Friday 5 July 2013

From 'Crikey it's Vintage' in Exeter to Canterbury Cathedral via Belgium!

Please indulge me for a minute or two while a share a few holiday snaps.  

Our trip started at the 'Crikey its Vintage' fair held at Killerton House, a National Trust property in Exeter. With fashion shows, sixty stalls of vintage and retro fashion, classic car displays, food, drink and music it was a real festival for nostalgia.

Crikey! it's Vintage. Visit the website

Books, flowers, pretty lamp shades – I love vintage fairs!

Then it was on to Buscot Park in Oxfordshire the home of Lord Faringdon now owned by the National Trust. 
The Gardens at Buscot Park. Visit the website

Next stop Hungerford in Berkshire to visit the Best Antiques Centre in the U.K (according to the BBC Homes & Antiques Magazine). We also visited Freeman’s Marsh home to many wild birds, plants and animals.

Hungerford Arcade. Visit the website

Hungerford Arcade

A mummy duck and her well camouflaged brood at Freeman's Marsh. Visit the website

From Hungerford, it was on to Chartwell the family home of Britain's wartime Prime Minister Sir Winston Churchill. Much of Chartwell remains as it was during Winston Churchill’s life, with pictures, books and personal mementoes evoking the wide-ranging interests of a great statesman. The gardens reflect his love of the landscape and are a testament to the creativity of Lady Churchill.


Chartwell - home to Sir Winston Chruchill. Visit the website

One of my favourite pictures from the gardens at Chartwell

Next stop Ashford and a quick trip by Eurostar to Belgium where Terry and I celebrated our 43rd wedding anniversary. 

Celebrating in Brussels! Rather an odd angel but I think it sort of works. 
Note the spotty handbag in the left hand corner, I’ve been coveting a Kath Kidston bag for ages but didn’t want to pay £65 so was delighted to find this ‘look-alike’ in a small shop in Hungerford priced at £28.

La Grand-Place, Brussels a Unesco World Heritage Centre. Visit the website

I couldn't resist this photograph of four friends enjoying a chat amidst the splendour of La Grand-Place.

Just one of the many flea and antique's markets held in Brussels. I’m sure there are treasures to be found here if you know what you are looking for.

Another day and another train trip. This time to Bruges where it’s Christmas all year round.  

Bruges was damp and cold but still beautiful. Can you spot the little dog? He spent the entire day inside the carriage drivers handbag!

We spent five days in Belgium before returning to Ashford and then on to Canterbury for one last night before returning home.
A view of Canterbury with the cathedral in the background.

A pretty jug on a table in the garden of The Old Weaver's Restaurant. Old Weaver's House is situated on the banks of the River Stour with a view of the boats and a ducking stool!

Apparently, the original ducking stool (long since replaced) was used extensively during the middle ages. Nagging wives were given a quick dip paid for by long suffering husbands. Cheating businessmen were ducked into the water in front of a baying crowd and then forced to leave the city. Most famously it was used to determine if the person in the chair was a witch. Any woman accused of witchcraft would be placed in the chair and submerged in the river for 2-3 minutes. If she survived this lengthy ducking, then clearly she was a witch and would be burned at the stake. If she died after being submerged, her family would receive an apology from the Church, and she would be given a Christian burial. The second scenario was obviously the best outcome, but it was death either way for anyone accused of witchcraft! 

Thanks for taking the time to look at my holiday snaps. I hope to catch up with all my favourite blogs in the next few days.

32 comments:

  1. How I love fairs whether they be at home or away. Loving your photos, a happy anniversary to you and Mr March House.

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    1. Hi Tracy, thanks for your good wishes - I've passed them on to Mr. March House. I love that title, but I'm not so sure how Terry feels about it! The staff at our local post office call us the Mad March Hares - they say it's because it's an easy way to remember us - but I'm not so sure!! Barbara

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  2. Wonderful photos, Barbara -- looks like you had a fantastic time! I'd love to go to an antique/vintage fair as I've never been to one (or an auction, for that matter!). xx

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    1. Hi Sophie, you should give it a try. I'm sure you would love it. Vintage fairs are a great place to start as there is just so much variety. Auctions are fun, but they can get a bit tedious if you are bidding on lots at the start and at the end. I always wish they would put all the books in one part of the auction rather than scatter them throughout.
      Thanks for your visit, Barbara.

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  3. Hello Barbara! I see you had wonderful holidays! Very nice and interesting places to visit... That photo of the flea market in Brussels make me want to watch carefully everything and, of course, buy something. Happy anniversary!
    So nice you are back to blogging, I was missing your lovely books and posts.
    Besos!

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    1. Thank you Silvina, I appreciate your lovely comment.
      We had seen the flea markets on TV so it was really nice to be able to visit them in person. There was so much to look at it was difficult to know where to start. I’m sure you would really enjoy it.

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  4. Welcome home, dear Barbara! I have missed your lovely posts...First of all, 'Happy belated wedding anniversary'! WOW You celebrated in real style...Brussels looks beautiful and reminded me a little of our only trip away together ( with out children) to Prague.It was Christmas time and the markets and stalls were wonderful! We also had to take a ride on the beautiful horse and trap, Ooh couldn't miss this! Complete with fake fur rug! hehe! I would have been simply delighted to visit all those wonderful vintage fairs! Would have come home all spent up though!!! Barbara Thank you for taking the time to catch up with us all on here! Your comments mean the world, because they are always soooo kind! Enjoy this weekend! We are going to be basking in a heat wave I believe! Yipppe! Hugs Maria x

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    1. Thank you Maria it’s always a treat to hear from you, and I’m really pleased to know you enjoyed the ‘photos. I smiled at your comment about fake fur rugs – they had them in Bruges too – how funny! Mind you, they needed them as it was absolutely freezing. I did buy one or two nice things at the antique's fairs. could I resist??? The heat wave has arrived – yippee! I’m just going to answer one or two more comments, and then it’s time for the garden. Barbara xxxxx

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  5. DARLING BARBARA!

    First of all, if I missed any posts of yours it is because I am out of town. I am visiting family in the state of California and I do have my computer, but I have limited time on it...I LOVE THIS POST. I saw that you visited me, and thank you KINDLY!!!!!

    What can I say about the thrilling images here? Every single one from the wares of antiques to the horse-drawn carriage (I SEE THE LITTLE DOG!) to Sir Winston Churchill's home....enchanting, fantastic, so lovely.

    Sending you fond wishes for yet another fabulous summer day! Anita

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    1. And I’ve missed you too, Anita! It’s lovely to be back among so many good friends. It’s sweet of you to take the time to comment while visiting family, thank you so much for that.

      I’m glad you spotted the little dog – he was so well-behaved and quite comfy in his owner's handbag.

      The sun is shining, and the sky is a perfect shade of blue. I hope it’s the same for you dear Anita. Enjoy your time with your family. Barbara xxxx

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  6. Sounds like you had a wonderful time! I do love Belgium... I must save up to go again :)

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    1. Hi Nikki-ann, we did have a wonderful time, thank you. It was our first visit to Belgium but like you; we would like to go again one day. xx

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  7. Happy anniversary Barbara,
    you seem to have had an amazng time.
    I truly love all your images xx

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    1. Thank you Yvonne, it's hard to believe we've been married for 43 years. I have no idea where all those years have gone! I always worry about putting holiday photos on so it's lovely to know you enjoyed them. xxx

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  8. Happy Anniversary!! Oh what a lovely trip and a sighting of one of Fiona's relatives on the cart. So cute. I'd be shopped out after all the lovely places....get some rest. Gorgeous photos and thanks for sharing!

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    1. Hello Eve, A Fiona look-alike, how funny, I hadn’t thought of that until you pointed it out! We were so impressed at how well behaved that little dog was.
      We are shopped out and tired out, but it was a lovely trip, and we came home with tons of happy memories. xx

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  9. Happy Anniversary, Barbara :)
    Sounds like you had a fabulous trip. Loved seing the photos. The vintage fair looked like fun, and I'm sure there were lots of little treasures to find there :)

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    1. Thank you, Hilde. It was a fantastic trip, and we did have a fabulous time. You would love the vintage fairs and would probably find all the treasures we missed! xx

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  10. A belated Happy Anniversary and what a way to spend it,terrific! I would really like to visit these flea markets abroad, they always look so much more interesting than ours, or is it a case of 'the grass is always greener' x

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    1. Thanks Suzy! I’ve always felt like that but in the end, I felt a little out of my depth. There were just so many things I didn’t recognise! But, it was a lot of fun, and I would like to go again. xx

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  11. Hi Barbara! Congrats on your Anniversary, what a fabulous trip you had! Love your gorgeous photos of the gardens and the vintage fairs. It is a lovely time of year for getting out and about!

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    1. Thanks Diane! It really was a great trip, not much of a rest but loads seen and done! I’m glad you enjoyed the ‘photos. It’s another glorious day, so I may have to treat myself to tea and cake in the garden soon!

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  12. Barbara, love your trip! The vintage fairs, flea markets, Hungerford Arcade and the Kath Wohlfahrt look amazing. Hope you and Terry had the grandest wedding anniversary. And hey, you take wonderful pictures, you know?

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    1. Oh thanks Claudine, you do say the nicest things! I came to visit you the other day, but you were busy writing, so I gave you a little wave and clicked on to my next favourite blog. I will call again in a week or two. xx

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  13. As always your site is well worth a visit, content, photo's and illustrations are great, love it. Well what to say about Crikey! What a great tonic she would be, if she just sat upon my knee! congratulations on a good post well done: Agman

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    1. Thanks for making me smile Agman! I’m sure she would be delighted to sit upon your knee! Barbara.

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  14. I love, love, love these pictures. I feel like I got to travel a bit with you. Canterbury looks beautiful! Thank goodness the ducking stool is no longer used. My heart goes out to all those who were accused of witchcraft. Lose, lose for sure!

    Glad you had a nice vacation and welcome home. :)

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    1. Hello Stephanie, thank you for saying you enjoyed the pictures; I always get a lot of pleasure from sharing them. I was surprised to see the stool (or at least a replica) still in place, but I guess it helps to attract tourists. I’m so glad the practice died out!

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  15. I loved this post. I wish we had these around here. How fun. I can imagine you'd want to linger for hours just looking at all the wonderful buys.
    I enjoyed the history of the dunking stool, but imagine having to die by being drowned or set on fire. Yet, it was so interesting to read about.

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  16. Hello Donna, I can’t think of anything worse! I’ve had a fear of fire since I was very tiny, we had a chimney fire that caught the roof beams alight, and I can still remember the sounds and the smells, and it terrifies me to this day. Mind you drowning would be no better! Thank goodness times have changed.
    Thanks for calling in I’m glad you enjoyed the pictures.

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I really appreciate your comment. Thank you!
Barbara xx