84 Charing Cross Road


If you haven't read this great book by Helene Hanff (true story) , do.

A well read, autodidactic (word of the day!) American lady who longs to visit Britain during the war years she develops an airmail friendship with a man (and his family) who worked in the iconic bookshop - Marks & Co, at 84 Charing Cross Road, London. Made into a film starring Anne Bancroft and Anthony Hopkins in the 80's.
Helene got her wish - eventually. This book was responsible for my searching out the works of 'Q' - Arthur Quiller Couch.

Below is my treasury pick on Etsy - this is where you pick pictures of items other people are selling to illustrate your theme.

Not for any reason, just to share the images.
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Keep Calm and Carry On - The Real Deal

The above oil painting is from a book, Women's Institute by Cicely McCall. The painting is entitled Evacuee Play centre. It shows children playing, and women taking care of the children in what looks like a village hall, decked out with gaily coloured bunting. The book is a snapshot of women's social history during WWII, a mothers story is one of the least published aspects of life during this period. It details the efforts women in the UK were making to support the war effort. Now I've been to Trafalgar Square and seen those metal Giants on their plinths - Generals, Colonels, Majors and Tommys. But I have never seen something erected to honour the women who took to the fields with shovels, took in other families children for years, set up communal village kitchens and foraged wool from hedgerows to knit socks and gloves for the troops. This book honours those women, it is their monument.

Reading about the efforts of these doughty women made me wonder, we've bought the Keep Calm poster, but if we had to, could we carry on as well as the women who went before?

Click on the photo below to see the book;





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Saturday Night

I watched Nigella Lawson's new show this week. In it she confessed that she no longer feels the need to be out gadding every Saturday night, whereas in the past a Saturday night spent at home was an apocalyptic event on a par with walking around the office with your dress tucked in your knickers.

I have to say I agree with her. It's lovely to spend time with friends letting your hair down, it is also lovely to have the chance to stay in and relax. If I have the luxury of a weekend night at home, I will spend it with my comfy clothes on, a glass of wine and a guilty pleasure - usually tv (and in the Autumn it's always Strictly Come Dancing), but sometimes book, bath or blog.

Sunday morning will be a pleasant and relaxing affair, involving newspapers, good coffee and Desert Island Discs. Something to be savoured, instead of indulging a sleep deprived hangover. Cheers!

The book above is in my Etsy shop now;

http://www.etsy.com/shop/BeauBazaar



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Once Upon A Time


There are blogs I read for pleasure and blogs I read for inspiration . Nestled in one of the inspiring blogs was a tip that twinkled and shone. It said, 'tell the story, everyone loves a story'. I thought how this could apply to me. I have a modest bookshop on Etsy so I thought I could share the provence of my purchases, as much as I know. The way I find my treasures is very diverse. The story of my lovely old HCA up there is almost too good to be true.

For a couple of weeks each summer we decamp to a lovely little village in Cornwall. The houses are washed with colours from a child's paintbox, the skies are endless, the beaches are golden and the rain is always warm!
On the way to one of our favourite beaches we wind down narrow lanes garlanded with wild freesias, the dry stone lurking underneath. We pass a farm down one of these lanes, it has geese patrolling around the farmhouse, and a field of donkeys next door.

On this particular day, by the field gate, are a number of boxes. There is a note on top of the boxes, it says, 'help yourself to books - please make a donation for the donkey sanctuary'. I rifled through the first 2 boxes, and found a great deal of those old fashioned bodice ripper romances, well thumbed. But there, in the last box, I spy an interesting spine, then I get that tingling feeling down mine.. The donkey sanctuary felt my gratitude that day.

I will put the book in my shop on Friday, possibly with an Austrian cookbook with a beautiful cover and some really interesting recipes, or possibly the Mrs Beeton, but their stories will have to wait for another day.

http://www.etsy.com/shop/BeauBazaar


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A Sunny September Sunday Morning






The last time I visited this car boot I resolved if I went back again I would take my camera. Here's the fruits (and veg!) of my (and others...) labours. I asked permission before taking each photo, some of the stall holders clearly thought I'd lost my mind.. You be the judge.

I was searching for literary treasure, and I found some. They will be posted onto my shop shortly;

http://www.etsy.com/shop/BeauBazaar


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It's not Mothers Day but...

I found this dedication in a book, and it made me think about the influence of mothers on their children for a while. How much we as children absorb from our mothers. How much we influence our children and how much we later decide are not our views, but the thoughts of others we picked up along the way. A bit deep for a Monday morning I know.

The books name is The Business of Life, the author E J Hardy certainly knew how to come up with a title, his previous publication was How To Be Happy Though Married!

If you would like to see the book check it out on;

http://www.etsy.com/shop/BeauBazaar


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Come In...I have a funny story to tell you...

Time to come clean, I am a dooroholic. I love doors - old, new, unusual, quirky, mysterious... I have so many photos of doors - it's unnatural. What do you DO with so many photos? I've asked myself what is it about doors that holds such a fascination for me? I think the answer lies in the fact that I am a person preoccupied with 'what lies behind'. I am interested in people and their motivations, back-stories, biographies, old photos..

6 years ago I was burgled. The thieves stole my Grandmothers gold watch. In my misguided attempt to replace it like for like, I made my way to a place in Hatton Garden, recommended by the insurer. It was run by an old Jewish gentleman, an Aladdins cave of second hand jewellery.
I found a watch nearly identical, in a fit of 'what lies behindness' I asked the gentleman, 'do you know who this belonged to?' Fondly imagining he would tell me a story of a fragrant, stylish woman, her life filled with glamour and stories of late nights filled with twinkling lights and cocktails under the stars.

His deadpan, heavily accented response to my question? ' She's dead'!
It was at this point I realised the humour and pathos of the situation. I never did buy the watch, it wasn't the same. My Grandmother was gone, and now, so was her watch, it could never be replaced and not should it.

Sometimes doors are best left closed.
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Nursery Rhymes and play times



As it's still the summer holidays, and my own memories of long childhood days have been in my mind, I have chosen 2 children's books to go into my shop today. One is a very British style with it's illustrations of nursery rhymes, the other book is a beautifully illustrated (by Eleanor V Abbott) American book and shows children admiring the flowers in a typical cottage garden. The flowers remind me of my grandparents cottage garden and walking underneath their tunnel of runner beans, silently reaching up to pick a bean - and eating it raw. Happy memories.

The web link to my shop;
http://www.etsy.com/shop/BeauBazaar

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It's all happening in...



We have just got back from a short holiday to the land of canals, fabulous canal houses and 1,000's of bicycles. Wouldn't you love to look as stylish as the girl above, whilst making her way round town? Everyone cycles, young, old, fat, thin, stylish and the sartorially challenged. It has filled me with a resolution to up my peddle quota - just need a Pashley, the right clothes, good weather...

I managed to get to the Molenaar Boeken (the book market at Molenaar to you and I) where I found some treasure for my Etsy store. Check it out; http://www.etsy.com/shop/BeauBazaar


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