Back from the Car Boot Sale

A strange day here today - blardy cold, but it can't decide whether to snow or rain, so it's doing both by turn. I feel very much in the need of stretching my legs, so will get out and about shortly, then try to piece the new patchwork block I cut out yesterday.



I nearly didn't buy anything at the car boot sale - there were very few people selling (hardly surprising), but I did end up with 5 of the prettiest dinner plates with rosebuds round the borders for £2, and from the same stall, a part service of 2 oval serving plates, 5 dinner plates, and some large side plates and small ones for £4. We have had some breakages recently, and I am not the sort of person who has everything brand new and matching - completely the opposite in fact. I could have bought a box-full of china at yesterday's auction, but then I would have had half a box-full of junk I didn't want! My husband spotted a wall plaque of knights at Agincourt which is a good companion to one we already have and I got a Winter 1946 copy of the Countryman magazine (I collect them) from the same stall. It will appear on here throughout the week as it has SO much in it that I think readers of this blog might enjoy.

Plates too pretty to pass on.

Easy to see why I had to have THIS copy . . .



Then my son wanted a sponge cake. I murder sponge cakes - the best I could do was a Madeira, which apparently counts as a sponge cake to him. I also made my own recipe Manderin Orange Cake, because I have been fancying a piece all week - as you do when you're trying to LOSE weight! As I beat eggs and measured flour, fat and sugar, I had the joy of listening to David Suchet's wonderful voice on Desert Island Discs (he is on a par with Stephen Fry and both would definitely be candidates for my Dream Dinner Party). When the BBC do something properly such as much of Radio 4, and pretty well ALL costume drama) they are superb, if only they could steer clear of promoting idiots, everything EXCEPT heterosexuality, political correctness, politics and getting the knife out for people who say something off record but UNDER THEIR ROOF. Yes, I'm still angry about that Golliwog incident, and for Jo Brand to say she was shocked to the core by it - gee willikers, when she has a mouth and mindset that could do with a dose of carbolic, how she could ever profess to be shocked by ANYTHING is beyond my comprehension.

But hey ho, I am glad I am not out in the Real World and can enjoy the smallest of pleasures, like second hand plates and flowers on my jasmine and the prospect of a piece of my still-warm home-made cake . . .