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.....

HOW MUCH IS THAT DOGGY IN THE WINDOW

Hubby and I always watch the Antique programmes on TV and we are quite addicted to the Antiques Road Trip and he is always saying to me “make a note of where that is” as if we are going to travel the country finding new and wonderful antique centres. Anyway the other day there was one in Warwickshire which is not too far from us – just over an hour or so – and so we decided that we would take some time out before eldest daughter's wedding the following Saturday and  take a trip out to do a little bit of antiquing and have dinner out.


We set of for  Barn Antiques Centre in Long Marston and the first item I saw as I got through the doors was this chap.

Now all our married life we have had a dog that is until a few years ago, but after our last dog Bella died hubby decided that enough was enough. Even though I have begged and implored, tried bribery and wiped the odd tear from my eye hubby refuses to budge on getting a new one until we retire when we stop being so busy - yeh right. He is usually so easy going but on this I cannot move him and so when I saw this old boy he just had to come home with me.

I already have a terrier on wheels that was looking for a doggy companion and so here we have my two dogs that have to take the place of a real one until I retire which will not be anytime soon.I really love his smiley face and my grandchildren will enjoy playing with him and I suppose on the plus side I don’t have to worry about leaving them  when I go away or out for the day.

Anyway back to the Barn Antiques we spent a while pottering around and I made some purchases for the booth and Etsy and then we ended up having a scone with cream at Violetta’s Bistro which is attached to the centre.

It is totally charming and I loved this room where one could sit and partake of lovely things to eat and drink.  How shabby chic is that and of course we finished off with tea and scones, just remembered to take a photograph before tucking in, truth be told it is Hubby's as I had already started on mine - greedy devil that I am.

Scone anyone?

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.