It was the last Malvern Fleamarket for 2022 yesterday. Keith was champing at the bit to go, now that we had the Mob. Scooter. My good friend Pam came along for moral support - first scooter outing in all that.
What a wonderful time to arrive - look at the ethereal mists.
No filters used - just natural light. Breathtaking.
We had a very long day - arriving around 10 to 8, and not leaving until 1.30 and Keith was still protesting we hadn't been up some of the outside rows. Indeed we hadn't but by that time I was tired from pulling the trolley round and he as being SO thorough - it had been over a year since his last Fair, so it was understandable that he didn't want to miss anything. I loved this little pair of horses but at £120, they were way over what I would want to pay.
A little single pony on wheels, with some sort of skin crudely sewn on. £80. Too expensive for moi.
Continuing on the horsey theme . . .
I will own up to purchasing one of these Ukrainian/Hungarian saddles - about 150 years old.
The same stand had some lovely pieces (above and below). So all in all, a lovely day out, but very very tiring. Matters weren't helped by sleeping so badly the night before - e.g. scarcely at all. You know what it's like - the moment you set an alarm, your brain seems to go on Major Alert and stops you going to sleep in case you sleep through the alarm! "Tea" last night was a bacon roll apiece!
Keith coped well but was very stiff from all the sitting - travelling there and back and hours on the scooter. We know what we are doing with it now though and it fits the bill perfectly. A shame we didn't go through the funding hoops for nothing and just got one earlier as we were trying to do.
Hope you both slept well after that lovely day out. Perhaps try doing some stretching exercises with Keith when he’s been sitting in the car a long time. We have hedge cutters here today (hedge cutting, tree surgery and fencing I leave to the experts) so we will be shipshape for the autumn. Our hedging is mostly beech to separate garden from meadow and to enclose the kitchen garden. I like it and we inherited two old fine iron gates which I had restored by a blacksmith to mark the entrances into the meadow and kitchen garden. We had a different day out yesterday. We went to Littlehampton to walk along the promenade and we enjoyed a cup of delicious carrot and sweetcorn soup from the takeaway hatch of East Beach cafe. We came home via the orchard at Parham to pick up a sack of Egremont russet apples - a favourite eating apple and a very good keeper. It is another beautifully sunny day here after overnight rain and the three acers in the garden are starting to blaze. I cannot believe this is our fifth autumn here. We had roast chicken again last night. We buy our chicken from our smallholding friend and they are the tastiest chicken ever. Tonight I will make a big bowl of salad - quinoa, rocket and pea shoots from the tin bath, baby beetroot from the garden, cold chicken, feta, chives from herb patch, and chargrilled sweet red pepper - from the farmstand. Son was back home yesterday after three nights in London with a voracious appetite so there is no slacking in the catering dept! Hope you are seeing sunshine today too - Sarah x
ReplyDeleteYes - for the first 5 hours or so, then I was wide awake and came downstairs for a couple of hours, and then Keith woke and couldn't sleep again, so came downstairs. Hopefully our sleep pattern will straighten out tonight.
DeleteI need to tackle my holly and ivy hedge - Dilwyn (farmer up the lane) said he would do it, but he's obviously busy. I only have shears, not electric hedge cutters (probably safer!) Your old iron gates sound a lovely thing to have.
I am envious of your walk along the front at Littlehampton. When we visited Tam recently, we could only manage a short drive along the esplanade - Keith was tired and just wanted to be home soonest.
Love the Russets - we used to have a huge venerable tree in the paddock - a Welsh russet known as a Leatherjacket. It was very prolific but finally got diseased and upped and died on us, which was a shame. I bought Russets when I was in Hereford last week, from Breinton farm shop, but not enough as I've eaten many of them already! I am an apple junky!
That soup sounds lovely. You've just reminded me I meant to get carrots when I did the shopping today, but no problem, I can get them from the greengrocers in town tomorrow. Your salad will be lovely, and good that a proportion is home-grown too. I had a (final?) picking of runner beans today so will have some with Kedgeree tomorrow.
No chance for you to have a night off from cooking right now by the sound of things!
I love that Keith was so unwilling to leave before he had seen everything. I have a feeling this scooter will be life changing for both of you. I'm so glad!
ReplyDeleteYes, he was still grumbling when we got back to the car (he wanted his money's worth after not able to go to one for a year!) but he did acknowledge I must have been tired, pulling the trolley after me though Pam took it for the last half hour, bless her. We've heard of a car boot sale this coming weekend, so now he wants to take the scooter off to that!
DeleteSleep is ALWAYS elusive precisely when we need extra energy and alertness for the following day!
ReplyDeleteIt sounds like both you and Keith will need a few days of recuperation, but so worth that to be able to enjoy a favorite venue together.
It's always the same before selling at a Fair - can't sleep and get sooooo tired. We are both still tired today - Keith worse than me because my stamina is better than his, of course, but he has a very positive mindset. K's always said it's like a huge treasure hunt, and you never know what you will find. How right he is.
DeleteThose beautiful sunrise landscapes have to be worth getting up at such a dreadful hour of the morning any day of the week.
ReplyDeleteWell, this was about 7.40a.m. so not too early.
DeleteSorry, hit enter too early. Also wanted to say I'm glad Keith seems to be getting on with his mobility scooter.
ReplyDeleteHe really enjoyed using it, and being able to see everything he wanted to see and check out.
DeleteI really hate when my sleep pattern gets interrupted and mixed up. Hope yours improves.
ReplyDeleteThose photos of the mist are gorgeous. You caught the loveliness perfectly.
God bless.
Well, we slept reasonably soundly last night though Keith was snoring and woke me up!
DeleteI'm not a fan of antique fairs and really would not know why you would want to purchase some an old 150 year old saddle unless you were going to use it. I have to admit seeing a misty morning is rather magical and I was lucky to get to see two a few weeks ago from Aberedw Hill it was like looking down on a sea of mist . https://spudsdailyphoto.blogspot.com/2022/09/another-misty-morning.html Misty Morning
ReplyDeleteWhy did I purchase it? Because I specialize in equestrian antiques, because I wouldn't get the chance to buy one again, because it has a Folk Art look and that fits in with other things I have for my stand for next time. Antiques mean different things to different people - style, manufacturer, desirability, investment . . . all sorts. I like to sell things which really interest me and which I have some knowledge about. Some things literally "speak to me" which I think you have to be a dealer to understand. If it doesn't sell and I am "stuck with it", I'm happy with that too :) It's pleasing to the eye.
DeleteMy idea of hell would be a minimalist contemporary art-free (or modern-art) house. There was one on Escape to the Country today which the couple fell in love with. I wouldn't live there if you paid me! Horses for courses I guess - I've always loved old things and the history attached to them, and usually the skill employed in designing and making them too.
I'm so pleased that the scooter worked out so well and Keith had a good day ... even if it did mean he tired you out in the process. You'll have to try and cadge a ride with him. ;-)
ReplyDeleteIt was a good buy - just the sort he needed, that can cope with grass and rougher terrain. He certainly DID tire me out! Not often I'm the one running along behind :)
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