Last Sunday morning I experienced what could only be described as divine intervention or a perfect alignment of stars, moons and planets. I tip-toed out of the house, empty bags and small notes in hand and headed to a local boot fair.
It was a new location for me and it was big. As I parked my pulse raced, I charged in and tried to form a plan - but I couldn't, it was just too big. Instead I just raced down each aisle willy-nilly. I spent ages searching, digging, uncovering. After an intensive search I realized it was huge, but there was absolutely nothing of interest to me.
What a disappointment, valuable "me" time spent with no return. I phoned home to see what the family were up to. Everyone was happy, I suggested I'd come home and that I should have gone to one of my favourite, but rare boot fairs that was happening near our old home - a bit of a journey away. My hubby said "go to it, everything's fine, see you later."
I went, pulse racing again but slightly slower as it was later in the day and the best stuff must be gone. Down my first aisle I saw a stall of table after table of antique linens, curious hand sewn items from France and piles of old buttons, tapestries and scraps - the kind of scraps I love to horde.
Heaven, yet something didn't quite sit right. Everything was pristine, the linens weren't stained, no dingy whites or nasty hidden holes. Must be expensive I thought, even though the well coiffed lady behind the tables with a very, very posh accent was exclaiming "bargains, heaps of bargains." I seemed to be the only one looking. I asked a price for an antique linen sheet, £30 or £40 would have been a treat, when she said £3 I nearly dropped to my knees. Clean, antique, crisp, white, sturdy, pure linen - £3.
I grabbed what I thought was the best of the best, some large tins of buttons and a few other interesting bits. I paid, then left - I'd been tipped off by a friend I bumped into about some brilliant buttons on the other side. Ended up the brilliant buttons were too pricey but the chatty woman on this stall was laughing with her friend about a woman on the other side claiming her linens were inexpensive, "...yea right" she said, "with her posh accent, they're not going to be cheap!" They laughed and I ran - straight back to the linen stall now realizing why she hadn't been busy, she was too posh.
Her stall was now getting more crowded as she shouted "...inexpensive, antique linens, most just one pound." In a frenzy I gathered more and more - a kind of delirium set in, but finally the reality of sorting and storing my treasure dawned on me, so I had a chat with the "terribly, terribly" nice woman, got her card and went home - very satisfied with "me time" fabulously well spent.
When I get around to sorting my haul I'll start making. My list of Really Want to Makes is getting very long, but I'd love to make linen dollies for my cousin's new real dollies, Megan and Mackezie. School starts this week, maybe I'll get to start working on my list.
Moral of the story: Don't pass up the posh.