Malvern Monday

 Yesterday was Malvern Fleamarket and we were up before 5 and out the door less than an hour later.  There were no queues to get in - they just let people in as they arrived (so we will go earlier in future).  Golly gosh it was cold first thing - we had worn layers to start with when we left home, expecting it to be sunny by the time we arrived but the sun didn't arrive until 11 a.m.  We saw friends who had set out in t-shirts and were shrammed!

Well, I haven't seen one of these for many a long year.  The last time I saw one in use was on the horses who drew the Corporation Dust Carts in Shirley High Street in Southampton, back in the 1960s.  It is of course a nosebag and the horse would rest his muzzle against the ground to get to all the bits of chaff and oats in the corners.  £70 if you want it.

A wine decanter, heavily priced, as the base design makes me think it looks repro  . . .

A scene I remember well - can remember sitting down with a half of cider and a half pint mug of prawns in front of the pub behind the horse and cart . . .

One of the more interesting stands, who has lots of stuff from France.  I don't know who buys the religious statues, but Drew Pritchard always seems to rehome them easily.

I thought this cage had a good look, but at £200 there was no profit in it!

An interesting fishing creel, similarly priced.

This one is always one of my favourite stalls, with bits of furniture repurposes with freshly painted designs and interesting bits and pieces.

We always have a good chat with the couple who have this stall, which always has some really historic pieces on it.  We bought a little Persian oil lamp from them which they gave us a really good discount on.  Mind you, that carved box would have come home with us if we had the money.  You can read about it and see the price on the photo below.

Outside, more random stalls.  We managed to track down a few items for stock (let's hope we can do a couple of big Fairs this summer).

I liked this Medieval hunting design Frieze, but it's quite long to display.  It would have suited our old house, but not this one really.

Lots of folk having picnics as we left.  The sun was really beating down then.

Steps walked - 6 hours' slow wandering and I had walked 7 miles  . . .  Keith managed a little way but had to rest as I galloped up and down rows of stalls, quickly checking them out and moving on to the next.

Here comes the sun (di-di-de-da)

Happy days.  Another Malvern Trip with a 3.30 a.m. start . . .

Pretty china and glass on a stall inside the Avon Hall.

A stand opposite specialized in older soft toys.

A blast from the past.  A superb Victorian epergne (table centrepiece) but SO passe these days.  The colour was purple and lilac (the sun on it hasn't helped the colour in the photo) which is unusual, as they are usually in craberry glass.  As we passed again later in the day, the stall holder was wrapping it up for two delighted ladies, so it DID sell.

Some bantam-egg sized beads!  You'd know you were wearing these . . .

Above and below: some interesting and very rural things from East German barns arrive regularly at Malvern, Ardingly and the other big Antiques Fairs/Fleamarkets.

A very basic home-made hay cart.  I couldn't see us getting THIS up the stairs at the Unit!!

A rather prosaic selection on another stall . . .  There were a lot of stalls like this, which we moved swiftly past!

Pretty glass elsewhere on the site.  As it was a Bank Holiday the world and his wife had come to sell (and of course BUY!) there.  It took us over 5 hours to get round - many years of car boot sales have given us a good eye for assessing which stalls were interesting for us, and which were NOT!

On the way home, we stopped to change drivers (it is such a long and tiring day) by the Brecon turn off at Willersley.  As you can see, Cats' Cottage is undergoing some serious renovation (and not a moment too soon!)

So, all over for another day and I can't wait for the next one in a month's time.

One of those post-Malvern days !

Yesterday was the Whitsun Bank Holiday.  It doesn't seem to get called that very often now, which is a shame.  Anyway, we were up at silly o'clock (3.30 a.m.) to set off at 4.15 a.m. for all points East, but focus was the HUGE Fleamarket at Malvern.  Fortunately the weather forecast was good and it stayed dry.  A few photos for you, starting with some Taxidermy (as always).  This time, GOOD taxidermy - we see so many examples of the boring and falling-apart stuff.

I think this chap must have spent a fortune at the auction on all these, because they are more unusual than the normal run of deer and small furry animals which turn up at Fleamarkets.

Scottish Wild Cat.

A rather bizarre set up of naughty collie puppies upsetting a table . . .

Equally bizarre, someone's favourite horse . . .

All sorts . . . he had a field day at the auction . . .

Back to normality and a little hexagon lap throw.

I was trying to get an idea of business but so many people there, buying and trading.  It took us over 6 hours to walk round.

A lovely hand-worked quilt from around 1900, and beyond my pocket!

On the same stall.  Isn't it lovely?

Some lovely child-sized seats - the darker one is a child's lambing chair, and the Windsor potty chair has a lovely hoop back.

An interesting stall.

However, in the sheds, stock is a bit more random!

Beautifully-knitted little dollys' clothes.

A vintage corner.

I would have loved to have bought this beautiful enameled picture, but at £440 it stayed there!  It looked better in real life - the photo doesn't do us justice . . .

We bought well, although as I looked at the length of these Lance poles, I had a sudden thought - would they FIT in the car?  Fortunately they did, but not without some jiggery-pokery as the back door had locked itself again after we had put a huge (and very heavy) wooden chest in it - we had to carry that 1/4 mile to the car!!!  So these lances had to be fed in through an open window . . .

One last bit of Taxidermy - possibly the oldest fox ever stuffed . . .

Enjoy your day.