Blakemere

Rainy start to the day so we didn't go to the boot sale at Vagrants as planned. Luckily it cleared up by the afternoon so we drove over to Blakemere to root around the antiques and junk. Hazel bought some bits of old stained glass and lead that was once a window - now a kit she will attempt to put together again - just £2 for the lot! Also some chemical jars to put pulses in for a quid. Looked round the garden centre and bought some pansies - £2 a pop. Then to Audrey's and Granma's to plant some pansies and have coffee and home made cakes. Now we are home again and Hazel and Archie are out in the back garden planting pansies and doing other garden chores. I'm making a nut roast with all the trimmings ( not from the garden!).

Birmingham (Gas Hall and Ikon Gallery)

Nice day out in Brum despite the trains playing up on the way home. Went to see the Rowland Emmett mini retrospective at the Gas Hall in the Art Gallery and Museum. Delightful to see so much of his working machines and cartoons etc. Also lots of video of him talking and demonstrating his gadgets. Some can be found on YouTube. Seek out especially the Pathe newsreels of the 50's. Spent a good hour in here and then went for lunch to EAT as we couldn't find the "pie shop" hazel went to previously. It was right by the Ikon Gallery so that was handy. Excellent overview of the last 50 years at Ikon including work by Dennis Oppenheim ( candy floss making machine) and Charles Garrard ( Monsoon and lovely thunder machine ) and Cornelia Parker's mini danging silver things run over by a steam roller. Some hideous slodgy paintings but we ignored them. Bought two Cornelia Parker badges in the shop and drooled over some of the books we couldn't afford. Then round the shops until our legs ached and back home again.

Dagfields.

More antique and junk rummaging around at Dagfields near Nantwich this afternoon. Far too much to see really - 5 or 6 barns of the stuff!. Hazel got a nice folding fisherman's stool/seat with rotted canvas top. Audrey got yet more ceramics and some postcards for her Mom. I didn't find anything though seemed to be looking through piles of records, dvd's and postcards for hours!

Denbigh, Ruthin, Mold, Colwyn Bay etc.

We went on a little mini Antiques Road Trip through North Wales yesterday and stayed one night at a B&B out in the middle of nowhere, near St. Asaphe, which is near Denbigh. Here'e all our bargains. Hazel's are more antiques than mine I must admit! But mine were probably cheaper - most being less than a quid each. We wanted to travel around longer but everywhere is fully booked. Nice to see the Welsh B&B and hotels doing such good business. A bit sad for us though having to come home so early - still we enjoy being at home. Off tomorrow for some day trip antique hunting instead.

Chelford Steam Rally and Fair

I actually deleted all my photos after adding them to Flickr and FB so having to make do with this old one of chains at a previous auto-jumble. Needless to say we had a nice day out in the sun yesterday over near Chelford which is about 15 miles from us. In the grounds of Astley House or estate? (I should do more research before I write these things!) I will try and find some useful links. Straight onto the Wall of Death and the bikes rattling round a big wooden drum and the punters at the top looking fearfully over the edge as the bikers whizz ever nearer to the safety wire which doesn't look like it could hold back a roller skate let alone a powerful motor bike at full throttle! Vrrrrrrrooooooooom! Every photo was rather blurry but must be seen to be appreciated! Also some old gallopers that were at Llandudno and Hazel and Archie had a ride and chatted to the lady owner. Enjoyed also the auto-jumble with its piles of prized rusty car parts and junk of all kinds. Hazel bought another nice battered tin of drawers for her nick-nacks. ( she bought two in the morning at the artisan market in town ) seems green tin things are all the rage! Had a picnic lunch by the antique tractors. The swirling whirling sounds of the vintage pipe organs and steaming engines all added to the general cacophony. Watched the dog acrobatics and the tractors circling the display arena ( not at the same time I hasten to add ). Another rummage round the junk piles and away off home with our ears ringing and the smell of coal and hot steam in our nostrils.