Back down to earth from up north

I was invited to the lake district, but didn't want to leave the shop for too long. I had this bright idea of letting Mac drive up on his own and going up later by coach. We would drive back together. 11 hours into the coach journey Mac phones to say the car has died on the way to pick me up from the bus station. We hired a car and had the sad job of emptying stuff out of the old dead one into the tiny hire car. It is odd travelling in a modern car when you are used to vintage. You can't close electric windows when the key isn't in the ignition.

We bought some Cd's at a garage sale to listen to on the way home. The old car had a tape player.

I bought quite a few buttons on my trip up north. Not sure why, but I have a thing about packaging. I now have rather a lot of underwear buttons. I muttered my usual line 'I don't have to buy any more of those for a long time' The box is nothing special, but I liked it enough to buy all the buttons.

We stayed with lovely friends and were taken to a salvage yard and an antiques emporium. Reclamation yards are my idea of doing stuff out doors. Being hundreds of miles from home with a Ford Fiesta is a great way to stop yourself from buying large expensive items. The huge emporium had a wide range of vintage and antique items with a wide price range. I picked up a few items for my shop. The coach had stopped in Stoke-on-Trent and I wondered what sort of pottery items I would find if I jumped out and looked round. I was intrigued by some invalid feeder cups with spouts like teapots. Now I've noticed them I will probably see them everywhere.

NOW I'm back home I have just finished some bunting for a customers granddaughters. I've used the offcuts from curtains she made for their new bedrooms. Lovely Laura Ashley blue gingham and pink spot fabric. The display outside my shop was looking a bit too brown, so I cleaned some white chairs I got from auction and set them outside in the bright sunshine. Both the chairs and the bunting have now gone to new homes.

Tommorrow we take the hire car back to the local branch, and continue the hunt for a new car.