Saturday 15 March 2008

Happy Saturday

Goodness, two posts in two days, oooh hope this lasts!

Saturday is absolutely my favourite day of the week and I think it always has been. When I was younger, Saturday was a morning for chores and - if I hurried - there was the chance to catch Going Live and the lovely Philip Schofield!

My main jobs were to deep clean the bathroom, then dust and hoover the sitting room and I still like to do these jobs on a Saturday morning so that everywhere feels clean for the weekend. I am definitely turning into my mother!

Since we've moved over here we have a new Saturday routine that's become really special to us, probably just because its so simple and we do it together.

First off...
Coffee in bed with magazine/book/scrapbook
Saturday is usually my morning for a laze in bed, Sunday for Woody. The boys wake early and if I go back to sleep I usually give myself a headache for the rest of the day, so instead I make myself a cup of coffee and take it back upstairs, fling open the curtains and window to enjoy our view and the birds singing, snuggled under my eiderdown. Half an hour with books and the radio is my idea of the perfect start to the weekend.

Splashing fun
The boys love swimming and the four of us spend Saturday morning in the lovely local pool, splashing and generally having a very silly time.

Lunch on the run
Sometimes we treat ourself to a tea room lunch but usually, after our swim, we pop back into town for pasties and pastries from the fabulous deli and then head into the market square for my favourite bit of the day.


Treasure hunting
There has been a market in Leek for 800 years and I think I could spend 800 Saturdays here, browsing the collectors' stalls. I've bought some fantastic things for brilliant prices; today's haul was two vintage gardening books (plus some very welcome advice from the lovely stall holder about how to get the best from my lupins and delphiniums) and an embroidered, vintage brooch. The boys head straight for one of the charity shops that has an great toy selection and I get a precious half-hour to browse. Bliss!

Leek has three markets, the Charter Market (outdoor stalls, general goods on Weds/Farmers' Market and Collectors stalls on Sat), the Butter Market (fruit & veg, butcher, fishmonger, dairy, cafe, pet shop etc, inside a small and beautiful Victorian Hall on Wed, Fri & Sat) and the Trestle Market (WI, plants, organic veg, cards, clothes etc at the back of the Butter Market).

Home for tea
By the time we get back, have called-in for a newspaper, then had a while in the garden; its time for tea, a wonderful fish and chip supper from the brilliant village chippy, eaten in-front of the tv for a treat - which usually means a feast of Tom & Jerry !

Quiet time
Having Woody home on a Saturday night is still a treat so after the boys are tucked up we devour the paper between us, watch something special (Land Girls film and the Test Match this week - brilliant!) and share a bar of something extremely chocolatey!

Simple pleasures are, absolutely, my favourite things x

19 comments:

tess said...

what a perfect day!!!

Anonymous said...

Ah, sigh, that is such a perfect weekend Steph. You really do know how to live the good life. Lovely pics too.
Carolx

No one is you ...& that's your power said...

That sounds like a saturday to look forward to every week !. Fish n chips , arrgh lovely no washing up or preparing. I do like cooking but is nice to have a cook free day. Treasure hunting is most enjoyable too x

Just Original said...

Sounds like a great Saturday, I can not believe how much Leek market square looks like Newark market square. Don't you just love the Land Girls film, don't you just love Joe! I would not kick him out of bed! (cannot believe I have just said that, but he's so cute!)

Sal said...

My kind of day!
I've never been to Leek..so that's one on my list of places to go.. soonish!Sal;-)

gayle said...

Sounds lovely. Routines like that are what give your kids fantastic memories. They'll be saying, 'remember we used to go to that charity shop and play with those toys after the pool. Just a question, do you give them simple chores too.?I am starting mine with the clearing the table thing after every meal, and the eldest sweeps the floor. It does help but at times good things get dropped. I'm determined that the boy learn to help but it is so much easier to ask the eldest as she is so competent!

Carol said...

A perfect Saturday.....we watched the same programmes as you and Woody...I loved the Land Girls, could watch it again!
Sounds like you have Sat's all wrapped up nicely!
Carol xx
ps I am going to ne of those real dances on Thursday! could be interesting.

carolr said...

What a happy Saturday-I felt as though I lived it along with you. So glad you ended it with chocolate! Is it the Tom and Jerry cartoon you're watching?

Unknown said...

Gosh I'm not surprised your Saturdays are precious days! That is quite a commute you have in to work each day.
Sounds like a fabulous day!
Sheffield really has changed in the past 7 years. Town is ok and of course there is Meadowhell - oops sorry that should be Meadowhall... Oh for a nice little country market (sigh). I don't live too far from Broomhill.

Rosie x

periwinkle said...

Sounds lovely, what time do your boys usually wake/get up? Think I'll have to take note of a normal day here.
Happy Easter. Nearly forgot, your flowery dress is really pretty.
Lisa x

julia said...

Sounds like the perfect Saturday, I love nothing more than getting back into bed with a book and a cuppa. Problem is, as soon as the children get wind of a warm bed I can't keep them out!
The market looks fab, need a trip to Leek at some point!
Julia x
ps. What was the delphinium/lupin advive - mine always get munched to death?

Deb said...

Sounds like the perfect way to spend Saturdays Steph. Treasure hunting and fish and chips in front of the telly. What a lovely post!

Garden Girl said...

Your Saturdays sound perfect! What a great selection of markets, Leek looks a great place. My husband knows it but I've never been there. Hope you enjoy this weekend as much!anna x

Unknown said...

You have a lovely blog. How do you get the readership/comments? We are moving back to the countryside soon and I hope to start another blog of Norfolk Tales. Im old fashioned, make things etc.
Anyway, well done with the blog.
Lesley : 0 )

mollycupcakes said...

You're Saturday sounds like pure heaven sweetie.
Oh your eiderdown looks so snuggly.

Have a fabulous Easter break.

Hugs.

Catherine x

Lucy Bloom said...

Hi Steph, just popped in to wish a really wonderful Easter, hope the Easter Bunny is very generous in your household!
best wishes,
Lucy x

Anonymous said...

I'm with you on all of that. My boys always had swimming lessons on Saturday morning, as I did when I was a girl. They are bigger now and would rather go to the Computer Swap Meet with their Dad, but it does mean I get to go to the local craft market in peace. I also try my best to get the jobs done early so I can spend the afternoon at the market or in the craft shop.

A Saturday night just wouldn't be right around here with at a double episode of The Bill accompanied by just a little Cadbury treat.

Have a wonderful Easter.

Emma Herian said...

What a perfect Saturday - we do something similar, especially taking turns with the lie ins! Great dress, I think it is perfect for a tea dance. Well done on the list, I am intending to type one up and stick it in the kitchen - ideal way to shame me into getting things done!

Summer by the sea said...

Hi there, I loved reading about your Saturday - it sounds like the perfect day to me! - Natalie x