Thursday 11 December 2014

Why Do Housework When You Can Shop For Antiques?

Why indeed.?
Even though my house was crying, no positively bellowing out for a clean I gave it not a backward glance.
I was up and off and out for a day of antique browsing, tea drinking and cake eating with my friends Simon and Liz.
We went to The Old Flight House at Weston on the Green. It's a fantastic place.

Very much like a lot of other antique centres out there it is made up of lots of small units within one larger building. The difference is The Old Flight House is really well laid out and beautifully displayed.
There really are prices to suit all budgets and it has a wonderful cafe with gorgeous hot and cold food and homemade cakes.

We had a blissful few hours browsing before tucking into freshly made baguettes and a naughty piece of cake that no one really had room for but it would have been rude not too eat.
 We decided for research purposes to try different ones each, and I can report that the fruit cake, coffee and walnut and chocolate fudge cake were all delicious.

There were a couple of things I wanted to buy so after we had eaten we went back round. Both Simon and Liz were left speechless by my memory skills as I whisked back through like an exocet missile with it's target lock on to the 3 different units that held the things I wanted.

This ability is what I call my 'shoppers recall' and it is a skill I have honed well over the years!

Like the good blogger I try to be, I took my camera with me, and below are some of the shots I took. I did get a couple of funny looks and one tut but such is the lot of a blogger.
I loved the top picture of Canterbury Bells but of course I took a completely shit picture of it with full glare on the glass *sigh*
A family of teapots.
A shocked beaver (fnar fnar)
I was fascinated by this bust. It was opaque glass and from this angle had such a gorgeous serene expression but from the front, and you might just be able to make it out on the neck in this shot, you could see inside was carved the skeletal spine and collar bones. Very bizarre.
Oh how I wish my bedroom looked like this! I have to say hooks on a picture rail is a damn good idea for handbag displaying, note to self.......
Just for Vix - Spot the poodle!
How ace is the kitty sign?
because no blog post from me is the same without an elephant.
This eland statue was gorgeous but sadly way, way way out of my price range.

So what did I buy?

I don't know if it is always the case but there were quite a few handmade Christmas decorations around and very good prices too.
I couldn't resist this felted snowman.
Or this lovely green necklace
Or this navy woven wicker handbag for my collection, and at £26 for all 3 items who could blame me?











10 comments:

  1. I love poking around places like this, especially when tea and cake are involved.
    You did well.
    x

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  2. I saw the poodle! What a cutie. Love those emporiums with a mix of sellers, there's loads more personality than a traditional antique shop which just reflects the owner's taste.
    Love the sgn, that clever Shaker type peg storage system and weird glass head and it sounds like it was good value for money, too. xxx

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  3. Hmmmm, that's not too far from me - I might have a trip out there one day. That Eland statue and coloured glass look beautiful. I love your attitude to housework.

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  4. Places like that are brilliant for shopping aren't they? Especially when you can find some great buys like you did.

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  5. Nice haul! You've got some great things there, and at a decent price.

    That beaver looks really startled. Poor old beaver!

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  6. Brilliant. I do love an Emporium. I reckon if we all lived closer and somewhere that wasn't Winchester, we could have a Blogger Emporium! Love the poodle and the startled beaver.
    Great haul...fab bag.
    xx

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  7. I've never seen such a startled beaver! I love it, ha! the glass bust is exquisite, I would have loved that! you are right to sod the housework off, a gorgeous day with cake and goodies is the right thing (like you I'm totally into the peg idea, it's brilliant) x x x

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  8. I completely relate to shopping for antique and vintage treasure being far more interesting and somehow more pressing than cleaning, it happens every weekend! I like those glass beads you bought, lovely colour x

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  9. Good shopping day! My house is a wreck right now, but I would leave it in a heartbeat to join friends for tea drinking and shopping!

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  10. A startled beaver and an opaque bust - it's all Carry On round here! Oh there's no contest, is there - housework or emporium browsing? Let me think... It looks like a cool place to shop, and I like Em's idea of a shared bloggers' emporium, wouldn't that be fun?! Gorgeous bag too, very you!
    PS. Your gift just arrived - you're so kind, thanks Gisela! It's under the tree, waiting for the Big Day. xxx

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