Monday 29 August 2011

A vintage mini-break

Just returned from the best kind of weekend - a couple of nights in our most favourite hotel in Evesham, Worcestershire http://www.eveshamhotel.com/


It's a great family and dog-friendly hotel, in beautiful grounds, with an indoor swimming pool and fantastic meals!   We've been going there since our eldest daughter was a tiny baby and will find any excuse to go back.  Luckily for me; this time the excuse was the wonderful Costwolds Vintage Fair http://thecotswoldsvintagefair.blogspot.com/  

It was held in a beautiful venue, Toddington Village Hall and was amazingly well attended.  As usual, I only managed to get a few blurry pictures of my stall and no-one elses; but if you look on the the fairs website, I'm sure other stall holders did a much better job at photographing all the lovely items and the gorgeous stalls:






In this one you can just see the queue of people in the doorway, just before opening time!  I think every stallholder was busy all day, and there were a lot of very happy customers.

All in all it was a lovely way to spend a weekend, and I hope to repeat the experience again.

This meant that I had to do a little more stock buying:



A silver-plated coffee set





And I couldn't resist these sweet chalk or plaster doggies!

Off for a family do now, so fingers crossed for less rain than we have had over the last few days.

PS - I have not be paid to plug the hotel; we just love it!

Friday 19 August 2011

Shabby

I love shabby things.  I think scratches, dents, tears, rust and holes can add to an item, rather than detract from it.  Whether it is lovely painted shabby chic:


Magazine rack


Spice shelf


Display shelf for miniture treasures


Jewellery box
(All courtesy of my clever sister-in-law again, thank you!)


Or, tatty, shabby,printed things:




These are various bits of sewing ephemera.  I particularly like the Wool and Nylon mending thread in Clerical grey!  I have visions of an aged priest darning his socks.  (Wasn't that Father Mackenzie in "Eleanor Rigby"; maybe clerical grey thread was Lennon and McCartney's inspiration!)


Some of the printing would not have even been seen until most of the product had been used; like this symbol for Northern Ireland where this carpet thread was made.



As for old adverts; well they are a whole lot better than today's offerings I think.

Anyway, off now to carry on sorting out my stock for the Cotswolds Vintage Fair on 27th.  Can't wait!




Monday 15 August 2011

Summer Days Out

No summer holiday for us this year (we may actually get to move house at some point, but at this rate it'll be next summer!).  We have managed a few days out though, to some lovely places:

First, we went to Hever Castle in Kent with some friends.





It's a proper castle with a moat and drawbridge; but on a more human scale and inside feels much more  cosy - like a stately home rather than a castle.  We met Henry 8th there (it was Anne Boleyn's childhood home), and watched some rather scary jousting!  The grounds are beautiful, including a huge boating lake and very popular water maze - not popular with me though as I messed up and got wet!

Then hubby took us to a local vintage steam and country fair.  To be honest, I like the idea of vintage more than steam; but it was a good day out.  Eldest daughter met her namesake - a steamroller:


And at the vintage car section; I saw a couple of cars I would my little Skoda for:



Not sure what either of them are; but I like them!

Then I saw a car from my childhood - this ones for you Dad:


It is even in it's traditional pose - stationary with it's bonnet up!  Ah, the smell of overheated engines and the vinyl seats that gave you 3rd degree burns in the summer.  Memories....

Then last week, eldest daughter decided to celebrate her birthday with a day in London.  We went to the Tate Modern at her request.  Couldn't take any photos in there; so instead, a few outdoor pictures of an August day in London - rioters not included:



St Paul's Cathedral and the (no longer wobbly) Millenium Bridge - not actually destroyed as seen in Harry Potter!


A grey view of the river Thames and Tower Bridge.


St Paul's from an odd angle.


City of London skyline, including the lovely gherkin building!
It looks like the middle of winter in these pictures; but is the middle of August.  I hope the summer weather is better for the Olympics next year....  Today is actually beautiful at the moment, so I should stop complaining and get out there to enjoy it!!

Wednesday 10 August 2011

A Vintage Summer

I've been a bad blogger again.  3 lovely vintage fairs since my last post - and no decent photos from any of them!  I had a great time at the fairs in Warwick, Olney and Milton Keynes; but have no pictures to show for it.

Instead, these are some of my more recent finds:


A couple of utility tea pots


Who knew Fox's Glacier Mints made tins?  I didn't!


Moulded glass.





Enamel and stainless steel kitchenalia.


Finally, my very talented sister-in-law has re-vamped my tea trolley; which I use as extra shelving space at fairs.  This is how it looks now:                                                                                                                


Now it looks so lovely; I have no excuse not to take more pictures at fairs; so I will do my best to take photos at the Cotswolds Vintage Fair in a couple of weeks time; which I am really looking forward to.