Something Beginning with 'B' (and CK)

It was my Birthday this weekend just gone and the family W made a bit of a weekend of it. On Friday we travelled down to stay with friends just outside Bridport; we had just the loveliest time, being fed to bursting point with all of my favourite foods (the belly of pork with crackling was quite possibly the best I have ever tasted) and nattering to our hearts content. Not to mention the handmade birthday cake which was awaiting our arrival.

On the Saturday morning I was even lucky enough to have a little while wandering round the vintage/textile fair going on in St Mary's Hall, having found out it was on from reading the Vintage to Victorian blog.

Sunday morning (my actual birthday) saw us take our leave from our dearest friends GR & GG, and head up to Mum's in Bristol. I was then taken out to lunch at Hotel du Vin - yet another food-based treat. Lunch was delicious (and I chose belly of pork, again), and the building was a lovely conversion of the old Sugar House. We were there for nearly three hours in all, taking our time over lunch and then relaxing on the squishy sofas in the bar area. Bliss.
The rest of the afternoon/evening was spent at Mum's house where I was surprised with a birthday cake and was then able to cross-stitch away whilst watching the Antiques Roadshow - rock and roll!

Monday morning we headed over to Bath for the annual Christmas Market. After finally hunting down a parking space, we spent about 4 hours wandering round the stalls and shops, with a couple of stops for coffee to fortify ourselves and warm up (by golly, it was chilly.)Then, finally, we made our weary way home where I was greeted with lots of lovely pressies.

Arthur surprised me with two lovely gifts; surprising a) because he spent his pocket money on them, apparently, and I didn't even know he got pocket money and surprising b) because for one so young, he chose such fabulous things. I think the Ladbird Shopping With Mother notebook is my absolute favourite gift of all.
Hubby bought me the most excellent pine shelf which I had spotted in the antiques shop in Henley and had been umming and ahhing over. I was also lucky enough to get a new Cath purse from sister-in-law and a new (old) Cath bag from mother-in-law in the green spot oilcloth that I love - the bag is in the older shade that you can't get in the shops anymore.Not to mention plenty of other wonderful things. Deserving of a mention I think is the Knitted Icons book which you can just see the spine of next to the Emma Bridgwater tin - I shall soon be able to knit my very own Gandhi, Mr T, Madonna, and many, many more... Watch this space.