Monday 15 February 2010

Shopping in Lewes


Drinking in the Morning Sun....... It's looking like a beautiful day!


You know how you have dates on your calendar, booked far in advance and sitting there as you turn the page to a new month, deliberately written in some time before. As the day approaches you begin to feel a tingly excitement and a little smile creeps onto your face in anticipation of a fun day.

Well Magpie and I have had such a day planned for a while now and here it is!


We are off to Lewes, in East Sussex for lunch and a spot of shopping! Lewes (Pronounced LEWIS by the way!) Is a wonderfully independant town with it's own currency like Totnes. Full of artisitic and literary history, wonderful cafes and antiques shops a haven.


This is the Harvey's Brewery, a potent symbol of Lewes! As we park the car I can smell the hops.


First stop Flint a real favourite for us both, run by Heidi and her Mum Julia.

In the window a beautiful florists bucket of twigs with amazing orange berries and a silk dress in cream with a beautifully painterly print in black, simply stunning. (sorry no photos as they didn't come out, but I am sure you can visualise it.)

Have a look inside here

Then on for a lovely rumage in Wickle well worth a visit.
Oh and then for the main event, lunch at Bill's



Love it here, scrubbed pine tables, fresh organic local produce, simple menu and cakes to die for!
You can check out the menu here yum, cheddar buck rarebit for me!
After a lovely gas about what's instore for us and our family this year, including lovely pre~planning stage for the summer when THE Faraways are visiting, hurragh! We hit the antiques markets, and yes indeedy I did score! More of that in a jiffy, first we felt in need of a restorative cuppa, an intrigued by this........
Take a peak
On Cliffe High Street,
Over the river you skip,
Past Bill you dip,
And when on Malling
By Dorset come crawling,
Amidst Antiquity
At five and ten,
Come and find me
I'm homely and hidden.
we followed the clues and arrived here
Hidden in a lovely courtyard behind a favourite antique shop.

Ooh what a treat, a tiny cafe so welcoming, all mis~matched china and bright crochet blankets on the benches great tea and wonderful ginger loaf!



Anyway time to head home and show you what treasures we found

Lovely pussy willow and twigs of blossom from Flint.
And this joyous antiques shop find



I spied this and literally pounced on it! I think Magpie thought I was a bit crazed!


Oh, girls it is double bed size and nicely blocked and lovely grey, neutral edges, hooray!




This cream jug is massive, and I love the shape and proportion, I shall put my twiggy blossom in it. Found in
FLINT.

So, had a little play with new treasures including these velvet lined gorgeous slippers from TOAST given to me by lovely Magpie.


Had to include the gorgeous cushion from
Cottage Industry

A lovely day with Magpie, thank~you x
Hope you are all enjoying chocolates, flowers and other miscellaneous Valentine's Bounty.
Sarah xXx
ps. thank you Floralovely x

42 comments:

  1. It looks as though you had one of those perfect days!
    Thank you for reminding me I need a new pair of slippers too,unfortunately mine will be slightly more practical than your beautiful velvet lined ones though!

    ReplyDelete
  2. Now there's a co-incidence...was in Lewes on Sunday myself! It's my favourite place for antique hunting.I make a beeline for the flea market in the old converted church...you can rummage in there for hours!Love Bill's too.Have just found out that he is opening a branch in our town.. very excited about that.That crochet blanket is lovely,just what I would have gone for.Glad you had such a lovely ,fun day.

    Bellaboo :)

    ReplyDelete
  3. You know, it's been at the back of my mind to "do Lewes" so thanks for the reminder. Love those slippers, they look very glam, good Magpie!
    Hen x

    ReplyDelete
  4. What a fun day. Everything looks so gorgeous and so many yummy treats. That granny square blanket is fantastic, so very pretty and I love that jug, really pretty. So glad you had such fun.

    ReplyDelete
  5. Your photos are a joy I feel like I was with you.

    I have taught myself to crochet. I'm very proud and slightly obsessed.

    I am now a granny square machine on my way to making a rather modest blanket.

    Jo

    ReplyDelete
  6. Now that looks like my kind of town. That blanket-what an absolute treasure! You lucky lucky woman. Isn't it funny how, say, five years ago, we wouldn't necessarily have seen a granny blanket as so precious?

    ReplyDelete
  7. How funny - we're off there this coming Saturday - it has to be my favourite town for thrifty finds! You've mentioned a few places we haven't been to, so will go and try them out!

    ReplyDelete
  8. Thank you so much for this post on Lewes. My husband's parents live in Eastbourne and I shall tell them about your post and hope they will visit the places you have mentioned. I also hope when I next visit THEM, that they will take me to some of these spots! Thanks again. Kay Guest

    ReplyDelete
  9. Lewes is one of those places on my list of 'must visits'. Looks fantastic - brilliant post
    xx

    ReplyDelete
  10. How wonderful! Thanks for the words and photos that took us with you!

    ReplyDelete
  11. Oh I would love to go there. Is Caroline Zoob still in Lewes? She used to have a shop across the road from us when we were all in Battersea and I miss her! I love your new (old) blanket!

    x

    ReplyDelete
  12. Hello,it's me again! you were asking about Bills new cafe.It's coming to Horsham,West Sussex in the Summer.

    Bellaboo :)

    ReplyDelete
  13. Oh how I love Bill's (Brighton), I havent been to the Lewes one but I bet it's just the same.
    Lovely purchases.
    Luv Sophie xxx

    ReplyDelete
  14. Oh, I loved going shopping and out to lunch with you, such fun! (wish I could) I love the things you brought home too..I am going to go look for pussy willows, I love them! Have a good week and come say hi :D

    ReplyDelete
  15. Hooray for the blanket and a trip to Lewes - a wonderful day trip with lots of signs of Spring I spy.

    take care and enjoy your blanket,

    Nina xx

    ps. Toast slippers are the softest and best!

    N xXx

    ReplyDelete
  16. You seem to have had a wonderful weekend!!! Wonderful !

    Thank you for sharing with beautiful photos and I hope you felt lots of love this weekend!

    Hugs/
    Luiza

    ReplyDelete
  17. A wonderful way to spend the day. It all sounds and looks perfect and worth a serious visit too xx

    ReplyDelete
  18. What great treaures you bought. I love the blanket and adore Lewes - I lived in Brighton for 10 years! We visited last year and stayed in Lewes and just loved it - one of my favourite towns. Where we live now is like a mini Lewes but just doesn't have quite the same buzz.

    ReplyDelete
  19. For some reason my pooter wouldn't open your blog for a bit. Glad to be back and have such a lovely treat as a walk around wonderful Lewes. Wonderful finds and what gorgeous slippers.

    Miss popping down the road to Lewes now we're stranded in Norfolk.

    Lisa x

    ReplyDelete
  20. Looks like you had a great day! Well done!!
    Jeanne :)

    ReplyDelete
  21. What a wonderful way to spend the day and in such a picturesque place too.
    I have blanket envy!
    Lisa x

    ReplyDelete
  22. Hello again Sarah

    How funny that we used to live so close to one another, I bet we probably bumped shopping bags as we wandered along the Northcote Road. It's changed so much over the last couple of years - the Lighthouse Bakery is no more, Lizzies is on the Webb's Road (where the fabulous Wood Pigeon used to be), my favourite Kelly's (organic food) closed. The rates went up massively which forced quite a few business out. Not sure if you know but now there is a Cath Kidston, Cabbages and Roses, Question Air, Space NK etc (all since the Congestion Charge came to be in fact).

    And now I'm rambling! xx

    ReplyDelete
  23. Love the photos - you look like you had a really good - what is it about pussy willow that makes you feel spring really is on its way

    ReplyDelete
  24. Me too - got an armoire and a wardrobe, plus a few of those painted shelves with hooks, do you remember them? Loved that place so much ..
    xx

    ReplyDelete
  25. Ive never been to Lewes - I'll have to pop it on my list. It looks great! Glad you had a good day. xxx

    ReplyDelete
  26. even i enjoyed your day out to lewes ;0) i haven't been there for yonks! thanks for taking us with you! flint & the buttercup cafe look fab :0) some great pics of your lovely finds - ooh willow, twigs & blossom = i want!
    (sorry for my delay in comments-still on dial up which is ridiculous! cannot wait for broadband to hit our area i have to wait an absolute age for posts to download so you can imagine how long it takes for pictures-yawn) han x x

    ReplyDelete
  27. Hello Sarah
    What a fantastic day out. You brought back some lovely things! Bill's looks like a great place to eat and drink. I don't think I've been there before, it looks like the kind of place that I'd like.

    Love those anemones! Really in to anemones and am buying a lot anemome related things lately!

    Warm wishes
    Isabelle x

    ReplyDelete
  28. Looks like you had a great day out. Wow, Bill's looks fabulous! Thanks for your kind words on my post today ....have just dropped Inca off at the new kennels. The people there are lovely and took her out for a walk straight away. I'm sure she'll be fine!
    Love Kathy xxx

    ReplyDelete
  29. I think I had better pop over to visit you and we can have a day just like this. Looks lovely. I might have wanted that afghan myself tho'....

    ReplyDelete
  30. Sounds and looks like a wonderful day! I must put Lewes on my lost of places to visit! Have a sweet day!

    ReplyDelete
  31. I love your blog, and I hope you do not mind, but I have added it to my blogroll. :) xxxx

    ReplyDelete
  32. I've been reading your blog for some time but this is my first comment and just had to write to say how much I enjoyed your visit to Lewes! Wish I could have been there in person.

    ReplyDelete
  33. Hi Sarah, just popped over (your comment was above mine). Glad I did!! Your blog looks so sweet. Lovely pictures. That's al for now, I really have to jump into your earlier post right NOW!!
    Till the very next time.

    Happy Thoughts!
    Saskia

    ReplyDelete
  34. Your post brings back some happy memories for me. I visited Lewes years ago when I lived in London when we went for a day out at the weekend. We walked around the castle and sat and had our photos taken in the stocks!! I love your buys and the pussy willow is lovely...a real reminder that spring is on the way.
    Susie X

    ReplyDelete
  35. I visited Lewes 4 years ago and it was full of great shops. Hope to go again some day.

    ReplyDelete
  36. Lewes is great isn't it? I have a week off and plan to go to the Flea Market (my favourite for bargains). It's not far from me at all, but I can't bear the hassel of parking and lots of people at the weekends. :-)

    ReplyDelete
  37. Thanks for taking us along..

    ReplyDelete
  38. PS: I have a little floral giveaway on my blog at the mo - please check it out!

    ReplyDelete
  39. What a wonderful day...we all need those sweet days to get us through the week. Those Toast flats are so so lovely!!! xoxoox

    ReplyDelete
  40. Just found your blog and love it.
    The crochet blanket is just so beautiful and I would have bought it too.

    cheers
    Christine

    ReplyDelete
  41. I think you had my perfect day. i have only visited Lewes once and adored it. Bills is ssoooooo delicious and I have been looking for a crotched blanket for months now !

    ReplyDelete
  42. Hello Sarah darling, came down the lane to pay you a visit and see how my lovely friend is doing. Glad you had a good time, love the crochet blanket and all your other purchases, well done. I loved the clues to Buttercup, wish I was there with you for tea and cake. Darling, the minute I mentioned a secret admirer, Daddy guessed who it was, he sends his love.

    Love & Hugs
    Duchess

    ReplyDelete

Thanks so much for contacting me! I love to hear from you it makes me smile x

Note: only a member of this blog may post a comment.