Sunday 30 April 2017

Spring cleaning

Those of you who know Mark will think this is an unlikely choice of garment for him to be wearing! Its actually a Japanese wedding kimono for a man.  We bought it at a charity auction years ago and its beautiful but less than useful as A) Mark is already married ( to me ), B) we don't live in Japan, and C) its not very practical in rural France as daywear.


If you had seen this picture first it wouldn't have caught your attention, unless you like pictures of rubbish.  So here's the picture of the rubbish, which is where this story starts.


Can you beleeewe it ( I know, I know ), all of this came out of the storage space behind ONE of the SIX doors in this old barn, which we rather generously call " the storage sheds ", apart from the end one which is the Cafe du Coin, oh yes and Mr Owl lives upstairs. Without any exaggeration we could hardly get in through the door, and OK it was supposed to be the recycling shed but not much recycling had been going on so time for a big clear out prior to the forthcoming brocante which we and two other couples had booked a 15metre pitch for.  At least that shows we're not the only storers.


Saturday morning and its dechetterie day ( recycling depot ).  The car and trailer are both full with the real rubbish that should have been taken there in the first place.  Will we learn, probably not, you never know what might come in handy in the future.  School bag (mine, I just had my 60th birthday, don't think I will be need ing it now! ), half a plastic barrel, washing machine hoses, vacuum cleaner bags from the last century ....

 
This is the remainder, deemed at least worth a shot at selling.  And to this was added a set of chairs, golf clubs ( somehow we have acquired around 5 sets, left and right handed and a few child size ), and various items from the gite and the house that had been on the list for clearing out but hadn't made it to the recycling shed due to it being so full.


Now look.  Or is it New Look.  Floor and walls visible.  Overnight bags, wine corker and jam jars all in easy reach, chimney sweeping brushes to hand and spare loo seat parts all in one bag. Paradise is a nearly empty shed.


Finally, here we are on the Sunday morning with our trailer and car load of sellables.  It was a really fun day, with lots of people and lots of sales for lots of small change.  As you can see, the kimono is waiting for a new home but we didn't manage to sell that.


Any offers?  I think Mark's new career as a model is going to be very short.  Opera singing ....

Sunday 16 April 2017

April and a beautiful Easter Sunday



The first local brocante of the year is always at Angles sur l'Anglin on Easter Sunday so off we went to have a look ....


We had to park right down by the river but it was a lovely day.


Then in amongst this Mark found ...

Treasure!!
 He's been looking for one for years, its to take bread (or maybe pizza) out of the ancient bread oven we have here.

The river at Angles sur l'Anglin

Wisteria outside the Gite
Wisteria along the front of the Farmhouse
Apple blossom in the back garden