Counting Down

Christmas comes but once a year .... and for us at No 25 it all begins around the end of November when the festive lights in town are turned on. Last night the weather was calm and cool but not too cold and thankfully dry as a bone.

All this rain is getting a pretty unbearable isn't it and very worrying for our family in Cumbria. Luckily they're fine being up on a hill but my heart goes out for everyone bereaved, flooded, frightened and bereft at the moment.
So we particularly appreciated our lovely trip into town last night for all its joy, charm and festiveness. Standing there with my little family all beaming and excited sent my stomach and heart all hop-skippetty let me tell you. There's something ever so joyful about being with the people you love, in a place you feel at home with familiar sights and faces around you, all anticipating a special time of year.

And seems plenty of people thought the same; town was packed and there was tons to see and do. Market square was full of amazing smells from the continent thanks to a touring market selling authentic sausages, paella, cheeses, bread and delicious biscuits.

Down the main street the crowds grew thick, everyone enjoying free mulled wine, mince pies, Christmas music and the odd game of smash the crocks and tombola.

In front of the Monument the stage was set and we didn't have to wait long for the parade to arrive, headed by the Salvation Army band (its just not Christmas without them is it?), a lantern procession, some pipers and finally the man in red himself because only genuine celebrities are allowed to flick the lights on in our little town you see.

And after some pretty hearty carol singing we counted down and the dark night was lit up and all the town around.

It was such a simple occasion which was what made it all the lovelier in my book. After the big switch on we poottled around the streets for a while taking in the lovely window displays and even more lights.

Last night the Christmas spirit most definitely began to bubble up and all sort of plans are forming in my mind. More vintage decorations, a go at some new recipes, cosy family gatherings and some exciting outings.

Only five weeks to go, which doesn't seem many at all to me; especially after our ropey choir practice on Thursday - we need a few months I reckon. But no doubt it'll all come together in the usual lovely, panicky jumble as ever - fingers crossed!

Time for Treasures

Ooooh the treasure hunting has been rather good over the last few weeks. Going to Ludlow with its beautiful vintage shops and rather decent charity shops definitely helped, but I've picked up a few treasures closer to home too and had some very beautiful birthday presents. And I want to say a huge thank you for all your lovely birthday wishes, thanks ever so much. Blogging friends are a real, real treasure (thanks Anna for your lovely surprise card and gift)!

So first of all my newest find is the gorgeously blue enamel coffee pot, bought from Zani Lady in Ludlow and uncannily you can see it here on a picture taken in this amazing shop by the lovely Hen, who it turns out I share a birthday with and happened to be in Ludlow at exactly the same time - bloggers really do think alike!

I've gathered some wonderfully soft and pretty fabric too from various places. Not completely sure what I'm going to do with them yet but maybe a new duvet cover and if I'm feeling very ambitious, a loose cover for the ancient armchair in our conservatory.

More vintage books which Woody practically mugged me for when I got in from town. The train book is a huge favourite already with the boys and I love the Dandy Wonder Dog cover.

Sorry not to have taken any pictures but my little vintage Ladybird collection is really growing and this week I picked up What to Look for in Winter and Seashore Life, Trees and Hymns & Songs too. I had all of these as a child and they make me giddily excited to own them again.

And more Ladybird again. This is my wonderful present from Woody, a print from a book about Toys he bought online and it made me cry when I opened it. This is the image of our two little boys, shells and saucepans still keeps them busy for hours. My husband is such a precious treasure.

Another bevelled mirror to add to the collection. £3! I'm completely in love with it and I've got plans to put lots of lovely vintage postcards around it for Christmas.

Couldn't resist this little Brixton pottery sponge wear bowl from a Ludlow charity shop - full of conkers for the minute but it might make a home for a few vintage baubles.

Oh and this is the other part of my present from Woody, a book I've had my eye on for quite a while and is just fabulous. Full of everything you ever wanted to know about the countryside.

But I'm not quite sure about this one - a crochet step too far?! Its from Next but I discovered it in a charity shop for £3.50 and thought I could turn it into a cover for the back of the sofa but I tried it on and its not too bad. But I do get a little voice in my head saying "are you quite sure?" when I wear it!

So I'm feeling a very lucky girl. Must buzz off now to sort out Sunday lunch, get the garden into some sort of shape and start to have a think about the jumble of festive plans in my head. More of that next time.

Have a lovely week everyone x

Best Days

Late Autumn is stuffed full of my very favourite things.

#1 Cosy days snuggled up at home, battening down the hatches against the wind and rain and spending time cutting, sticking and generally covering the house in glitter.

#2 The beginning of house decorating season

#3 Wrapping up warm and heading out in the dark to a great fire, watch bright lights in the sky and gaze at my smallest boy hold his first ever sparkler.

# 4 And today's my birthday so we must be here again , spending a most smashing day pottering down tiny streets, browsing (well shopping!) in vintage treasure troves, eating deliciously good food and taking in outstanding scenery.

Hope you're enjoying all the delights of autumn too (and that you've got better pictures to show for it than me! Not great light and an even worse camera).

Autumn Watch

I've got a bit obsessed with Autumn Watch (or possibly rather Chris Packham if I'm honest - I watched far too much of the The Really Wild Show when I was a teenager!) Having the programme on just once a week, for the whole season, is genius if you ask me and having the hugely hectic diary that I do there's a guarantee I'll be in in front of the box to watch all of it.
But we do like to get out and enjoy Autumn too, so today we togged up, grabbed the adored grandparents and headed up to our favourite woodland.

So the year has turned again. Everything is glorious colour; golden, copper, saffron, lime, burnt umber, sienna, scarlet and crimson, all against the blackness of stem and trunk.

We do this sort of thing all the time but having mum and dad with us today brought back so many memories. And here I am now, playing out my own happy childhood again with our little boys. Thank you, thank you mum and dad.

So there was lots of swinging, plenty of kicking and throwing of leaves and running through the trees.

And the view out of the window is changing too. It seems that this weekend the seasonal switch has been flicked and Autumn is here.

Time for a roast dinner, a fire, a curl up on the settee and a read of the Magic Apple Tree I think, and watch a teeny bit more of Chris!

A Trip Around town

Fancy a Saturday morning stroll around town with me? Jolly good, the weather's lovely, no need for a brolly so grab the bags and we'll be off.

Up St Edward's Street then, its been here for 800 years and the half-timbered houses stand on the old medieval burgage plots and the long, narrow gardens of the merchants' houses still stretch out behind.

First stop, one of the lovely gift shops on our way up the hill. Lots to be tempted by.

Around the corner, on Sheepmarket, I can't resist the bookshop. Its crammed with ancient volumes, new releases, local art and beautiful cards. A proper treasure trove.

Up into the market square and the monthly Fine Food Fair and Collector's Market are in full swing. Today you can find yourself anything from a buffalo steak to a vintage eiderdown and pretty much anything in between. Look what came home with me today!

Just need to pop into the hairdressers to book an appointment before they fill up for Christmas.

Time to stop for coffee and cake at the Italian deli and watch the world potter by for a while.

And then almost my favourite bit of all - toddling off home and finding just the right place for a few new treasures. Thanks for coming along.

P.S Thank you to all you lovely bloggers who have sent your warm thoughts and wishes on the loss of our furry girl. I'm truly overwhelmed and appreciate each one so very much. Thank you for thinking of me and being so very kind. It's meant an awful lot to me xx

Heartfelt Goodbye...

...to a dear, dear old friend, and an enormous thank you to everyone who has visited this little blog and left such cheery comments recently because they really have got me through a rotten week.

No.25 has been a sad, old house this week. On Thursday we said a last goodbye to our furry girl and it was just horrible. The inevitable had been hanging in the air all last, week hence my miserable post and talk of worries and troubles and things. And I'm sorry not to have visited anyone really this week, I'll catch up soon.

Wednesday (yes honestly that was her name - but one chosen by the girl who gave her to me and bless my little moggie she answered to her daft name). Possibly the softest, gentlest, snuggliest cat in the world, she reached the ripe old age of fourteen (and maybe more) enjoying her days sunbathing in the garden, making nests on all my eiderdowns, perfecting the knack of appearing for a stroke the very second I finally got to have a sit down and managing to disrupt every gardening project I ever began.

This dear cat came into my life about 11 years ago when I bought my very first pad, a small ground floor flat in a quiet corner of south-east London, back in the days when I thought I'd have a bash at being a city girl. The owner of Wendsers (and the flat) was moving overseas and wondered if I would take her on. The timing couldn't have been better because I'd been planning to take in a cat as soon as I moved in.

London life didn't suit me at all and it was a really lonely time, but the little cat who trotted along the street to meet me from the train each night, then kept me company watching the telly, curling up on the side of the bath and snuggling at the foot of my bed, made it all bearable.

She came with me on every move after that; back to parents, into our first tiny cottage, from barn to townhouse and eventually to No 25 when she settled into a slower pace of life and was the perfect, perfect first pet for our boys. In all that time she never scratched or lashed out and I've never seen another cat sleep right next to the bird table and completely ignore them. Absolutely not interested.

But now she is gone and the hole she's left is enormous. I'm still catching myself checking on our cat food supplies, seeing if she's settled into her basket or leaving open the sitting room door because she'd got too weak to push it open. But she's at peace now and that makes me feel a bit more comfortable. I miss her terribly but wouldn't have wanted her to be in anymore pain.

So now, whenever I sit on my rickety garden bench and look down the garden, I will feel the gap where she should be but I'll always remember the warmth of her next to me, the constant purr and the comfort of the best cat I've ever known.

Can a Tea Cosy Make You Feel Cosy?

Some days we all need a pick me up don't we. When there are muddling things on your mind, troubles brewing, some horrid lurgy lurking and that feeling that things are a bit unbalanced, you just need something to make you smile - and look what did it for me today!

I've been hankering after a knitted tea cosy for ever (and I can't really explain why because I'm more of a cheap coffee drinker to be honest - dreadfully uncouth me; a mug of Kenco instant is always preferred!). They do remind me of my grandparents house though and these ones with the flowers are ever so sweet and really do make me feel jolly.

There are a couple of other recent treasures here too; a vintage annual for the boys' bookcase, a very pretty £1 sweets tin and a new/old crochet blanket bought for a couple of pounds on ebay. Now I almost daren't mention this but the new Cath catalogue was waiting for me when I got home too! Hope everyone finally got there's last time around - I ended up getting a second one so if anyone is still in need of the first Autumn edition do let me know.

So at the very least I'm feeling much cosier and a bit more settled. A sit down with a cuppa has helped enormously and we've decided to ring the changes a bit at home; which I'm hoping will give my sweet, tired husband a bit of peace and some much needed quiet (no, I'm not clearing off or buying him a shed - we're giving up a few hours income in pursuit of the old work/life balance dream!) Much better - even skinter, but much better for a happier home.

Hope something is making you feel cosy too.