Thursday 10 January 2019

Anniversary celebration


A short post tonight as it's time to sit and relax for the evening and I had one of those frustrating afternoons when technology and the 21st century rear their ugly heads and confound me, good and proper!  When it involves mobile phones, and setting up accounts (and then not noting down a new password!), without someone under the age of 35 in the house, then I'm a confused heap.  Anyway, Tam stepped in and helped on line and then on the phone, and we got it sorted in the end and I now have a card reader which I have an app for on my phone so I can take card payments at Fairs.  Way to go!


Anyway, above and below are photos of Leominster where we went on Tuesday for a day out to celebrate our wedding anniversary this week.  We had hoped for a pub lunch, but all that was on offer (and was open) were two chippies (one was an Iffy Chippy so we read the menu and did an about turn), or else coffee and cake. I'd have eaten cake but not for a lunchtime meal, and neither of us are coffee drinkers, and we ended up in the better chippy, where a "small" portion of chips would have heaped a dinner plate high, and we had to leave as many as we ate.  Had we known the size of the portion in advance, we'd have had one between us!  So I reckon my dearly beloved still owes me a meal out, but I won't hold him to it!

Below is the market place in Leominster, but it's not market day on a Tuesday.




Lovely - some 17th C Rhenish glazed stoneware jars and bottles.


A pair (other one out of sight) of colourful 18th C Majolica dishes with scenes from Mythology.


A truly lovely early 18th C almost primitive comb back Windsor chair - we have come home with this one if we'd had the £1200 or so price tag!


We took the scenic route home through beautiful Pembridge where just about every cottage and house is half-timbered, through Kington - good shopping centre but miles from anywhere - and then "over the top" through Brilley where there is a NT farmhouse we will be visiting in the summer, and an area where we would have moved in a flash had we discovered it sooner in our lives.  There were fabulous views across to Hay Bluff and the Black Mountains, and a lovely area of common land.





Finally, below, sunset over the Black Mountains.


25 comments:

  1. Hi BB, happy anniversary do not know whether am late or premature but certainly my best wishes go to you and Keith. Leominster looks really quaint and interesting. Never really been that way before but am enjoying your jaunt's out which are educating me in turn. Looks lovely. I liked those majolica dishes! Very nice. I also liked the Windsor chair but not the price tag. Shame about there not being a proper restaurant offering food but it sounds as though you had a good meal or more in the chippy. Take care Tricia xx

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    1. It was yesterday Tricia. We went a day early so I wouldn't miss my patchwork class. Glad you liked the photos.

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  2. Lovely photographs. Think I may have visited Leominster many moons ago. Happy Anniversary.

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    1. It's a nice little town, but very quiet in January! Thanks for the anniversary wishes.

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  3. Leominster is where I lived as a youngster and Kington too. My sister currently lives near Pembridge. Thanks for the post. My favorite antique shop is the one on Broad street with different rooms and levels. I was there on my last visit to the UK a few years ago now.

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    1. Hello again. I'm so glad that I brought back some memories for you, now you're so far away. The Broad Street antique shop used to be our favourite too, but sadly the fact that people just aren't buying much in the way of antiques (or anything - the story is the same across the UK and famous long-established High Street stores going to the wall) means that the good stock that used to be in there (e.g. more expensive!) has now been replaced with lesser and lesser stuff - the sort that no-one would have ever bought really!!

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  4. A wonderful Windsor chair--do you think it would 'sit' comfortably, or would the bits in the back feel pokey?

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    1. Keith had a sit on it and pronounced it fine - but a minute's sit isn't the same as being in it every evening! The old ones always are as they were built by craftsmen who understood the chair had to be comfy as there was no-where else to sit!! Sometimes it almost feels like the chair moulds itself to you as you sit down - not so much on this one which had a very flat seat, but the ones with the saddle-seats.

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    1. Thanks Catherine. I can hardly remember a time when we weren't together.

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  6. Beautiful photos and Happy Anniversary. We've driven through Leominster several times but never stopped - looks interesting and I think there is a priory there. Pembridge is lovely - I could live in that area too :)

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    1. Leominster is nice on a market day in the summer, but like many towns, is a bit drab in wintertime. We've not been to the Priory Church there - but it looks a big one from the website.

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  7. Each Friday my friend and I lunch in The Garden Rooms at Tennants in Leyburn. Tomorrow is a Country House Sale so after lunch today we had a walk round as it is a viewing day. The stuff is absolutely first class - much of the furniture too large for the average house but of excellent quality. Many of the smaller items - jewelry, china, pottery, rugs (masses and mostly guide price three hundred plus) silver - made us drool. But way out of our price range. Pity you live so far away. If you are ever in our area do call in on a sale week - the antiques on offer are out of this world.

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    1. I've just been to Tennants website, looking for the photos of the beautiful hand made patchwork quilts from Hannah Hauxwell's estate. There are just photos of two so I will have to wait until the catalogue comes up on line. I have to say, I would LOVE to go there, so perhaps we will have to go and stay with Tam and have a day out there (and pop in and say hello to you too Pat!)

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  8. Happy Anniversary! The blog pictures you share are lovely and it gives me a look at your beautiful country. My Aunt wanted to know a little about her husband's family and that took me on a journey through some of Wales. We've never been overseas but it felt like I was there. You sure find some interesting antiques. Have a great weekend! Judy

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    1. Hi Judy. We are so fortunate to live in such beautiful landscape. I see you have a family link with Wales. Which part, can you remember?

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    2. My Uncle's family were coal miner's in the Neath area. His grandparents were from Glamorgan and Carmarthen areas. Six of his 11 Aunts and Uncles were born in Wales. The rest on Vancouver Island, British Columbia, Canada.

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  9. Happy Anniversary! It's a shame about your celebration meal, those enormous portions totally overwhelm, don't they - unless you have been in training and eating big meals for years. Well done Tam on sorting out your telephone/card reader/app problems. These 'kids' of ours don't seem at all fazed with things like that, thank goodness. Enjoy your peaceful evening.

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    1. We once had a sit down fish and chip supper in Tenby, opting for the small portion (which was, as always, too big) and a family came in and ordered large, and oh my goodness, it was a mountain of calories!

      My kids do somersaults round me with their tech knowledge. I am a practical person - give me ingredients, a needle, a horse to cope with and I'm fine!

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  10. Lovely photos. Glad you got the phone sorted.

    Nice to meet someone else who has an anniversary in January. Our 43rd was on Thursday of this week.

    God bless.

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    1. We got married as soon as we could following my divorce (my ex husband made me wait 5 years, just because he could.)

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  11. Happy Anniversary xx gorgeous photos

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    1. Thanks Rachel. I went a bit mad with the setting sun photos so have a few up my sleeve still.

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