Beautiful Broadstairs

One of my favourite places in Kent, Broadstairs, with its' famous Viking Bay.  We stayed at the Royal Albion Hotel (www.albionbroadstairs.co.uk) which has been standing proudly on the Broadstairs' seafront since 1776 and a former residence of Charles Dickens. We felt so at home there and slept like babies. Our room was perfect and we enjoyed breakfast served on the terrace overlooking the sea.

The highlight of the stay for me was our visit to Bleak House (www.bleakhousebroadstairs.co.uk) which I had previously never had time to visit. It was originally called Fort House and was the residence of the captain of one of the two coastal forts guarding Broadstairs. Charles Dickens spent many summer holidays at Fort House in the 1850s and 1860s and it was here overlooking Viking Bay that he wrote David Copperfield. Fort House was renamed Bleak House in the early part of the 20th century when a guest mentioned that it was the Bleak House referred to in Dickens’ novel and the name stuck. A museum can be found in the cellar, afternoon teas are served in the tea room and the house also acts as a wedding venue.

Broadstairs has a wonderful old cinema housed in a grade 11 listed building close to the seafront which is a very popular attraction to locals and visitors (www.thepalacecinema.co.uk).

We enjoyed wandering around the high street and side streets and of course I couldn’t resist a rummage in the charity shops and antique shops. Broadstairs has a great choice of restaurants but we opted for fish and chips sitting on the sea front watching the world go by. On our way home we spotted an amazing guest house – the Belvidere Guesthouse (www.belvidereplace.co.uk) a unique boutique B&B with a stunning interior filled with quirky vintage objects. With our wedding anniversary fast approaching I have dropped some hints! Would love a stay here!

Cornwall October 2014

Just back from a wonderful few days in St Keverne staying with my brother and his partner in their holiday home, Trythance Farm Cottage, www.classic.co.uk/holiday-cottage/desc-2805.html.

St Keverne is the largest village in the Helford area.  The village square contains a number of shops, a restaurant, 2 pubs (the White Hart and the Three Tuns), a handful of cottages and is overlooked by the church of St Akeveranus. We met a lovely old character (Barry) who sells an assortment of vintage items from his garage.  I am now the owner of this little beauty!

I really liked the local town of Helston.  Lots of good charity shops for vintage rummaging.  We had a pint of the famous Spingo at the Blue Anchor, http://spingoales.com, with the local Cornishmen and were made very welcome.  Spingo is the name given to the strong and slightly sweet ales brewed in the small brewery on site.  At Easter and Christmas, there's a 7.6% Special that has been known to prolong the festivities by several days. Prints are available from artist Sally Cole, http://sallycole.co.uk.

On the way back to St Keverne we stopped off at Roskiilly's, to buy fudge, some of the famous ice cream and to have a look around the gift shop.  The milk comes from the 125-strong herd of Jersey cows which graze on the surrounding pastures.  Visitors can visit the farm too, a great stop off for families.  In the evening we headed for the local pub in Coverack for a delicious scampi and chips and a pint of Proper Job.  I always feel a trip to Cornwall is not complete without a taste of Proper Job!

The following morning we went for a breezy walk at the secluded National Trust Kynance Cove, two miles to the north of Lizard Village and considered one of the most beautiful beaches in the world.  We felt invigorated after all the walking and felt as though the cobwebs had definitely been blown away!

In the evening we tucked into fish and  chips at the Five Pilchards in Porthallow, www.thefivepilchards.co.uk.

Back in London now, feeling energised and looking forward to our next trip to Cornwall to celebrate the  New Year.





Fox Vintage Market 18th October 2014

2-5pm

Fox Pub, Green Lane, Hanwell  W7 2PJ

My first experience of organising a vintage event - how exciting!

A collaboration of local residents and the Fox Pub, Hanwell, bring you the first ever Fox Vintage Market.  Some amazing wares for sale from local vintage collectors including these beauties made by Atlas of Miami in the late 1950's.



Other sellers on the day include Julia Lewis, selling an eclectic mix of vintage tableware and courtesy of Sarah Harkness, a wonderful selection of vintage fabrics and Ladybird books:

Vanessa (Eman & Amani) will be selling some fabulous children's dresses from vintage liberty prints:

Cup and Saucer UK will be there too selling vintage/retro homewares and hand painted furniture (better get painting fast - only a week to go!!!!).

This event can only get better each time.  Head to the Fox Pub for delicious traditional homemade cakes, a cup of tea (or a glass of champagne).  We are taking bookings for afternoon tea from £5 per person - please call 020 8567 4021.  For more information or if you are interested in selling at future events, email foxvintagemarket@gmail.com or call Cup and Saucer UK on 07795 236445.





Turkish Style

School is out and even though temperatures soared in London we headed off to Yalikavak, Turkey, for a week of relaxation.  Yalıkavak is a town near Bodrum in the Muğla province, on the Aegean coast of Turkey. 

Our first time in Turkey and we were not disappointed.  Wonderful weather, delicious and very affordable food and of course as ever, I couldn't resist sourcing stock for Cup and Saucer!

Wandering around Bodrum old town the many coloured peshtamals caught my eye, amidst the vast amount of fake designer clothing and bags.  I wasn't sure what they were used for at first - I thought maybe throws or table cloths but they are used as towels, originally in the Hammans/Turkish baths.

The different colours are used to specify which region people are from and are part of a deep cultural tradition. In some places, they are called pestamals or pestemals.

The peshtamal absorbs water as fast as a traditional towel, dries very quickly, takes up less space, is easy to carry and is therefore used as an alternative to the towel in bathrooms, pools, spas, beaches, sport facilities and for baby care. The peshtamal fabric is made of 100% cotton produced in hand-woven looms in Turkey.

I ended up buying quite a few as I couldn't decide which colour I liked the best!  They look fab in our bathroom and I will also be selling some on eBay: http://www.ebay.co.uk/usr/cupandsaucer-uk

I do like to be beside the seaside

After being cooped up at home with all the Christmas festivities, we decided to leave the teenagers at home and have a day at the coast, just the two of us.

I have read a few articles recently on Margate and the retro/vintage shops that are making an appearance down there, and of course the arrival of the art gallery so we decided to have a day down there checking it all out.  My Grandparents lived in Tankerton so as a child I spent many a summer holiday in Kent, including days out at Margate and the famous Bembom Brothers theme park.  Those were the days when I would go on all the rides - not anymore though!!!!  The older I get the more cautious I get!!

With lovely clear roads, we were there in record time, parked on the outskirts and walked along the seafront to the High Street.  The High Street does not have much going on although a new initiative by Mary Portas was interesting.  It is a "pop-up" shop for local entrepreneurs, called Poportunity, where locals can rent a unit for just £35 a week.  I purchased a wonderful Royal Albert "Queens Messenger" tea set complete with teapot, milk jug and teacups from a lovely lady at Emily Rose Recycled Furniture. 

Ms Portas has also negotiated a special £10 return ticket for rail travel from London to Margate during the winter on Southeastern services, in support of her Portas Pilot scheme.

We wandered down the High Street and found a real gem of a shop - Hunkydory 24 http://www.facebook.com/pages/Hunkydory-24 (with a huge stuffed badger taking residence in the lower part of the shop!)  The shop owner, Terry, was very friendly and gave us loads of useful info on the area.  Great to hear that Dreamland is due to be revived by Wayne Hemingway  http://www.hemingwaydesign.co.uk/projects/design/dreamland-margate

Next stop King Street which has a substantial amount of retro/vintage shops.  The "old town" has a great vibe and we really enjoyed browsing around the shops there - Paraphenalia, and Lady Popoff to name but a few.

We also discovered Rough Trade on Fort Road http://www.facebook.com/pages/Rough-Trade-Margate which was great for a rummage and R G Scotts near to the Shell Grotto was an amazing place http://www.scottsmargate.co.uk

I was keen to have a look at the Shell Grotto which I must admit I hadn't heard of before!  The story goes that in 1835 Mr James Newlove lowered his young son Joshua into a hole in the ground that had appeared during the digging of a duck pond. Joshua emerged describing tunnels covered with shells. He had discovered the Shell Grotto, its walls decorated with strange symbols mosaiced in millions of shells. Is it an ancient pagan temple? A meeting place for some secret cult?   We thoroughly enjoyed ourselves and would recommend it, definitely worth a look.  I bought a handful of lovely shells to add to my other purchases!  I found a lovely Cath Kidston milk jug and a vintage hand mirror in one of the charity shops on the High Street so along with my tea set I came away feeling very happy!

By this time we needed a cuppa so we stopped off at the Turner Contemporary Gallery, which has certainly changed the skyline around the harbour area.  You will either love or hate the design.  Again, would highly recommend a visit here - children would love the open spaces too and there are lots of free craft sessions going on.

The day would not have been complete without delicious fish and chips (eaten out of the paper sitting on the seafront) - the perfect ending to the perfect day.

We will definitely be back!

A few personal favourites

I source and sell vintage/retro tableware and accessories and rely on car boots for a lot of my stock.  There is nothing better than a rummage around on a Saturday or Sunday morning - the saying is very true "one persons junk is another's treasure".  Now that winter is truly here, I have to face the fact that most car boots have finished until next year.  With the current demand for vintage teacups I wish I had bought in bulk when I had the chance!

I am finding that charity shop prices are now at an all time high - so car boots really are the place to find cheap treasures.

Here are some of my favourites:

London

Battersea

http://www.batterseaboot.com

I buy and sell at this Sunday car boot.  (I have now sold at it twice - the first time I did really well as the weather was good, second time the weather wasn't great so didn't do quite so well).  It is expensive to have a pitch at this one but it is worth it (£20 being the cheapest price).   There is always a steady stream of buyers and lots of antique dealers/buyers so if you have any collectibles there will always be interest.  The other advantage of this boot is that it is held on a playground so no mud and it stays open all year round.  Nice bunch of people and the guys who help you park your car etc if you are selling are fantastic - very helpful.

Pimlico - I had heard great things about this boot fair but felt disappointed - I sold at it but did not do very well.  I had a table inside and it was very quiet.  The bonus though was that I managed to buy some good items.  A couple of people brought items from me and then immediately put them on their stalls at a higher price.  Very well organised event but I found it quiet.

Southfields Primary School, Chiswick

I have only been to this one once but will definitely be going back - in fact I am looking forward to going this Sunday (25th Nov).  Lots of childrens and adults clothes - designer and high street names in great condition.  I found 2 Emma Bridgewater mugs (2 for £5) so was thrilled.  I would advice to get there early to get all the good stuff. A few antique/collectible stalls and there are lots of dealers going around too.

Buckinghamshire

Denham

http://www.giantcarboot.co.uk/denham.html

This is a fantastic Saturday morning car boot.  I love it!!!  You need to have lots of time to wander up and down as it is a big one!  I have found some great things.  Lots of great cheap furniture.  It is not a really early start either - I usually arrive around 9.30am.  Great way of spending a Saturday morning. If you are selling at this one though don't expect to sell at high prices - people don't expect to pay much for stuff.  It was here that I met an old Dutch man selling original enamels - he would not lower his prices though - he definitely knew the worth of his goods.  I brought 3 lovely items from him.  A red enamel teapot and 2 milk urn style jugs).  I have also seen a taxidermy stall here - weird but interesting to look at!!!

Taplow

http://www.giantcarboot.co.uk/taplow.html

Another favourite of mine.  Held on a Sunday and again a late starter.  I have found some great things here from vintage glass jelly moulds to fab little side tables.  Both of these Buckinghamshire car boots are held on grass so close from mid November to Feb time.  A really good morning/afternoon rummage!  Always lots of characters too for a bit of people watching!