Sunday 6 April 2008

Shopping in a Small Berkshire Town

Last weekend had been forecast to be bad weather and I had planned some crafting, but I woke on Saturday morning to a blue sky and sunshine so decided to make the most of it with a morning out in Hungerford. It's about a 20 minute drive, but by the time I got there the sun had disappeared and it had started to drizzle and my photos reflect that, still I thought you might like to see anyway. It's quite busy with traffic on a Saturday.



Hungerford is a small market town on the western edge of Berkshire which dates back to at least the 12th century. It's a pretty place to visit on a sunny day as it has a river and canal where you can take a trip on a barge or just walk along the canal path.


If you go off the main street into the back lanes there are some very pretty houses and cottages.



My favourite is this house on the main street which has an iron footbridge from the road to the front door. I'd love to live in a house like this.



Hungerford has a quaint tradition called Tutti-Day (2nd Tuesday after Easter) where the town crier summons to commoners to court to elect new administrative officers, while two Tutti-men visit each house that has common rights to collect a penny. You can read more about it here.

I had an ulterior motive in going, an Antiques Market in the Town Hall and to visit the Hungerford Antiques Arcade.


The antiques fair is held once a month and is quite small, about 20 stalls - I don't go very often as it has proper antiques prices and I rarely find anything there. This time though, I found something I'd been after for ages - a vintage fan. It's quite battered, but I don't mind that and it works. Just need a heatwave now so I can use it.


There were a couple of jewellery stalls with some gorgeous trinkets, I bought this sparkly pendant too, which my lampshade kindly agreed to model for me.


There was a notice in the town hall about a jumble sale taking place later on in the morning, so I trotted off there in the hope of finding lots of bargains. Once again, not being first in the queue I think the bargains were snapped up before me, but I found this pretty storage tin for 30p.


I'd been eyeing up a similar one in the antiques centre in Marlborough for a few months, that one was more battered and £6 which is why I never bought it, this was a much better buy I think! I also bought a box of vintage lotto counters for 50p.

Back on the high street I checked out all the charity shops and then went to the Antiques Arcade. I like this arcade as it's quite large and has variety of different stalls and prices. Not guaranteed to always find something there, but I love browsing there. I did happen to find a few more bits and bobs though.


Two big bags of lace and doylies and another bag of sparkly bits. Woodland Snap cards and Lucie Atwell's Book of Little Verses. Two copies of 'Home Notes by Isobel' from 1900 - I'll show more on those another time, a couple of tablecloths and a pretty violets plate.




There were quite a few lace doylies in the bag of lace that I bought, these are still very easy to find but there's only so much room in a house for doylies. I've been trying to think of ways to use them in crafting where they don't obviously look like doylies - I decided to cut one up (and actually, it wasn't very difficult to do that) and use it on this cushion I made in the week.


I hope your weekend has been good, mine has been rather painful as with the snow forecast I decided to mow the grass on Friday and went about it rather too enthusiastically with the result that I have aches and pains all over. There have been a lot of ooching and ow-ing noises eminating from me this weekend and I have taken on an alarming resemblance to Quadimodo.

You may have noticed the rooster picture at the top of my sidebar, this is my contribution to the Rooster Parade for which BJ is collecting pictures. Entries must be in by Tuesday 7th April, so if you have a rooster (of any shape or form) why not join in.

Dear, sweet Louise at Home is Where the Heart Is gave me the 'You Make My Day' award last week, which is also in my Sidebar - thank you so much Louise, I'd like to award it straight back to you!

Here's my obligatory picture of the snow in my garden this morning, it was a lovely sight - by lunchtime it had all but gone!


Hope you all have a lovely week, and for those in the UK that your toes don't get too cold.

Lucy x

30 comments:

  1. Dear Lucy, i love to see all these pictures, it gives me a chance to me another part of the world, and your garden..looks very cold, it's 39.5 degree here, so i guess...we'll never see snow forever here, happy week ahead :)

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  2. Lovely pics and finds..I love the little storage tin! Sal;-)

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  3. That was really interesting Lucy thank you for that, I love Hungerford and the Arcade, it's a great place to visit. What lovely things you bought, I especially like the Mabel Lucie Atwell book (she seems to have lost the Mabel on the cover) Congratulations on your award as well, if I remember rightly, Louise loves Mabel Lucie Atwell too. Love Jackie mx

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  4. wow! you got some good bargains there! Hungerford looks like a nice place to visit..not at all how I imagined it but I don't really know what I imagined it to be like (I suppose we associate it with tragedy from years ago) I agree with you on that pretty footbridge house..how unusual and gorgeous!

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  5. Hi Lucy, thanks for showing and telling us about Hungerford, another one for the lengthy list of places to visit. You seem quite spoilt for choice for pretty towns and villages in your area, and these sorts of places often attract the antiques trade for selling. I like your finds, of course the book of verse and the homes notes look very interesting. Maybe a bit more crafting would be an idea, as you have done your back in! We had that very same snow yesterday, I couldn't believe it, and there was just so much, but ours started to turn to slush mid afternoon, just when I wanted to take some photos! x

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  6. What a dream of day Lucy, such a pretty place and so many lovely treasures. I love the pendant, extremely glamourous. Hope you get to borrow it back from your lampdshade to wear somewhere fabulous.
    Smashing snow pics, my little ones were thrilled even if its made me feel a bit odd. My head is on springtime, why does it never do this on Christmas Eve!
    Thanks for shairng,
    Stephx

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  7. I love your pillow! I think I have a few doilies floating around (although not vintage, but still pretty) that would make lovely pillows. Thank you for the idea!

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  8. What a nice morning out and you had some great finds too!. It's really nice to read about the real Hungerford, I too only associate it with the tragedy many years ago and that's a great shame as it looks like a lovely place to live.
    I'm a Mabel Lucy Attwell fan too, her illustrations are so cute. Hope your back is improved.
    Gill x

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  9. A lovely post Lucy, I do love to see what everyone's been buying and I'm always so envious of the choice of shops and events you seem to have for your treasure hunts. They are so thin on the ground up here in rural Scotland! The weather's all over the place here too, I've given up trying to second guess what to wear each day. It went from 19 degrees to zero overnight here last week. Bizarre!
    Carolx

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  10. Hi Lucy,you found some gorgeous things in Hungerford.Love what you did with the doily,very pretty.
    Rachel x

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  11. good morning, little lucy bloom...hope your week is starting of really GOOD.
    don't forget the 2nd day of the ROOSTER PARADE....
    hugs, bj

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  12. Love all your treasures! I am looking forward to garage sales starting up again and thrifting :-}

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  13. Lucy that looks like a lovely town. that house is very nice and I bet you would manage to feel it with all your treasures and more too!. Your home is lovely anyway!
    I love the old fashioned tin its lovely

    x

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  14. What a lovely place and some bargain finds-- that Woodland Snap brings back memories. I used to have some of those. Lovely snowy pic too
    Lisa x

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  15. I remember Hungerford well, we lived inbetween Basinstoke and Reading and would often drive through. There are some lovely areas to explore.

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  16. looks like you had a successful shopping trip, I miss the charity shops here as I do like a good ols rummage. In the summer we have the equivalent to your boot fairs which I am really looking forward to. This time last year we were wandering around a vide grenier(boot fair to you) down by the canal looking for a shady spot as it was so hot!! Not this year snow, sleet and rain is the order of the month

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  17. oooohh aarrr ooooh....I love all these vintage bits...when great finds. That fan is really great !
    I think your garden with snow looks great, the green building on the left...I would love a peep in there ! what is it for?
    Cx

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  18. What fabulous finds! And the scenery to boot!!! Someday I'd like one of you lovely UK ladies to take along a video camera while you go to the jumbles and antiquing... then you could put them on YouTube so we can all share in the fun! (Just kidding!) =) Those buildings are GORGEOUS!!!

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  19. What lovely vintage finds Lucy!

    Now my holiday is over it's time to get back into boot sales and do some hunting!

    Victoria x

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  20. Love all your "new" old goodies! The fan is my favorite. And I just love when you put pictures on of the quaint little English villages. It's food for an American's suburbia soul!

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  21. Your lampshade looks wonderful in that necklace...LOL!

    Have a blessed and wonderful day!

    smiles, kari & kijsa

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  22. Lovely finds, Lucy!! I especially love the necklace and the taablecloth with pink flowers!
    Michelle

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  23. Hello Lucy
    I would love to explore some of the little UK towns and villages, I've only been to London, Manchester and Liverpool. England has sooo much to offer.
    Your photos are lovely, I love the houses, that necklace and the photo with the snow.
    Gorgeous.
    x

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  24. That house is Hungerford looks wonderful. I LOVE the tin you found (50p!!!!!) and the fan is great. And then there are all those other treasures too, it looks like you had a good day! Hope you're aching slightly less today
    Kimx

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  25. what a great idea for the cushion! Josie

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  26. Hi Lucy,
    You are such a little magpie hunting out all these pretty treasures,i love the fan its gorgeous.
    What a great idea you had for the cushion,it looks great and the rose fabric is to die for,Lucy you should have a shop or write a magazine you are just so full of ideas and talent.
    I am loving the summer house and like Carol i want to peek inside :)
    Have a great weekend with your Mr Bloom!
    Love Kristina XxX

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  27. Hello Lucy
    I am slightly alarmed by the amount of catching up I have to do since I have returned from a brief holiday. It is lovely to catch up with you.. as always you have some fabulous finds to see. I just love that electric fan and The Home Notes.
    I managed to miss our local car boot sale today but must start treasure seeking in earnest next week.
    Love your Miss Mannequin too.. It must be so much fun dressing her up especially with a figure like hers!
    Michelex

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  28. I loved seeing the pictures of the houses in Hungerford. I love England! You got a lot of goodies that day. Looks like you had a good day.
    Rhondi xo

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  29. Oh I love your photos, so beautiful, they make me ache to be there!! The snow in your garden shot is stunning...I am sure I was born in the wrong country sometimes...I want snow!! I love your treasures though the fan would be next to useless over here as a fan but it would be lovely to look at! Kiss noises Linda Lilly Cottage

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Thank you for your comments - I am not always able to reply but they are always appreciated.
Lucy x