DOWN & UP THE HOVIS HILL

I always thought that the old Hovis advert where the boy freewheels on his bicycle down a really steep hill was set up north. Imagine my surprise to find it is in Shaftsbury way down south....

Hubby had a site visit to do in Shaftsbury and I went along to keep him company as it is almost three hours from where we live and we decided to take a trip into Shaftsbury to have a coffee before heading back home.  When we got there we came across the HOVIS HILL....  I did not have a bike and so I had to rely on good old shanksies pony to get me down there.  What was all the fuss about that was easy enough I thought.  Then I turned around and saw the steep incline up ...

It is one of the prettiest places I have visted in a long while and the cottages on Gold Hill are just so quaint and picturesque.  Could not help falling in love with the street, mind you I would hate to have to get up and down there especially after a few glasses of wine.

I also hit lucky as it was flea market day at the town hall and managed to pick up a pretty jug and a "mother" brooch there.   On my way in I had spied a little shop that looked interesting and walked back to it only to discover another little Aladdin's cave of treasures.  I picked up some old lace and a bag of vintage sewing bits and pieces all for the princly sum of £2.00.  I also found some more bits for the fair.  A 1930's gardening book for my sister and the cutest pair of plush black and white dogs - one wearing a bowler hat and one with a bone in his mouth.  Will have trouble parting with them.

VIOLETS & VINTAGE FINDS

Whilst in Kent I did a little bit of a rummaging. I managed to get to some charity shops and hubby was very good screeching to a halt when he saw the odd antique shop along the way.
Managed to pick up some little bits and pieces which included two little Victorian cups and a shaving mug covered in violets.

As we were passing through a village came across this most marvellous little antique shop which was filled from top to bottom with wonderful items. It was the sort of place I could have spent hours in but unfortunately non-one else but me wanted to stop so it had to be a flying visit. Picked up another little Victorian paper mache pot with a sweet picture of a child on its lid and the prize had to be a child’s Lloyd Loom chair covered in original 1930’s material, very grubby and a little worse for wear but super none the less.

Got the chair home with the intention of cleaning it up to take to the fair in November but as you can see a certain little man came to visit Nanny and took a liking to it. In case you are interested the wonderful little cushion with vintage style spacemen on that I have on the chair was made by Lindsey of Elsie Sparrow who will be having a stall at the November fair. I am going to put it by for the little man for Christmas.

OUR KENT WEEKEND

We have just got back from a smashing long weekend in Kent – took mother with her dodgy knees, she is currently waiting to have both of them replaced but still manages to gallantly hobble everywhere with the aid of "Ethel" her trusty walking stick and our granddaughter Bee who in contrast races around everywhere.

We are members of the National Trust and love looking around the old house with their magnificent gardens and planning how mine could look next year - if only. There are just so many wonderful National Trust properties in that part of the world and we took full advantage of our time there. We visited Chartwell House the family home of Winston Churchill, Scotney Castle, Sisinghurst the awe inspiring gardens of Vita Sackville West and Igtham Mote a 14th century moated manor house.

Bee enjoyed the children’s quiz’s looking for interesting things with grandpa in full tow and mother and I enjoyed the cream teas......



Another wonderful day was spent revisiting childhood memories for hubby and mother it was a ride on the Romney Hythe & Dymchurch Railway (he remembers sitting in a carraige wearing a Foreign Legionaries cap - ah how sweet) and for mother it was her first holiday with her parents after the war. We crammed ourselves into the miniature cars - which caused great merriment to Bee as it was a little like squeezing sauce back into a bottle.....

We got off the train at Dymchurch and sat on the beach, luckily for us the sun was shining although the wind was blowing somewhat and it was so nice to see that things had not changed too much there were still donkey rides on the sand and along the front was a very kitsch fun fair, Bee made Grandpa go on the rides with her including the most unscarry Ghost Train, I declined and just left them too it.

I of course managed to do a little bit of shopping in the local charity and antique shops but will tell you more about that on another day......