A stroll round Ludlow Antiques Market

 

We heard that there was an Antiques Market in the marketplace in Ludlow a couple of times every month, so we thought we would check it out.  I thought I had the mastery of the sat-nav element on my phone, but it would appear not, so we had to wing it, and found that the nearest car park was just yards off the market square.  Above is the ancient pub (I think it's been trading constantly since 1300) where we went for a birthday meal once.  Such events take more planning now.

Apologies for the sparseness of the photos of the beautiful architecture in Ludlow.  There will be more another time.  

Down a little alleyway, you  can glimpse the market.

Just one of the stalls.  This one having mostly jewellery.

Apparently this shop has everything "on trend".  Must concentrate on rusty things a la Drew Pritchard.  I can see where I have gone wrong down the years!!

I managed some gardening when I got back.  It took me ages (and an aching back) to get the two pond covers joined together (ours is a big pond under a VERY big beech tree,) but 'tis done now.  I put a few more bulbs in - I had been soaking some Anemone corms so those are now in pots in the yard.  I thought I would plant the spare well-grown Anemone "Rose Shades" I had in a pot, up in the big hole in the Bank where I had dug out the poisonous-to-cats Lilies.  I thought to dig a little deeper and then found even more roots and corms so had to take a mattock to them, and I'll need to go deeper yet.  Perhaps not today though as I am aching too much from yesterday's bending.  

I finished Dark Tides yesterday, so today I will chose a new book from my pile and share it with you tomorrow.

Out for a Jaunt

 Kington, where we stopped on the way home so Tam could have a look round.  There were several properties in and around Kington that were possibles when we were house-hunting.  It seems very quiet there though (makes Builth look quite bustling by comparison, but then we are at a x-roads in Builth, and all the through traffic goes up the middle of the town.

At Malvern last weekend we'd picked up a flyer for an Antiques Fair near Leominster today and tomorrow, so we went along to have a Day Out. Tam came too.  It wasn't a huge Fair, but there were some lovely stands there and more upmarket than Malvern Flea, so it made a nice change.  Interesting to see what is trending too and noticing what the Interior  Designers were honing in on. I noticed a battered old bowl which had taken my eye at Malvern when I staggered past with the Le Creuset casserole (and gone by the time I passed on my way back).  So I had been right to hone in on that and had I had any money on me at the time, I would have asked the price.  That'll teach me to give my money to Keith to look after!

This coffer was probably Spanish, and very decorative.  We have no room (and no spare money for it) so we weren't tempted.

There were plenty of Windsor Chairs too - some better than others - but this is our specialist starter for 10 and so we are very fussy!  Some of the prices were a little eye-watering too.

This was a small settle for children - never seen one quite like it before.  To the right, beneath the glass paperweight, was a lovely little William III oak box with drawers inside.  Lovely but a heck of a price.  Wish I'd taken a photo of that too.

A smart Governess cart on the grass outside, and some rather splendid Ionic columns in the background, along with some cupboards and chests of drawers, not quite in sight here.

There were a few more stalls inside the house too, so we had a walk round before heading back towards home.  It made a nice change from the more run of the mill things on offer at Fleamarkets in general.

Coopers Yard in Kington.

    This is the ship's lamp we couldn't use here.  We have a couple more like this too - one has red glass (being used for the port side of a ship).  

    Well, we have discovered another Antiques Fair on next weekend, not too far afield, so we may check that one out too.

    Meanwhile, have a good weekend.  I hope to finish my book (Dark Tide) - it's really good, and I recommend it (and anything else Philippa Gregory has written).

Electrickery

 

For the past two days the electrician has been here.  A very friendly chap who knew what he was doing.  We had one by one taken out all the old bakelite fuses to see which ones controlled which part of the wiring but still drawn a blank with several. He soon got it all sorted.  Unfortunately, we had disappointment when several of the special lights we had bought for this house (we kept them in boxes marked "new house") couldn't be used because they weren't up to current lighting standards.  Keith was rather sad his big ship's lamp style lamp couldn't be fitted in the kitchen.  It will be have to be sold now.

He also rewired the two Imari lamps for us - we had sent for two complete leads which came ready to use with a plug on one end and the rocker switch in the middle. Tam found them and they were cheaper than the rocker switches on their own!  We think that they look lovely.

The new kitchen light (not turned on - it's an LED one and VERY bright).  We couldn't use the  copper spot lights (clusters of 3) that we had left over from improving the lighting at our old house.  This  is pretty boring, but we didn't have a great deal of choice.  All that was on offer locally and at least it was simple to fit.

The new oven is now fitted too and here is the first loaf.  It has a little shallow well in the bottom of the oven and you put in 150ml of water to steam bake your loaf. :)  As you can see I had taken a wet rag to the dust on the door . . .

Finally, our new bedroom light.  It gives a lovely sunburst effect on the ceiling.

Unfortunately today started not quite as planned, as the electrician was digging a trench across the gateway to the paddock so there could be lighting and power in the stables (well, Keith's workshop end of them anyway).  It was NOT known that the pipe for the heating oil was right on the surface (literally half an inch down) and he managed to split it.  Swiftly the oil was turned off and I managed to get hold of our plumber, who came out and effected a repair, straight away.  (Good lad).  That's the trouble with old houses, things are never quite as they should be!  It is clear that "Joe Bodgit" had a hand in a good few jobs here :)

St Matthew's Church, Llanelwedd

 

On the homeward leg of our walk up the old railway line in town last week, we stopped to check out St Matthew's Church at Llanelwedd.  Judging by the cobwebs across the gates into the church, it was definitely LOCKED, which is a shame.  It dates back to the late Medieval period, although of course the Victorians, as they were wont to do, smartened it up a bit and only the tower (below the Belfry) is the only original part of the church.  The CADW listing describes it as being 19thC Gothic style (it was restored in 1877 by the London architect John Norton.

The churchyard had absolutely masses of Autumn Flowering Cyclamen - as you can see it has romped into the distance and is also in the grass below the dropped wall to the right (out of sight).

HERE is a link about the architecture of the church and its interior.

Memorial stone to John Rumbate? and his wife Margaret, who died aged 67 (1801) and she aged 80, in 1820.

Memorial to the memory of Elizabeth Meredith of Penybont in this parish, died Jan 11th 1799 (I think!) and also of her daughter Maria.

Two Children of Evan and Jane Thomas of Cwmbach in this parish.  Viz Mary died the 20th August 1817 aged 17 weeks.  Jane died the 5th of February aged 1819 aged 7 mths.  Their ages suggest that they lost two children in a row. I can just make our a Richard towards the bottom of the stone - I hope he grew up.

I managed to clip the top name off this  memorial to Thomas Morris, of this parish, Gent, and his wife Ann.

Another touching one - his name has flaked off but he was a Wheelright in the parish, and married to Ann.  Three of their children died so young - Elizabeth died 11th February 1793 aged just 2 yrs.  Another Elizabeth fared no better and died on 8th November 1801 aged 6 years, and their little sister Mary died aged 1 year 9 mths.

Tomorrow the Electrician arrives to do the electrics here (fitting an up to date fuse-box to replace the 1960s Bakelite "plug in" fuses) and checking the system, and installing my new cooker, and various light fittings.  We have a single light in the middle of the "business end" of the kitchen, which is useless for lighting what you are doing.  Keith and I also have our flu jabs, and so it is going to be a busy day.

. . . . . and the bull got four faults!

 

Tired as a tiredy thing, as I woke at 2.30 with a nightmare (I was a mass murderer apparently, able to just "think people dead" if I didn't like them.  A bit hard to prove though. . .)  Anyway, after that I couldn't sleep, so it has been a very long day.  We had the sunshine at Malvern though and it was pretty hot when we left at lunchtime.  A few photos to show you what you missed.

This doll's house had a slight over-occupation tenancy problem . . .

One Zebra foal that didn't last long enough to make any impression on the gene pool.

This Swan ridge tile was very unusual.

Above and below - the same stand, where there are always lot of examples of the Sign Writer's talents.

The French corner - including an unusual made-by-the-farmer table for his wife, complete with hen hutch on the bottom.  Not far to reach for fresh eggs - or a chicken supper!

The inspiration for the Blog Title today.

Finally, I stopped on the side of the road on our way out to take the Autumn views across Worcestershire.

This unusual Victorian crown-topped lamp came home with us.  Now to do some research on it.

A lovely new walk along the old railway line

 

Yesterday's sunrise, which looked a lot more threatening in a picture than in real life - it was a lot pinkier really.

I had spotted a cycle route when we were at Jewson's recently, so Tam and I set out to explore yesterday afternoon.  It is the old Mid-Wales railway line from Builth to Three Cocks, and then on to Hay-on-Wye, which was closed around 1960.

There's a walk the other side of the river too.  There was a lady (out of sight) walking her collie (river bank, farm left).  We'll try that next time.

Ducky Daddles having a rest on the sodden rushes on the side of the river.

There's a sign like this along the river bank in the Gro, where Keith and I walk most days.  It marks the path of the cycle route from Rhayader along the River Wye.

As an asthmatic, it was wonderful to have a non-challenging level walk (and no mud as it was tarmacced) until it joined the main road up by the back of the industrial estate.

Aberedw - a bit more of a challenge!

Lots of hawthorn berries, like drops of blood, on the trees beside the track. A few elderberries and sloes too and I had missed a good crop of blackberries.  NOW I know where to go for berries next year.

It's about a mile each way, plus the stretch across a former field opposite the showground.  

Above and below: looking back towards home - we could walk it easily from here.

    Today has been a busy day here.  Our usual walk on the Gro this morning, and a prescription collected from town. A loaf of bread put on to cook in the bread machine.   I had stripped the bed first thing, and put it in two loads of washing.  Then I had to vacuum the bed (asthmatic tip - it collects any dust mites on the mattress to which many asthmatics are allergic.)  Then of course I had to put the fresh bedding on which is always a chore when it is the red William Morris Strawberry Thief because the sheet is a very tight fit on the deep mattress so you have to fight to get it on.  I think I am going to have to unpick the seams and put inserts in.

    Then as it was dry I tackled the longest bit of the lawn which got missed last time because it came on to rain a fortnight ago and hasn't stopped since.  It was exhausting and even with the blade raised, still a challenge and I had to keep turning the mower on its side to hook out wads of long pretty wet grass which got jammed beneath.  Keith came to help a bit whilst I hoiked weeds and long grass up from the edge where it has long-overgrown the edging of pretty rolled stones. It was abandoned again as it started raining but I've got over half of it done now.  Mowing is a job I gave up at our last home and Keith took it over - now he finds it very difficult so I have had to step up to the mark again.

    Tea tonight was a very quick affair I can tell you!  Right, time to relax in front of the tv and try and make sense of one branch of my family tree on Keith's side.