London ... Pearly Queens ... Union Jacks ... V&H Fair

For our birthdays (Pauley in February and me in March) Hannah presented us with ...

When we opened the card we found ...

arranged for a date to coincide with me having a free slot large enough to be able to take time out! As with our 'week's holiday' last September (one night away = one week), we have just spent a fortnight in London!!! We set off at close of Dairy House business on Sunday afternoon and booked in for our 2 night stay. The weather was gorgeous and on Monday morning we caught the tube to South Kensington and went somewhere neither of us has ever been before ...

the V&A Museum.

(You'll need to click and enlarge the photos to see the detail, as I'm sure you all know by now!)

What an amazing place. If you've never been then I thoroughly recommend a visit. We've decided we need to go again! The best part is you are allowed to take photographs in most areas (see the slide show below).

We wandered around some of it together, after making the garden café our first port of call,

... enamel mugs for our coffee!

and then Pauley enjoyed some of the art whilst I drooled over 17th century and later lace and textiles.

We had already decided to have a 'proper' lunch rather than a meal just prior to the Show, and as the roast lamb on offer in the V&A restaurant looked 'good enough to eat' that's what we had, sitting in beautiful surroundings, and enjoying a glass of Merlot ... I could get used to this!


I had to make a few purchased in the shop of course, and treated myself to a pair of millefiore earrings as I lost yet another earring somewhere on the streets of London. I have lost one earring a week for the last month. Why? Usually they have been unimportant, everyday ones which didn't cost a fortune, but the one I lost on Monday was gold, and the pair were the ones I wore for Hannah's wedding. They weren't overly expensive, but that's not the point, is it! I'm beginning to wonder whether I should stop wearing them all together ...

We then moved on to

Pauley was keen to see how much it had changed in the 50 years since his last visit ... quite a lot, as it happens! We didn't stay in there too long because it was too stuffy and claustrophobic but it was fascinating. So we beat a hasty retreat and decided to get on the tube again (lazy, some might say) for one stop, and enjoy the sunshine and fresher air in St James's Park. We helped ourselves to a couple of deckchairs (£1.50 each it transpired) and sat enjoying the beautiful sunshine (a bit breezy) and the opportunity to do absolutely nothing for well over an hour ...

... as you can see, Pauley took full advantage of the moment! And then my camera battery died. I had intended to charge it up overnight in readiness for the day ahead, but stupidly put the wrong charger in my bag!

We then meandered back down Victoria Street, in and out of a few shops, stopped for a cuppa and then getting ourselves into musical mode we went into Victoria Palace Theatre and took our seats. Oh boy ... what a performance! The lad who played Billy was amazing, as were all the other youngsters. The choreography was excellent - it must have been, because Pauley is still talking about it and as many of you know, he doesn't really do enthusiastic!!! The timing was spot on, and there were some comedic moments which had everyone laughing. There was a standing ovation with several curtain calls, and we came away grinning, having thoroughly enjoyed every moment.

As were were still in holiday mode on Tuesday morning we came home along the M4 rather than the A303, and stopped off at Hungerford so I could check out the antiques centres (purchases made - an early commemorative handkerchief, Cornishware and a pretty dressing table set, the latter destined for the V&H Fair). We also stopped at Marlborough where I bought some pretty French buttons and a mini chest of drawers painted turquoise (for the V&H) which may get photographed ...

Talking of the Vintage & Handmade Fair, and linking suitably with London and the title of this post, I bought these at the Shepton Mallet antiques fair last Friday

I haven't counted them yet, but I think there are 25-30. Most of them look to be about right for the Queen's Coronation in 1953, but I think a few may be older. They'll be for sale at the V&H Fair on 30th May.

This is just a drop in my ocean of mother-of-pearl buttons. I bought a huge jar of them about a month ago, and as if that wasn't enough I've now bought a huge bagful. I dread to think how many there are, but they weighed 3lbs. I may have to sell them by the ounce!

And finally, this bundle of old price tickets which I couldn't resist.

So ... there we are, then. That's some of what I've been up to since my last post. I'm sure there's more to tell you, but that'll have to wait for another day.