Thursday, February 07, 2013
Day out exploring and buying.
We spent some time out today in the chilly sunshine.
We visited Hassocks and Burgess Hill - neither of which would feature on a tourist's list of beautiful places to visit.
Some parts of Hassocks are older than this and have a bit more character.....but this parade sort of sums it up.
I am sure lovely people live in both, many with interesting lives - but the look of both is rather dull.
Both expanded considerably with the railway.
We found it hard to park in Hassocks - every available space along the roads near the station was taken by the cars of those working elsewhere.
Our destination was 2 antiques centres.
Maybe I should have been in the big one.....it is called Rocking Horse Antiques; this is a familiar name to many who have been connected with my life for a while.
Bill and I sold in the original Rocking Horse in Ardingly.
The shop in Hassocks was started by another who had been in Ardingly and quite a few of those dealers joined the new venture.
I had not long had major surgery and had just put my toe back in the antiques water in the Dorking shop. I couldn't face moving nor opening up a second venture.
I am still sad not to be with those people......but for now I will stay as I am.
I am selling pretty well in Dorking.....this morning that wonderful 1950s hat/umbrella stand sold.
But my friend, Jo is in both places and this morning we went exploring in the 2 shops. Some of the first Rocking Horse folk are now in a smaller venture just next door.
Both shops are attractive.
I bought in Jo's shop. I bought chickens. I know the dealer - she always sold just about cheaply enough for me to buy and sell on at a profit.
We visited Hassocks and Burgess Hill - neither of which would feature on a tourist's list of beautiful places to visit.
Some parts of Hassocks are older than this and have a bit more character.....but this parade sort of sums it up.
I am sure lovely people live in both, many with interesting lives - but the look of both is rather dull.
Both expanded considerably with the railway.
We found it hard to park in Hassocks - every available space along the roads near the station was taken by the cars of those working elsewhere.
Our destination was 2 antiques centres.
Maybe I should have been in the big one.....it is called Rocking Horse Antiques; this is a familiar name to many who have been connected with my life for a while.
Bill and I sold in the original Rocking Horse in Ardingly.
The shop in Hassocks was started by another who had been in Ardingly and quite a few of those dealers joined the new venture.
I had not long had major surgery and had just put my toe back in the antiques water in the Dorking shop. I couldn't face moving nor opening up a second venture.
I am still sad not to be with those people......but for now I will stay as I am.
I am selling pretty well in Dorking.....this morning that wonderful 1950s hat/umbrella stand sold.
But my friend, Jo is in both places and this morning we went exploring in the 2 shops. Some of the first Rocking Horse folk are now in a smaller venture just next door.
Both shops are attractive.
I bought in Jo's shop. I bought chickens. I know the dealer - she always sold just about cheaply enough for me to buy and sell on at a profit.
Bill (pushed by me perhaps), bought a beautiful art deco style station for a model railway and some model cars.
Next we drove the short distance to Burgess Hill and found Aunty Mabel's Marvelous Emporium - a rather pretentious name for the shop in a factory warehouse on an estate of industry and warehouses. But it had been made pretty inside.
But mostly they were selling painted furniture and new decorative items.
There was a tea shop there too - obviously very popular with "ladies who lunch". We might have stopped there. But there was no table free.
We stopped instead at Poppins.
I had jacket potato with chilli con carne. Tasty.
Our next stop was Fancy That. It had sounded quite special on the web sites - maybe I could have a cabinet?
No, it was not set out well and contained a lot of junk.
I prefer West Street Dorking.
Burgess Hill is well supplied with charity shops., and we enjoyed a browse; but bought nothing.
I would have liked to support the Donkey Sanctuary - just because the organiser had made it look really good.
Time then to go home for a sit down and a cup of tea and crumpets.
