Jumble Fever

Join us for a fun day out at the

2nd V&H Vintage Jumble on Saturday 13th
August 2011 at the Rangeworthy Village Hall,
Wotton Rd, Rangeworthy, BS37 7LZ
10.30am - 2.00pm
Some of your favourite dealers will be having a
clear out & offering vintage goodies at bargain
prices.
China, glass, textiles, toys, books, ephemera &
much more....something for everyone.
Free admission.

Teas will be served by the Rangeworthy WI.

Just nipping in to remind you that there is a rather special Jumble Sale taking part this Saturday. Not just any kind of jumble.. this is a real bargain basement for vintage finds and shouldn't be missed if you are partial to a good rummage or scrum!
Do come along if you are in the area.. and if you are not.. then please take to your wheels and put Rangeworthy George V Memorial Hall into your sat nav.. It is easy peasy to find and you will be greeted with a hall groaning with tables of every kind of vintage home-wares, fabrics, toys etc etc.. with tea and cake served by the faithful W.I. See you there hopefully..

On the Piste.... Again!!!

Bonjour tout les monde! You maybe forgiven for thinking that I am sitting on a tea chest whilst typing this.. Well a lot of things have happened since my last post.. some time ago (whoops!) but sorry to say that a house move is not one of them. Still sat here twiddling my thumbs and waiting for that elusive call to say.. someone would love to come and see your home! In the meantime life carries on and new pursuits have been practised... mainly that of the wonderful game of Boules.. or Petanque if you are particular about these things..

Having signed up, in a mad moment of impulse, for a Boules tournament to be held at the beginning of September .. I then had to gather a willing team of players from some eager but equally amateurish players. Bath is rather passionate about it's Boules tournaments and has held one here every summer for as many years as I can remember. Conveniently, there is a large Boules piste in one of the elegant squares in Bath. I have only ever been a spectator.. so to volunteer my non existent skills and experience of the game has been a sharp learning curve.. but an immensely enjoyable one at that!
A team was swiftly gathered under the name of Cowboys & Custard.. and every other day, weather permitting, we hone our skills (ha... hollow laughter ensues) on the local pistes as they are called.. with not a ski in sight!

To say that we are experts would be a long way from the truth.. but slowly and surely we are improving our technique.. i.e... keeping the balls on the piste rather than hurling them into oblivion!

Boules cannot be classified as a high impact sport.. but it is certainly a wonderful leisurely and sociable way to spend an hour or two.. followed by a spot of team bonding over a cup of tea and slice of cake or two... hardly a calorie burning exercise..

We still have three weeks to perfect our game and then we meet the big boys at the Biddestone Boules Tournament! A little nerve wracking as we will be playing some of the elite of the local Boules fraternity .. but it will be fun while it lasts. All that is left to do now .. is learn the rules!

In Limbo ..

(vintage game courtesy of Milly... thank you!)

I should explain that my prolonged absence from blogging has been due to a combination of reasons.. Where do I start? I could say that I have been rushed off my feet with a hectic social whirl or burning the midnight oil at the drawing board.. but that would be a lie. I could tell you that I have finally run away to join the circus (again) or the Foreign Legion (again) but that too would be far from the truth.. I will have to confess that I have been rather preoccupied with matters closer to home.. in fact my home itself has taken up my every waking hour and occupied my dreams too for the last month...

It has been many a year that we have dreamed about upping sticks and heading for a life of self sufficiency.. well.. growing a few veg and possibly keeping bees would be a good start. I have lived in Bath for 32 years now.. arriving as a wide eyed 20 year old with a new job in a new city .. a new start. This beautiful unique city has seen some of the best days of my life.. my son was born here, many friends have been made here.. numerous memories bounce off the walls as I walk through the Georgian streets. So it is not going to be an easy or painless wrench leaving all this behind.. but one day.. when the gods of the housing market dictate.. we hope to be swapping these views ..

For something more like these ..

Trading tarmac for leafy lanes ... and endless hills of green..

Thousands of chimney pots ...


For fields full of flowers ...

Pushing dust has become my raison d'etre and keeping everything tickety boo in a constant state of 'Red Alert' is just a little bit time consuming.. I can't get away with stuffing the mass of 'stuff' that we own into cupboards to hide it away from prying eyes.. as those same eyes will open cupboards to examine the storage space on offer! Keeping a very much lived- in and worked- in home.. is impossible to keep as a show home 24/7.. but one tries... and one is very trying.. according to my long suffering family.


Following the family around with a feather duster and hoover at the ready is beginning to grate on everyone's nerves .. even the poor tortoise is in danger of having her shell polished. So please forgive me if I am a little distracted.. I hope to have news one day, in the not too distant future, of our intended destination.. but until then.. Whose hidden the the Mr Sheen?!

Almost..

Hello folks.. sorry for the protracted absence and lack of news.. Hope to be out of hibernation soon..

Cotton, Cake & Cloth ...

Hello .. I have just climbed back on the wagon to tell you about the next Vintage & Handmade Textile & Fashion Fair which is on this Saturday.. yes.. that's Saturday the 4th of June. Go and get a pen and make a big cross on your calendar now before you forget. I speak as one who has to write everything down in triplicate these days.
The fair will cater for all of you who have a fabric fetish or fascination with vintage fashion, who like to collect cotton reels or twiddle with colourful twines and threads.. It will be heaven for all haberdashery addicts and is sure to satisfy those who love sewing.. Clothkits will be there.. I for one am a big fan and still own my very first Clothkits cat that my mother made for me back in the 1960's.. We have the company of Handmade Living a new exciting magazine which combines craft, cooking and home style etc.. There will be our regular lovelies such as Sal's Snippets with her vast collection of vintage feed sack fabrics.. Lizzie The Washerwoman with wonderful French brocante and vintage fashions.. Viv from Hen's Teeth with her gorgeous embroidered purses...Sarah Hardaker with some super fabrics of her own design. Beautiful antique fabrics from Phillipa Bowes, Donna Flower whose display of haberdashery items are simply a work of art. You will have to come along and see for yourself.. so the important thing to know is the fair starts at 10 a.m until 4.00 p.m and is held at Chipping Sodbury Town Hall. We look forward to welcoming you and hope a jolly time is had by all!
P.s If textiles and fashion is not your thing.. then maybe we can tempt you with some fine tea and cake in our tea room.

Out to Pasture ....

Please forgive my absence..
Cowboys & Custard has stepped off the wagon for a while.. Promise to return soon with all my news.

All Good Things ...

Sadly all good things come to an end.. and this seemingly endless month of Sunday's had to stop somewhere. The last few weeks of sun soaked days has put a song in my heart and helped me put the gloom of winter behind me.. and days of being re-acquainted with my garden has brought me many pleasures.
This last weekend was a festive one in many ways.. starting with the Royal Wedding which I enjoyed from start to finish.. so good to see people coming together to celebrate. We should value our heritage as it is something to be proud of. Better leave it at that before this turns into a rant about the cynical world we live in!
The festivities ran on into Saturday with a grand finale in Frome, where the good and great came together to put on a fine show of vintage wares which made my heart flutter and purse wince!
The Vintage Bazaar had come to town once more and Lizzie & Clare did a fabulous job of hosting a classy event which I was pleased to be part of. My usual fuzzy photos hardly did justice to the quality and diversity of the goods on sale. These were just a few of the stalls I managed to snap before taking up position behind my wall of teddies and friends. It was so lovely to see friends from the blogging world and beyond which is always the icing on the cake at these events.

Viv of Hen's Teeth.. fine fayre

Debbie's gorgeous gardenalia

Divine dresses.. oh to be slimmer

Niki's boudoir beauties..

Isabelle's pretty brocante

Gertie's sewing boxes

Donna's textile treasury

Cowboys & Custard nursery nostalgia

What a fitting end to an unforgettable holiday!

Congratulations!

Many congratulations to William & Kate, The Duke & Duchess of Cambridge.. on this very happy occasion.

Festive Frome..

Excitement has been bubbling away quietly all week.. bunting has been washed and ironed.. the Union Jack flag folded and packed.. now all I have to do is find a suitable tablecloth for the event. You may be mistaken for thinking that I am getting ready for the Royal nuptials tomorrow.. but I am thinking ahead to a very important day on Saturday.
Branston (he's the handsome chap in the middle) and the gang are heading off to Frome to attend the very fine Vintage Bazaar hosted by Lizzie and Clare. This will be our first and we are all very much looking forward to it.
Now.. should I wear a tiara.. what do you think?

Happy Easter

Wishing you all a very Happy Easter.. from The Custards and Brian the bunny xx