~Lovely Shop Bespoke Country~

In the Summer when we were caravanning in 'Chateau H' at Filey, I discovered a gorgeous shop in Scarborough called Bespoke Country. I love finding a shop that is filled with things I like, and just that bit different to other shops.  They do mail order too, and have a lovely website where you can buy online and pay by card or Paypal here

Image from www.bespokecountry.co.uk

I bought a lovely handmade sign for the caravan and also a pack of 16 10cmx10cm Tilda fabric patchwork squares (I think I paid £4.50) which I'm just machine sewing now to make a cushion cover. I join mine in numbered strips once I've laid them out into a pleasing arrangement.  Here it is in progress...

Lots and lots to look at in this shop - vintage style interiors, handmade shaker-style signs customised while you wait, fabrics, Emma Bridgewater pottery, handknitted tea cosies, giftware, fabric, ribbons and buttons...I'll definitely call in again when we're next at the coast. They also have a blog too called 'Red House' which can be found at http://redhousechronicles-jenny.blogspot.co.uk/

Bespoke Country
18 Bar Street
Scarborough
North Yorkshire
YO11 2HT
Tel: 01723 378728
Open: Mon-Sat, 10-5

...have a lovely weekend, we are lucky tonight, having been invited to a friend's house who is a fab cook so I'm looking forward to some gorgeous Indian food. Not sure how I am going to squeeze in my party dress this festive season but never mind...

~Preparations for the weekend~

This weekend will be daughter L's first festival camping experience as she heads off to Leeds Fest at Bramham over the bank holiday with her friends.  Despite her initial apprehensions about the sanitary arrangements, level of comfort and lairy behaviour, she seems to have chilled out and is thinking about all the great bands she'll see.
Two of her friends are staying overnight at our house, with all their stuff, and OH is dropping them off early tomorrow morning.  I think it's probably me who is more apprehensive now, I have been pottering round town today buying things for L, as she is definitely a Last-Minute Larry.

How does my pile of festival essentials look to you? Pot Noodles, Batiste dry shampoo, baby wipes, hairspray, first aid kit, ibuprofen, Glow sticks, Nutella...  Not that I'm a fussy control-freaky overbearing parent or anything...
We will be having a couple of days in Chateau H (the caravan) here...

...at Castle Howard, where there is a campsite at the side of the great lake. I've not been here since I was a child so am looking forward to a good look round.
http://www.castlehoward.co.uk/holiday.html
Have a lovely Bank Holiday whatever you're up to!

~Seaside Trip~

We've just come back from 6 days in Chateau H (our caravan) and we have survived intact!
Our first 2 nights we were parked on our friends drive in Filey - a fantastic bungalow holiday home in which the fittings are the late 70s, early 80's intact, for example a brilliant formica kitchen with sliding doors and rose-patterned carpets...I love these glass doors and the display of pottery...

Filey beach - Lovely weather...a few showers but gloriously warm...

I love Swing Boats...

Beach chalets at Filey... I like the colours...available for hire right on
the beach - Baker's Beach Chalets on the Coble Landing. Another nostalgic
 moment, they remind me so much of East Coast holidays with my Nana and Grandad...

The fantastic view of the Vale of Pickering and the Wolds from Lebberston Touring Park...

Then we moved on to Lebberston Touring Park,
a couple of miles outside Filey on the way to
Scarborough - an immaculately run 5* site- highly recommended...

J enjoying a hot chocolate in a melamine mug whilst wearing Dad's essential caravanning hat...

Tired Small Dog gets cosy under blankets in Chateau H...

Imposing 12 foot tall iron Fisherman statue on Filey seafront by artist Ray Lonsdale read about it here

We thought Sterchi's had closed down, but- hurrah!- thay'd just moved round the corner!

Long live Sterchi's and their enormous chocolate drops and Rose and Violet creams!

Beautiful boats at the Coble landing, Filey...

Cocoa in Scarboro' - a retro sweet shop with a fab collection of vintage confectionery ephemera in the window...

My first Wonka Bar (It's my all-time favourite film...)

"I got a Golden Ticket!" (Don't tell me that they're in every bar...)

Love this Fudge Shop display with shelves groaning under the weight of goodies, and the pom-pom shelf trim


Sorry for the sweetie and chocolate emphasis in this post - we did do lots more, I promise...

~York Minster Trip~

As part of her A level Textiles, daughter L is currently looking at the 800 celebrations in York (1212 - 2012) and has chosen to explore stained glass patterns, so on a (very) rainy Saturday morning we tootled off into York. Not living more than 45 minutes from York for all of my 42 years,  I am ashamed to admit I have never been in the Minster before, so I was quite excited...
  An entry fee has been payable for the last few years (although free to York residents).  This caused a bit of a hoo-ha when it was introduced as previously it was free to look around.  After visiting you do realise the enormous amount of renovation and upkeep that is ongoing (currently the Great East Window is removed for years of releading and cleaning) and I think £9 to visit the Minster and Chapter House was more than worth it.  We took advantage of one of the free guided tours, in a small group of 6, with one of the knowlegeable volunteer Minster guides.  This was brilliant for L, with lots of history, facts, figures and explanations about the stained glass windows...

                                           

                                                     The Great West Window known as 'Heart of Yorkshire'
                                       with the Semaphore Saints below

The Rose Window above the South Door
commemorating the union of York and Lancaster
and the start of the Tudor dynasty

Our 2 hour visit was also accompanied by the beautiful rehearsal of a choir and concert orchestra as there was  a Jubilee concert on Saturday night.

What a fantastic experience and very calming and uplifting it was too!

When we were soaked and in need of a hot chocolate we visited a little cafe behind the Minster on College Street; The Vanilla Cafe, where you can sit outside in Summer (haha if only) The sideways rain forced us inside - it's one of those places where you walk in and think 'oooh I wish this shop was mine!'

Illy coffee and Crystal teabags, homemade food and cakes, homemade cards, bunting and gifts...

Gorgeously decorated with floral wallpapers and green paint...

Vintage china for sale...

Even the loo had my favourite Cath Kidston wallpaper!

Good prices for a City Centre cafe too- there are a couple of additional rooms upstairs too with a sofa and lovely vintage floral pictures on the walls. Very nicely done. I will be back!

The Vanilla Cafe

Open every day from 10am

12 College Street

York YO1 7JF

~Photos from York Festival of Vintage~

Good job all the stalls at York's Festival of Vintage were tucked inside the race stands as it was a very wet weekend.  I did feel sorry for the owners of the vintage cars outside, who probably didn't get the attention they deserved, because of the rain.
I had a lovely day out with friends old and new, including meeting up with Sally from Poppycock blog (and Bob the bunny, of course.) Here are some photos of the stalls...


I so very nearly bought this pink wool blanket on the left (£12)



Bob The Bunny admires the vintage fabric on Sago Designs stall...
(You can now make your own Bob with one of Sally's lovely kits - see here)



Lovely Jubilee display by Living by Liz - I loved this stall.
Some people get it just right don't they?

This pretty stall had lots to look at too...

including vintage cosmetics, labels and packaging...

Vintage fashion show


There was a good mix of homewares, vintage clothing, reworked vintage, vintage inspired crafts, as well as bands, dancing and the excellent nostalgic collectors hall where it was a pleasure to meet Mrs Day, who is a member of a 1940s living history group called UK Homefront http://www.ukhomefront.co.uk/.  We had a nostalgic sniff of the carbolic soap and she let us in on some vintage and thrifty household cleaning tips.
I also bought some trimmings and buttons from the lovely Cool Crafting stall who had come all the way from Cumbria.  Have a look at their lovely website and blog http://www.coolcrafting.co.uk/
My last purchase was a spontaneous splurge on a gorgeous 1950s dress, which I am just carefully washing and pressing, so I'll share that next time...

~York Festival of Vintage weekend~

Image from http://www.festivalofvintage.co.uk/

It's nearly time for the Festival of Vintage!

I started blogging last May, just after this event and can't believe I now have 92 lovely followers and so many friendly and supportive folks 'out there'.  It's been a revelation to discover that I'm not actually that eccentric; there are lots of us vintage-lovers trying to live prettier, floral, simpler (and cheaper) lives. Thankyou all very much!
I had the most amazing day at this vintage fair last year, and am about to buy advance tickets for this year's event at York Racecourse Sat 28th and Sun 29th April. 

"Get dressed up in favourite vintage attire and step back in time to revel in the glamour and allure of the magical golden era as Festival of Vintage celebrates the sights and the sounds of the 1930’s through to the 1960’s. Visitors can enjoy a full festival of activity featuring Music, Dance, Fashion & Home & More for a true 20th century vintage experience. "

Read more about it here.  If any of you fellow Yorkshire (or nearby!) vintage-addicted bloggers would like to meet up in York, please do get in touch.

~The Queen in York~

Thanks to Grace, Sally, katie, Anne carly and jan for your lovely Welcome Back comments! I have really missed writing my blog and reading others.
Today we took the train into York (10 minutes from a nearby village) to see the Queen; who was attending York Minster as it's Maundy Thursday. Compared to yesterday's freezing temperature, rain and strong winds, Spring thankfully had returned today and York welcomed the Queen in all it's sunny Yorkshire glory! (I'm still a bit giddy I have to say).
We walked up to the Minster about 12.30pm, just as the service was ending, and took a place amongst the crowds near the Dean Court Hotel...

The sun was so warm it was a pleasure to be outside.  The Queen, Prince Philip and Princess Beatrice passed by on their way to lunch at The Mansion House...

We had a clear view, though the photos aren't great.

Me, L and J bumped into friend J, her son H and his friend F.

Then we walked to the Museum gardens buying a sandwich en route - in the sandwich shop a freelance journalist was editing his pictures and tape whilst scoffing a panini, so we had a little look at all his fantastic footage whilst we were queueing. The Queen was due to visit the Yorkshire Museum York 1212 exhibition at 2.30pm and we got a good sunny spot amongst a friendly crowd. 



Front of the Yorkshire Museum

 

Archbishop of York John Sentamu, and a glimpse of the Queen in a turquoise hat (left)



Then we had a lovely view of the Queen!



A once in a lifetime experience for us to see the

 Queen in Diamond Jubilee Year. 





~Aberford Interiors visit~

On the way back from visiting a friend, I called in at Aberford Interiors for what I call an inspirational mooch...( I was very good at sticking to my resolutions and didn't buy anything!)
It's an interiors shop I have visited many times over the last 10 years, and is a liitle too handy for me, being just 5 miles down the road in the pretty village of Aberford.  This is the lovely building it's housed in...

Aberford Interiors, Hicklam House, Aberford LS25 3DP
see here for location and opening times
(Image from Aberford Interiors website)

... the upstairs is a private residence, but downstairs the shop consists of an interesting warren of charming period showrooms and roomsets, including Neptune kitchens, Farrow & Ball, Emma Bridgewater, St Eval candles, Avoca linens, Betty Boyns textiles, Sophie Allport pottery and textiles, Garden Trading, Biggie Best lamps and cushions, glassware, Sophie Conran, and many more. They also have a few tables in the sunny front room where you can have tea, coffee and homemade cake whilst leafing through the pile of Country Living magazines.
There's also a new vintage section I discovered today, where I coveted this old French armchair recovered in Vanessa Arbuthnott fabric...

...out of my budget at £595, but gorgeous all the same.
There are also child and adult arts and crafts classes available in the art gallery area.  Well worth a visit if you're anywhere near - they are closed on Mondays but open the rest of the week.

~Onwards and Forwards~

The wind is howling and it's raining sidewards - weather my Nana would have described as 'filthy' - so J and I have not ventured out at all.  Yesterday was a different day completely - winter sun, cold, but not too chilly for a nice walk.  We went to nearby Temple Newsam - a Capability Brown-designed 18th century estate now owned by Leeds City Council. All four of us and Small Dog had a lovely walk through the muddy grounds and then on up to the house...

This photo spurs me on to lose some weight and get back cycling as my bum is beginning to slide down the back of my legs!

We took the tree and decorations down yesterday too as I'm back at work on Wednesday.
OH returned to work this morning, and daughter L went back to 6th Form college.  I did get up with them but then couldn't resist sneaking back to bed with a mug of tea and my February Country Life, which arrived this morning.  I was soon joined by J for a chat and a snuggle under the duvet. J's Primary School are not back until next Monday...
Sorry for the late post as my PC screen is playing up and other blogs haven't been loading properly, so I'm only just getting going and catching up with everyone else's news. Happy New Year to you all, and I do hope we all have a happy and healthy 2012. Blogging has been a therapeutic process for me so far and I hope it will continue to keep me cheery through my usual miserable months of January and February...
I am determined to keep the mantra 'onwards and forwards' in my head for the coming weeks. 

~It's Nearly Over For Another Year!~

Well, it's nearly New Year and all over again for another year!  Time to think ahead to 2012 and the joys and challenges it will bring. I need to really have a concerted effort to get back into my cycling and circuit training (cheap exercise, no need for expensive gym membership) as I've not exercised for a few weeks now due to my back  - and also not wanting to venture out of hibernation. 
We've had a busy family Christmas, very enjoyable with lovely get-togethers, food and drink; but now I need to *step away* from the Fox's biscuits, Christmas cake, cheese, Prosecco and sloe gin and consider my expanding waistline.
We've had more shopping in York, with time for China Rose Petal tea at Betty's...


Little Betty's in Stonegate, York

I've had a clearout of my wardrobe and drawers (destined for the Sue Ryder shop) and done a little bit -very minimal amount-  of sales shopping as I am not a big fan of malls/shopping centres and the bad-tempered crush that they bring.
Crafting wise, I am still knitting wristwarmers...the ones for my brother's partner were only finished late on Boxing Day prior to her visiting on the 27th.  How rubbish am I?
My current project is these lovely ones...


I'll show them when they're finished.
All that wishes is to say Happy New Year to you all and see you soon on the other side in 2012! I'm going to have a think as well about resolutions - I want to make some changes this year and am determined to be determined!

~Christmas Foodie Treats~

Just wanted to share a couple of my favourite foodie treats that I bought today for Christmas. I visited Tadcaster, North Yorkshire, where I love the Little Delicatessen, which stocks deli food, local produce and local brewery ales (Sam Smiths & John Smiths breweries are in Tadcaster).

This is so gorgeous if like me, you love cherries...

Organic cherry fruit beer.

I bought a few bottles as Christmas day table gifts. How lovely is the artwork on the label too?

And Tracklements Chilli Jam....

Despite making my own Chilli Jam, this was the first one I ever bought years ago, and it remains top of my list. See Tracklements range here. Here it is in front of my Kitsch kitchen Christmas tree, and yes I have already had a spoonful! Hopefully there'll be some left for Christmas Day!

The Little Delicatessen

3 High St

TADCASTER

LS249AP

United Kingdom

Tel: 01937 833244

~Fabric-ation Opening Night~

I was invited by Margaret from http://www.readyplanted.com/ to attend the opening night of Fabric-ation in Leeds, which has moved from near the Corn Exchange, to a retail unit on Kirkgate.  We were welcomed with mulled wine, and Margaret's beautiful floral creations were in evidence...


Gerbera & eucalyptus corsage



Eucalyptus Door Wreath

Fabric-ation is the brainchild of Dawn Wood, and is a social enterprise originally set up to support micro crafts businesses and offer craft classes, workspace for designer/makers, hen parties and corporate events in house, and outreach to disadvantaged groups. It is now expanding and evolving in the new premises on Kirkgate. Craft teachers can also hire the space to host classes.  Designer makers can rent some space in the new retail shop to work, and also sell their crafts and creations at reasonable rates plus a commitment to give some hours to work in the shop.  Dawn and her partner Andrew are an accomplished, creative and enthusiastic couple, also running their in-house companies Ages of Elegance, designing bespoke clothing and historical costume, and Military Metalwork, creating reproduction miltary regalia for museums, films and the armed forces.
Current designer makers in Fabric-ation include Jenny Dixon, fashion designer...

Butterfly Beaders for handcrafted beadwork and jewellery...
Missaic unique and bespoke commissioned mosaics crafted by Marlaina Davies.

Image from http://www.missaic.com/

And, of course, Margaret's flowers, arrangements, garden gifts and bespoke painted signs from Ready Planted.
Fabric-ation is also the home of the Leeds Fashion & Craft Network (www.facebook.com/LeedsFashionandCraftNetwork)
which is aimed at giving support and networking opportunities to micro-crafts businesses in the Leeds area.
Contact Fabric-ation on Leeds 0013 243 9140 or visit the website for details of classes.