BYGONE TIMES

Not saying that hubby and I watch a lot of television but one programme that we do like is Antique Road Trip and we have visited quite a few of the places that we have seen and which might be little treasure troves of goodies for the booth and fairs.

For my birthday treat hubby booked a hotel room for an overnight stay and we headed off to Eccleston near Chorley, Manchester to an antique mall called Bygone Times. 

Believe you me it is as interesting on the inside as it is on the out.  It is actaully three large rooms crammed full of antiques and collectables and as you can imagine we had a field day looking through and pulling things out.  It even has it'd own little penny arcade where you can swop your £'s for old money and play the slots (guess where hubby headed for) and a small 1940's exhibtion complete with Anderson Shelter.

We found some sweet little sewing items.

Some great old cookery leaflets - I love the way someone has put string through the booklet in order to hang it up in the kitchen.

I think there is also a bit of a dog theme going on as well as seemed to find some nice doggie related items.

Another doll and a little bunny which I actually found in a charity shop.

This little nude lady figurinne is rather daring but I could not resist picking her up, she is sadly damaged and so the seller was not asking too much for her as these can usually command quite a price.  Although she is not marked I think she is probably German as her facial features are very good.

I collect old childrens books and could not resist the front cover on this one and hubby decided to surprise me with it after we had finished shopping.

On our way home Sunday after we had hit two small antique fairs we headed for a National Trust House just outside Manchester - Little Moreton Hall.

It dates back to the Tudor period and was a nice change just to wander around the house and gardens and finish it all off with a brilliant High Tea of finger sandwiches, cheese scones, cheese and home made chutney, fruit cake, fruit scone, shortbread and flapjack and of course a pot of tea.  Now please don't think I am greedy they packed up what I could not eat and we brought it home with us.  Lovely.....