Sunday 29 March 2009

Sunday Boot fair & Victorian finds in our garden



Today, I did my first boot fair in 5 years and there was a lot to get rid of! Phoebe, Alan & I headed off to Yeovil (Somerset) where there is a big boot fair that takes place there most Sundays. (In case you some of you are thinking of going soon, IT WILL NOT BE OPEN ON 5th APRIL but will be open for business as usual from 12th April)
We had a very good day for it. The weather was perfect, lovely & sunny.
Today was about getting rid of things, it wasn't really a buying day but that did not stop me from coming back with a few things nevertheless...


As I was laying my table not long after arriving, I saw a lady walking up to my table with a vintage child mannequin on a wooden stand, you can imagine my thoughts... 'Oh if only we had arrived earlier'.... I immediately said to Alan, I must have a very quick look around. Feeling a sudden sense of urgency, what else might I miss out on otherwise???....
And here are the things I came back home with


My favourite purchase of the day. The colour
was what I was really drawn to, green again!


I have a set of little glasses, now I have the matching jug.
I was also very pleased with set of keys, one of them being
Georgian.
These little saucers will find a good place in my kitchen

This fire screen was just £1
Roses bowl

One stall was selling these old cotton & silks threads,
I bought all the entire box (35 in all)
This plate is hand painted. Not in perfect condition
but I like it.

After the boot fair was over we returned home.
After unloading the car, we spent a bit of time outside. Phoebe continued working on her den.

Phoebe's 'secret' den

One of the views from our back garden


After Phoebe had finished working on her den, we went into the back garden to do some digging...
Our back garden was not as we wanted it, so we had a digger get rid of a concreted patio area so that we could have a large lawn and shrubs around and possibly a vegetable plot at the bottom. After the digger left, we found hundreds of piece of crockery and glass. We found several bottles which are intact. Some had what look like medication in.

Most of it dates from around the second half of the 1800's to early 1900. We have several boxes full of these bottles and broken pieces. I plan to make something with some of the pieces we have found. It's great fun and so interesting! Feels like 'Time Team' (TV programme on archeological digs)! We have not found any gold coins so far though...

This is one aspect of the back garden, as you can see a lot of work is required. We have to do some repairs on the outbuilding that you can see. At the moment we use it as a shed but want to convert it into a proper insulated & heated utility room. There is still a very old fashioned toilet in there! The garden... well, once we have removed as many pieces as we can, we will have to landscape it. LOTS of work but I look forward to seeing the end result.


Old barn in front of our house. When you go inside you step back in time. It used to be a stable. I will do a feature showing some interior pictures. It has not been converted in to anything. It remains a rare example of what the inside of this stable looked like over 100 years ago. You can still see some of the hay the horses fed on. Some the old leather harnesses are still there! Owls and other animals find shelter there from time to time. Explore the barn where time stood still in one of my future posts...

FINALLY:
Ali from
Message in a Teacup is having two gorgeous Easter giveaways! Please click on the link for more details on how you might win....


That's it for now, I'm about to go and watch a bit of TV. I miss Larkrise to Candleford on a Sunday evening...

I wish all you a all have a good start to the week!

A bientôt!

Isabelle x

28 comments:

Shabby Chick said...

Hi Isabelle

Some great finds there! I am v envious of the cottons and the roses bowl and screen. I must go to the car boot next weekend.

Your stable sounds fascinating, I love things like that. You have such gorgeous views, out of my front windows I can see a bus stop, police station and lots of traffic in the day time!

Mel xxx

Les Cotrions said...

Ohh Isabelle you'd a very interesting day!!! Lovely stuffs you bought! It's so nice to sell at a market! I go to French Riviera to sell at vide-grenier...I enjoy a lot!
have a nice week!
hugs
Vale

Stephanie said...

Wow, your property is beautiful. Those buildings are amazing and the land looks promising. I can picture a garden there. I love that green scale!

Thanks again for the award. I'll be passing it along soon.

Laura @ 52 FLEA said...

Oh Isabelle....At first I was intrigued with your purchases today...some wonderful finds...love that scale!..BUT THEN....I am completely enthralled with your beautiful property.....bordering on green with envy (now I match the scale)...no seriously, that stone barn....it is wonderful! I shall be checking back daily to see a post on that! Wonderful post...thanks so much for sharing! Be well, Laura

Sal said...

I love your new fire screen!! You got some lovely things..hope you managed to sell a little!!;-)

Zita - Mlle Magpie said...

Love all of your finds, Isabelle. I would do exactly the same thing - how can you pass up on such treasures. Of course I love that scale (in my colour as well!). And your property is so beautiful!

This Vintage Life... said...

I'm having palpitations over your firescreen!
Lovely finds but...did you spend more than you made? :)
Deb x

Niki Fretwell said...

Hi Isabelle,
So wish I'd known you'd be at Yeovil...we sometimes make the hours drive down there...(Love the fact that this car boot is in the afternoon, so no early start!;-))
Is that black and white ticking I spy on your (beautifully presented BTW!) stand...I'd have snapped that up, as I get through loads with my dolls, but its getting harder to find now....
You found some treasures - that firescreen is a beauty...and there is was impressed by your tapestry one in a previous post!

Happy Gardening (and treasure hunting)
Niki x

Lori said...

you really came home with some amazing things...i am just in love with the scale that you bought...the shape of it is truly wonderful and the color is gorgeous!!! what a happy day you had at the fair!!!

bex said...

wow! really want to go to car boot sale now!!! thankyou for following my blog! i'll be back soon
xx

Pink Feather Paradise said...

Wow another Yeovilite-ish person! I managed to escape from living in Yeovil but we could only get as far as Mudford so far!

I love your finds, I can't remember the last time I went to Yeovil car boot... I might have to go on the 12th...

I love the outbuildings, I am having to rent some office/studio space in Queen Camel and it is not cheap! lol

I will pop by again somewhen

take care
Alex

Julia said...

Hello Isabelle :)
I wanted to stop by and say thank you for such lovely words that you left on my blog - bless you for it!
Ive just been in raptures at your finds at the boot sale - you really have a marvellous eye for beautiful things! I look forward to seeing photographs of your barn...oh Id love to have a barn, you live in a lovely part of the world I think!

Lots of love dear soul,
Julia xxx

bibbitybob said...

That floral painting in your second photo is just gorgeous! Please tell me that you were selling it, it didn't sell and you still want rid :)

Fantastic finds, I definitely can't wait for car boot season to get into full swing! x

Curlew Country said...

Thanks for the very kind comments on my blog!

What a perfect weekend, the anenome firescreen is fabulous, a real find. And they're beautiful scales, gorgeous colour, perfect for spring!

Enjoy your week.
Stephx

Rosemary said...

Wow Isabelle,
You had an even better day than I did.
I love everything. I loved that green color too!
My big dream is to unearth bottles like those in your post. Amazing, Wonderful!!
I really enjoyed this post.
Thank you for visiting me, and I like the pram too!!
Rosemary

Unknown said...

You sure found some wonderful treasures! Wish we had sales like that here in PA. My dream is to travel to England someday..I'll have to plan on attending a boot fair. Thanks for sharing, Esther

Heather ~Pretty Petals said...

Glad you had a wonderful weekend, I love seeing the photo of your little ones secret den and the beautiful stable. What a lovely home you have. ;))

xo Heather

Hen said...

Hi Isabelle,
Can't believe you were at Yeovil Car Boot, I do not remember seeing your stall at all. Then again, it's a massive fair so it's difficult to get round it all and we were a bit late with the massive car queues to get in. I admit to great envy over the firescreen but it's great it's gone to a good home!
Hen x

Tarnished Royalty said...

LOVE the picture of your old stone barn, with the path leading up to it. It's just exactly how I imagine your part of the world to look. Idyllic!

Bleudelavande said...

At first I said ...WOw such lovely things she founds whar luchy girl...but then, when I watched the photographes of your home and where you live,I said WOW this is her real luck! You live in a wonderful place. I'm very happy for you! Congratulation!!!
Your music is really fantastic, is very difficult to live from you!!!Bye and tank you again for your lovely award!Have a nice day

Bleudelavande said...

I'm sorry because I write in a very bad english. I writed wrong!!!What I want to say you is that si very difficult TO LEAVE from you! I'm sorry but I'm so tired today... :0)
Bye

BombshellShocked said...

Wonderful finds! Your home is so beautiful!

A Thrifty Mrs said...

Love your finds, what a beautiful fire screen, I am very jealous. :)

julie said...

love those scales. They are great. Love your garden too - and all the 'finds' - how wxciting. I remember digging up bits of crockery in my mum's garden when I was younger, but nothing as good as your finds.

June said...

Love all the finds at your sale. Your place is just lovely. the countryside looks so calming and love those old stone buildings. You don't find things like that in this part of the USA. I'm in the west and we don't have the old stone outbuildings. I guess because the west was settled later and people were more interested in the gold in California so they didn't stay long in Idaho or in this area.

Ali @ Betty and Violet said...

I don't thing I've ever been to a car boot sale with such lovely finds as these (I must be going to the wrong car boots!) You found some fantastic treasures, nothing more satisfying than rummaging around hunting for that elusive antique!
I love your stone outbuildings ~ I would kill for outbuildings (a shed is about as far as we get!) We do live on the edge of a field and just like you after the farmer has ploughed I am out there searching for broken bits of old china! What on earth I will do with heaven only knows (grand plans for a mosaic garden table top?!)
The big question is ~ did you sell lots at the car boot?!

SweetScarlett said...

I love Phoebe's secret den!
And how I wish we had been abl to come by to se what you were parting with at the flea market.
Your stall looks great!
And you have found some gorgeous things, too.
So much vintage and not enough room for it all!!
Your barn is simply wonderful! I lov the old stone buildings and cozy cottages in England.
xxx
Maggie

PASSIONEDECO FRANCESCA said...

Oh, it seems you have a treasure garden there! Incredible you found some intact bottles! What a big luck!
Congratulations on your property, a dream!
Francesca