Tah-dah!

 

I did this by way of rest yesterday.  Dresses up the little crib a treat.  Sorry the colours aren't very good but strong morning light was on it.  I have hand-quilted the pillow.  Now I'm a third of the way through the the quilt.  I know the pillow has larger patches on it, but I can live with that.  Sue in Lancs and Jackie - it's 22 1/2" long and 6" wide.  Needs a long skinny doll!!

When I was outside yesterday, I noticed I have a pair of Swallows, and they are to and from the middle stable, where they nest.  They put a smile on my face.

Tam & Rosie are arriving later.  I need to go out and do a quick shop.  Gabby's arriving tomorrow morning and we are going out to Hay for my birthday lunch, to a Tapas bar there.  

Another glorious day of sunshine, which is bringing out the leaves on the trees.  I love spring.

More Malvern photos

 This morning my left shoulder is complaining about hauling an increasingly heavy trolly around with me yesterday.  Who can blame it?  So I am going to sit down and start on a little patchwork quilt for the dolly's crib pictured.  It's sunny out, so gardening will happen later.  With the price of fuel, I don't know if I can go to Malvern every month, so I bought some extra things to put out throughout the year - it is always the new stock which sells first.  Sod's Law.

Above and below - the stall with old dolls etc.  They have bought well and clearly do lots of auction shopping (though perhaps some things are bought online).

This looks like the witch's house in Hansel and Gretal . . . and that has just bought back a memory as my best friend Trish had the nickname of Hansel (from her sister Pauline).

It was a day for rocking horses and ones on trolleys, in varying states of decay!

A pile of beautiful Paisley shawls caught my eye.  One was priced at £180 . . .

When we lived in Dorset, Keith and I used to go to auctions every week.  We loved the ones at Sturminster Newton, and Dicky Bird (Burden really but he was known by all as Dicky Bird) had these little hand-made babies' nighties every week.  I would have loved one, but didn't get tempted.  They used to sell for £22 then, week in, week out.  This one - £7.  Not a good investment.

French pots.  Clearly easy to buy over there - everyone has them.

This chap knew his onions when it came to African pieces.

I rounded off my day out with a visit to Great Malvern Priory.  I came in a different way because the main road into Malvern is STILL closed for road works, and it will be for even longer as there has been another landslip which is what caused the initial closure/repair.  I won't take that route again, but at least I found out where the Priory was (having gone hunting for it a couple of times on previous visits to the Fleamarket, and not found it).  So now you know what the next couple of posts will be about . . .  Ragged Robin - I think I remember you visiting here too.

It was a beautiful spring day (though frosty to start and I did wonder about the sanity of several men in shorts at 7.30 when I arrived and it was a bit parky).  On my drive home, I saw a Small or Holly Blue butterfly, Small White ditto, Green Woodpecker and disturbed a magnificent Red Kite who had alighted on road kill (Squirrel of course).

I walked my legs off at Malvern.....

..... 13,000+ steps round the showground this morning.  I will sleep well tonight!

Quilts.  I didn't look at prices I'm afraid.

I have to say I thoguht these were goddam awful, especially the plastic/resin/whatever saddle.  YUK.

Some more tasteful German? ceramics.

I loved the little toy horses and their trolley.  Below - the house clearance anything goes type stall . . .

I am as weary as a weary thing.  I had all the cats join me on the bed around 3.30 a.m. - that should have alerted me to the fact that it was cold out but all the same I was surprised to step outside to a frosty windscreen. I was up at 4.45 and out the door an hour later.So I had to sort that out before I could get started.  Then I noticed that the attic light was on - and had been since I was up there last week, so I went back indoors to turn it off.  I had a good run through though, and there was the most amazing sunrise . . .

I stopped just before Clyro to capture this.  

More photos tomorrow, as I have to have a TimeTeam nap now . . .  I got some nice things anyway, will share in the morning.

A challenging day

 There is something about setting an alarm clock which automatically sets your brain on sleep alert.  If you wake up in the night (guaranteed at my age) then your brain won't rest after that for fear of missing the alarm.  I woke at 1.30 a.m. and that was IT for the night.  My mind kept going over a YouTube post of Neil Oliver's I'd watched the previous night, and then a Facebook post about a concrete factory in Derbyshire having a pipeline taken crosscountry to the sea near Liverpool, where work was being carried out to store the CO2 it produced in an underground bunker.  (Compulsory purchase orders of farmland all the way . . .) W.T.F???

My stand yesterday, which included some of the attic pieces.  The big teal vase on the left has been on my windowsill for about 3 years now, but I decided I could live without it . . .  The Art Deco bowl to its right attracted everyone - if I'd had £1 from each person who touched and admired it, I'd have done really well!  I have small stools etcc on my list for tomorrow, to try and get things on different levels.    I have display stands but they don't have "the look" that other stands (with a lot less pieces to display, I might add) have . . .

To say it was busy yesterday was an understatement.  There were rarely fewer than 15 or 20 people upstairs all day long!  Apparently 720 visitors were throgh the door, which has only been surpassed on the first Fair after Lockdown, when there were 800.  So much for me worrying that the price of fuel etc was going to put people off.  They wanted to buy yesterday.  

I was very weary - around lunchtime I could have easily laid down on the floor for some kip! - but no chance of that.  Everyone did well apart from a friend who had bought no smalls, and it was smalls that were selling yesterday.  A favourite customer who has bought from me since the pre-Covid days when we met up at the Botanic Gardens Fair, finally bought herself the Swedish Inger Person dish she had been in love with the last few times we'd met.  I gave her a good deal on it and when she came back up the 4th or 5th time, I knew it would go home with her :)  I was SO pleased when she bought it, as it had definitely gone to the right home.  

It took me 15 minutes to pack up and then another 15 mins to fetch the car and for the lads who help out, to pack it for me.  Makes a big difference to have help, especially at this end of the day, but not having to carry big boxes upstairs at the start is a bonus too.

The wind was just getting up as I drove home, and it was a pretty gusty night.  I had my tea, but had to have a sofa nap just to last me through until bedtime.  I was bone weary, and not much better today.  I have to set the alarm tonight of course, and will need to be up at 4.45 a.m. in the morning as the first hour of the journey will be in darkness, so a slower drive.  I need to make some breadrolls today for my chicken with stuffing slices for breakfast (eaten around 9.30 at Malvern - I just grab a cuppa and a chocolate bar before I leave, as no time for a proper breakfast.)

I am meeting up with Tam and Rosie at the Elan valley for a walk later on.  I have to unload the car in a little while though.  This afternoon will be resting up.

I hope you are all having a nice Easter.

A shock in the attic

 

 My tea tonight.  I was very surprised I had the energy to make the cheese scone topping for the Beef Cobbler.  It was scrummy, and several big chunks of Cauliflower kept it company.  There is enough for two more meals.  That little stoneware storage jar was one I used to put my Chia Seeds in at Ynyswen, and was in a box with a much bigger storage jar of the same construction.  I used to have about 8 or so of them on shelving in the kitchen, for all my dry storage - flour, pasta, lentils, rice etc.

I had completely forgotten about this beautiful chair.  It dates from around 1800 - 1840 I think, and was once probably a nursing chair - and could still be used for the same today, or else for a hall chair to sit on to put walking boots on and off.  The rush seat has been professionally replaced.  It's going to the Fair with me on Saturday and I hope will find a new home as I don't have room for it in the house.

I had forgotten about these too.  On the left a lovely old copper ship's lamp, with the initials of a maker from England.  I have tried to polish it up but I think the salt has done a thorough job on it.  Part of its history.  Beside it is a Swedish crispbread pricker (very rusty nails, so not exactly usable any more!)  I had totally forgotten this.

As I had forgotten these lovely antique copper moulds - the brioche mould at the top is probably French.  You can guess I will be polishing them later on . . .

This is a stoneware jug from Stoney Down pottery in Dorset (we used to live next door).  Adrian Lewis-Evans was the potter and had some lovely glazes.  He used to lecture at Bournemouth College.  We bought this around 1982 I think.  Sadly, A. L-E died in 2021.

This little piece came from a china shop in Manchester, and Keith bought it for my birthday one year.  I can remember my late m-in-law getting very uppity about it and saying that Sid (her husband) never bought her birthday presents . . .  I don't have a china display case any more, so I will pass it on for someone else to enjoy.  Just after we came out of the shop after buying it, I was delighted to see several Manchester police horses nearby.  Gosh, they were beautifully turned out.

There was sunshine this afternoon, so Alfie and I sat outside for a bit and enjoyed it.  I had a cup of tea and read my Elly Griffiths book.  Alfie is managing some small kitten biscuits now.

I need to sort out what is in boxes in the Library tomorrow, as I know I put my valuable Verwood Pottery Dorset "Owl" cider costrel somewhere very safe.  So safe I will have to go through every blardy box to find it now!  

Well, I have had a busy day and am glad to say I didn't fall down the attic stairs.  I have found other boxes up there I had forgotten about, so need to try and clear my old stock.  

I have managed to give away the most of a brand new pine bed base which was delivered minus the two rather vital side rails.  I have given them to my neighbour, who can soon whip up the side rails.  When that's out of the way it will make moving round up there a lot easier.  He gave me 4 home-grown Blackcurrants in return - they were taken as cuttings last autumn and have established well.

Happy Easter to Everyone.

In the greenhouse

 

I wasn't feeling 100% yesterday morning, and had to force myself to do anything, so I decided on a standing-still job which much needed doing and pricked out all my Cosmos seeds - Seashell Mixed and the Sulphur ones.  My back was complaining at the end of that. 

Two trays of Scarlet Emperor Runner Beans now seeking the light too.

Pippi admiring the Aubretia at the side of the house.  I was out there clearing the grass and dandelions from them and clearing up those leaves to be composted.  The "garden" here is just compost on top of the stone "jetty".  I have Aubretia growingup the steps too - again just compost on top of the stone steps.  An idea taken from a fabulous garden I saw in a magazine.  Mine is but a pale imitation.

Then I suddenly felt incredibly weary - my legs were yelling at me to rest and I was fighting to stay awake. I slept on the sofa for over an hour and a half and then had to just rest. I spent the afternoon on the sofa with a book.  An Elly Griffiths one, The Last Word, which I'd not read (found it on the Co-op charity table).  It doesn't flow like her Dr Ruth Galloway series.  Also from the Co-op table, I got the Night Hawks by EG and Queen of the North by Anne O'Brien.  The pile to read gets ever higher!

Fortunately I didn't have to cook as I had the other half of my Chicken Stir Fry for tea.  I will be making bread shortly (run out) and the cheesy scone topping for my Mince Cobbler for tea tonight.  That will do several portions.

I need to be sorting out what to take to the little Antiques Fair on Saturday and will probably load the car too and get that done and dusted.  I was awake for hours in the night trying to decide whether or not to go to Malvern on Monday.  The cost of fuel is a deterrent and also do I buy bits and pieces for the Builth Fair, wondering whether people will be coming to buy in May or September because of the cost of living going up so (a pox on Trump).  I tossed and turned - bedtime is NOT the best time to go through problems of course.  I didn't resolve the problem.  This morning, however, it has become clearer.  I can't read the future - don't know how that will unroll - but the Easter fleamarket is pretty well THE best one as people want to buy and dealers/house clearance folk REALLY want to sell.  Best buying opportunity anyway.  Plus I will have a day out in beautiful countryside, and see friends, and it's just so good to have a fossick around the stalls.  Even if I don't go to any other Fleas this summer, I will go to this one.

Evening light on the new Aubretia, settling in with the wild Primrose companions.

Right, I'll get a loaf started and then go up to the attic to sort out some blue and white china from ancient stock - pre-Covid of course as it hasn't budged since we moved in here. 

The first Swallow!

 I've never had one arrive so early before.  SO delighted to see it.

What a difference a day makes.  We woke to sunshine and it has been such a lovely spring day here. Alfie was keen to go out first thing, but just had a drink from the rainwater bucket and sat in the sun.  I had some breakfast and then went out to do a quick and frugal shop.  I did, however, really want to get a replacement Blackcurrant bush for the one which never really grew an inch where it was planted (I may try and plant it elsewhere, in hope).  This one has lots of manure at its roots, and is tucked in with the good seaweed compost which is making my Garlic grow like weeds.  I also spotted a lovely Aubretia - two colours in one pot - so why not?  I kept the food shopping very low to allow the £12 for these.  I am going to be working my way through the freezer now.

We had a BIG train in at Llandod Station when I was parking in Aldi, so I quickly took a photo.  I imagine it costs an arm and a leg to travel on this beauty - 7 carriages and an engine, fine dining and luxury accommodation (it's a sleeper). Our Heart of Wales trains have just one carriage!! Occasionally two.  Aldi have their very cheap veg offer (Tesco is 15p but Aldi is 8p or even 4p).  I got carrots, 2 x onions, potatoes, and garlic x 3.

A little dappled shade when it got warmer :)

Two-tone Aubretia - two different colour seedlings had cosied up together.

I'm hoping this Blackcurrant will fruit well here.  

My moorland view as I gardened on the bank today.

First blossom nearly out in the orchard - this is a Pear (French name I can't remember).

I bought a reduced stir fry pack in Aldi today, and two chicken breasts.  One has gone to make the stir fry meal which will last me two days.  I cooked up the portion of mince I thawed yesterday and that will make several helpings of Mince Cobbler.  I bought a good pack of mixed frozen berries from Aldi to replace the one I used for the jam last week.  May turn this into jam too.

Just a few of the hundreds of Primroses which bloom here in the spring.  The house should have been called Primrose Cottage.

Thank you for all your comments yesterday.  I will just reply to you all and say thank you, or I will be saying the same thing over and over.