Wednesday, March 31, 2010

A Silver Celebration

I'm just catching up on my blog after being away with my hubby for a few days. It was our Silver Wedding Anniversary and we decided to celebrate by taking a few days off, staying in the lovely town of Ludlow. My post will have to be brief as I am at that stage of returning from a few days away with that feeling that I shall never catch up with everything at home again!...We returned late on Monday night and I then had to be up bright and early to open the shop as usual yesterday...Today I'm trying to get straight, but failing miserably, so thought I'd type a quick post to show you some of the sights of Shropshire and Herefordshire from our weekend...

Ludlow town centre - including 'The Feathers' hotel..
And Ludlow Castle...

There are lots of alleyways and half timbered properties to discover...

As well as a regular market.

What I wasn't expecting to find was a busy flea market and vintage fair! What a happy coincidence, as we'd booked our weekend away quite some time ago...

And there, just inside the doors of the fair was the lovely Viv, selling her wares! - And congratulations to Viv and her husband, who were also celebrating their Silver Wedding Anniversary on the same day as us!
I don't know now how I resisted, but I knew I didn't want to take too long inside the fair, as this was our weekend and I wanted hubby to enjoy it too! Too many conversations about the delights of vintage shopping can have a tiresome effect on our men sometimes, can't they?!

We did however spend a lot of time finding tea shops and sitting for a while supping copious amounts of tea, enjoying the down-time and reminiscing, and just checking that we really were correct, and that we really had been married for 25 years! Time flies...

We also spent quite a bit of time on our feet too, not only in Ludlow and Leominster, but also on a visit to Blist Hill Victorian Town.

Its a fabulous place and well worth a visit. A Victorian style town has been built around the original mines and blast furnaces on Blist Hill.
There are authentic looking shops where you can buy a few selective items that are reproductions of the kind of items that would have been found in the shops of the time...
A grocers and butchers...

The breathtaking pharmacy was of-limits, as it is being used as a film set for a new BBC TV series called the 'Victorian Pharmacy'.

The Drapers was my favourite - You would have loved it! ;-)) I took lots of photos...these are some of them:
Millinery and ribbons.

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Luscious lace.

And the shop worker sitting at her hand cranked sewing machine making reproduction garments and bonnets to sell.

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The sweet shop was just around the corner.

There were also original cottages which have been rebuilt, brick by brick (or stone by stone!) which you can enter inside...

Each furnished with genuine artifacts and antiques, with 'owners' to tell you all about rural life and the hardship.

Although some were a little more plush than others!

A very good day out for all ages.
Hubby and I went back to the hotel via Ironbridge, which I remember visiting with my Primary school when I was about 10 years old.

Finally, on Monday, we had to leave Ludlow, but we did so by making a full day of it, stopping off at Hay on Wye for a few hours...

And then having an evening meal at Chepstow.

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Now, you didn't think I'd come home completely empty handed, did you?!

I bought a few souvenirs and a couple of things for the shop, including this lovely Victorian jug and bowl.
And a huge old florist's basket.
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Yesterday was our actual anniversary and we received some lovely bouquets of flowers from family and friends...

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And also yesterday, it was back to routine with a bump, but I had a very good day in the shop. First thing yesterday morning, there was an Easter Parade on the Market Place, where all the local primary school children sang and wore beautiful bonnets that they had each created. Parents and on-lookers enjoyed the spectacle...and some came shopping afterwards! ;-))
Just to say - I shall be closed on Good Friday this week. (Open as usual on Saturday)
I'll be back here to wish everyone a Happy Easter and to also share with you some gorgeous designer bags and cushions that I have just bought from a friend, which will be for sale in my shop as from tomorrow...Can't wait to show you - they are STUNNING!
Niki x

27 comments:

  1. Hi Niki
    Many congratulations on your wedding anniversary, time does fly doesn't it? Andy and I have been together for nineteen years and we can't believe it has been that long! The Victorian village looks interesting, and full of lots of naughties. Promise I will send the pictures of the lavender pouches to you as soon as hubby gets back from Middlesex, I am totally useless with technology. Glad you had a lovely weekend away.
    Jo xx

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  2. Firstly, Congratulations!!!
    How romantic to have been in love adn married for all those years.

    Secondly, LUDLOW?!!! BF (whom you met) took me there for my birthday last October! We stayed at 'De Greys', and we ate at 'La Bacasse' (spoilt!)
    Your photos are lovely and I am so glad you have had a fab time!
    You deserved it Hun! xxx

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  3. Oh Niki!!! Where do I start! This is a wonderful post, and HAPPY ANNIVERSARY TO YOU! What a way to spend your years together! That Victorian village looks so charming; we have some Shaker villages here, as well as Plimoth Plantation, which recreate life back in the day, but certainly nothing as grand as your Victorian town! Hubby and I have our 20th anniversary this year, and though it is too late to book a trip now, hopefully we can do a UK trip for our own 25th! (Then again, I hope to book a trip before then, too! lol) =)

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  4. OMG!!! Your photos are wonderful, I almost feel like I went with you. I am glad you were able to spend some time with the one that is important to you. Come by for a visit. XO Mary

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  5. Hi Niki
    I think that you thoroughly deserved your lovely weekend.
    Cant wait for your next post!
    Tracey

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  6. What a lovely weekend, Niki - and congratulations too. I'm so envious as I knew about the fair but couldn't go. Great goodies purchased!

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  7. Hi Niki

    So glad that you had a good anniversary weekend. Congratulations being married for 25 years!
    I went to Ludlow & some of the other places you went to in 1999. Having said that, I didn't go to the Victorian style town, how could I have missed that out???
    A beautiful area, I really liked it there. You have come back with some lovely tempting items...
    Can't wait to see the new goodies in the shop.
    Good luck with the catching up!
    Take care
    Isabelle x

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  8. Hi Congratulations to you
    What a lovely weekend you had - we went to Blist Hill village last month while staying with friends - great place, especially the old fashioned school lesson we took part in.
    I love those cups and saucers, never seen anything like that before
    Best wishes
    Sue x

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  9. Congratulations on your wedding anniversary! Looks like you had a lovely weekend. Thanks for the photo's, Ludlow is somewhere, my husband and I hope to visit at some point. It looks lovely....

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  10. Congratulations and Happy Anniversary! Your trip sounds just wonderful. I would so love to come and visit and YOUR shop would be at the tippy top of my list. Everything is just YUMMY...

    Warm blessings,
    Spencer

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  11. Congratulations to you and your husband, and what a wondeful time away! I hope that you can settle back into work and then enjoy the Easter weekend...

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  12. Congratulations to you and your husband Niki. What a lovely weekend you had. Easter weekend coming up. Time to relax...maybe! Lucyxx

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  13. Julie-Oxford6:28 pm

    Congratulations Niki and hubby, we celebrated 25 years yesterday as well and what a wonderful 25 years they were...here's to the next 25. Best wishes Julie.

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  14. oh my I loveeee those teacups !! xo

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  15. Congratulations Niki! It looks like you had a wonderful time! I'd like to visit that Victorian town too...
    Oh, and love love love the jug and bowl!
    Monicax.

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  16. attila8:55 pm

    Congratulations! It seems amazing that someone about the same age as me can have possibly been married for 25 years! I mean; we're far too young aren't we? It must be something to do with the fact that I was 30 when we married (not exactly a child bride!) Thanks for the lovely glimpses of your trip; I love Ludlow and Blist Hill is fantastic; it was so good, we didn't get all the way round in the one day we had.

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  17. 25 years! How absolutely wonderful. Congratulations! It sounds like your weekend was a perfect celebration.

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  18. Sounds like the perfect weekend? That is a lovely area and what treasures you brought back with you!

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  19. Congrats on your anniversary! How amazing are those floral teacup and saucers. Havent seen anything like those before!
    alicia

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  20. Thank you for sharing this wonderfulimages and atmosphere! Love those floral teacup, they are really gorgeous.Happy anniversary and have a Happy Easter.
    Clara.

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  21. Wow, sounds like you had a lovely break. Happy Anniversary, you need a medal! I loved all you photos, what a great time you had thanks for sharing and those teacups are adorable with a capital A.
    Take care Nicky x

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  22. Congratulations Niki, it sounds like you had a lovely celebration with your hubby! I love that part of the world, I remember visiting it on a school trip too, must put it back on my list of things to do... Have a wonderful Easter weekend
    Kimx

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  23. Hi Niki

    Glad you had a lovely time. Will catch up with you later ... all rush and scurry this week!!

    Sue x

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  24. Congratulations - we are 18 years this year, how does that happen??? Looks like you had a lovely weekend, thank you for sharing x

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  25. Congratulations on your 25th Wedding Anniversary!
    Thank you for sharing your trip, it was possibly just a bit exhausting doing all that relaxing???
    I love the pair of flower cups and saucers, aren't they superb?

    Sandie xx

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  26. Niki Happy Anniversary to you and your husband!! What a wonderful way to celebrate your special day and thank you for sharing your little holiday with us. Oh my such quaint little villages and beautiful shops...I would have been in 7th Heaven in places like these. I hope you have caught up and that you had a lovely day. Take care Maura

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  27. Great piccies of your weekend away. So glad to see you had a lovely time. xx

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Thank you for finding the time to visit me...
Niki xx