Some other stalls at the Fair, and a couple of outside pictures plus words now too!

 

The gardens at the National Botanic Gardens of Wales are beautiful throughout the seasons.  I didn't get a photo (couldn't leave my stand for long) but there were quite a few daffodils out and that always lifts the heart at the end of winter.  I can't imagine how much it cost to plant the gardens up as there are lots of beds like this.  

This makes me look as if I had a long coat and not a short jacket!  The water flows down a shallow channel towards the entrance to the gardens, and gets sequestered further down the hill.

It's always interesting to see what other people are selling.  Enjoy.

I couldn't get excited about selling used old paintbrushes . . .  WHY would anyone want to display those in their home?!

The old samplers were reduced.  Looking through them I could see why.

I don't know why they all came out badly focused.  Apologies. 

I was awake Saturday night and it suddenly came to me that in the past, and I am talking about pre-Covid here, when we used to do this Fair every couple of months when it was held, if I had a bad weekend, Keith's militaria would save the day.  It usually did anyway as some expensive items in his stock.  I suddenly remembered there were a couple of things in the box in the Utility, and still the three muskets on the Library wall.  I took the cheapest one of those and the 4 other bits and it saved my bacon.  The musket sold, and a Kukri and a reproduction pistol.  I shan't be doing this Fair again though as the drive home was so tiring in the dark.  It took me an hour and a half to pack up and get going by which time (5.30) it was nearly dark and I hate driving in the dark.  There was more traffic than usual coming from Builth too - normally when I turn off at Llandovery, I have the road more or less to myself.

Anyway, I had the last of the bottle of wine, was in bed by 9 and slept for 10 hours. Pippi has been out (delighted, after 3 days shut in/rained in) and been delighted to come back with a very lively and vocal bank vole which I managed to save using the lidded broad yoghurt pot from yesterday's breakfast.

Talking to the couple opposite me, who I am stalled out next to at Builth as well, they sell lots of their stock via Instagram and I think that has been the trend since Covid and Lockdown.  Mind you, they go from Fair to Fair every weekend, including much further afield and will be at Bath next.  I can't go that far these days, now I don't have Keith to share the driving as of old.  Old Age has caught up with me!  Right, I will have to look into clearing some of my things via Instagram.  I can sit down quietly once I've unloaded the car and work that one out.

So, end of an era.  Sadly will only go back to this Fair for a day out and to look round, which is pretty well what 95% of the people at the Fair do - they get free entry to the gardens for 5 days, so their "day out" pays off.  Mind you, we used to have the same problem in the old days when we did Carmarthen Fleamarket - it was looked on as a day out rather than a chance to buy something nice.  One woman even proudly told us she left her purse at home, so she wasn't even tempted to buy anything.  What the hell was the point of that?