Thursday 15 April 2010

Thursday Snippets

Here's my delightful purchase from Totnes, last Friday!
A little, vintage rug from Amanda!
It's ideal for my small porch....just the right colours and in perfect condition.




I also found these pretty plates in the Totnes flea market...for a snip!






And this pretty plate stand in 'This 'n That. '


Pretty pleased with my purchases ?
I should say so!

Meanwhile...
Yesterday, I put on my best clobber and ventured to the local garden centre...
Jack's Patch.


As you can see , the housework has played havoc with my hands, just lately and I really must seek out a manicure!
But what fun it is to dress up for outings !

I strolled around with Master Snippets , who had the day off .
He has developed the gardening bug ... and can't shake it off !

A peaceful stroll around the spring flowers was just what I needed.


Of course it didn't take me long to find something that I wanted...!!!


The Magnolia, nearby, was beautiful .
Splashes of colour everywhere.


And now I have some lessons, this morning...and the rest of the day free to
play with some very lovely fabric, which came my way this week and some of which will be going in my shop later on!
Have a great day everyone!
;-)

Tuesday 13 April 2010

Paignton on Saturday


'Kiss me quick hats', candy floss, amusement arcades, the pier and a sandy beach with glorious views across the bay...Tor Bay that is!

I give you ....Paignton.


Ten minutes on the train for us...or 3 hours by road!! You think I jest?!!
Well, maybe that's a slight exaggeration... but for us, getting to Torquay or Paignton, by car, from now until the late autumn , can be a nightmare.


Paignton has not altered much since I was a child, although sadly one or two of the more 'classy' shops have disappeared.
It's a typical seaside town with oodles of very tacky 'grock shops' (as we call them )... and lots of noise!


'Grocks' or 'Grockles' ...yes, our name for the holidaymakers!
For a good part of the year, we live alongside them... or learn to avoid them!
Torbay is a grock trap and we grumble like hell about them...but
we need them because the tourist industry is vital to South Devon .



So, on the plus side, it keeps many in employment.
On the not so plus side...it keeps our water rates high and our roads jam packed!


Living near a main line station is a bonus and we let the train take the strain whenever we can!
The train arrives right in the middle of Paignton town centre, so you are there in an instant and this means that you can make a very quick getaway when you have had enough ...which will probably be sooner rather than later!!


However, look beyond the grock goodies and you will see an interesting town with some lovely architecture. People tend to forget that when they are queueing for their ice creams or shoving their pennies into slot machines.

'Look up ' is my motto!

Paignton has a strange appeal.


I love these candy coloured houses...mostly B&B accommodation.

You can take a lovely walk from the station to the harbour and then back to the pier,


Overlooking the beach, is this imposing Victorian building with its impressive and distinctive doric columns and commanding view of the bay. It was built as a Gentlemen's Club in 1884 and today it is just that!

Pretty little touches dotted here and there.



A lovely bit of thatch ...above not below...I mean have you ever seen a thatched pier?!!! LOL

;-)


Ah Paignton Pier!

Paignton Pier was opened in 1879 having been constructed by Mr. Hyde Dendy.

Apparently, he also introduced the first bathing machines to Paignton, in the days when bathing was segregated!



Paignton is not everyone's cup of tea!
However, I really did quite enjoy our walk around Paignton and we ended up in a very pleasant tea shop on the Torbay Road.
A tea shop which had a rather unusual piece of history inside...


It makes very interesting reading...if you have the time!






See you again soon, Paignton...and I will definitely be travelling by..

Sunday 11 April 2010

Do you ever get bored with Totnes? I hope not ! ;-)



Here's part two of the Totnes experience!
'This 'n That' is quite an experience... as many of you might have heard!

It always wins the 'Sal's Snippets prize' for the smallest shop packed with the most number of wonderful vintage and retro goodies.
It's your journey into the past without having to open any history books!
See what Lesley has on offer...





Well that was Friday!
Lunch in The Seven Stars finished it off nicely , thank you...
And just when I thought that we'd spend a quiet Saturday at home...we did something on impulse, jumped on a train and went ten minutes down the line ...here's a clue!

We went grockle hunting!!
More of that next time.... I have a garden to deal with today!
;-)