You know sometimes I just don't understand myself. I simply adore (rather too passionately now it seems) car boot sales but for years I never went to them. Ever. I just didn't see any and it never occurred to me to find any. Now this is a total enigma to me. Why did I never go? I just simply don't know but it still puzzles me. But lately things have changed. I rise early on Saturday morning (some feat in itself) and go to one, try to go to another on Saturday afternoon but this has eluded me so far. Sunday morning has me out of the house at before 8 am and then there is one later in the afternoon. To say I love it is an understatement, I simply live for the weekends when I can go to them. I find the whole experience fascinating. I love the banter, I love to see what people sell, what's the most common items sold, how they display it, what the cost is, how they relate to the buyers. It makes me somewhat sad too to see people selling off their elderly relative's belongings but it's those belongings that I love the most. Especially their button tin, sewing bits, embroideries and flowery things. I have found some fantastic items and all for very little money. What do you think of my...umm not sure of it's official name...linen basket?
It has a wonderful vintage padded lid. All for less than £2. Everyone here thinks it's vile but I keep trying to point out that is very Flea Market Style which is what I'm trying to teach the girls to appreciate. Yeah, not really working that one and Tom is certainly a lost cause when it comes to my 'style' of anything..!
The car boot routine is as such;
- Feel the excitement mounting all week but equally start fretting about bad weather at the weekend canceling them.
- On Friday scour local paper to see if there could be any I've missed.
- Gaze at the sky at regular intervals on Friday night and repeatedly ask Anty if he thinks it will be dry weather.
- Watch weather forecasts on every channel and say a quick weather prayer last thing.
- Rise before anyone else, open bedroom window and thrust arm out into early morning gloom. Check for any dampness. If not wet grab a quick cup of tea, in a vintage mug and run for the door.
- Car playing up badly, this means lots of smoke and kangarooing for the first 2 minutes so need to go around the block twice in case it decides to break down. After doing this it rights itself. (Car now in garage, bill at over £200 and still don't know if they will fix the problem..)
- Arrive at car boot field. Heart beating rather fast. Decide my route. I'm off. Walk down the middle with my head going from side to side scanning the goods. If it looks promising I ask if they have items I'm looking for. Get into some lovely conversations. Practise a little bartering (though I'm not too good on that but trying to be more bold.)
- Begin to get laden down. Wish for the umpteenth time that I had a uncool shopping trolley. Do 2 laps of all the stalls. Feel that sad 'it's all over feeling' as I decide to go home.
- Excitedly return home with my wares. Make a cup of tea in different vintage mug (hopefully in one I have just found) and then slowly unpack all my treasures saying to anyone who will listen, "Guess how much this cost? Go on, guess! 20p/50p all this for £1" etc. Would you like to come with me next time? Go on, it's great. You wont? Why not, you'll find some good things?"
- Told to be quiet as the Rugby is on....so carry on unpacking silently.
- Add my newly found books to my pile on my bedside table.
- Wash and place the most fantastic crochet blanket on Tom's bed.
- Find the above blanket thrown back on our bedroom floor. Decide that Tom doesn't really care if it is 'flea market cool', but I still put it back on his bed. Find it thrown back on our floor again and thus the poor blanket is still to-ing and fro-ing to this day. But I wont give up and I secretly think it's quite funny - the cruel, teasing mother I am!
So, on Sunday the disappointment of having to wait a whole week for the next one, looms large. I wonder if the weather be OK next weekend?
And so it goes on...