Thursday 12 July 2012

End of the charity shop drought

Good evening

What a difference a day makes - since the weekend its been wet, grey & yucky here in Suffolk - I've got soaked many times out and about on my bike :( However this morning when I woke up I noticed something different - a sunbeam peeping through the curtains :) It and its friends have stayed all day. It makes such a difference - the shop was busier and people just look happier. Plus it meant I could safely leave the house without wearing a raincoat!

Now in recent weeks, I've not had much luck in the charity shops - a few bits of clothing for me but none of those little bargains that you need and want to share with blogland.

This week the drought has ended;

A 70's bowl - probably meant for sugar but I filled it with Pick-n-Mix as a treat for Little Son - its that time of year again - school really could do with ending this week so in order for him to last another week he needs regular infusions of junk!!


As well I found a couple of books;

 Another Ladybird book for my collection - in really good condition - just 30p

This book is wonderful it dates initially from 1891 with this version published in 1945. Some of the advice is just so wonderfully dated - am sure lots of it was still being used in 1970 when I was born. Though I don't ever remember being put out to sunbath with just a nappy square to shade my face!!


Lots of advice too on how to facilitate early potty training - from just 7 or 8 months old. As for the weaning advice and some of the food suggestions - its a wonder we survived!!

Right I really ought to catch up on my blog reading - sorry if I've not commented recently - I've got so behind that I am just reading in a bid to catch up!!

Have a lovely weekend - we're down to just 3 of us as Big Son is off on an Explorer Camp - here's hoping the weather forecast is wrong!

See you soon

xxx Vicki xxx

16 comments:

Penny said...

There seems to be a bit of a charity shop drought going on in my patch too! I love that sweet retro bowl, great pattern and colours. I'm with you and thinking school should just come to an end now, it just seems to be dragging on at the moment... bring on the summer(?) hols xox Penelope

Tangled Sweetpea said...

Ooh what a fabulous book! I love old books like that one, crammed full with charming pearls of wisdom!
Victoria xx

Claire said...

i usually find its all or nothing with charity shop finds, i usually find the most treasure when i'm on my bike!!

elegancemaison said...

I mostly haunt charity shops for books as I am an avid reader and I regularly return bags of my reads for onward recycling. Though I have had some really great clothes bargains as well.

That suggestion about babies in the sun ( but covering their heads) is so right. Children needed the benefit of exposure to Vitamin D from sunlight to help prevent rickets a terrible disease that was prevalent in the UK pre WWII.

Vitamin D was only discovered and recognised as essential for bone growth in the 1930s. It was added to margarine providing the poorer classes ( including my own forebears) with a healthier life-line than the more expensive butter whose vitamin content varied with the seasons.

As considerably more well-off parents in the 1970s, we were also advised to let our babies lie naked to kick freely in their prams or cots during their waking periods. Mmmmn. Well is that why all three have flown to live in much sunnier climes than the UK?( Lol!)

Floss said...

Oh, what an intriguing read that book is! I love the idea of the little naked babies getting their dose of Vitamin D! (So long as they didn't burn, obviously.) I'm glad to think that you had a ray of sun today, too.

**Anne** said...

I'm glad to hear you made friends with the sun again. Getting wet on your bike doesn't sound like much fun.
Don't those last weeks of school drag! I remember in primary school days we would have lots of fun activities or we could just read and do arty/crafty things which suited me just fine. My mum never gave me lollies to keep me going though. I do feel deprived. :)
Have a lovely weekend,
Anne xx

Josie-Mary said...

Glad to hear you had some sun! What lovely finds :) x

Vix said...

What a welcome bit of sun it was yesterday (gone again here today though!). Love that retro sweetie bowl and your Ladybird Dick Whittington book was one of my favourites as a child (because of the cat!). x

Lakota [Faith Hope and Charity Shopping] said...

Mmm, pic'n'mix...yum. I found a really similar baby book to that one, lots of advocating liver for iron and putting the baby out on the balcony!

Gem said...

Ooooh I've just found your blog. I love it. I have that Dick W Ladybird book too. I now have 125 LB books actually, bit obsessed.
Loving charity shops too. Hope over to my blog sometime when you are bored and literally have nothing better to do.
Have a great weekend.
xx

Anonymous said...

Lovely vintage treasures Vicki,such great finds xx

Unknown said...

Yumm, I love pic n mix! The bowl is lovely and the baby book looks like a great read! I have heard about early potty training, someone I know has started that with their son. Not sure how well it will work though, especially when they can move! :) x

Diane said...

I love that baby book, and that advise would deffo have been used when I was born in 1959! Our campsite was Yapham Holds - is that where you are going? xxx

Lace hearts said...

It's so funny how at times you can come back laden with CS finds, and at others, it's nothing. I've found nothing lately, and I'm missing the buzz. I love the bowl you found. As for putting a baby in full sun (aside from the head!)!!! Vintage advice is priceless sometimes.

Anonymous said...

Hi, I found you on Vix's blog, I must say I forgot all about the Ladybird collection, I used to love them so much, the pictures and now they look even better because I love vintage books. I love the pictures, and some of the girls illustrations are very inspirational.
Am following you, hope you can also follow me back, if you like my blog, I would love to stay close to your blog
www.personalautographs.blogspot.co.uk
Jatinda

The mum of all trades said...

I remember having that Dick W book, wish I'd kept all my ladybird books. Love the wee bowl too.