This lovely old house is set down such a narrow country lane that it is almost impossible to be able to get back far enough to take a reasonable photograph of it. This was especially true of yesterday, when cars were parked down the length of the normally quiet lane.
There was a plant sale at the church, a small church, down a small lane, in a very small village. It is an event which, despite parking difficulties, is very well supported because the plants on offer are always excellent and the prices are low.
This is practically the whole of the plant sale. I mentioned that the village is tiny, well the village green is even tinier. It is the grass verge outside the church.
Villages tend to be small around here - and when I say small, I mean blink-and-you-miss-them sized - a mere handful of houses, cottages, farms, no shops, no school, often no pub. This village still has a church and a small number of people make sure that it has become the hub of many activities throughout the year.
There were just four plant stalls, packed with temptation.
Small, local nurseries had taken stands but, best of all, is the stall which is run for the benefit of the church. The ladies who man that one grow everything themselves. Their prices are very low and their plants are superb.
Follow the pathway through the churchyard to the Hobbit Houses...
Very cute, but at £28.00 a go, I was able to walk past them - besides, I really don't like those door handles. The hobbit door was £22.00.
Inside the church was the usual refreshment stall - all along the back pew. There was a raffle, a huge cake stall (I bought coconut cakes) second hand books, bric a brac, etc. I was easily able to spend my allowance to support the hard work and efforts of the two women who do most of the organisation and motivation.
The church itself is beautiful, still used for the occasional service and community events.
So envious. You bring back memories of church bazaars of old.
ReplyDeleteLooks like you had a dry day for it. Those flower stalls are wonderful. What a great idea. Different from white elephants!
Agree with you about those door handles.
This little village is just over a mile away from where I live, Linda. My grandchildren attend Sunday School here, it is held once a month, run by those same women. They are indefatigable! It does have a lovely old-fashioned church bazaar feel, you would enjoy the gentle pace of it all.
DeleteOpen churches weekend is brilliant, isn't it! I didn't manage to get to many this year but, as you say, the plant sales are often fantastic. I'd be able to walk past the hobbit houses too! What on earth possessed someone to put those awful handles on?
ReplyDeleteYou probably already know, but 8/9th September is Horncastle Churches Festival, so lots more churches will be open then. I have that weekend marked on my calendar, I hope the weather is good. The door handles definitely made it easy to walk past the hobbit houses, though I hope someone bought one, they were otherwise very cute.
DeleteIdyllic!!!! Simply idyllic... This area.
ReplyDeleteSo idyllic, has it been "Aspen-ized"? Over here, that term refers to how the little village of Aspen, Colorado was *discovered* by rich people, for skiing. They came, built huge residences, fancy downtown, etc., etc., etc. and then, the original locals, could no longer afford to live in their lovely village.
This happens all over, in great many areas... Like our city, which has been "taken over" by rich, from Liberal cities. They visit...See it is lovely....Move here....Build McMansions.... The children of locals, can't afford to live here, any more. On top of which, these people want to CHANGE our city!!!! -head desk-
Does this happen, to such an idyllic place, as you visited? Homes bought up by the rich? Driving the locals out. Not like you have done, in your village.
You bought, and fit right in, as much as you were allowed to. And by now, the locals know you are a good person. :-) Wanting to preserve. Not change.
After making the hobbit houses, why didn't they carve a tiny door handle???????????????? The big ones, defeat the whole project.
Expensive houses in this village, certainly, but they were built for wealthy people of long ago. Just behind the church there is a very large house indeed, the kind which has an enormous, walled, kitchen garden - an estate for landed gentry. The poorer people lived in villages like the one I live in. (I know how fond you are of politics, and it would be easy for me to join in and set off on a rant, but I don't do that in blogland - sorry Luna. This is my 'nice, happy' place.)
DeleteThe hobbit houses were very cute, using materials from nature...and then those ugly handles spoilt the effect!!
I bet you could build your own hobbit house. Is this an annual event that is well publicized or do you just hav to know that its happening? What used books did you buy?
ReplyDeleteIt is an annual event, always well supported and much anticipated, especially by my husband. He loves to fill in any gaps in the vegetable garden with the seedlings which he can buy here, much cheaper than the garden centre or nursery, much more fun to attend, too.
DeleteCan you imagine me being able to come away without books? I'll do a post on what I found.
We live in a hamlet, so I know what you mean about small. There used to be a working chapel but now it's a house. There is a very good Plant Sale up at Brechfa (village up the valley) which I used to go to and have probably just missed. Lots of home-grown plants there, and small local nurseries - just like your church event. Were you tempted?
ReplyDeleteThe Hobbit Houses would be greatly improved without those horrid modern doorknobs! They need to be wooden and in keeping.
I bought some (more) lily-of-the-valley plants, just to make sure they continue to flourish, but my husband bought lots of seedlings for the kitchen garden. He has been too busy knocking walls down, etc this year to grow all that he normally does. I get more tempted when I get to the book stall - wonderful books for 20p each - how can I resist?
DeleteI hope that whoever built them at least got a sale, they were otherwise cute.
Sounds like you had a nice day with the plants. I went out yesterday with my wife and bought some more. I also saw a wall greenhouse I took a fancy to
DeleteDid you treat yourself to it, Bill?
DeleteYOur post, got me so besotted with English Country Villages/Homes, that I spent last evening, immersed in "Miss Marple" on my Prime ap on my tablet. Prime gives many BBC programs, which I dearly love. Because of my love of English Country Villages/Homes.
ReplyDelete:-)))))
There have been quite a few Miss Marple's over the years, I think that my favourite was Geraldine McEwan, who played her exactly as I had imagined her from reading the books. Lots of beautiful English country homes for your to enjoy in those films, Luna!
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