urban journey...

from time to time a trip away from home takes me to Newcastle...and I love the contrast of being in town as I jump on the Metro and am thrust into the hustle and bustle of the city...I love to return to my heartland of the northeast and feel a different pulse...so here am at West Jesmond about to park and ride...I love the Metro as I feel real cosmopolitan and streetwise...let me take you by the hand and show you...

choose your destination...select your zone...is this a metaphor for life??

get the Metro message...read the signs and watch the people as they bustle on and sit in their own little world...and as they flash past whistling down the dark tunnels going somewhere...

wheee it's a long way down!

or a long way up...thank goodness for escalators...wonder who invented them??

and out into the bright sunshined and blue skied city centre...

I love the constrast of old and new...

flowers to brighten and soften the hard edged pavements and buildings...

Newcastle is full of memories as I grew up in Sunderland, and going to  Newcastle was an occasional exiting train ride with my Mum and brothers and sister...to go shopping in these great big shops ...and now I can't walk into what used to be Bainbridges (ok John Lewis) without thinking of many such shopping expeditions. When we moved to Morpeth, Newcastle became my city too as Sunderland was left behind...and later I moved to allegiance to Liverpool and student life...then lived near Guildford and Aberdeen....and still I get a buzz as I get near to Newcastle...even better if I come by train as there's something special about arriving across the bridee over the Tyne and enter the city so high up




the bright lights...

mmm...could fancy a pair of these..which colour would you go for?

 

mmm..maybe not but you have to admire..sort of...maybe it's an art installation rather than wearable footwear??

and at last...my second home...(no not Ikea)...textiles and yarn await ...duvet covers, pillowcases, new china bowls and all manner of exiting household treats...and all the time in the world for 'just looking'!!

see you in there ...meet you for a coffee...

a taste of vintage...

take a village hall...fill with all kinds of tempting vintage and craft goodies with tea and scrummy homemade cakes served on delightful mismatched china...add enthusiasic stall holders with some wonderful clothes, books, china .and who could ask for more on a rainy Sunday in Arnside?

I left home early and drove down through the beautiful rainy Lake District... through Ambleside...past Kendal and on to the small seaside town of Arnside...a childhood haunt as we spent many holidays near here with my grandparents in their caravan at Silverdale...happy days with Granny's three sisters, the 'great' aunts living nearby...making us magnificent teas in a Famous Five fashion...

so here we are at the WI hall...in we go to the treasure trove of vintage wares...

beautiful shoes...

 gloves...

handbags...

 

china and all kinds of knicknackery...



and then the cakes...mm!






  teacups and teapots awaiting customers...





bunting galore and a great atmosphere...



so hands up who remembers a phone like this??

be a modern domestic goddess...with one of these gorgeous handmade aprons by artist and designer Jan Huntley-Peace

 

or try a delightful upcycled felted bag or teacosy by...you know who!

 and here's Graceleaanne and her fun stall...

I loved her book on how to do it right...must take notes!

and Tricia (perfect hat!!)and Sandra with more handmade goodies ...lovely baby jackets and bags..and dainty china...you can see their Milla Rae etsy shop here...

I was soo tempted by these tiny cups...aren't they exquisite?

Juliet's lovely stall...tempted me to buy a book and a beautiful Otterburn Mill baby blanket...don't you love her spotty apron! I forgot to ask if she made it herself!
 

Karen and Margaret had such a beautifully laid-out stall, all 

carefully written brown labels and colour co-ordinated...

and me... well it was a quiet day so I got on with my knitting which felt the perfect thing to do at such a vintage event surrounded by nostalia for simpler times and for handmade...I may not have made my fortune today but I met some wonderful people and had very enjoyable day...