Friday 30 November 2012

V&H CHRISTMAS FAIR





I am all ready, the cars are packed & I can't wait for tomorrow's Christmassy extravaganza - the fabulous V&H Christmas Fair in Chipping Sodbury, South Glos. There will be oodles of exciting stalls & a fabulous tearoom.
Hope to see some of you there!
www.vintageandhandmade.co.uk

Tuesday 20 November 2012

FACEBOOK


Just thought I'd mention that I have a couple of Facebook pages that you may be interested in....

First is the Country Cottage Chic page where I post updates of stock, latest finds & so on, including photos of my unit at the Gloucester Antiques Centre. I have just decked it out for Christmas as you can see in the photo below.
You can find it here:
https://www.facebook.com/CountryCottageChic


 
 

 

Then, of course, there is the Vintage & Handmade Fair blog where you can read the latest news & see photos from the fair:
https://www.facebook.com/vintageandhandmadefair


 (Candles for the V&H Christmas Fair)

Finally, I have a brand new page for those of us who love Vintage Christmas - please do join & share your photos, finds, events & Christmassy ideas!
https://www.facebook.com/VerilyVintageChristmas 
 

(Vintage haberdashery stocking fillers for the Christmas V&H Fair)

Tuesday 13 November 2012

New Country Cottage Chic HQ


For quite some time now I have been longing for somewhere to store my vintage stock where it is easy to get at & to see what I have. I had boxes in the garage, bags in my upstairs room, stuff in drawers & cupboards. If I wanted something out of the garage I had to pull out the lawnmower & move stacks of boxes around to get at what I wanted.

So, finally, I decided to go for it & find a suitable shed to call my very own...after trawling various online sites looking for the right size & shape...(after all, it had to look nice too - no ordinary shed for me) I placed my order! Then I had to decide where to put it. After humming & hahing & much tape measuring with string & pegs,  I decided that the best place would be where this old raised vegetable bed was - after all, the wooden edges had rotted & needed replacing anyway & I do have another one next to the polytunnel. Also, it is flat unlike most of the garden. I had decided on a wooden frame base so that we wouldn't have to cover any of the garden with concrete to create a base.





Soon the big day arrived & all the parts were unloaded - this is the back of the shed propped up against the garage - quite big!


The side pieces were squeezed through the gate but the ends had to be hoisted over the wall by my two boys.



A few days later the construction team arrived & up went my new pride & joy....an adorable Dutch barn style shed with double doors at the front.



Of course the next requirement was shelving. I visited the big blue warehouse but nothing seemed strong enough or deep enough for my needs, so back to the good old world wide web I went & found some easy to put together industrial shelving that would hold up to 300kg in weight - plenty strong enough for all my treasure! In went the shelving (put together by the long suffering Mr C.

 The best part was next...putting everything in...and look how nicely organised it looks now! 





These boxes are full of goodies for The Vintage Jumble Sales.


Mummy's little helper!


It is such a pleasure to be able to do a hop, skippety jump from the back door, pop into the shed (now known as The Vintage Barn) & pick out what I want in a second or two.



Of course there had to be a table & a bit of bunting to finish off & a radio for listening to while I sort goodies & admire my new store room!


Sunday 11 November 2012

We Will Remember Them - Man & Beast

For The Fallen by Robert Laurence Binyon

With proud thanksgiving, a mother for her children,
England mourns for her dead across the sea.
Flesh of her flesh they were, spirit of her spirit,
Fallen in the cause of the free.

Solemn the drums thrill; Death august and royal
Sings sorrow up into immortal spheres,
There is music in the midst of desolation
And a glory that shines upon our tears.

They went with songs to the battle, they were young,
Straight of limb, true of eye, steady and aglow.
They were staunch to the end against odds uncounted;
They fell with their faces to the foe.

They shall grow not old, as we that are left grow old:
Age shall not weary them, nor the years condemn.
At the going down of the sun and in the morning
We will remember them.


They mingle not with their laughing comrades again;
They sit no more at familiar tables of home;
They have no lot in our labour of the day-time;
They sleep beyond England's foam.

But where our desires are and our hopes profound,
Felt as a well-spring that is hidden from sight,
To the innermost heart of their own land they are known
As the stars are known to the Night;

As the stars that shall be bright when we are dust,
Moving in marches upon the heavenly plain;
As the stars that are starry in the time of our darkness,
To the end, to the end, they remain.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

A Soldier's Kiss
by Henry Chappell
Only a dying horse! pull off the gear,
And slip the needless bit from frothing jaws,
Drag it aside there, leaving the road way clear,
The battery thunders on with scarce a pause.

Prone by the shell-swept highway there it lies
With quivering limbs, as fast the life-tide fails,
Dark films are closing o’er the faithful eyes
That mutely plead for aid where none avails.
Onward the battery rolls, but one there speeds
Needlessly of comrades voice or bursting shell,
Back to the wounded friend who lonely bleeds
Beside the stony highway where he fell.

Only a dying horse! he swiftly kneels,
Lifts the limp head and hears the shivering sigh
Kisses his friend, while down his cheek there steals
Sweet pity’s tear, "Goodbye old man, Goodbye".

No honours wait him, medal, badge or star,
Though scarce could war a kindlier deed unfold;
He bears within his breast, more precious far
Beyond the gift of kings, a heart of gold.

Thursday 1 November 2012

Vintage Fun Day!

I will be packing up my boxes of vintage bargains tomorrow to offer my wares at this fabulously fun day on Saturday. The Vintage Jumbles have very quickly become a great favourite with bargain hunters large & small (children love it & are most welcome!).
If you can, do come along on Saturday 3rd November to the Rangeworthy Village Hall, South Glos - BS37 7LZ, where you will find all sorts of treasures on offer with prices starting at just 50p. 
Refreshments will be provided by the lovely ladies of the Rangeworthy WI who are dab hands at cake baking & tea brewing.
Doors open at 10.30am & entrance is free.
Hope to see you there!