Eltham Palace Art Deco fair

Decided to have a mother daughter day on Sunday and what better way to spend it than going to an Art Deco fair at a gorgeous 1930s mansion. As neither of us could drive (me - no license; mum - bad arm) we threw ourselves upon the mercy of the Bromley bus system and miraculously it came through. 

Two uneventful bus journeys later and we found ourselves at the beautiful Eltham Palace. A settlement that can be dated back to the 1300s and once counted Henry VII as a resident, only the great hall is still present from those times. In its place is a spectacular residence built by some very rich people in the 1930s and boasts an enormous dome, wood panelling and general Art Deco amazingness. No surprise then that they decided to hold the fair there.

After perusing all the (very expensive) offerings, and being stopped from buying some 1940s satin and lace shorts (someone might have died in them according to my mother) we decided to tour the house then finish the afternoon with a spot of cream tea. Lovely.

Northern Adventure

Car Booty

Today was possibly the best bargain day of 2010 and I don't give this accolade lightly. Being slightly middle aged in my taste for all things old, junky and antique, the Boy and I decided to go to a local car boot sale. As a highstreet fashionista with limited means of transport, I rarely go to these, but from now on I think I might have to make it a regular occurence.

Above is my selection of goodies that I aquired for the grand sum of £9 (the Ray Bans are my own - I added them for photographic effect).

Yes, I kid you not... the most expensive item was the vintage Hacker radio at a princely £5. Apparently the batteries are £7 each and quite hard to get hold of, so it will make a pretty bookend for the time being.

There is also another handbag which didn't fit in with the colour scheme (its grey - i'm working on my visual appeal). But together with the brown bow-embellished one they cost a please-don't-hate-me £1 each. So so smug right now.

Today's trip has definitely sated the shopping monster for a little while at least, with my current finances taking a spectacular nose dive, it probably won't be long before second hand Primark begins to look attractive. If you have the patience to sort through the piles of junk, George shoes, baby clothes and saggy furniture then there is many a bargain or a gem to be found...

... Mark my words i'll be the one on the Antiques Roadshow claiming to have picked up 'this old thing' for 50p.

A girl can hope.

Saturday Adventures

Who watched the football on Saturday? Who was forced to? I found myself coerced into a deal with the Boy whereby if I didn't cringe (too much) at the car flags and put up with the 'En-ger-lund' war cries at the pub, not to mention the middle aged men wearing football shirts that I would be taken on an adventure that morning.

As readers of this blog know, I am a girl who loves an adventure - not the hiking, camping type mind you, I'm much more the stately homes and cream tea type... Following the huge success of our adventure excursion last year, the Boy and I found ourselves the village of Corfe Castle, the beautifully picturesque hamlet that lies at the foot of castle ruins in Dorset. Having landed on the same day as 'Corfest' the usual £6 fee was wavered by the lovely old ladies from the National Trust (after a hefty yearly membership sales pitch) and we were able to ascend to the castle with the happiness only true freedom can bring.

At the entrance of the castle was a small market and makeshift dog show, so after watching the 'waggiest tail' entrants strut thier stuff(and get their bellies scratched), we took a stroll around the stalls. A jar of pickled eggs, chilli oil, tomato chutney and a bracelet later we moved on to a church book fair where I picked up a copy of The Alchemist for 50p - bargain!

My bracelet is actually intended to be a little girls necklace, but after opting to go for a 'B' bee rather then an 'E' elephant (or the 'P' piglet suggestion by the Boy) I thought I'd be fabulously bohemian/ kitsch and wrap it around my wrist, although I still haven't been able to tie a knot tight enough to get it to stay yet. Knot experts suggestions welcome...
After having a lovely pub lunch we headed to the coast and sat on a stone watching the world go by for a little bit...

... And made it home in plenty of time to watch England draw 1-1 against USA. I kept my promise and was on my best behaviour. Of course A bottle of rose was the perfect way to finish taking the edge off the beautiful game.

Doesn't the Boy look lovely in his sunglasses?