy to find such a lovely town with lots of individual shops, galleries & cafes, I think this one was "The Green Yard"(?), where we had the first mince pies of the year, almond & carrot (so good that we bought 2 jars & Michael has promised to make some soon)......

.....AND a great Saturday market lining the streets, part of which was similar to a French street brocante. Obviously I found things to buy, a lovely floral chest of drawers, a great tea towel, some retro design cards, baskets (for my Spring garden stand at Malvern flea).

Beautiful shop window displays, we bought Florence's Chrissie pressie here, a nautical neckerchief, ready for Brixham hols!

Retro hair salon with original dryers!

At the end of the market was the Church hall which was full to bursting with the ladies and their vintage wares. I haven't any pictures as I am sure that the ladies will be posting their own!? I bought some soap wrapped in vintage fabric and a beautiful sea shell decoration, and a yellow fabric covered box from Lizzie (http://www.thewasherwoman.blogspot.com/).

I had a lovely chat with Elizabeth Baer, who had some beautiful French textiles (http://www.elizabethbaertextiles.com ).

Michael was recognised by Sue (www.dairyhouseantiques.co.uk), was it that she remembered selling the Union flag to us or that she has seen the photo's of him eating his way around the tea rooms of England?!

Sue is very friendly & helpful, when we travelled over to The Dairyhouse on Sunday she gave us lots of info of places to go (& more importantly let me use the loo before our long drive home!)

The Dairyhouse is a lovely building filled with all sorts of lovely things, this most fantastic dresser which, had my mum's kitchen renovations started would have looked great .......

Bridport had a lot of hidden mooching places, and somewhere behind the Church was a yard with a number of warehouse type buildings, all with furniture and interesting bits & bobs & one shop full of clothing, I really recomend it for a lovely weekend break.

Thank you Dorset