Wednesday 29 June 2022

A Jaunt round Malvern Fleamarket

 Sunday was the June Fleamarket at Malvern.  I took my friend Pam along and nearly walked the legs off her! 23,000 steps by the end of the day.  She really enjoyed herself and gosh we chatted non-stop!



What I would have bought if I'd let myself .  I think I have noted it before - it was £22, so she obviously wants £20, but I will let it go to someone else to treasure.


I would have given this house-room too, but made myself settle for just a photo of it.

Warning - photo of ancient mummified cat next.  If you are of a "yuk don't like such things" disposition, quickly scroll on by!!




A mummified cat.  These (once dead) were placed in thatched rooves or walls of cottages to deter mice and rats (supernaturally - the hunting spirit of the cat carried on). There's one in the little Museum at the top of Gold Hill in Shaftesbury.  I also have a whispered memory of one at a pub on the A31 just before Henbury (on the Wimborne Minster - Blandford road in Dorset).



Isn't this horse head amazing?  All made from motorbike parts by the stallholder.  I told him he was very talented.


I really liked this vase - had a look of Exeter pottery about it, but the chap wanted £50 and wouldn't budge a penny.  Crikey, he even wanted £100 (!!!) for one of those round mesh egg holders - French - it came from a Chateau so that made it a lot more valuable apparently!  I bet he didn't sell it at that price.  I'd have put it £45 max.


I've never seen a grey and white bunny (hare) tureen before.


Some photos from our favourite stall, which always has really interesting items.  I had a good chin-wag with the lady who owns it, as usual.  She asked where "Mr £5" was - e.g. Keith!  He's always cheeky and offers her a fiver on something with a MUCH bigger price.

A lovely carving of a head, using a chunk of Chestnut log.


I was idly scanning this stall and suddenly did a double take :)  The things you can buy at Malvern - ithyphalic African carvings . . .

It's all go for me in the kitchen now, redecorating, though some colour choosing needs to be done first.  The ancient yellowing white on the windows and skirting boards, and two glass "windows" between the Utility and the kitchen and on the staircase at the side of the kitchen is looking very tired.  I don't want white again so am looking for a pale and wan "touch of verdigris" colour.  The Ivory (or rather White Lace) paint I've started to paint the kitchen walls in makes the units look properly cream, but isn't quite right, so will have to be the base (two coats at least to cover those blues) for the creamier top-coat.  I think it's going to take a couple of weeks to do it all.  I did all the preparation to cover the old tile marks yesterday so that just needs rubbing down this morning.  Just as well it's grey and rainy - but still polleny - again outside.  Watch this space.


14 comments:

  1. So many interesting and some naughty things there ;-)

    I don't think I could bring myself to eat soup out of a bunny who's back I had to remove to get to the soup ... just me ... haha. How nice that she remembered 'Mr £5', it's a good personal touch isn't it.

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    1. Yes, we don't know each other by name yet but always chat and have a laugh and have swopped one thing for another in the past. She's the only other person who - like us in the past - offers Executioner's Axes for sale! One of ours went to adorn a hotel in Bahrain . . . apparently! Perhaps they had another use for it!

      When you are vegan anything like a bunny tureen would be off-putting . . .

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  2. So many treasures , but so much walking!
    Have fun with the painting

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    1. I am fitter than I give myself credit for. On the flat I can walk and walk but dragging the laden trolley round wet grass is very tiring especially when it is full to bursting with 1,000 or more stalls.

      Got some more paint samples this morning and think Natural Hessian may come into use although beige is truly my least favourite colour. . .

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  3. I admired the flowered jar too, but Really liked the metal Tank next to it, and you didn't give any details about it....

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    1. Having had stupid prices for the two things I did ask about, I didn't even bother with the tank as that would have been stupid money too! A shame, as it is the sort of thing that sells well .. .

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  4. I'm really looking forward to seeing the completed kitchen as your colour choices are similar to mine. I'm thinking robin's egg blue for my lower cabinets. My kitchen opens to a sitting area which has an on the blue side of teal sofa. I'm a bit worried it might clash but willing to give it a go. Incidentally, a phrase used by the pilot of a 'plane I was on when preparing to land in bad weather. The alternative was to return to our airport of departure. I said please don't bother on my account but I was a hundred seats or so away from the cockpit and he apparently didn't hear me. He was exceedingly cheerful about the whole thing. A positive attitude is obviously the key to success.

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  5. I was tempted by pale green cabinets but thought I would be tied to a colour scheme then so went for cream. I think if a differing colour is far enough away, it shouldn't be too noticable. You made me smile with your flying comments! Note to self - seat nearer the pilot next time! I've only flown once properly (e.g. further than the Channel Islands from Dorset!) in my life and as we came into land the blardy plane went sideways due to side-winds. Oh my stomach! Landing aborted. When he came in again it was still a bit hit and miss so I think he had a positive attitude too!

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  6. My goodness you are a busy bee BB. Some weird and wonderful things at Malvern, but 23,000 steps, you are fit. I have never used a step counter but husband monitors our cycling and yesterday we clocked up another 8 off-road miles (much harder than lane cycling but easier than walking). Afterwards I picked another colander of red gooseberries (made four jars of gooseberry and thyme jelly the other day) and these have been bagged up and frozen for crumbles, muffins and other treats in the winter months. I also picked a load of sweet peas to scent the sitting room when we sat down to watch the tennis. I made mushroom risotto for supper and we had gooseberries (cooked down with only a little sugar) and yogurt for pud. Our garden is looking so pretty, the grass is covered with white clover and the roses which I have planted since 2018 are all now established and doing well. The only cloud is that the secret squirrels have already eaten EVERY SINGLE APPLE AGAIN from my three trees! Natural Hessian sounds good for your kitchen. From your pics I was wondering about Savage Ground (a Farrow and Ball paint) which I used in my old kitchen and is a warm neutral and a good foil for colour, pattern and objets. Have a good day, we’ve been having sunshine and showers which pleases my watering can arm and I still have more gooseberries to pick! Sarah x

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    1. I regularly walk about 16K steps just around the house - I'm not one for sitting and relaxing much. Your husband must have very shapely legs from off-piste cycling!

      My two little gooseberry bushes are only just getting established and were tiny ones from Morrisons last year I think, so have a LOT of growing to do. It always feels good to fill the freezer with soft fruit to see you through the winter months. My friend's apple trees won't have their fruit rotting on the ground this year, as I shall avail myself of them. Sorry that yours got nobbled again. You will have to hang CDs or something from the branches, or bells?

      I looked at Savage Ground and it is too yellowy. Even the Dulux Ivory was distinctly yellow and the other I tried too brown. I went for Nutmeg White in the end, which has lightened that end of the kitchen - the blue tended to absorb the light rather.

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  7. It sounds like you had a lovely day out with your friend - so many interesting things for sale there I especially like the painting and the hare/rabbit tureen. I am looking forward to seeing photos of your kitchen area when it is completely finished. You have worked so hard on it all.

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    1. It was a great day out. A LOT of chatting was done!

      The electrician comes on Tuesday and I hope to be able to carry on with the decorating today. We have had the colour mixed for the wall at the other end of the kitchen. Let's hope it works . . .

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  8. The earthenware pot with the slip trailed decoration just to the left of that vase is interesting...

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    1. I only had eyes for what I thought was an Exeter vase I must confess.

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