TWTWTW

Llandeilo Vintage & Antiques Fair - part of our stand

If you are of a certain age, and British, then you will probably know what the acronym TWTWTW stands for.  If not, I will share it with you: That Was The Week That Was and boy have we had one of THOSE during the past 7 days.  Some of it you already know about but here is a resume: We have had three Fairs (two back-to-back ones this weekend), and the day following the first Fair we had to drive to Gloucestershire to pick up something we'd bought at auction.  That was a long day out and we were out from 9 a.m. till about 5.30 p.m. (bear in mind each Fair day is about 10 - 12 hours from getting up to getting home).  Tuesday was a catch-up day, although our builders were here and so we had to quickly lay down dust sheets and move stuff so they could hack back the damaged plaster on a wall in the attic and put on the first coat of lime plaster.  Wednesday was my sewing day (Patchwork class) and I made good progress on Tam's quilt - just the binding to do now.  Hopefully it will be finished this week.

Llandeilo Vintage & Antiques Fair - part of our stand

Thursday we had friends round for tea and cake, but tbh I was feeling pretty grim by then as the cold we caught in Oxford 3 weeks ago had got bored with lingering in my sinuses and had gone on a voyage of exploration to my lungs.  We went to the Unit in the afternoon (an hour's drive each way) to collect stock (and will go back there today to replace it . . .)  Friday morning the builders returned and finished the work, but I have only been able to do the most basic of tidy ups and vacuuming -  I will get back to that later today probably and use the ancient Vax to suck up the dust from between the floorboards in bedroom 5 as the Dyson faints if you give it a whiff of plaster dust . . .  Friday afternoon was spent packing the car for the first Fair, in Llandeilo.  That's a local one but I was exhausted at the end of it as still feeling hornswoggled with the infection, and a poor night's sleep.

Mid 19thC wooden mask of Ravana, from Northern India.

When we got home, we had to unpack half the car in the dark and put in some different stock for yesterday's Fair in Cardiff (which is about an hour and a quarter/half  - depending on traffic - from here).  It was driving in the dark all the way (just getting light when we arrived) and we found the venue with just one blip when we took the wrong turning off the roundabout, and came off one too early.  Easy to find though.  It went well, was a lovely venue and we met new dealers.  Drove home in the dark of course, although part of the drive was via a scenic route when J47 was closed due to a broken down lorry.  That was a 12 hour day.  We have left unpacking till this morning, when of course, it is still raining.

Antique and rare Baiu currency bracelets

I was up before 7 but at least got a good night's sleep (Saturday's was dreadful - 10 minutes in the land of nod, then woken by palpitations and awake till gone midnight, then up at 5 a.m.)  I have done the bins, fed the cats, put last night's washing up away, done the litter tray, topped up the birdfeeder (all before breakfast) and discovered, to my horror, that a box with china and vintage leather bags, gloves, belts etc which I took out to be put in the van on Friday, was overlooked and has spent the entire weekend out in the rain.  The bags will probably be ruined, but I am drying them in a warm room rather than near a radiator, and hope that they don't have tide-marks when they dry.

A yawning Keith and his militaria collection 

Another corner of yesterday's stand at the Cardiff Fair, with lovely old Windsor Chair, large leather Gladstone bag and the very rare grain cradle which would have been attached to a scythe.

Every home should have one!!

Right, one round-up done.  Must get organized and unpacked now . . .