Saturday, June 27, 2009
Arundel Day
We were up early this morning and set off for Ford under a blue sky.
We hadn't gone far when we found ourselves driving through quite dense fog. Local radio, which we were listening to in the car, did talk of patches of mist and fog - but we were under a blanket of fog all the way across Sussex.
We were glad we had taken a jumper for our first walk round the stalls.
This morning I had the intention of ignoring china and glass - I have got too much of it.
I almost succeeded, but couldn't resist a Carn Pottery vase for £5.
Gradually my bags were filled with all sorts of interesting things - and a good collection of local history books about Surrey and Kent places.
We also bought green grocery from local growers and yet more of the sausages - I am not sure how many lots we have in the freezer now!
This evening we dined on food bought at this morning's car boot sale - the sausages were lamb and mint.
When we were ready to leave, we decided not to go to Littlehampton again this week.
Instead we went to Arundel - I do like that small town.
The castle and RC cathedral stand above the town, and the river Arun flows through the lower part of the town out to Littlehampton.
We went for a short walk before choosing somewhere to have our lunch.
We began our walk close to the castle.
And soon we were in the meadows where I joined a group of cows for a mother's meeting!
Except, of course, these "cows" were bullocks!
I really have tried to learn more about the facilities of the camera I bought recently and maybe this was the first time I had bothered with the close up facility. Normally I left that sort of thing to Bill.
Close to, even the common cow parsley looks beautiful.
A sign here that summer is progressing - the first rose bay willow herbs are beginning to flower.
Bill took this one of the convolvulus or bindweed.
After my experience just now when I googled the name of this plant, maybe I should stick to bindweed.
The item at the top of the page for said flower actually led me to a page about female anatomy!
Bill strolls along the banks of the River Arun.
Bill strolls along the banks of the River Arun.
You can see, of course, that the blanket of fog had long gone.
Cows grazed by the river.
Small boats waited on the water for lazy afternoons chugging up and down the river
Looking through the flowers to the cathedral.
Looking up the hill of the High Street,
Our cafe was down near the bridge at the bottom of the hill.
They served a good jacket potato and prawns with salad, very reasonably.
I was tempted by the New Forest ice cream - it looked and smelled as good as Isle of Wight Mingellas ice cream.
But I was full up.
Next time!
Then we visited just one of the antiques shops in the town.
I played a little game. If I saw something that I might have on my shelves I stated what price I would put on it and then looked to see if Arundel's reputation for being high priced was true. And in each case the two figures were almost in agreement. So Arundel gets the thumbs up from me - though I couldn't actually buy stock there.
In one of the rooms in the shop Bill found a man we have met before who deals in all manner of things photographic - some very old and some more recent, but all second hand.
I think we can say it was a kind of heaven for Bill.
I was tired by this time and we drove home.
I have worked and cleared up everything that was bought this morning and also the bits still lying round the house form earlier buying.
Tennis from Wimbledon was in the back ground - I seemed to have discovered that Czech nationality bestows good looks on tennis players!
Actually our own Andy Murray looks much more attractive now he has matured - good features and an air of confidence glows from him.
Tomorrow will be busy. Another car boot sale in the morning and later to Dorking so that Bill can sort out shelves in his area and give up one of the little lockable cabinets.
One will be enough.
We have still had no rain.
Suits me - even if the garden is thirsty.
This is just the weather I like with warmth and blues skies - today it has been up to 28 degrees centigrade and it may go higher in the next couple of days.
Goodnight. No Thai blogging today - just haven't had the time.
