Tuesday 2 December 2008

Winter wonderland

Oh what a joy - seasonal weather arriving in the right season for once! Snow in April makes me miserable and even if it comes in January I still feel cheated that the Christmas card images have arrived after the event.
So you can imagine just how giddy I was this morning when my littlest man came into our room, with eyes as big as saucers, to tell us how white everything looked outside his window. I'm such an enormously, over-excited child when the merest prospect of snow is mentioned.
I could sit and watch the lacy curtains drift across the rolling hills outside my window all day long. Sadly today I watched most of it stuck in the bloomin' car! Around here it takes just a sprinkling to reduce the main routes into the city to gridlock.
For almost two hours we tried and tried to get in, only to be faced with long, long queues (about 7 miles!) of stationary traffic. In the end we gave up and turned tail, feeling bad and very frustrated about having to cancel meetings and not turning up for work when the roads now are clear and the fields just dusted with snow.
But it has been beautiful to look at as I've worked at home in my bedroom that looks out across the deeply wooded valley. The boys had a walk home from school with their daddy of the stuff childhood memories are made of; snowball fights, slippy slidy skids and cold pink cheeks and fingers.



Preparations for the festive season are well underway at No.25. Delicious treats are being stashed away, advent calendars opened and a few vintage, seasonal treasures spirited home from town.
Some vintage glass baubles and a dear Christmas plate were mine for just £2.
And these are for my boys, a little piece of Potteries heritage from the soon to be bankrupt Spode factory.
I remember a plate like this my mum had when I was little with its charming design. All my grandparents worked on the pot banks, like most people in this area, but today very few firms are left, with most production outsourced to the Far East and those left are going bump.
On the upside Emma Bridgewater and Caroline Zoob have all their ceramics produced here and are doing a lot to keep the industry and it's specialist skills alive. Woody interviewed Caroline Zoob this week and reports she's a very nice lady and as soon as his article is published I'll pop it on here.

If you're a fan of the white stuff I hope its falling in a very convenient manner and making where you live look gorgeously festive.

28 comments:

LinenandRoses said...

No snow here unfortunately. Yours looks really lovely. It's one thing I miss about living in the north. Love the look of your Christmassy treats.

Willow said...

Hi, I've really been enjoying your blog ... especially your kitchen makeover!

Love your snowy pictures, and those little plates are a really good find!

Willow x

Anonymous said...

ooh I love Tunnocks Teacakes - yummy. We have quite a lot of that Spode pattern in our local TK Maxx, didn't realise it was going bankrupt - thats quite sad. We've had snow too and I'm keeping everything crossed for a white christmas
Lisa x

Sal said...

Love your vintage treasures!
No snow here in Devon..but tis jolly cold ;-)

Vintage to Victorian said...

Hi Steph

Thanks for catching up. I popped in to see you earlier but didn't have time to leave a comment. The weather forecast tonights suggests you'll be getting more snow. No doubt the Curlew Country household will have a wonderful time!

DH is doing really well, thanks. We've had some record sales over the past few months, so I'm really glad I took it on. Long may it continue!

Sue x

Frances said...

Hello to you from New York.

Your reference to Spode bankrupcy just jostled my eye. Is this true?
I have a bit of a china collection, mostly old, but some new, and really do wonder. Could it be true that future generations won't be able to have "real" china or pottery? Sorry if this seems a bit overheated.

Anonymous said...

Spode, it does make me sad. All these eras ending for the sake of modern economy. The snow lifts my mood again. xxx Jo

Pipany said...

No snow here in Cornwall Steph, too blooming mild. Love Zoob's stuff and am drinking my morning coffee from a Zoob mug as we speak. Sooo excited about Christmas here too. Have a lovely week Steph xx

French Knots said...

Very frosty here, but no snow yet.It's lovely as the house starts to take on it's festive look isn't it.

The Fairy Glade said...

Hi Steph, what joy to have some of the white stuff. Not even a sniff of it here I am sorry to say. Very jealous. Have decorated my office, but sadly, everyone here is a bah humbug which has made me more determined to put my decs up! Start decorating at home this coming weekend. Can't wait..yipeeeeeee!!!!

Hollypop's said...

I live in rural France and there's no snow here just rain and more rain this week.
Last week was very cold though, -7 one day.
The Christmas treats look good, I loved those chocolate covered marshmallow cakes when I was little. Ooh a bit of nostalgia.
Regards Nicky.

Deb said...

Everything looks very Christmasy at your home Steph. Love your Advent calendars & basket of goodies. I don't like chocolate but make an acception for the Terry's orange :-)yum!
I'm a fan of "the white stuff" too ~ just wouldn't be Christmas without it.
Deb

claire said...

I like that - 'falling in a convenient manner' :)
Because snow should only be allowed to come on weekends and during the christmas hols!!!
I love that small boys want to go out in the snow - my big boys just grunt and go back to bed if I wake them with the news the white stuff has arrived!!
We got a sprinkling yesterday but tis gone now (it can come back on Friday afternoon!!)

Emily said...

How beautiful! I love the holiday cheer of the snow!

Funkymonkey said...

I love the advent calendars...could I have a teacake please?

This Vintage Life... said...

We had a flurry the same morning but it soon disappeared. Why can't it wait three weeks!
You're very organised with your hamper of goodies...I just bung all mine in a cardboard box in the spare room, and all the nice things (chocolate fingers and peanuts) always get opened and have to be replaced before Christmas. Aren't we naughty?
Deb x

A Thrifty Mrs said...

No snow here, but lots of ice.
I am very sad about Spode going, I have an awful lot of it and I was building up a lovely collection.

Anonymous said...

Hello Ladies,

This is your fellow-blogger-ess Jo writing to you. You may have noticed my comments on some blogs.

Well, my husband and I live in Germany and we want to spend a three week holiday in Great Britain next May. We will have a car.

If you know of any nice places to go and see or stay at please do share your ideas with us. We are a bit stuck for where to start looking at the moment.

Thank you all so much!

Jo
jo(at)joannestocker.de
joannestocker.blogspot.com

Pink Feather Paradise said...

Oh snow, all we get is rain!
Sunny Somerset my arse!
I tell a lie the sun has just popped out to say hello.....

take care, keep warm

x

Cottage1945 said...

Oh-jealous, you have snow! Very pretty pictures, I'm glad you are able to enjoy an early Christmas gift from Mother Nature. Very pretty Christmas dishes too.

Taminator said...

I love this post, Steph. We are the same way here in Tennessee...let there be a dusting of snow and we panic and driving goes to a snail's pace! Your photos are lovely, btw.

I *must* get a copy of your sign--Be Calm and Carry On---it would be perfect for my classroom, lol! I also love the Christmas plates. :)

Tammy from penmanreview

alice c said...

The closure of Spode and Royal Worcester makes me so sad. In fact I can't make myself believe it is true. I was very fortunate to have a seconds shop nearby and I bought a great deal of stuff whenever I saw it. I really do have enough for a lifetime BUT I can't believe that it is now an archive collection.

I love to think of your boys walking home from school in the snow. Happy days!

Elizabeth Musgrave said...

Hi I came to you via Pipany and love your snow photos. We only had a tiny sprinkling here in North Wales which is well and truly gone by now. Fabulous sunny cold weekend though!

gayle said...

Now I would have had to come with him to meet Caroline Zoob, or at least give him a long letter of how I feel about her stuff, and that book, 'Childhood Treasures'. I read it again recently and it is just beautiful!

Carol said...

No snow, sadly, for us but some lovely Frosts!
How is the job going?
I have avoided the chocolate treats, I have previous for eating them all long before Christmas day and then having to go out buy them all again!
Carol xxxx

prettyshabby said...

Hi Steph, I'm so jealous of your snow! Oh how I love the snow..funny how Britain panics when we have a tiny bit fall
I'm addicted to tunnocks teacakes, aren't they just the best but they wouldnt last very long in my goodie basket I must say!
It is a real shame about all these businesses closing of late, its the same for Royal Worcester here too.

Keep an eye out for the postie..there's a little something on it's way..I hadn't forgotten about you..just poorly.
x

I cant stop thinking about those teacakes now!!

mollycupcakes said...

Beautiful winter photos honey, and all those Christmas goodies for later on too yummy!
Hugs,
Catherine x

Summer by the sea said...

Yes we had snow too - my sister was visiting for the weekend and her train back home was cancelled so she ended up staying an extra day! - Love your father christmas plate - what a bargain - Natalie x