The second installment of monthly pleasures...
Agricultural shows - already mentioned and the highlight of my summer so I had to mention them again. I love everything from the show pony classes, giant vegetables, garden-on-a-plate contests, hospitality stands I never get into, the beer tent I sometimes do, tractor trade stands (they're always so clean and shiny), bat-a-rat, huge pies and cakes, sheepdog trials, farmers having a chance for a chat, placid-looking bulls, hot sheep, snoozing pigs, ice-cream etc, etc, etc!
School holidays - well just before school starts for us and although our routine has gone totally out of the window it's nice. Now we've actually had some nice weather it's been brill to get out early and go paddling and fishing, exploring the lanes and take time to enjoy the day rather than haring around quite so much.
Clothes - usually this time of year fills me with dread clothing wise. I'm not the possessor of a slender figure so bikinis, strappy tops, flimsy fabrics and I are not the best of friends. However, thanks to the dragons that are Trinny & Susannah, I think I've finally learnt how to dress myself in the summer without looking quite so much like a blancemange pouring over the side of a dish! The winter is so much easier with cords, woolly tights and knits but the summer is so tricky. I've finally worked out how to shop on ebay too and have got myself some gorgeous bargains from the likes of Boden and Kew which usually are beyond my budget or I miss in the sale. All the lovely blogs I've been reading have inspired my inner vintage style and my clothes are going in that direction too. This is my current fave, a Boden skirt, summery but not sloppy - I hope!
Haymaking - because of the bad weather its haymaking frenzy around here. All the farmers are taking advantage of this lovely break in the rain and we've been tractor spotting with a vengeance on car journeys. 10 points for a tractor, 15 for one with a trailer and 20 for a comby (not many in our neck of the woods). Competition is fierce! It's lovely rural scene and I do love to see fields with the old style rectangular bales. Sure the round ones are much easier for the farmers to deal with but they do remind me of these lovely Enid Blyton books I was totally immersed in as a child.
12 comments:
Enid Blyton books...I'm a big fan and still read and collect them now! My 12 yr old daughter come back from her school fete and proudly presented me with a new one for my collection...how sweet is that!
Take care,
Alison x
Enid Blyton is the writer of "OUI-OUI" in France, is it "Yes-Yes" in english.
Oh how sweet Alison. My dad had a mad moment about 10 years ago and completely cleared the loft of mine and my sisters' book mountain - all the Enid Blyton's etc went in a skip! I still haven't got over it! My dad is such a book lover too but he was convinced the loft was about to come down and kill us all and we were too busy at uni/clubbing/working or whatever to go and get them. I'm steadily replacing the collection with the hopes my boys might enjoy them when they're older.Stephx
I read those to my children when they were little! I just had a fleeting trip back down memeory lane seeing those titles!
Leanne x
(somersetseasons.blogspot.com)
I just found your site via Sue's Vintage to Victorian blog. How nice to read that you are planning your own cottage garden and love gardening, too! I am quite new to gardening, too and since two years now, we are creating our own cottage garden, too!
By the way, I've been to Derbyshire / Peak District in the early 90ies. What a nice area to live!
Best wishes from Germany,
Anita
Your suumer sounds idyllic. I love being in the countryside this time of the year and you've got it right on your doorstep! We love Enid Blyton in this house and my teenage daughter had a spoof Famous Five party last year, complete with a picnic/hike in the countryside - it was great.
Kimx
Love the skirt
we love haymaking too my kids love to sit in their bedroom window watching all the tractors and trailers and big machinery in the fields behind our house !! living in the countryside is great !!
Sara x
A Famous Five party! What a fab idea - I was more of a Secret Seven adn Five Find Outers (no-one else ever seems to have read these though?) but fantastic idea!
Stephx
Hi Steph
Your post has been a complete blast from the past for me! Absolutely everything I physically did in the 1960s - the shows - how cleverly you drew the picture of the animals and everything that goes on at them - haymaking, combining, tractor driving and my two best books ever. Neither of which I have any more. I hadn't thought it possible to get them again, so must look out for them. I think Willow Farm was the best, but maybe not ... hmmmm. Right, that's my new mission ...
And do we get to see a photo of you wearing the skirt? It looks lovely!
Sue x
Thanks Steph - I'll look out for them!!
Sue
Hi Steph
I loved Enid Blyton when I was young! I also enjoy those summer agricultural shows which are always such fun..enjoy the summer. Pretty skirt by the way.
Marie x
Hi Steph
Have you tried looking on Abebooks for those Enid Blyton books? Sometimes you hit lucky! I'm sure I've seen some of those titles recently but can't remember where ... I'll keep thinking. My youngest is really into the Famous Five now and is reading them for the first time, I remember the Five Findouters too!
Ki mx
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