Nunney Street Market and Fayre

The Times newspaper described the Nunney Street Market and Fayre as one of  “the village fêtes and fayres to be seen at this summer" and having visited yesterday I can say I wholeheartedly agree!

Now in its 36th year, Nunney fayre with its live music, food and over 120 stalls attracted thousands of visitors.

The theme this year was Classic Motor Sports with a display of vintage and classic cars and an exhibition of trophies, photos and memorabilia. But the Classic cars were just a small part of the overall day and visitors were spoilt for choice.

Morris Men, Chester’s magical show time, live music and stalls selling everything from collectibles, plants, books, jewellery, candles, fashion, toys, food, gadgets and many other interesting and desirable things kept the crowds happy. There were also plenty of things to keep the children entertained including a funfair and bouncy castle.

There were arts and crafts in the village hall and a wonderful selection of sandwiches and cakes in the church.  Eating cake and drinking tea sitting in a church pew was quite a novel experience and one I hope to repeat next year.  

Nunney is a village on the border of Somerset and Wiltshire, to the East of the Mendip Hills near Frome. Dominated by its 14th century castle (now managed by English Heritage) it’s a village of pretty cottages, small streets, a stream and a beautiful old church.

The picturesque moated castle was built in the 1370s by Sir John de la Mere, a local knight who was beginning to enjoy royal favour. Extensively modernised in the late 16th century, the castle was held for the King during the Civil War, but quickly fell to Parliamentarian cannon in 1645: not until Christmas Day 1910, however, did the gun-damaged portion of the wall finally collapse.
If you are interested in finding out more about Nunney a visit to the Nunney Village Website is a good place to start.

There are lots of photographs of this years fayre at Terry Fisher Photography



Next year’s fayre will be held on the 4th August (2012) and I urge you to put the date in your diary and visit if you can.

Auction fever?

During a visit to Lawrence auctioneers at the end of July I was surprised by the stir caused when lot number 3170 (Collinson Admiral Sir Richard. Journal of H.M.S Enterprise) came under the hammer.  During the viewing I had given the lot no more than a cursory glance being far more interested in several lots of children’s books so when it sold for more than £17,000 I was just a little curious! A report in today’s paper has finally satisfied my curiosity…

Ironically it was a book printed within the Arctic Circle in 1853 that drew the hottest bids. No fewer than eight collectors booked telephone lines to bid for the slim 24-page pamphlet detailing events aboard Admiral Collinson's HMS Enterprise during its search for Sir John Franklin's tragic lost 1850 expedition to find the elusive North West Passage. Printed on board the Enterprise by the ship's coxswain Henry Hester on thin sheets of green Chinese paper, the booklet was tucked inside another book printed in 1889. "It is not only a very rare book but it was in exceptional condition," said Rose. "It might not have been touched for 120 years." After some spirited bidding and some determined perseverance above £10,000, the lot was bought for £17,920 to yield the day's highest price.

Friday afternoon treat - The story without an end

The story without an end From the German of Carove translated by Sarah Austen, published in 1872.

I’ve just catalogued this and thought it would be nice to share some of the beautiful illustrations with you.  There are fifteen chromolithographs by E.V.B ( The Hon. Eleanor Vere Boyle, British Artist, 1825-1916)  plus a sepia frontispiece and black/white title vignette and line drawn tailpieces.








The handsome upper cover has double black rules enclosing a gilt design of a dragonfly in a spider's web with a border of ivy leaves and butterflies. Title in gilt to front and spine and all page edges gilt.

 







Sarah Austin's translation of Carove's story is full of talking flowers, butterflies, bees and will-o'-the wisps. The child in the story is awakened by the rays of the sun and the song of the birds and learns about life through flowers, animals and even a drop of water.

Further Details
How about you - do you like this style of illustration?




The story without end is now sold, thank you for your interest.

Added Value: Things found in books part five - To My Valentine

To My Valentine!

Post card sent on the 13th February, 1927 to Master B Carden, Tonbridge, Kent. Halfpenny stamp - no message.

Postcard - To My Valentine is now sold, thank you for your interest.

Found in Widdershins Crescent by John Rowe Townsend.
Widdershins Crescent is now sold, thank you for your interest.

If you enjoy old bookmarks a visit to Forgotten Bookmarks is a must

How about you?  What do you use as a bookmark?

Come to the Circus - Enid Blyton

"Ladies and Gentlemen - welcome to Mr. Carl Crack's Grand Circus. On with the SHOW!" And then, tumbling over and over, came the clowns and Mr. Wriggle the acrobat, Mrs. Connie and her monkeys, Mr. Holla and his two chimpanzees, looking very fine in circus clothes. Mr. Tiny and the the three elephants, Uncle Ursie and the bears, Willie and Cackles - the whole string of circus performers, dressed in their finest clothes, bowing and smiling, yelling delightedly at all the shouts and claps and stamps of applause. Yes, the circus had begun!

Come to the Circus! Pg. 62
By Enid Blyton

Book now sold, thanks for looking.

Book of the week - The world of Christopher Robin

This weeks book of the week is a beautiful edition of The world of Christopher Robin - containing 'when we were very young' and 'now we are six' witten by A. A. Milne with decorations and illustrations by E. H. Shepard. Published by Methuen in 1959.

‘In some way the name of Christopher Robin has caught the fancy of children, ’ wrote A. A. Milne, ‘and the child to whom it belongs has always been identified with the two books of verse into which, his name (actually) so seldom comes.’ Indeed, for millions of children and their parents, ‘Christopher Robin’ has meant the two classics When we were very young and Now we are six, and the very personal world of childhood conjured up by E. H. Shepard’s drawings. All the verses and the pictures are here collected into one book, and Mr. Shepard has added eight new illustrations in colour as well.

From - Now we are six

There’s sun on the river and sun on the hill …
You can hear the sea if you stand quite still!
There’s eight new puppies at Roundabout Farm –
And I saw an old sailor with only one arm!

There’s wind on the river and wind on the hill …
There’s a dark dead water-wheel under the mill!
I saw a fly which had just been drowned –
And I know where a rabbit goes into the ground!

From - When we were very young

Has anybody seen my mouse? 
I opened his box for half a minute, Just to make sure he was really in it, and while I was looking, he jumped outside!

I tried to catch him, I tried, I tried … I think he’s somewhere about the house.

Has anyone seen my mouse?