Nantwich Again!

Pleasant wander around Nantwich this morning now it's a bit cooler. Big Pride thing going on with crafty stalls and clog dancers etc. Lots of flags and rainbows everywhere. Got a few bargains in the charity shops - Chas 'n' Dave CD boxed set with "rarities" disc I'd not seen before, CD of one of my all time faves - Fairport Convention "Leige and Leaf" that I used to have on vinyl . I may even have the CD somewhere but for quid I just had to have it! Also DVD "Dee Blue Sea" Terence Davies. Hazel bought herself a toy for her birthday I have to wrap up. Also a pair of chef's trousers. On way home we dropped in on the hospice warehouse to have a mooch round. Bumped into old train gang member Geoff ? George? for a quick chat - he works there every other Saturday. Now he's retired - busier than ever - brass band meetings, guitar lessons, walking the dog, gym lessons, charity work etc. Made me feel very lazy! Bought a nice old French school book to cut up for collages. Hazel bought a stack of old dolls house wallpaper, brick paper, tile paper etc. Also a novelty birthday cake carousel that plays "Happy Birthday" as it revolves. And she told me off for thinking of buying some old photos "as we have enough!" Blimey!

Nantwich

This mornings wanderings around Nantwich. A bit of a grey day but nice to stretch our legs around the charity shops and market. No toy man today - he seems to be away on holiday again. Got a few films on DVD - Orson Welles "F for Fake", Noem Chomsky doc. and a French flick I forget the name of. Hazel found a pink blouse which is most unlike her and some fancy envelopes and cards to collage on. Popped into the hospice warehouse on the way back (roadside awash with daffs!) but no bargains this time. Home for yummy Linda McCartney burger and burnt onions on a bun! Yum!

Nantwich

Nice wander around ye olde Nantwich. The market to say hello to the toy man who was busy framing a splodgy ink drawing of a cow. He had a nice Xmas in Tunisia he said but the rubbish problem was annoying. We noticed a similar problem in Cheshire - the roadside garbage is disgusting! Anyway, Nantwich is relitively free of rubbish thankfully. The local council obviously does a good job of sweeping it under the carpet or whatever it is they do with it. A few bargains to be had including some battered and play worn tinplate toys. Also an Indian recycled "pop pop boat" found at the Hospice warehouse on the way home near Winsford. Made from a biscuit tin by the looks of it. Hazel got a puffy coat for the garden and some more wool. Sunny start but soon clouded over. Some cavaliers and roundheads in the town square. Hazel said they were re-enacting the battle of somesuch this afternoon. We left before the trouble started!

Nantwich

Nice wander around Nantwich this morning despite the drizzle. Thankfully it stopped after 30 mins. or so. Got a few stocking fillers in the charity shops and market. Nver seen so many elves and santas around the place! A lovely festive vibe going on ith a brass band playing in the market. Lots of flags , bunting a fairy lights brightened the whole town up. Popped into the charity warehouse on the way home. Hazel found a jar for her candles that used to contain Uncle Joe's Mint Balls. Also more Xmas lights.

Nantwich

This mornings wanderings around the charming town of Nantwich to do some shopping and visit the market etc. There was also an antique market on at the town hall or whatever its called. Some bargains included some silly games, two postcards from Southend and Westcliff , a nice Ry Cooder CD that I'd never seen before - a live radio broadcast from 1974. Hazel found a few things too including some tapestries, a glass eye and a small frame. I had some time to spare before meeting up with Hazel again so went in the local museum for a look at the cheese making equipment and the shepheards smock.

Nantwich

Nice morning in one of our favourite towns - Nantwich - a 35 minute drive away. Its market day so pretty busy and lots to see. Said hello to the toy man. He had no toys for us today - he was enjoying his lamb and mint sauce sandwich! We got a few bargains from the table top sale in the Civic Hall - a wooden corkscrew shaped like a guardsman which made me think of my dad who was a grenadier guard and guarded Windsor Castle and various other places. Hazel got some glass beads, wire baskets for the pantry and lots of material for yet more patchwork quilts I expect. Also found a copy of "Amadeus" on DVD for 50p that we had been looking for. Pretty sure we have a copy somewhere but couldn't find it the other day. Also DVD of Prizzi's Honour - a Jack Nicholson film that I don't remember watching. Popped in the deli to see the wonderful ephemera collection and old shop display by the coffee shop at the back. Nearby was a sign that said "Beware Of Trains" on a church wall! Home again via the hospice warehouse . Hazel got some threads, thimbles and weird sewing gadget in a small basket.

Nantwich

Going to Nantwich is always fun and sometimes we find bargains in the many charity shops , antique fairs and the market. Today was no exception - a nice old postcard of Southend Pier (which I probably have already) for a quid in the antique fair ( £1.50 to get in) . Hazel bought a few things - most of which are secret. We parted company to do our seperate wanderings around the shops. I found a DVD of "Klute" with Donald Sutherland which I remember vaguely being good back in the day. Only £1.99 from the Oxfam shop. They do seem to have better quality films and books than most of the other charity shops. Hoping the framing man in the market would have some tin toys but most of the nice ones he was keeping for himself! This has become a bit of a running joke now - every time we go we pick something out and he says "Er, no I'm keeping that one!" He makes most of his money from framing which is just as well! Popped into the Works for some blank cards and envelopes which will be transformed miraculously into this years Xmas cards. Home via the hospice shop near Winsford. Nothing for me but Hazel bought a book to cut up for collages.

Nantwich

Nice wander around Nantwich this morning in the sunshine. A bit of a nippy start so wore my furry hat that dogs don't like. None took offence today thankfully. The road was open all the way - not detours. Last time we went we had to got the long way round which added 20 minutes to our journey. We went our seperate ways - Hazel prefers to shop alone as my rooting through shelves of CD's and DVD's is very irksome! She prefers clothes shops so I dont mind. She discovered the table top sale in the big hall which I missed ( went back later to find these cornish piskies ). Got tow DVd's - Escape From Alcatraz and the remake of The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo. I enjoyed the Swedish trilogy but someone said this remake was good too - we shall see. Hazel got a few things - glue, paper, squares of fabric for a quilt. Had a chat to the toy man in the market. He had no new stuff though and said he mostly sells online now to Chinese and Austrian buyers. Went home around 11am via the Hospice shop/warehouse at Winsford. Hazel bought a cheap pilates book. Not much collage material sadly this time. That lucky pisky duo isn't working!

Nantwich

Just a few bargains from our trip to Nantwich this morning. Roads a bit of a nightmare due to detours, etc. but nice to wander round the market and the charity shops. Found a nice frame and some cheap pens. A DVD copy of Joseph Losey's "The Servant" from the Oxfam shop. Hazel got some books and jug from the Hospice shop on the way home near Winsford. I got a book about WW2 memorablia and stack of CD-R's that are always useful. Home for tomatoes on toast.

Nantwich - Again!

Yes, another morning in Nantwich - this tie on a Saturday. \\\\\\\It was very busy but we managed to avoid people who had no masks on. If a shop seems too busy we declined to go in until a bit later when it was less crowded..........The market was busy and the toy man seemed pleased to see us but we didnt buy anything this time. He enjoyed selling things to our chum Tony he said. We are spreading the word about you we said. The Civic hall was busy but with spangly girls doing a dance-a-thon or something so we escaped to the charity shops. Not much in the way of bargains. We bumped into our old neighbour Katie just outside the market selling hospice lucky tickets or something. On the way home we stopped off at the hospice to have a mooch. Hazel found a tin of bobbins and spools of brightly coloured cotton and other sewing stuff. There wasa man singing "The Young Ones" - the old Cliff Richard hit in the market square ( outside the church ) very badly. I should have mentioned that earlier!

Good Friday

Spotted this old photo of Pitsea market from the 50's or early 60's on FB. Fond memories of buying old 45's ex-juke box records there on one stall. Also the junk and comic stalls worth a visit. Pocket money didn't last very long. Pitsea was a busy hub back then but now a dreadful sea of supermarkets and flyovers. Tragic.

Nantwich

Nice morning in Nantwich as the weather had improved. Looked round the market and the toy stall but didn't see anything we desperately needed. Split to go our seperate ways for an hour as Hazel hates waiting for me to sort through DVD's and CD's etc. and she prefers clothes shops which are not to my taste. She found a good table top sale by chance so we went there after we met up at 11. All the best stuff had gone by then of course but still found a few bits including some toy signals from an ex-signalman who told Hazel what the different colours and angles of the signals meant. Always good to get a story with your purchases! I got a postcard of Southend for 50p so I was happy. Then home via the Hospice warehouse to look at some cupboards and frames. Bought two that seemed ok but later discovered they were plastic and not glass! Flower prints sold at Kew Gardens too- the cheapskates!

Pitsea Market

A bit of nostalgia . Photos from the Pitsea group on FB. Fond memories of this old market when we first moved to Basildon back in the early 50's when the villages such as Pitsea and Vange were still quaint with old houses, shops and some rustic architecture. All since bulldozed to make way for hideous flyovers, housing estates and shopping malls. My favourite stalls on the market were the record stall that sold ex-juke box 45's ( with the centre missing ) all piled in a heap. Three for a shilling or some ridiculous price. Discovered such gems as Gary U.S. Bonds "Quarter To Three" and Lonnie Donegan singles I'd faintly heard on Radio Luxembourg - the only pop station in those days - the BBC was a mostly MOR and classical only station comprising the Home Service and the Light programme. The other stall was dedicated to old comics which were also cheap and plentiful. Alf the Market Man sold bundles of household goods at knock down prices - he had the patter and gathered a big crowd who waved 10 bob notes in the air for his minions to collect and hand out bags of "treasure" which turned out to be brillo pads and bleach etc. Exciting stuff back in the 50s and early 60's ! The market was eventually bulldoezed to make way for a vile road system and the market temporarily housed in some sci-fi like domes seen HERE in this lovely old film.