The Spoils

As promised a peek at a few of the spoils from my trip to the Newark Fair on Friday.

It was freezing.

It didn’t really brighten up or get any warmer all morning.

I was cheered though by the goodies on show.

My favourite French man’s (he is English but lives in France) pitch had plenty to lose yourself in. His tables, and all the spaces underneath, were groaning under piles of linen, lace and ribbon and other French goodies and I came away with a truckload of lace and ribbon.

 

 

The French man has boxes to lower yourself into

A large box of vintage shirt buttons ... who can't resist running your fingers through these ?

 



 

... and I bought ...

 

 

I love the textures of these pieces especially the embroidered dots.

 

A teeny pait of dolls coat hangers ... for use in my displays.

 

 

This beautiful delicate tulle

... crocheted beads and laundry labels



Next to Mr French was The Washerwoman (who blogs a guide to the best vintage and textile fairs) who had travelled all the way up from Somerset. Her display was an absolute feast for the eye.

 

... doesn't she look cute against the sunflowers?

 

Outside, I came across a box containing old documents. I bought a few bundles, which included solicitor’s documents and invoices from a Drapers shop listing purchases in the 1930’s  for such delightful things as baby flannel, yards of net (a shilling a yard), ruflette tape (also a shilling a yard), Sylko thread, gingham dress fabric, blankets and vests. Many were ‘on account’ and settled at the end of the month. It conjures up images of vast wooden counters inlaid with brass rulers and shelves bursting with rolls of fabric as many people then made their own clothes and household furnishings.

 

... beautiful writing ...

 



 

... and a taste of the past - a Fancy Drapers ...

 I also spotted a huge brick of a ledger.

It weighs a ton.

I am always on the lookout for ephemera for my tag pictures but didn’t get a good look inside the ledger; beyond a cursory glance to see that it had beautiful writing and a lovely patina to the paper. We didn’t look at it again until we stopped for a cup of tea. It is from a firm of Funeral Directors, listing all the funerals they covered from 1941 to 1956 including the burial plot numbers.  It is absorbing reading, though particularly poignant, as it records a number of still births and funerals for babies, sometimes several in one week. It shows that still births must have been a sadly familiar occurrence without the medical advances that we have today.

 

 

 



Finally, I came across these dinky little match containers.

Teeny tiny matches (an inch long) with a striking plate on the top.

Sweet enough by themselves but it is the boxes I was excited about - sturdy little tubular boxes like miniature hat boxes. 

 

Covered in vintage paper with some sort of surprise inside ….. mmm, need to get thinking cap on …..

So, that is it for fairs now, until December.

It is now time to get creative.  

Enjoy your week.      

XXX