Monday 21 February 2011

A Cheeky Day Out a Deux

Mr J and P and myself had a cheeky day out the other Friday, just the two of us.  We went to Leigh on Sea near Southend on the Essex coast.  It was my idea of a perfect day out actually.  We spent the morning charity shopping, went to a greasy spoon for lunch and then we had a bracing walk along the sea front before driving back home to pick up Little Miss J and P from school.

Visited a glorious 8 charity shops in total.  The stuff we bought, though, came from only two of them.  These were, what I call, traditional type charity shops, ie not a colour coded clothes rail nor a dedicated "retro rack" with hugely inflated prices in sight.

Oh no, I nearly went into a senseless rant then.  I'll stop immediately and show you what we got. 

Mr J and P spotted this little beaut for me.  I thought to myself, the last thing I need is another basket.  However, I quickly changed my mind when I discovered it was only 60p.  How could I leave it behind?



Plus it came in handy carrying around our subsequent purchases.  Old hangers 20p each.


Not very exciting I know, but I do like a proper wooden hanger don't you?

Two wooden-handled kitchen utensils for 75p.  I thought I might start a collection of these old utensils and display them in our kitchen (just in case there are any readers out there who were unaware but I'm a mad collector and terrible hoarder of almost anything) .  Problem is they are few and far between these days.  I'll let you know how I get on. (My tea towel collecting - see here-  has been seriously curtailed as I've not seen one in a charity shop for months).



I find myself having to buy crocheted granny blankets whenever I see them.  The colours are so bright and cheerful.  I got this one for £3.50:



While I'm at it, I thought I'd show you this stripey one I bought some time ago only because it looks so jolly on Little Miss J and P's bed with its candy stripe pillow case.


Stripeyliciousness

I'm rather hysterical about this delicious red pom pom trimming that I bought from a fabulous fabric and haberdasher's in Leigh.  Even Mr J and P was impressed with the stunning array of fabrics, buttons, ribbons and wool.  Such shops, rather like teatowels and wooden handled kitchen utensils, are thin on the ground are they not?  Unfortunately, no pics to show as we didn't take our camera.


Hornsea Summertime pottery both for £2.  The first is a little jug which was used for oil or vinegar? I'm not quite sure.  The second was probably a salt pot but has lost its lid - which is fine because it now houses a set of chalks for our new chalkboard in the kitchen.



40 comments:

  1. Great finds! I especially love the basket and the red-handled utensils. Sounds like a great day out!

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  2. oooh you had fab finds! I would have bitten your hand off for those hangers - i love the old wooden ones too but never find them anywhere and blimey you got them cheap!! I laughed about the colour coded shop thing - you know how I feel about the chain store charity shops, most of the ones near me are apart from the secret one in a disused school I talked about whereby everything in there seems to be 50p - bliss! Your day out sounds perfect to me. Right Ive rabbled on. Scarlett x

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  3. What a fantastic day you had, the basket is gorgeous! I really love the sound of the 2 'proper' charity shops you found, you certainly found really good bargains - doesn't it just make your day!

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  4. The first post I ever read by you was your rant about charity shops a-changing, and I knew straight away you were a girl after my won heart!!

    Your day out sounds like bliss!! I wish I could have been there. Even though I would have been a bit of a gooseberry with you and Mr J and P. Maybe I could have trailed along behind??? Haha!!

    Sarahx

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  5. No way! I was chatting to a few mates last week and we had set a challenge to find a crinkle chip cutter with a red wooden handle and you beat us to it!!! Unbelievable!
    Fantastic finds and like you, I can't resist the lure of a sturdy hanger. xxx

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  6. Just found your blog via Magpie Monday. I love that little jug and pot, what a bargain. And I know what you mean about the 'unorganised' charity shops, they are so much more fun to look in and usually cheaper too!

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  7. awww looks like a lovely day, i love your finds those crochet blankets what a bargin and those hangers soooo cheap ;-))Love the little vinger jug to such a sweet pattern and colour, have a great week, dee x

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  8. Great finds :), it's been too long since I've been in a charity shop x

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  9. Thanks so much for following my blog, I'm getting ridiculously over excited at everyone's lovely blogs and amazing finds. And a bit jealous too - I need granny blankets in my life (and someone to teach me to crochet - still, would take me years, so charity shops it is). And had never even realised the existence of a handheld crinkle chip cutter...now I want one. Damn.

    Too many of my local charity shops have anything vaguely vintage behind glass - and at such inflated prices.

    Off for a wander round your very lovely looking blog now x

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  10. Oh I was just about to ask what the utensil was and I've just read Vix's comment and now I know! I love that random sort of little charity shop - seems to mainly be hospice shops nowadays. You're always guaranteed to find something interesting in them.

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  11. Fab haul, the charity shop gods are good this week!
    Kandi x

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  12. I'm definitely with you on the coat hangers - so much nicer than the plastic ones xx

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  13. Do you know your day out sounds like total bliss. I suspect I'll be hearing myself shortly "darling, fancy a trip to Leigh on Sea?" :0)

    Great finds. I love the blankets, you're so lucky to find them at that price. I know considering the time and effort that goes in they should cost a lot mre, but I'm afraid I can't justify spending £25-30 on a granny blanket which is what I've seen some for in charity shops recently.

    Love the candystripe pillowcase too. Reminds me of my lovely Nan who once berated my poor old grandad for hanging the sheets on the washing line with the stripes facing in different directions! What would the neighbours think!!

    Thanks for linking up to Magpie Monday xx

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  14. OOooo what bargains you got!
    I LOVE that gorgeous basket bag, and for only 60p......
    I collect those hangers too...the last one I got had a 'Grand Hotel' stamp on it...I won't say from which town, as the hotel is still there...

    Have a great week. x

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  15. Some great finds there and at great prices too. I must confess to loving a proper charity shop - somewhere where you have to rummage for treasures and little bargains.

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  16. Oh Wow because I come from there! I was brought up in Hadleigh and lived there for awhile after we had married. I worked in Leigh on Sea in an estate agents before we started a family. I expect it has changed a lot in the last twenty-five years.
    Fantastic finds and why can't all charity shops be like the way you described. I came across some that don't sell childrens clothes recently!
    Julie xxxxxxxxx

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  17. Ah I love everything - I had a basket like that when I was little! :) Love the pottery, simple and chic :) x

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  18. Great bargains, know what you mean about the charity shops, there are only a couple I really like shopping in now,and they're the messiest and most disorganised!Linda x

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  19. Just decided where to go for a day out :)
    It's not too far from us, I didn't know there were so many C.S.
    There was a vintage fair there in Dec but the weather was too bad to get there :(
    love the basket
    Cate x

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  20. Sounds like my ideal day out!! I'm absolutely with you on your mini-rant about 'jumped up' charity shops - colour-coding, expensive stuff in locked glass cabinets, 'vintage clothing' rail, 'designer wear' rail -aaarrrggghh!! I like a good old rummage, thank you! You got some great stuff- well done!

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  21. Wow what a great way to spend a day! It would be my husbands worse nightmare, he does not do shopping on any scale! Great that you found so many lovely finds! Well done!

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  22. Totally agree with you about "proper" chairity shops, they are what we still have in Devon, although how much longer they will last I don't know.
    Love the fact that you said you were "hysterical" about the pom poms I get that way when I find a total bargain buy. I nearly killed some dear old lady trying to get a beautiful white vase I had spied on a shelf a few weeks ago !
    Love your blog xx

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  23. Nice lot of loot there Loo! Particularly like your crochet blankets! They are a fantastic find! x

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  24. Some great finds there. The rise of the overpriced 'retro rail' is a sad thing!

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  25. What excellent finds! The basket is just adorable. I also adore those knitted and crocheted bedspreads, my Mum and Dad had an icecream-coloured one given to them as a wedding present. I've realised our perfect day templates are quite similar - along with charity shops there's nothing a love more than a good greasy spoon!
    xx

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  26. Crikey love, you have done well. The charity shops around here have all been pretty much empty lately. I don't know what's going on.
    You have some great finds.
    x

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  27. You have some fabulous bargains, and it sounds like you had a really lovely day! x

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  28. What fabulous finds. You were so lucky. I too like a good wooden hanger, no plastic ones in my wardrobe! Isn't it sad that habedasherys seem to be disappearing. x

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  29. Great finds - a mix of practical like the coat hangers which are so much better than plastic ones and also things that you have persuaded yourself into for the hell of it.
    My late mum used to do those colourful blankets and they are so bright and also very warm too.
    Know Hornsea stuff well as used to go there every weekend
    I wish I could find patchwork quilts in charity shops as I love them too.
    My lot of "essential buying" is over at http://gigglingatitall.blogspot.com

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  30. A great haul of bargains there Loo - I particularly love that bag xxx

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  31. What a great day out! I would definately of had the basket too - especially at that price. Nothing beats a 'proper' charity shop.
    x

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  32. Love the basket, very 1950's :) xxx

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  33. We didn't buy anything in the CS looks like you got the best of it :)

    Everytime we drive through we say we must stop so now we have. It was freezing though
    cate x

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  34. I'm glad I'm not the only one who finds herself with collections she didn't intend to have!

    great buys!

    Jayne

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  35. i would love wooden hangers, but sadly don't even have space in the five wardorbes for everythign to be hung up as it is, so no chance of chunky wooden hangers ;(
    i couldn't figure out what the chip cutter was either, til i read vix's comment, but loooks like you picked up plenty of bargains..i love a trip to the seaside!

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  36. It would have been a crime to have left that basket behind for 60p!
    Love the new granny blanket, lovely colours.
    Lisa x

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  37. fb finds. I love proper charity shops where nothing's organised. I think I have the mustard and salt and pepper pots to your Hornsea pieces. It's such a lovely design x

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  38. Great CS finds!Glad you had a lovely day out. You go for all the things I would too.We have a new CS just opened up in our town,a huge one that sells absolutely everything you could possibly want,but vintage stuff is hard to find now as they have experts who's job it is to value these items and then they put them on ebay.
    I won't let a wire hanger in the house..they drive me crazy! :0)

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  39. You have lots of lovely goodies! Well done!
    I particularly love the old kitchen utensils.

    DEBBIE MOSS

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  40. I thought I might have missed some of your posts when I was away but no!!

    Well, I'm back now and ready and waiting for your next post. Now. Pleeeeeeeeeeease?!

    Sarahx

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