Signposts to have a laugh at...!

When I travel, I am always taking photo's usually of old rusty metal, or peeling paint, you know the sort of thing, occasionally I come across strange signs & sights so here are a few to brighten up a very dull afternoon....The first one speaks for itself, the shoe one hangs on my back door! I put the one of the little boy on the end, to remind us of the children of the world and to cherish our own even if they do drive us to distraction!!!!!

The Vintage & Handmade Fair

Oh how I had looked forward to this day, not just your usual fleamarket or antiques fair or even carboot where you usually have to have your wits about you and eyes in the back of your head, no yesterday it was like walking into a sweetie shop (though much better)!
My chap Michael (George Clooney look alike !?) who has only recently been introduced to the delights of vintage, having led his previous life engrossed in work (electrics) and sport (mainly football), is happy to travel with me to the local carboot, or to Totnes market or Malvern Flea or Bridport (first visit for both of us), he doesn't argue mainly because he knows that I navigate firstly to where I can find interesting things, and secondly where I know that you can buy good tasty food.

Yesterday in Chipping Sodbury we were an hour early so found a cafe oppostite the hall where the full English was consumed with gusto! There were two great butchers shops, we came away with sausages, faggots & oxtail, which my mum is as I write this roasting to make one of her lovely stews (we will tell the teen angel that it is beef). The farmers market provided us with strong cheddar, an almond & raspberry tart, and some veg. At this point we joined the queue at the town hall......

Considering Michael is not the most observant of people he whispered, "I can see the girl fromTotnes" and sure enough there she was, I can recognise the Shabby chick stand in Totnes or Shepton or where ever and never fail to buy..... we got chatting with Amanda's mum (?), who is far more helpful than the tourist info as she could give me the dates of the Christmas Totnes, (we will see you there, as we are having English seaside hols this year), as usual I couldn't walk past without buying, A small chest of drawers (I collect) and some St. George bunting. I located the cakestand which Henhouse had so cleverly shown on her blog, (I REALLY needed it for my tea time china) but it then turned out tricky to choose between the three that she had! Next my "piece of resistance" was the union flag! (Most people call it a union jack, which is technically wrong as the jack is what the union flag is hoisted on, not to split hairs though!) I was so disappointed as I had been searching for ages for one that was reasonably priced, and another customer was haggling with Sue (Vintage to Victorian). When I came back later the first lady had not bought the flag and so I could, over the moon! Sue was lovely to talk to and I bought a lovely big m.o.p. button for mum, for a cardi. All of the stalls had lovely things, I couldn't get near Niki (Nostalgia at the Stonehouse) or Lizzie (The washerwoman) and only managed to say hello to Jane & Michele, everyone seemed to be busy.

Last stop was the tea room, 2 cups (vintage china) and slices of chocolate & pecan traybake & orange & almond cake (delicious) sorted us out before the drive home.

I hope that everyone had a good day, I certainly did!!! Michael kindly donated the last sausage for Flo, as we had left her behind and she had missed her usual carboot burger that they usually share on a Saturday morning (uurgh)! (some footballers habits never change !!)

Its raining again.......

Yesterday I promised Florence a nice walk, however by the time that I tore myself away from the blogs of the V&H gang, the heavens had opened & we didn't go. We have just come back, in the drizzle, and she has had to have a wash & brush up! When I go away I always take my camera because I love taking pictures, anything colourful & textural, however close to home I don't generally bother, but today I did.

We used to have a lovely old plum orchard here which appears to have disappeared overnight, they may replant?! It did look like this old cider apple orchard where Flo likes to chase the windfalls & I bring some home, I thought that I would make an apple, toffee & cinnamon bread & butter pud for tea today.

So as I did have my camera I started to look and there were no end of interesting (to me) things, a broken gnome that someone had thrown on a bonnie, peeling rusty paint & one brightly coloured choisia. I hope that you like them, sometimes things are right on your doorstep!!

Last weekend's goodies........

Although the BBC weather predicted that there would be no rain, the poor people at the Malvern flea market found otherwise, it was that thick drizzle that gets you very wet, however many stands had taken the inside options. I was surprised to see so many mixed stalls of bric a brac & not many specialist shabby chic/interiors, there were a couple but it really wasn't very inspiring. I spoke to a few friends there who say they usually have good days so I am going to book for the first one of the new year ( I can't do the December one because we will be at the seaside in a lovely harbour cottage in Brixham, it will be different from the last 3 years when we have been diving in the Sinai). I am looking forward to starting up markets again after a number of years doing other things. Anyway I didn't find much but the things that I did were lovely..... 

                                  The cake plate (1931) is unusual being an Imari  style design rather than floral chintz......

                                                                                                                                                       Galvanised bins are what we use in our garden to plant figs trees in, they restrict the growth and can be moved around to suit, our garden lacks trees & this is a great solution. The french tub is lovely, and I am not quite sure what to do with it yet!

 My other buys were a lovely enamel topped cupboard which I intend to keep here until I can put it in my seaside cottage, a lovely 60's shell pink alarm clock, a few nice textiles,a nice old Nat.geo map of N.America, which I will frame as I collect maps and a bag full of Jerusalem artichokes, I think it may have to be soup again as I am not sure what else I can do with them! Florence and I settled down for the afternoon and made the big lilac cushions from the wool blankets, I finished them with pale blue buttons that I bought from Gail, a fellow "vintage lady"!

Shall I introduce myself to Vintage lovers ?!

My son Tom saying goodbye to his beloved moto-x bike

Mr Bean who happened to be filming in the middle of no where in India

A fantastic wooden church in Russia


Florence on holiday at Slapton

If you have read my profile you may understand that I am new to this blogging business (very keen though). Anyway I thought that I should post a few pics of things that I love, they were all taken in the past twelve months, I intend to put ones of my vintage home on soon...