Helena

Helena Agnes was born in 1906, in Surrey to her shopkeeper parents Annie & Joseph. 


Helena was my Great Gran.


This wonderful lady outlived both my Nan's who both sadly died in their 62nd year.  I am sad I never knew them both as the adult I am today. I strongly remember though,  being hugged to my paternal Nan's bosom and remember her giggles and being spoilt with bird's eye trifles and jelly and ice cream.


So, not many memories, but the ones I do have I treasure for a lifetime.

Sitting in my Nan & Grampy's courtyard eating Jelly leftovers.

Great Gran, or Helena as I shall refer to her today, as 'Great Gran' to me is just a label, a signifier that she was someone's Grandmother and Great Grandmother. She was more than just that, so Helena to me, is the person she was. A wise, jovial, fun woman who loved life and the people around her.

Now, I wish I could tell you refer back to her life with a knowledge and memory of all the stories she ever told us about her life, but sadly I cannot, but I know it's not too late to listen to my Dad recall them.

Helena Dallaway was a extremely bright and talented child and at the age of six she featured in a newspaper article in 1912 about her 'job' and talent as an organist at her local church in Hilperton, where herself and her parents moved during her first years. Imagine that, six! So young! 

Somewhere along the line, she met a handsome London metropolitan policeman Charles and they married in 1927, Helena aged 21 and Charles, 25. They had a son, George and moved back to Wiltshire, where eventually, she became headmistress of Hilperton PrimarySchool.

Left: Photo of my Gran in her cloche hat with George, My Grandad.  Right: Gran (Helena) dressed in fancy dress - as a dutch girl.

Living through two world wars, she suffered tragedy in the 1960's when her husband died of diabetes which had been brought on during the war when a bomb fell onto Hyde Park and his fellow policeman that had been walking the beat with him, died.

Helena carried on another forty plus years on her own, where she tended her house, with her orchard and cats and played a loving and devoted Nan and Great Gran to her family. Eventually, she moved to a smaller house, which I remember with great fondness. Myself and my Mum would go there weekly where my Mum would help to clean and cook and I would sit and listen to my Gran talk with ease about everything and anything, the past, the present, and about everyone! Eventually I would end up this great lady's front room which constantly lured me in.  I would sit for hours in the musky scented room,looking through photos, books, cameras, records, ephemera. Every week I did this, I never got bored! 

Eventually, Helena had to be moved to a nursing home and she died at the grand old age of 98 in 2004.

My lovely Gran. 

I am so proud to have had such a person in my life and my family. 

xxxxxxxx

Eak!

After months of thinking it over, umming and aahhing I finally took the plunge and booked my local village hall for a vintage event! Go here to my events blog for more information! I'm hugely excited!

Besides that I've been doing a lot of reminiscing lately, I found some photos of my Great Gran dated from around the 20's/30's which I just love. Both my Nan's died when I was just a child, my Great Gran outlived them both and I came to look upon her as just 'Gran'. She was more a Nan to me, for one, because I remember her being there, whereas my two Nan's, I think back and only remember small details about them. Such a shame.

I'll post the photos and tell you more about her soon. For now, back to the grindstone!

Had a little wonder around my local town today to get rid of my trapped feeling after spending so long indoors the past couple of days. 


Got myself a few bits including a 50's table tennis set in the cutest box! 49 pence!


Also, I got myself The Dame Vera Lynn biography. Now she might not be everyone's taste, but as a child, myself and my dad would watch war documentaries and films and I was taken by the whole 40's period from a very young age. Dame Vera Lynn was the forces sweetheart, I have two CDs of her songs I love to listen when in the right mood.

A huge contrast however is the next book I got - The lost life of Eva Braun. It looks fascinating. The mistress and wife of Hitler. 23 years his junior. What sort of woman loved Hitler? I shall find out! The last one is a readers digest book - road to recovery - 1950's. A bit to keep me occupied for a week or so!


Happy thrifting this weekend folks! Xx

I've been pretty tired and poorly the past couple of days. Not much done at all. Feeling very irritable so I'm off to bed with some new fabrics, my crafty books and mags and my kits and see what I come up with. Some may call it therapy. Night all xxx

More swag!

We got up bright and early to sell at our local car boot sale on sunday morning, only to peep through the curtains and discover it was piddling down, very depressing. We looked at each other and shook our heads  - Shall we just go and buy instead now we're up? Yep. That was the plan. Not really hoping for much in the damp weather we headed on down the bleak and grey, wet roads to find it all surprisingly busy. All stalls were inside the cattle barns and so we at least were dry and slightly warmer - but what a difference - no torches this time - it was light!  Is spring really coming? It's been a long time coming that's for sure!


Anyhoo...some pics of my swag...

Selection of vintage Noddy items!

Hornsea Saffron Dish

Couple of vintage games/activities

A lovely pinny - is it 70's or earlier..?

3 cushion covers

Some 1970's fabric?

Lovely solid glass jug, need a good wash and shine up

Couple of vintage maps, which I got for backs of future furniture!

Six piece crownford coffee set

6 vintage books - 10 pence each, all tatty, but great for upcycling - was so pleased about this!

Not vintage, but loved this cushion, this one is staying put!

Very cute little toy bunkbed complete with mattresses and sheets!

Lovely shade of blue solid glass dish - love this!

Tupperware bowl, love this shade of green.

Again, non vintage, but loved this paperchase laptop bag.

Phew, so that was it - I LOVE Sundays, best day of the week - roll on next week :)

To finish off a great day, we had a tea party for Lewis who is 13 today in fact! 

Here he is making a wish before blowing out his candles, although looks more like praying to me. Wonder what he was desperately praying for?

Flea fun

Sunday's flea was a great success, the sun shone on us all day and after my initial 'Eak' moment at the start when I realised jut how much I had brought along with me and the time I had to set up, I relaxed and enjoyed it! 


It was just so lovely, fun, and everyone was so kind, including the company of Sophie from Faded Grace who came to say hello whilst there!


Didn't get any chance of looking around myself *sobs* But managed to buy a cadburys chocolate biscuit tin from the stallholder next to me - here it is pictured next to my charity shop pair of glasses I got myself today..


*Sorry for rubbish photos taken by my ipad*

Two cute glasses accumulated from charity shop today   - goes lovely with my CK kitchen ware!




Today's hunting got me an off white topflite 60's suitcase which when cleaned up came up lovely. I'm meant to be selling it but think it looks rather nice under my TV with my lounge blankets on. Oops! 

Alongside the case, I also got these...

1950's retro magazine rack from Charity shop.

50's Escalado game from auctions.

Funky 70's Sutton tablecloth and napkin set, still sealed. Unwanted item someone left at the auctions!

One of a collection of boxes and tins from an auction in Bath this week. Someone had been keeping small birds eggs in them. Lord knows how many years they had been in there!!

I also found a 50's wedding cake topper in a box at the auctions today, the buyer of the box wasn't aware of it and I cheekily asked if I could buy it off them, and so I did, very cheaply, and I'm so very happy with it, I will take a photo for next time!

I managed to find a copy of Vintage life in my Sainsbury's today, huzzah! So I'm off to bed to read it with a cuppa. Night all xxx

Beautiful Elizabeth

The last few days, when I haven't been sanding and paints units, I have been standing in my garage furiously tagging and packing my goodies for Sunday's flea market at the bath and west show ground, near shepton. 


Amongst all the clutter, I came across some old illustrated magazines and ephemera that I'd forgotten about, including books and papers on the coronation of George and of his wife, the Queen Consort,  Elizabeth Angela Marguerite Bowes-Lyon , who I had only really known and thought of, as the queen mother. God rest her soul.


It's not like I hadn't seen pictures of her as a young lady before, I had. It's just that I never took the time to really look and appreciate them, and today I took a break from the madness and I did just that.


What an elegant and beautifully dressed woman she was and what a handsome couple.


What do you all think?

Beautiful...

Love her outfit here, is that a long dress or could it even be a trouser suit...?

Love how even in all her regalia and on an official engagement, she has her handbag!

How I remember her.

I like to remind our kids that those people you view as 'wrinkly old people' were once youthful, vivacious, beautiful/handsome youngsters such as themselves and they probably have a story or ten to tell you! As I'm sure Elizabeth would have many more in the royal household!

This isn't Elizabeth, but this was on the back of one of the Illustrated magazines and thought it so cute!

I'm wondering whether to sell the magazines as is, or to remove the adverts such as this one and frame them? Seems such a sin to do so, but they really are so lovely and wasted!