Malvern Monday Interval

Quite often before a Fair I don't sleep well.  I get all anticipatory.  However, on Sunday night I managed only an hour's dozing as my asthma suddenly got REALLY bad - my peak flow dropped from a perky 460 or so at teatime to just below 300 in just a few hours.  (I am assuming a re-run of last year's tree pollen response.)  I finally got up, bleary eyed, at 1.50 a.m. and came downstairs, hoping to sleep on the sofa, but no go.  I had maxed out on my medication, antihistamines AND inhalers, so Steroids it had to be.  The Dr gives me a course to have in the cupboard for emergencies like this.  They are helping me breath but the allergic reaction hasn't calmed down yet.  The alarm was set for 3.30 but I didn't need to be woken by it!  We were away for 4.15 and got there before 7 a.m.  I missed SO MANY stunning photos on the way - especially just past Hay as the mist across the Wye and the rising sun made for some stunners but typically the only time when we had cars behind us and couldn't stop.  I managed a few the other side of Hereford and the above photo and the header are two of the best.

Anyway, I managed - somehow - to get through the day, but my Fitbit counted over 23,000 steps as we explored Malvern Flea.  It was as big as I'd ever seen it (because of the lovely sunny weather), and we walked round for 5 hours, and STILL didn't do half the sheds or the Avon Hall, or indeed all of the outside stalls.  After 5 hours we were leg-weary and all Antiqued-out.

Vintage (French) stalls in the early morning light.  I loved those bee skeps on the original bases/runways.  Gorgeous.  Too dear for me though.

This lady had some interesting textile bits.

The Tribal Art man.  Not a good idea to put all your eggs in one basket . . .

I'm not quite sure how commercial these French grave plaques are - can't imagine one as a feature in my garden anyway.

This lady had a really interesting and stylish stall.  Not the sort of things I can source at the right price unless I have a few days across the Channel, but I expect she had lots of customers.

Perhaps the most-loved teddy I've ever seen!

REALLY?

REALLY?

Above and below: something we would dearly have loved to buy (for ourselves) but at £200 it stayed there.  Probably mid-European and about 200 plus years old, and exquisitely carved.  Almost certainly a marriage piece - and about 6 feet tall.  GORGEOUS.

A spinning wheel which has seen better days . . .

Someone's take on a "gypsy caravan" - hmm, more like "shed on wheels"!!

Nice Daison art pottery vase on the left but I'd rather have flowers than pheasants, so it stayed there!  On the right is a stunning enamelled piece - I already have one similar.  He wanted £38 though, and I would have wanted it for £20 so I didn't even have the conversation (bit like an insult really, offering a dealer price on it.)  It was A/F (as found or at fault) too, though I couldn't see any obvious damage.  If it's meant for me, it will be there next time and there WILL be a conversation . . .

Another REALLY? for the bear at the front, but a very interesting solid copper stable ventilation piece behind.  £400 would have bought it.  Not one to carry back to the car though!!

The obligatory view across the beautiful farmland around Malvern.

Finally: above and below - my treat.  All £4 worth of it!  Some things just leap at you and I LOVED the dramatic design and colours of this.  It's been dropped and broken handle mended, and a hairline down one side, but that doesn't show up on a shelf.  It has a look of the Devon potters about it.

I am glad to report that after 36 hours without sleep, and mucho walking and driving, I slept like a log last night, as did Keith.  Today is more work - tidying up everything sewing-orientated which got bunged in my Sewing Room recently and now needs to be tidied properly so we can start moving the bedroom furniture in there as we are having a new bedroom carpet fitted in the next week or so.