Apple Day

Escaping to Cornwall for a happy week's respite, we were very pleased to find that our village of Pendeen was celebrating Apple Day in it's community centre. They hold a regular Farmer's market but that morning we were lucky enough to enjoy an extra treat..

These unusual varieties, some only found in Cornwall, came from the orchard of a local manor house. I love the colours and rich scents of old-fashioned apples.

The 'Apple Man' also known as Paul, had a wonderful machine which cored, peeled and sliced. We were entranced and I now have another item added to my ever-growing wants list!

Of course there was more to the market than apples and I always find a Farmers' Market is good place to shop.
I enjoyed having a taste-

We brought back some of this most delicious Cheddar for Sam-

We choose from the freshest of vegetables for our supper that evening-

and succumbed to temptation of freshly baked treats.

Aren't these hand-knitted lambs enchanting?

What a lovely way to spend a rather damp October morning!

Slipping between

It is only a scrubby field but one silent, thundery afternoon it was full of magic

Most of the colours were muted but something about the quality of the light made the leaves already touched by Autumn  glow like jewels.

The more I wandered and looked the more beauty I found

I couldn't decide what attracted me most, the delicate seed-heads

or the Fireweed

I went further into the tangle until I felt as if I was in a fairy-tale and maybe outside the castle where a Sleeping Beauty slept

A combination of spider's webs and drifting willow-herb and thistle-down had captured the berries and twigs and wrapped them in silvery white

All was silent and I seemed the to be the only person in the world.
Finally I turned to go and glimpsed my beautiful Cathedral rising up out of the mist,

In Autumn the veil between this world and the next seems to lessen and we glimpse through.

"Pretty Books, Pretty Books, Come Buy My Pretty Books!"

Grand Leather Bindings Collection £100

Kiss the Book

As many of you know, I'm an Antiquarian Bookseller, the purveyor of old and dusty volumes...
It is not an easy way to make a living and indeed I have three other jobs in order to make ends meet.
However that is what I am. I can't stop being a 'Booklady'.  The finding, buying and selling books is part of my life.
I  have never lost the pleasure of the chase, the excitement I feel when I discover a rare and interesting book.
I then love to see a kindred spirit find that volume on my shelf, pick it up joyously, treat themselves and leave, clutching it to their chest  in high delight.
Sadly that doesn't happen enough. You have to sell so many books just to cover the basic costs, let alone make a livable profit.
So I have come up with a new plan. I will still keep my stock but am venturing out into a changing world.

This is my post from my Facebook page of  'Kiss the Book' my company.
I though I would share it with you.

My new venture for Kiss the Book.

Most people buying my books are collectors or readers who are after a specific title. 
However, there are many people who enjoy the purely visual pleasure of a selection or shelf of beautiful, unusual old volumes.
For them I have created "The Collections"

These are luscious little piles of books. They contain leather bindings, soft faded cloth coverings, gilt edges, gilt titles and sometimes even intricate gilt decoration. They are well loved, worn and so beautiful! They come in jewel colours- ruby, emerald, sapphire and gold.

Ruby Collection £15

Emerald Collection £15

Sapphire Collection £15

Gold Collection £15

I am also gathering little bespoke Collections for the lover of Gardening, Nature, Poetry, children's Books... the list is growing.
These make an indulgent treat for yourself or a unique and thoughtful present.

Children's Collection £15

Gardener's Collection £20

I can create a bespoke "Little Collection" to suit you and your home.

A home is made beautiful by books

These "Little Collections" can be found at-
' Vintage et al' in Silver Street in Warminster,BA12 8PS 01985 848472,
Dairy House Antiques Station Rd, Shaftesbury, Dorset SP7 9AN 01747 853317
Or at 'Kiss the Book' in Salisbury by prior arrangement-
Jane@kissthebook.com 01722 329 410

If you are on facebook, please do come and have a look at my page as well.

And who knows, maybe the people who buy these little collections for their looks may find unexpected pleasure in their contents?

(Oops can't seem to change the font...)

Pretty Nostalgic Magazine is starting a new Venture

I have supported this wonderful Magazine from their very first issue.
 Their ethos of:

' Spend Wisely, Waste Less and Appreciate More'

 resonates with me, as I try to appreciate the simple pleasures in life

I do feel a particular loyalty to them as they published an article by me about disappearing bookshops and the joy of Antiquarian books!

They are planning to change from being a bi-monthly magazine to a society, publishing a book quarterly for their members.
Nicole Burnett who produces Pretty Nostalgic says

" we want to turn from a magazine into a society and get lovely, crafty, hands-on, creative and British history and vintage loving people together and publish beautiful books which wont be sold on Amazon! "

My vintage loving friends

I have enjoyed my copies of the magazine immensely. They are filled with a variety of articles on social history, crafts, Vintage treasures, cookery, beauty. My favourites are the detailed and quirky descriptions of towns in Britain. An insider's hints on the best independent shops, quirky corners and best restaurants.

There is now a Kickstarter Campaign to make this new venture possible
Nicole explains-

" For the past two years we have produced a beautifully printed and independent, vintage home and lifestyle magazine but now we want to transform into a society!

The Pretty Nostalgic Society will continue to publish great British content, but now we will now publish a quarterly book called the Pretty Nostalgic Compendium instead of our magazine, and we hope to do much more!

We need to raise at least £8,000 to print more copies of our future Compendia which will allow us to be stocked in a wider variety of independent shops, to recruit new members and to promote our Pretty Nostalgic Society at the brilliant Goodwood Revival in September.

Here is the link if you would like to know more

https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/prettynostalgic/the-pretty-nostalgic-compendium-and-pretty-nostalg

Please pass on to any friends who you feel might be interested- we have until

Wednesday August 20th 2014

to succeed!

My apologies for slightly random photographs and constant changes in font - I've been having trouble with my computer and yet wanted to post this ASAP!

Jane x

Summertime and the living is easy....

I have written of and photographed the wonderful Larmer Tree festival before. This year was special as my son Sam celebrated his 18th Birthday. I remember it so well, lumbering around the festival 18 years ago, 'cow heavy and floral' in the coolest dress I could wear. He is now rather disappointed in me in that I didn't give birth to him in the midst of the festival- as that would have been 'very cool'....( Hmm, not for me, I think!).

I was also proud and excited because Emily and her friends were one of the theatrical street performer acts who add such an eccentric and quirky feel to the festival. They were the characters from 'The Wizard of Oz' - dancing and singing as they tried to find their way back home

The tin man is rusty

The cowardly lion manages a scary roar

'Follow the Yellow Brick Road'

 I love all the performers. You never know what you might see-

Every year the vital joys are the same-

 The Wishing Tree

Colourful decorations everywhere

The Peacocks

Great music on the Main Lawn

 David and I were running my workshop as usual- our perfumed pomanders proved very popular

David showed how you could wear one and still remain manly

And some are destined to freshen the muddiest of boots!

I even had the chance to take part in a workshop myself- my fish is the unfinished one...

One of my favourite parts of the festival is ' Dress up Saturday'. A different theme is chosen every year and this year it was' Four Corners of the World'

I was a French Can-can dancer but this is all I am prepared to reveal to you of my costume, as my basque caused  a ' Jane is busting out all over' problem...

David was an Englishman on holiday

Part of the fun is seeing other people's costumes

This year I had the added amusement of watching the press cameramen and women at work...

Stalking their prey

Moving in for that perfect shot

And finally, good-naturedly, having the tables turned on them!

This year the weather was kind to us, although when the occasional thunderstorm occurs it is always best to be prepared

The Larmer Tree festival is the perfect place for families and friends to get together, away from the troubles of the world

David and Ben

Father and daughter

Father and son

I love to watch people and especially the children, who make the festival such a magical place. 

There were lots of beards

Tails were the accessory

I think this last photograph sums up the festival this year

Summertime, and the living is easy...