Ford Car Boot, Brighton Nostalgia,Victorian Bamboo & a walk through Arundel
Good Monday Morning
from
Arundel Eccentrics
Another weekend flew by,
but I enjoyed it.
I hope yours was good.
My chum Allie and I went down to Ford Car boot sale.
For anyone who hasn't been,
it's on every Saturday,
and well worth travelling a few miles for.
If you stall out I think you need to arrive at
silly o'clock.
I know friends who sit in the line from about 03.30 hrs
when its high season.
Sometimes they STILL haven't got a stall.
Brrrrrr it was extremely cold, but beautifully sunny.
I borrowed the lovely husband's duvet type coat and not a draught came through.
I have a feeling my son Jay sent it to him from the US ,...I might beg him to send me one also.
Jay, if you're reading this........................Ha Ha only joking
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| stallholders were in the festive mood |
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| You can get some lovely coffee at some of the stands |
I had a meeting with a friend/ dealer who had some Victorian Bamboo for me...so I was very happy with my trip. She had a great Victorian Bamboo bookcase for me in great need of some TLC
We all sat in the sunshine on the tail gate of her friends van, and drank coffee
Affectionately called " The Sofa", it was surprisingly comfortable and the guys were
extremely entertaining.
They also do house clearance so will be looking out for me,for, as they said
" The Old Bamboo "
I haven't seen this sight for some while,
a field full of swans
down at Ford.
Was glad I had my camera, but I couldn't get too close without disturbing them.
In the afternoon I went over to Brighton, where I was brought up, and where I still have family.
Went to visit my aunt and walk on
Brighton's race hill
with
Biddy and Flossie here..
Brighton's race hill
with
Biddy and Flossie here..
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| the light was stunning I was so glad I had my camera |
My aunt.....
she is my oldest friend.
My Mum, bless her
waited 17 years for a sister.
My Nan kept producing sons,
albeit lovely sons,
whom she still adored,
whom she still adored,
but she was so desperate
for a little sister.
By the time the sister
came along,
came along,
Mum was almost engaged
and leaving home.
and leaving home.
So, my aunt and I were
nearer in age and somewhere
along the line,
probably when I
was in my teens,
we became the best of friends.
nearer in age and somewhere
along the line,
probably when I
was in my teens,
we became the best of friends.
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| Oh to be 17 again! |
Prior to that,
I have snatched recollections
of her feeding me "rainbow drops"
I have snatched recollections
of her feeding me "rainbow drops"
(remember those?)
and teaching us kids to make toffee apples
in our kitchen in Woodingdean, in Brighton.
Once I was grown up,
and I use the term loosely,(ha ha)
we were great buddies,
and saw each other
through some pretty catastrophic,
and saw each other
through some pretty catastrophic,
but equally, euphoric times, as well.
This is the work my exceedingly
clever aunty does.
In the 1960's she trained at
Brighton Art College
and later worked for grandad,
her father,
her father,
who was a well known
furniture restorer in Brighton.
furniture restorer in Brighton.
She does the most beautiful
hand painted work.
hand painted work.
Chinoiserie is one her of specialities,
which I wouldn't even attempt.
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| chinoiserie on a 19th century bamboo table |
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| Noah's Ark on a 19th century chest Clever girl hey? |
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| The cat escaping from the new puppy in the house |
We visit the cemetery in
Woodingdean
and go for a
walk to chat and remember all those
dear to us that are no longer around.
No really,
it's never maudlin.
We laugh hysterically at some of the old family tales.
Shed a small tear occasionally.
Hug each other and
vow to meet more often.
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| Biddy and Flossy our walking companions. |
My visits to Brighton
always make me feel nostalgic ...
childhood memories come flooding back.
When I was 13,
I was in love
with a 17 year
old mod from up the road.
In secret, I used to stand
on the toilet and gaze misty eyed
out the of the bathroom window
to watch him drive up and down the
road on his silver lambretta.
Oh! the ecstasy when I jumped off the school bus one day,
in the middle of a bitterly cold winter and there he was.
I was in my Convent Girl school uniform,
he on his lambretta wearing his parka.
"Can I borrow your scarf, its freezing on here?"
Oh joy...I could barely contain myself.
Just as the scarf was in place,
wound neatly around the neck
of my dreamboat,
from across the road,
screamed my mother's dulcet tones.
"Get that scarf off yer greasy neck"
Oh the mortification of it all!
I blushed, he blushed, then he quickly rode off on his scooter and I
stood in the middle of the road gazing misty eyed after him.
Unrequited teenage lurve.
ha ha.
Memories are great sometimes
aren't they?
I had a lovely walk
on Sunday morning
through
Arundel
and along the road
to the Black Rabbit,
returning along
the river bank.
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| Outside Pallants in Arundel High Street |
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| Arundel High Street with all the Christmas Trees going up on the shops. |
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| The new Arundel Museum is coming along |
What a beautiful town Arundel is.
Its STILL such a joy even after having lived here so many years.
Then it was back to the studio and on with the Bamboo furniture
Oh by the way,
I will be doing some taster
painting courses after Christmas.
At the moment I do a full day
lunch.... glass wine for £95.
You would get a small item of furniture finished or almost so.
Some people just want to learn the techniques,
so we will be doing,
.....still full days
but on boards,
rather than furniture,
and they are going to be
£45
More about that tomorrow
Have a great day.
www.arundeleccentrics.com
arundel.eccentrics@sky.com
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