Simon and the Car Boot Sale

While I was on my trip, I went to antique markets and found some fab stuff. But the markets in central London are well-known and border on the civilized. What I really wanted was a JUNK market, you know, the kind where people have stuff laid out on the pavement in the parking lot of the local dog track. One day, I saw a listing in a guide for a car boot sale. (That's a sale where people throw stuff in the boots ~ British for "trunks" ~ of their cars and you get to paw through it.) It was near Tooting Bec in faraway South London. I was thinking about taking the tube and several buses in an effort to find it. It all felt very Byzantine. Just then, my phone rang. It was Simon, Maddy's other brother. Here's how the conversation went:

Simon: "What are you doing today...want to meet for lunch?"
Me: "I'm thinking about trying to find a car boot sale in a place, if you can believe this...with the ridiculous name of Tooting Bec."
Simon: "That's where I live."
Me: "Oh."

So Simon suggests I meet him at the Tooting Bec tube station and he will drive me to the sale, which is, as it turns out, located at the dog track. Hooray for Simon! Here he is holding my stash. See the cars behind him with their boots open for business?

Even a black cab was participating....

Here's my car boot booty, all bathed and ready for close-ups....Pink shellfish themed Limoges gravy boat. With matching plate. $3

Heavy glass jug with whimsical fish...one of whom is smoking a cigar! $2



Gorgeous pedestal cake plate with birdies, flowers and scalloped edges. Hand painted, marked Chatsworth. $2



I adore them all...which one is your favorite?
P.S. Thanks for the help on the Barbola mirror!

More British Junk

Beautiful glass bowl...dazzling painted design and colors. Too pretty to hold potatoes or bananas. I think I'll put a string of small white lights in it and keep it on the kitchen counter.

I bought this wonderful antique mirror...

from these two gals....

They were selling at the St. James's Church sale near Piccadilly Circus. The mirror was my big splurge of the trip. I have never seen this type in it's own stand before. The red head told me what this style is called ~ the carved flowers and heavy beveled mirror ~ but I can't remember. Can anyone help me on this? These gals were such a kick in the knickers, the blonde wanted to fix me up with her 40 year old unmarried son. "Um...does he like junk too?"

Next post: The Car Boot Sale in Tooting Bec

Stuff I Got on my Spring Vacation - Part I

Girls....We're down to the whole point of the trip to London...THE JUNK!
Let's start with the small stuff first, shall we?

Collection of vintage floral-ish and bling-ish brooches. Each one has a story, of course. The one with the little cottage is a tiny painting. If I had to choose, I think my favorite is the top middle one...flowers and a jewel!

Buttons: mostly green, some shell, all fabulous and cheap. Just like me.

These beauties all signify membership to a club of some kind; dancing, bowling, swimming, even bee-keeping. They can be found in abundance at markets...very charming and so British!
My favorite is the one with the child's face. Mary Reynolds won it in the "Sunshine Dancing Competition" in 1936. I also love the silver one to the left of Mary's. It is so worn (and must have been truly loved) that the lettering has all rubbed off. Sweet!