Shepton Mallet Flea Bounty

This past weekend my darling boys were away visiting Grandma and Grandad, so I had three lovely days all to myself. I started off Friday afternoon with a little trip to our village tearoom for a hot chocolate and a read of a magazine, all the while pondering how on earth I was going to fill all this free time...

Saturday morning dawned drizzly and overcast but, luckily, by the time Mum and I headed off to a nearby village for their annual May Fair the sun had got his hat on (but so had the wind.)

My tombola ticket-picking hand was clearly, erm, *blessed* and I came away with a mini can of Tonic Water (perfect for hubby as he does like a G&T) and a Fruit Shoot (which I'm sure DC will take one swig of and then leave.) The cake stall yielded a lemon drizzle and from the 'all sorts of everything' stall I purchased an Emma Bridgewater 'hearts and flowers' tin (in the dishwasher when I took this photo) and a new place mat for DC, except he doesn't like it because the birds are "silly". Le sigh. Perhaps if I tell him they are actually Power Rangers disguised as birds he'll have a rethink.

 Mum and I then popped in to Ilminster for a bit of a wander and a coffee/cake break. While we were in the cafe a couple of local Town Criers popped in, as you do; left me wondering if there's a collective noun for Town Criers - a ding-dong? A yell?

On Sunday morning I took myself off to the Bath and West Showground for the Shepton Mallet Giant Flea and Collectors Market. This is held seven or eight times a year, but it seems to be an annual event in this house, as I notice the last time we went was this time last year.

I got there nice and early (c.9.45am - it opens at 9.30am), only to be confronted by this huuuuge queue; the ticket office is in the white building that you can juuuuust about see at the far end of the road. Actually, it wasn't too bad since it moved fairly quickly and as I had a magazine handy I was well-prepared for such an eventuality.

This was the first stall I came to, and there were plenty of lovely things I wanted almost immediately.

Inlcuding this first aid box which I really ummed and ahhed over. However, being a great believer in fate I decided to wait to see if it was still there once I'd had a bit more of a look round.

Same went for this lamp.

Luckily we already have a sledge or I'd have been very tempted by this one. DC would look quite the dashing vintage boy sledding down the hills surrounding our village on his Flexible Flyer III.

I contemplated this for our new chimney breast (about which I will tell you, one day). But the £100+ price tag was a little higher than I wanted to pay, considering we had seen a mirror we liked at a car boot sale for just £15 (but which we didn't buy as it would have been too heavy to mount on plasterboard.)

Lovely botttles, jars and wooden crates.

Mirror, mirror on the floor.

The vintage 'Christmas Dressing' was tempting.

And if you ever need a bucket/barrel, this is the place for you.

It was lucky that DC wasn't with me or there may have been tears when I refused to let him buy a real sword to go with his ever-growing pretend sword collection.

Anyone want a pet? Very easy to look after, doesn't eat much.

So, what did I end up buying?

Well, as luck would have it, when I went back after nearly four hours the first aid box was still there (the lamp had just sold.) I did wonder if that meant it wasn't any good, since no-one else had snatched it up.

But a little bit of TLC should see it right as rain and hanging in the bathroom.

I also acquired this little pot, just because I like the shape.

Contents not included. Luckily.

Although I'm sure they would have done DC the world of good.

An old chemistry lab bottle.

Again, a little bit of a clean-up and I thought this would make a nice little vase.

And last but not least, a very patriotic purchase.

Please be upstanding for the Union Jack.

And I believe in this instance I can call it a Union Jack rather than a Union Flag as it came from a boat; although having just Googled it I've come across this:

"in 1902 an Admiralty Circular announced that Their Lordships had decided that either name could be used officially. Such use was given Parliamentary approval in 1908 when it was stated that "the Union Jack should be regarded as the National flag". Source.

The plan is to hang it in DC's bedroom. One day. When I get round to it. In the meantime it can be added to the list of jobs to do.

Oh, and just out of interest, the meat safe that we bought at the Flea Market last year that just needed "a rub over with a bit of wire wool or a wire brush and then a lick of paint"; yes, well, it's still sitting in the garage in the same state as when we bought it...