Another Week - More Boots

Another week has flown by. Two boot sales today- one at Weaverham and the other at Verdin Park. They were just queuing up to go into the High School as we arrived so I guesss they were a bit late starting. By the time we found a parking space the Q had trickled down and lots of the stalls had set up. I found a couple of DVD's one of which was Chumps At Oxford with Laurel & Hardy plus a few other shorts. Nice cleaned up copy - digitally enhanced with colour if you want it - I don't!
Hazel found a few old tatty packets of fuses, bulbs and nick-nacks for her blog.
Then to Verdin which was very quiet and no bargains atall. Hazel took Audrey later when she had woken up.
This is a collage for Scrapiteria - the latest theme being "Found". Most of my collage material is "found" in some way or other so quite an easy challenge. This old packaging from a bird feeder has been knocking around on my work table for a while now and so nice to be able to use it at long last.

Anderton Boot

I seem to have missed a whole week again.
Went to Anderton boot sale today which is a dozen or so stalls , some inside a community hall. Got some frames for Audrey who has given me some ofher watercolours to mount and put under glass for the church art and craft exhibition soon. Also two DVD's including The Seige with Bruce Willis which looks awful but was only 50p.
Hazel bought some old tools including calipers, a automatic centre punch and some dividers. They were a bit rusted up but a soaking in oil freed them up again.
We tried to find the boot at Cuddington but got a bit lost and came home again as I had an appointment at the hospital - another scan. I had to drink a pint of water before leaving so was bursting by the time we got there! Thankfully the scan only took 10 minutes.
Yesterday I walked to town and back as it was such a nice day - the whole weekend has been great, a real indian summer.
The Age Concern shop had it's annual "All You CAn Stuff In A Bag For A Pound" days and so I did just that like all the other vultures who descended on the place! I got a few bargains but mostly rubbish like some terrible japanese anime cartoons on DVD - from the 70's I should think. Also a big pile of birthday and xmas cards to collage over. Plus a book about Beachcomber - the humourous writer from the 30's and 40's.

Willow Pool

Hazel and I drove over to the Willow Pool Garden Centre near Lymm yesterday which was a treasure trove of old junk and rusty stuff as well as duck ponds, pots, fountains and topiary. Quite a maze to wander through and all seemd housed in once was an old fairground. Booths full of antiques and reproductions of antiques, flower pots, gargoyles and fallen angels. There was a cafe too with lots of individual huts and gazebos to sit in. A fascinating place to wander and take photos, of which I took many. (Go to Flickr to see them.)

We didnt buy anything as most of the stuff was expensive or else the price label had rotted away.
Drove back via Lymm and got a bit lost. Ended up at another garden centre at High Legh. This was a duller place though large. We used there fascilities and bought a drink and some biscuits. Hazel bought some bulbs for the Spring.
Last night we watched a second rate Hitchcock film called "Torn Curtain"- an unlikely tale about spies in East Berlin with Paul Newman and Julie Andrews who I couldnt take seriously in a role like that. It was two hours long too!
This morning we were up early for the boot sale at Hartford. Got there as they were all queued up to go in at 8. Had to wait for them to set up their tables and unload their wares. Hazel bought a big ol' tin trunk , a cast iron stool and a long framed mirror. Also a fez for Archie but he'll probably not wear it. The man on the stall did a belly dance for us which was a little alarming first thing in the morning!
I got a DVD by Dylan Moran who made me laugh when he was in Black Books. Not seen much of his stand-up show so this should be interesting.

Catching Up

I seem to have neglected my blog what with one thing and another - so heres a brief catch up of all thats been going on.
Firstly these are images of some of the amazing match box labels we bought at the annual matchbox labellists ( there's a special name but can't think what it is? ) fair at the Memorial Hall in Northwich. We missed it last year so made sure I wrote it down on the calendar for this year.
Very friendly folk on the tables who were happy to sell labels for a few pence .We could have stayed there all day , rooting among the piles of smoking related ephemera but our arms and fingers began to ache with all the sifting and flipping you have to do!
Hazel bought some great metal lucifer cases too - with ingenius lids that and drawers that opened out. I found her three for only a pound each. Also a nice tin A.1. Tobacco holder.

Archie did well with his GCSE's and secured his place at 6th form college. He's been to the signing in day and starts soon. He's been doing lots of cycling to built up his leg muscles for the ride everyday. It's nice to see him become more independent and go off on his own and to visit friends in the next village etc.
The promised bar-b-q summer never really arrived and the weather has been pretty awful. Lots of rain and clouds. But we have managed a few trips out. To Wrexham and Wales to deliver some collages to a obscure gallery in a converted barn in the middle of nowhere. Needless to say it was a bad choice and I ended up going back to get them after a few weeks. We did go to Wrexham again though so not completely wasted trip. Wrexham is a pleasant enough town with lots of markets - indoor and out and loads of charity shops to keep us busy.

Rick Cox dropped in recently for some lunch on is way to Cumbria where he was putting up his exhibition at the Kendal Arts Centre. Had a nice chat about what he was doing. He gave me a nice home made book of workplaces and studiosn which I appear - or rather one corner of my untidy workroom appears with its teetering piles of CD's and cassettes!
Have had a bit of worrying lower back/pelvic region pain so been to Infirmary for some tests. Nothing conclusive so have to go for more soon. Not looking forward to that much, especially those embarressing backless gowns you have to wear and you shuffle round holding your clothes in a wire basket!
Had a nice meal and drink in Middlewhich recently with Tony and Penny - on a pub by the Trent & Mersey canal. Walked round the town afterwards and popped in some charity shops,
Have been to Chester and Frodsham and lots of boot sales. Bargains include some tin badges including Roberts Bakery ( just down the road from us ) and Rolo ( I'd give you my last ROLO anytime!) Hazel has bought tons of old tins and gadgets ( see her blog for details ) and plants. Doing lots of gardening butonly managed tow bar-b-q's.
We have new front windows coming soon so that should be fun. More tea for the workers and house full of dust.
Did I mention we went to Yorkshire and to the Peak District? I think I probably did.