A bit of blighty in the shop....

I'm flying the flag in the shop.Loving all things Union Jack..........

The Lady

For many years I have felt an affinity with the lady.Partly because back in the seventies when I had a yearning not to go to university but maybe be an au pair or maybe work for some member of the aristocracy.I used to read through the small ads and dream of escape to foreign climes.....(I did eventually go to Uni and spent a year in France teaching English in a lovely school near Nantes) but the Lady has always held a sort of Proustian appeal for me.Anyway I love the new version edited by Rachel Johnson( sister of Boris).It is an extremely good read.

I love this cover.It features Nell Gifford of Gifford's circus which tours near Sussex from May to September.She is one of  of Emma Bridgewater's sisters.It also has a travelling restaurant,Circus Sauce a unique 42 cover travelling restaurant that follows the circus on tour. They set  up the canopy and wooden tables next to the big top, under the stars each night to cater for our audience and artistes after evening performances.

I love the nostalgic forties feel.Of course the table settings are Bridgewater china!The article was written by Clover, another of Emma's sisters.What a talented family.I would love to be able to to go the circus!

Life in the fast lane....

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A little bit of creativity....

As the owner of a gift/homeware shop I am lucky to meet lots of very nice people.One of these is David who is the rep for Woodmansterne greetings.He used to be a rep for Sirdar wool and very kindly listens to my ramblings about knitting and crochet and vintage makes etc.Anyway a while ago he turned up with four bin bags stuffed with samples of sublime wool  one of each of every colour and kind created by the lovely Sirdar people.

Joy, oh Joy, oh rapture!

Have shared it out and given lots to Anne in the flea market who knits tank tops for the war weekend.Jules made a blanket and I still have lots left.

It's hard to know what to do with single balls of colour except make granny squares which I am also doing and of course my big blanket in stripes which is ongoing.So this is what I made recently in between writing school reports and watching the world cup.....

My version of a circular bag which is now my crochet bag and I love it.I washed it so some of the rows which were wool have felted .

I washed it so some of the rows which were wool have felted.You can see the rows which aren't wool but I| like their brightness

I lined it with an old dress from Next which I bought at a boot sale and I made the handles using felted double crochet and then reinforced them with dotty corduroy buttonholes from another dress.This stops it sagging and then I threaded velvet ribbon from House Doctor through the gaps.

I'm a bit thrilled with myself as I never finish anything but I enjoyed all the fiddling 

Cost to me : pennies

Joy to me: immense

Thank you David

I am now making other things but more of that tomorow.l

Love to you all

Anne x

Simple pleasures

I managed to get away from the shop earlier this morning and went to two boot sales.I spied this beauty amidst a sea of china dogs and gnomes.It's Midwinter and very' of the moment.'

Another bargain £1  buy.It has a chip on the back but perfect for big floppy  flower arrangements

This was only 50p and will be great to use at school as I am in charge of hymn practice and this has many traditional hymns in it.I love singing hyms and find it totally uplifting singing loudly and in two part harmony.This book also has a lot of wonderful illustrations and photographs.I love, love, love  it.

another little doyley to add to the collection.I don't really have that many!

I bought this couple of weeks ago and it was a murky greige colour so I whipped out thr dye and sorted -a very pretty throw to cover my sofa. (£2) Don't you just love dyeing??
                                              More  on the creative front, tomorrow.

Happy stuff..............

A little thrifty happiness.I have been looking for a little table for the garden and happened upon this little lloyd loom lookalike  for the princely sum of fivepounds.Such  delight when I discovered that the top is hinged and inside it is a sewing box, full of chintz material and lace........joy.....oh joy......

School is out and I'm finally coming to the surface.I feel so tired and a bit out of sorts but its new magazine time of the rmonth and they do not disappoint.Country Living is a bit better than last month.

But my favourite magazzine which I love and find much in it that interests me is this one .imagine my surprise when I found this article about the NYMR war weekend in Pickering last October.

All these photos were taken in the market place.It was a brilliant weekend and each year it gets bigger and biggerWe plan to turn the shop into a forties tea room again so if you are in the area from 15th October it promises to be the greatest weekend.

Football crazy......................

Tis not to be ...not this time........my blind faith has been shattered..Having been connected to a lover of all things football for the past twenty eight years (He only hung up his boots lat the end of last season at the tender age of fiftyone)and also having two sons who have both played for many years.I know football.I can talk football and I love the beautiful game.(Spain v Germany to mention just one).But this world cup has been hugely disappointing and my faith deserted me the moment Capello brought on Emile Heskey and left Peter Crouch on the bench...........................and we lost......... to Germany..................

I found this  book at acar boot recently called Boots,Balls and Haircuts by Hunter Davies which is full of amazing photos and charts football through the ages.

Can you imagine playing with these boots and heading this heavy leather ball which got heavier and heavier with the rain.........now that would sort the men from the boys.