Warwick Castle

I have been neglecting my and other people's blogs these last few days. An antique shop close to where I live is closing and had a 50% sale so Jane and I bought several things for our website. We had a wonderful time poking around for bargains and choosing what to buy but, of course, all this booty has to be photographed and uploaded to the website along with a description - all very time consuming. So that's my excuse!

My husband and I recently had a lovely day out in Warwick spending most of the time looking around the castle. It really is worth a visit if you've not been.

I'm so pleased they were expecting us for lunch.....

....and a recital!

How I would love to own a similar cupboard to this to store all my antique linen.

A lovely day was had by both of us.

I promise to be more pro-active with leaving comments on other people's blogs during the next week as I do so enjoy reading them.

Post Mothering Sunday

I hope all you Mums out there had a wonderful Mothering Sunday spent with your children if possible and, if not, had a chat on the phone. This is quite a well known painting entitled 'First Born' by Fred W Elwell and I just love it.


I spent most of the day with our 22 year old daughter, Rosie who has left the nest and now has her own flat in Southampton. Tom who is 17 and still lives at home honoured me with his company for the brief space of time it took him to eat the meal I had prepared, have a bath and a change of clothes then out to socialise again!

When Rosie was born my Mother gave me a poetry book entitled 'A Celebration of Babies'. These two poems are my favourites and I dedicate them to my two children:-

To My Daughter
by Stephen Spender

Bright clasp of her whole hand round my finger,
My daughter, as we walk together now.
All my life I'll feel a ring invisibly
Circle this bone with shining: when she is grown
Far from today as her eyes are far already.

and

The Merchant's Wife
by Alun Lewis

My son would not have been born,
To fetch lotus for my bosom,
To gladden my heart and my house,
Had I not smiled upon his father,
I count it a blessing that my son was born, and
That wisdom is in smiling.

Wedding Dresses

There seem to be so many Wedding Exhibitions in this area lately which prompted me to do this blog. I am lucky enough to have inherited my maternal Great Grandmother's wedding dress. She was Lucy Ann Barnes who married Walter Crabtree in April 1885. This is her dress made of blue and white madras cotton. It had a bustle at the back.

She must have been really tiny as the bust measures 32 inches and the waist 26 inches. This next picture is of my maternal Grandmother, Betsy, and her twin sister,Emily, who is wearing the dress (Lucy's daughters). They were born in 1888 so this photo must have been taken around 1905.

This next photo is of my mother wearing the same dress at a concert in 1949. I do regret not having a photograph taken of me when I could have squeezed into it! No chance of that now!

This is my very plain 1970's wedding dress - I suppose it would be classed as vintage now!

Does anyone else have a relative's wedding dress?

Collections

I like to look at other people's collections on here so thought I would share some of mine with you starting with these 'souvenirs'. I only collect this china when it represents a place that has particular significance for me.

These ones feature pictures of PORTHLEVEN, Cornwall which is where my husband and I first lived in 1978

after a honeymoon spent in KINGSBRIDGE, Devon (not the most exotic of places!)

Both our children were born in TRURO, Cornwall.

We moved to PORTSMOUTH in 1991

I spent many happy holidays in SCARBOROUGH as a child as this is where my grandmother lived.
These little cups below have all been given to me by my mother, the left one when she was very ill and I visited her every day. We laugh at the middle one saying 'My Dear Girl' as this can be said in so many different ways!

All these do not have any particular value but are very dear to me.

A host of dancing Daffodils

I had to take my car to the garage this morning and what a lovely morning on which to walk back home. On my way I passed this field of daffodils which reminded me of Wordsworth's lines,

'And then my heart with pleasure fills,

And dances with the Daffodils.'

I bought 4 bunches from the local farm along with some freshly cut rhubarb.

They also had a wonderful display of primroses

Now I just have to decide what to make with the rhubarb.......

My absolute favourite would be Rhubarb Crumble with Cornish Clotted Cream, but I'll settle for the healthier option of Stewed Rhubarb and Creme Fraiche.

Puffin Cottage

My business partner and good friend, Jane, is selling her lovely cottage in Hampshire.

This is Puffin Cottage, situated directly opposite the church.....

.....and just 5 minutes walk from the sea.

How can she bear to leave such an idyllic home?

Distress to De-Stress

I love painting furniture and find it very calming and therapeutic. I particularly like distressing items and thought I would share with you some of my past efforts.
It all started with a kitchen roll holder.....

I then progressed to a wardrobe which I crackle glazed.

My next projects were a marble top washstand and a chair, both of which were intended to be sold on my website but I like them so much I have decided to keep them.



I got a bit carried away after I had re-upholstered this chair and covered an old office chair!

My next pieces to be painted are this chair which was covered in green dralon and a sewing box.