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Wednesday 7 November 2018

In the Attic Today

My nose is still firmly to the grindstone, hence the lack of posts, visits, and comments.     Sorry!  Too few hours in a day, especially with running 'breakfast and teatime clubs' for two of my grandchildren, five days a week.

I am enjoying myself, but I will be glad when my self-allotted task has been completed, the dolls sold, and my free time becomes my own.





I had to go into our nearest market town today, for a free flu jab.   It was a production line all very efficient.   The clinic was held in the Corn Exchange.      To reach it, I had to drive down West Street and turn into the Market Place car park.   Not so many decades ago, cattle used to be walked along this road, on their way to the cattle market, now a Co-op supermarket.



Alford is a small town, a bit run down and shabby around the edges, but I like it.   It has small shops, family butchers, newsagents, craft shops, newsagents, bakeries, supermarkets - small, a few charity shops, hotels, pubs, takeaways, a fish and chip shop, fruit and vegetable shop, a pottery, the windmill for flour and grain, and an infrequently opened library, doctors surgeries, solicitors, a dentist, plus tea shops and cafes, of course.



Best of all, in my husband's opinion, is the Handyman DIY Shop. 



The red brick building to the right is the Corn Exchange, where the flu jab clinic was held.   Arrows directed victims to go round the building to the back, passing this


attractive cake shop.   I wonder how many people are seduced by the call of 'freshly' baked goods - delivered in a large van...

I entered the back door of the Corn Exchange and found myself faced by three receptionists each armed with a printout of names and a highlighter pen.   

"Name please."

"Elaine xxxx."

"Read this, then take off your coat and roll up your sleeve.  Catherine will see to you."

Immediately behind the receptionist, Catherine waited with her pile of vaccination syringes, plasters, etc.    No chair.   A quick hello, an even quicker jab, a slight pause because my arm bled a little, then slap on the plaster and move along.

I was in and out of the door in less than five minutes!



I did a (very) little housework, and then got back to work in the fairy factory.



There are glitzy ones, homely ones, and these pixie ones.    I have a few more to finish off, then they can go into the box, along with the assorted peg dollies, a range of Japanese dolls, the little nutcracker dolls, snowmen and a couple of reindeer.      Around eighty items.   That should be plenty, to raise funds for the hall and the church in the next village along.

I need to stop working on these soon because I have lots of crafts I want to make with my grandchildren before Christmas.

Then I plan to go into hibernation.

x   




26 comments:

  1. Well, that took no time!!! Good way I'd say. Although some older people, might wish there was a chair. ,-)))

    What a lovely sounding town! It has everything needed, in a UK village, it sounds to me.

    Oh what is that adorable little "house top," "room," or whatever??? I love it.

    You certainly are conducting a "Faerie Factory" there!!! Better than Santa's Work Shop!!!

    Hope you get the family crafting done, a wee bit before Christmas, so you can relax and enjoy the Season, before it passes in a whooooosh.... :-)

    ✨🍁✨🍎✨🍁✨

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    1. The little 'house top' is a signed pottery piece which I bought about 15 years ago for a bargain price because it had been very slightly damaged. I loved it as soon as I saw it, no way was I going home without it!

      Alford is a tiny town, but very charming. Not much good for major purchases, but for everyday things it is fine. Louth is about 14 miles away - much larger, more shops, but again it is a country town with no major stores - thank goodness! I think you would adore both places.

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  2. My wife took her mother for a flu jab on Saturday and said it was like acattle market, she had nver seen so many old people going for one. She would not hav eone nor will I. Th eonly time I had one I got a real bad dose a little while later and was in bed for a week. Plus you don't know what happend to all that cr*p they put in you over the years. I'll take my chances on not getting it. Face it they never know what the strain is any way, it's just a guess. That little Fairy Factory seems to be going well, I am impressed

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    1. It was busy, but well organised, Bill. Last year I didn't qualify for an over 65's free flu jab, so I paid for one. First time I ever bothered - and the reason was that the previous winter I had been ill with flu. It took a good three months for me to regain my strength, it was awful, don't want that again. Of course there are no guarantees, but I'll give it a go!

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  3. Recieved the transfers today, Many,many thanks, I'm sure I shall make good use of some of them.
    Briony
    x

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  4. We visited Alford when we were house hunting earlier this year. Pretty little town.

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    1. We could have been neighbours - you had a lucky escape!!

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  5. That was a quick flu jab. I had mine last month. Sore arm for a bit as a result.

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    1. It was an NHS special, for the over-65's - and there are lots of us!

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  6. Hi Elaine,
    "Suzy" arrived safely this morning. Thank you also for the pansies. Love the fairy factory too. Suzy has been safely stored away until after Christmas as I'm up to my eyeballs in Christmas cards, wreaths and gift boxes for a Christmas fair at work. Take care.

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    1. You sound busy, Kim! I am glad Suzy has found her home with you, much better than being up on my craft room shelves. I hope the fair goes well!

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  7. I am impressed at your output and the variety of fairies. They are gorgeous. You are going to make many children, and their mothers, very happy.
    Would love to visit that charming market town. What an amazing lot of stores. Sounds like shopping paradise to me, and so picturesque as well

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    1. I would love to show you around Alford, Linda. It is a small town, no special shops, glitz or glamour, and yet it is packed with history and interest - no hills, either!

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  8. I wish I could go to your Christmas sale as I've loved all the things you've shown on here. Not surprised you don't have time to blog!

    Hope there's no side effects from flu jab. I'm not old enough yet and hopefully will avoid catching something nasty although helping in a charity shop might make it easier to pick up a germ or two - Ugh!

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    1. Goodness, that would be fun. I could treat you to some tea and cakes,
      show you round our compact, shabby hall and introduce you to Miss Read!

      I've just seen your post - wonderful! They are so lucky to have you sorting out the books for them. Many years ago I used to help out in a Red Cross charity shop, it was fun, even if I did occasionally go home with rather too many purchases!

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  9. I used to love Alford for a stroll. The corn exchange used to hold craft fairs and the market place used to hold auctions which were always quite popular. I always like a stroll around the church which had been converted to a furniture store. Like Sue I do wish I could go to your Christmas sale I too have loved all your wonderful dolls.

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    1. They still hold those fairs - and of course there are several days of craft fairs before Christmas. The converted church still sells furniture. We shall have to fly you into Kirmington, then you can join us for the sale, tea and cakes!

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  11. Alford is a lovely village - it reminds me of your fairy houses. You are really a marvel - what treasures you're creating and I bet there are lines for your creations.

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    1. Thanks, Susan. I really do enjoy making them, trouble is that I always want to improve on them, so they are constantly evolving, which then makes it more interesting for me, so I never know when to stop!

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  12. Love a town with lots of little shops. Elaine, Alford looks like a lovely place to visit. Hey and I'm highly impressed with your crafty creations. Hope you raise mega amounts for your Christmas Fair. I'm on the produce stall at ours and right now my house smells like a pickle factory.

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    1. Hello Molly, You sound busy. It feels right to be busy at this time of year, I think it must be programmed into us! I love pickles, so I reckon your home must smell rather wonderful. I hope your Christmas Fair goes really well. I would love to show you around Alford, it is very quiet, most of the time. Like most small country towns it gets busy on market days.

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  13. It's a long time since we visited in Alford which is a lovely little town. Last year we queued out of the door and round the corner for our flu jabs as there were so many people in the first hour, this year we decided to go much later hoping that the queue would have died down. As we got there we saw people being turned away, apparently they had run out of serum so we have to wait until next week. Love the pixies posing in the attic:)

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    1. That's a shame, I hope you manage to get 'done' next time - without having to queue. Alford is lovely, in a quiet, old fashioned way. It doesn't have any smart shops, but it has character and atmosphere. Several times a year it holds big craft events, which I tend to avoid because it becomes too busy for this country mouse!

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  14. Alford looks a lovely quaint little town, Elaine - when you have a handyman DIY shop, you know it's a traditional place - there aren't that many around. It made me chuckle when you talked about the 'production line'! I don't know how you manage to pack such a lot in - you are so productive with your lovely craft work. I never seem to be able to catch up with myself!

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Lovely to hear from you.
I will try to answer comments in the next post.