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Cinderella Clock made for a display

I am always late for everything in life preferring to hold back and wait and see before testing the waters myself.

Some years ago when the husband and I were buying a property we registered with an  estate agent who simply could not believe that we did not possess a mobile phone between us. She thought we were lying to her.

Since those days which do seem rather a long time ago now we have been dragged (sometimes screaming) into the modern age by younger friends and family members who despair of our dusty hermit like habits. Time moves on and though Blogger was once a favourite place for us all to meet many have found a new café in Instagram which is quicker to use, and you can take it with you! I resisted for ages, but in the end was completely won over by the vast amount of absolutely beautiful images that people share.

Vienna cafe

 I can take an around the world trip in just a few minutes while having a cup of tea and then return to the real world instead of spending hours over posting a piece on Blogger.

Am I leaving Blogger? No, but I cannot pretend that I have as much time as I would like to post and to visit fellow bloggers who I so admire, and so, if you want to follow me more closely I would be honoured if any of you pop over to Instagram and become friends there. Link at the bottom of the post, and in the sidebar. You can still enjoy the galleries on instagram without posting.

While I have been away from Blogger I've not been idle. We have now been at the wonderful old building, The Emporium in Hungerford, for seven years! The shop is doing well and keeping me very busy buying, renovating, inventing and selling. And our poor old rickety cottage continues to vex us trying to keep it upright.

The Emporium in Hungerford, Berkshire

 I've travelled a bit

From a painting at Watts Gallery

renewing my love of the magical places in This Sceptred Isle which first caught my imagination,

Tinsmiths, Ledbury, their magical alley

Step back in time
18 Folgate Street, Spitalfields, London

Thatched cottages in local villages

and fallen in love with another European city, Oh Vienna. I shall return.

Baroque Heaven, look up in Vienna

Art Nouveau everywhere too
The exquisite Secession House

More amazing roof, St Stephens Cathedral

 It was lovely to travel, and so good to come home. 

The tall dark and handsome man I'd given my heart to awhile back has done amazing things and become a superstar. In my time I have been bewitched by many special thoroughbreds and could not have hoped that another creature so enchanting would gallop into my life ~ and yet, there he is.Thistlecrack.

Thistlecrack trained in Somerset by Colin Tizzard,
and ridden byTom Scudamore,
out on their own

I've read a LOT of wonderful books. I hope to post a few soon so that if you have not read them and find them interesting you can look out for them too.

Puff has her own ideas about what we read!

The Last Days of Leda Grey by Essie Fox
fascinating look at the world of silent films

Wonderful Edna! 

Sadly we had to say farewell to our beloved lodger, little raggedy man Munchkin whose bravery in his illness touched all who knew him.

Our Lionheart
Munchkin LeStrange

We had a wonderful Christmas in Devon with the family together for a change, and hope that you enjoyed the holiday season whatever that you believe, and where ever that you may be in the world.

These times are very trying for so many people. Yet with January here and Spring not far behind I do feel positive for the first time in a long while. We can endure.

Find us on instagram Here: discardedtreasures

JOYFUL SPRING

The Birds Nest by Emile Vernon

Spring has come. Birds are nesting and bulbs are blooming again. The Snow Queen did not visit us this Winter in our little village perched atop the borders of Berkshire / Wiltshire but our hearts were cold having lost our beloved cat Isabella in the Autumn. 

Love Never Dies - Isabella Elizabeth

Most of England had lots of water and howling wind. Yet overall it was a mild season. We were so much luckier than friends down in the valley, and in Somerset where the floods enveloped their homes and they lost everything. The great beauty of Nature is awe inspiring but sometimes she can be cruel.

Nearby cottages where the river flooded

We will always miss Isabella, gone too young, so naughty, under our feet, on our papers, and into everything but our hearts are slowly beginning to feel warm once more. We have neglected life and now have work to do. Spring and Nature will inspire us. 

The Snowdrops were exquisite this year. 

The cheeky Jackdaws are back on the church tower. 

Mrs Black loves her vintage shawls.

The lodger Munchkin L'Strange

Mrs Black is getting old and the loss of her dearest kitten Isabella was hard for her to bear but Spring is her favourite season. When she is not sleeping snuggled up in her shawls Mrs Black is outside again, minding her tenants, the Mice who live underneath my studio. She is also engaged in discussions of living and dinner arrangements with her other lodger, Munchkin L'Strange, a distant relative of the Black family and one who reverted to the French spelling of his surname after all the trouble his cousin Bellatrix caused.

Woodland scenes are so uplifting and the woods near us are now filled with bluebells.

Detail from Ophelia, Jules Joseph  Lefebre (1836-1911)

Enchanting woodland China lifts the spirits.
There is nothing like the scent of English Bluebells.
This is a Shelley bone china Woodland trio, from ebay 

This sugar bowl is Aynsley bone china. 

SEASONS ~ The Snow Drop Fairy has come

We love Autumn and Winter and have enjoyed being in our little snow covered village perched atop Wiltshire. Even though some cold remains after Valentine's Day the romance of it always seem to herald a new season, a warmer, floral one. The icy winds have turned more gentle, the snow has melted, the Thrush is singing.

1930 Cicely Mary Barker

During the cold and dark of Winter underneath the snow tender stems and blossom of snow drops were waiting and now they gift us with their Heavenly scent and delicate vision.  Even though they come each year, how could our hearts not be filled with a little joy at the sight of them?

Cafe tables are adorned with the buds of Daffodils, and soon the morning sun, just glinting briefly, will lengthen into hours. A perfect reason to wrap up warm and go outside. It is a lucky thing to be alive in Spring.

SHOPPE KEEPER ~ Parting is sweet sorrow

Objects of Desire - what to keep and what to sell

Antique dealers are always searching for that elusive thing of beauty that makes the heart race and the soul sing. But when we find it we often have the hard decision to keep or to sell. More often than not we have to sell.

Parting really is 'sweet sorrow' as although we would like to keep an object there is a certain joy in sharing it too. Especially if it goes to a good home where it will be appreciated and cared for as we would have done.

I was looking for items that would make the house sparkle after winter and found this sweet little lamp. I love the duck egg blue of it and the silk shade. The crackle glass glimmers and gives off light.  It has a pretty silver cable which coiled up inside of it. It is not vintage but we sell items which go with modern or antique interiors and have a magic of their own.  It sold in the shop early this month.

We do not sell too many vintage clothes items but sometimes we have a few special ones. This embroidered child's smock is adorable and goes into the shop next week.

I could not resist this cushion of the skyline of London! It's so fun and I do love anything to do with England. We sold them in the shop but naturally I had to keep one too.

And this is Albert. As soon as I saw this at a local market I knew I had to have him. He is due to be sold ..... but I have a bad feeling he will not make it out the door. He is pretty hard to resist even though he needs a new back on the frame and I'm sure he would sell well. We will see, first he is due for some remedial work and then maybe we can part with him to the right home. Don't you love him?

BEWITCHING PLACES ~ Tetbury, Gloucestershire

First Day of Spring and a Trip to Tetbury in the Cotswolds

I really ought to know not to trust the weather forecasts. They foretold of sun and clear skies last week in our little part of England, and we believed them and took lightweight clothes on a holiday in the Cotswolds. It turned out to be mostly overcast, foggy and cold. We soldiered on trying not to think about our nice wooly coats we left at home. This is what greeted us. A lovely landscape and noble trees against a misty almost purple sky.

It is still a little chilly but this week looks more promising sunshine wise. It is officially Spring today, and the birdsong which greeted me at dawn seems to confirm that they know it.

I love all the seasons and feel very lucky to live in an English country village that entertains and delights us throughout the year with the changing of the weather, the hedgerows and the birds and animals.

Spring starts on the day of the vernal equinox, which can occur at different times each year, but is usually on the night of March 20th/21st. The word 'vernal' comes from the the Latin word for bloom and it refers to the end of winter and the beginning of spring.

A special little corner in a garden begins to show signs of Spring!

The birds are very excited about the change of season and they celebrate it loudly. I love this poem which captures their elation so well.

Before you thought of Spring by Emily Dickinson

Before you thought of Spring
Except as a Surmise
You see -- God bless his suddenness --
A Fellow in the Skies
Of independent Hues
A little weather worn
Inspiriting habiliments
Of Indigo and Brown --
With specimens of Song
As if for you to choose --
Discretion in the interval
With gay delays he goes
To some superior Tree
Without a single Leaf
And shouts for joy to Nobody
But his seraphic self --

Tetbury – an ancient Cotswold market town

Tetbury is a market town whose rise came about due to the growth of the Cotswold wool trade. The town has over 1300 years of recorded history.

Tetbury Market House 

There are some really wonderful buildings in Tetbury including this iconic market house, built in 1655 in the heart of the town. It's painted a creamy pale yellow like the best tasting butter you can imagine.

You can see in this detail the cast iron fish across the front of the building and on the top. I love the glittery leaded windows. There is nothing like old glass, modern glass does not reflect as beautifully.

Brown and White Antiques Arcade

This is one of my favourite antique arcades. It's called Brown and White and they display items in a wonderful refreshing way. I love the daffodils in the old enalled pan to herald the coming Spring. I was of course very tempted and did not leave this shop empty handed!

Cafe 53

So many places to see and things things to admire, but we had to stop for some lunch after all of this walking. This cafe was recommended to us, and it did not disappoint. It's at the side of the old building Brown and White is in and you can wander from the cafe into the antiques arcade. Bliss!

I love the decoration here, and the food and coffee were pretty fabulous too!

The blue etched glass of this arch is so stunning, and I love the victorian tiled floor
and the ladder hung on the wall.

This is one of the seating areas in Cafe 53, very pretty and comfortable! They say
they have the best coffee for miles around and they are not kidding.

http://www.cafe53.co.uk/

The Highgrove Shop

I admit it is expensive but I can never resist having a look in Price Charle's Highgrove shops. Even his logo is so charming that I covet it. I love crowns, always a sucker for
a fairytale!

The shop in Tetbury is as enchanting as I have seen, with a really magical tiny garden off the shop. They have creatively displayed items with rustic shelves made out of old rough timber, and a few vintage items that are one offs like this child's toy horse.

In keeping with the royal connection and the upcoming celebration of the Queen's Diamond Jubilee this summer I really love this display of old suitcases and the
bowler hat.

These are all our photos, for once we had the camera and managed to snap away.