End of Spring...

As it's the 31st May, I suppose today's the day we wave goodbye to Spring. I picked a bucketful of wildflowers from the hedgerow to stand outside the shop; Cow Parsley, Green Alkanet, grasses, Red Campions and Comfrey. May has always been my favourite month simply because of the beauty of the roadside flowers here.

Cat Rowe came to deliver some of her lovely cards and fabric brooches. 

I'm afraid one of these flower brooches made it's way straight onto my dungarees; it perfectly matched the colours I was wearing!

The shop seems to be full of flowers at the moment.....

Pretty fitted cot sheets and pillowcases made in Portscatho by Wendy Bernthal are part of her 'Leonard and Primrose' range of baby clothes and accessories, using lovely Liberty cottons.

Also new are these pretty hair grips by hat designer Gil Fox, and brooches of tiny velvet violets.

 One of my latest cushions on top of a selection of floral vintage fabrics.

Hope you've enjoyed a little peep into the shop today; 
Goodbye May, hello Summer! xxx

Annie's Garden

 Come with me on a tour of Annie's glorious garden.......

 outside the front door is a paved area with a bench and lots of pots, and Annie's painting studio lies just to the left.

A winding path then begins a gentle descent down through several terraces of grass lawns and flower beds.

The clever design means that you can never take in the whole garden at once, but are continually taken along paths and between hedges and through little wicket gates into different garden rooms.

Annie has a penchant for old galvanised watering cans and buckets; they sit dotted around the garden collecting rainwater. The old stove that used to be in the railway carriage now stands in the gravel garden by the greenhouse.

If you look closely some of the containers have sherds of pottery amongst the plants.....

The main area of grass is in front of the railway carriage.....

and below that is the productive kitchen garden. I picked fresh lettuce and rocket for my lunch each day.

Spending these few days here has been such a welcome retreat, a real delight for the senses.

Chris and Annie are currently setting up a website for 'Long Hill Carriage' Holidays @ www.longhillcarriage.co.uk
In the meantime if you'd like to check for availability or book a holiday straight away you can go to:
www.canopyandstars.co.uk/britain/england/somerset/long-hill-carriage/long-hill-carriage

I can thoroughly recommend!

xxx

Long Hill Carriage

Today I shall take you on a little tour around 'Long Hill Carriage'.......

Chris and Annie installed the carriage in their garden in 2006 as a little private retreat, but when the decision was taken to rent it out for holidays Annie decided to give the carriage a bit of a retro twist, mixing authentic vintage pieces with contemporary furniture inspired by the Mid-century Modern look. At one end of the carriage is a seating area with wood-burning stove,

and at the other a doorway leads into the little galley kitchen.....

Here old milk bottles, colourful enamel ware and Tala tins sit comfortably side-by-side on the shelves with Orla Kiely mugs and Cath Kidston cutlery

Long Hill Carriage dates from 1882, and Chris and Annie have been careful to preserve as many of the original features as possible.

The door furniture.....

The wooden windows and sliding ventilation holes.......

Only one of the multiple carriage doors opens from the inside. As was the procedure on the original train the other doors have to be opened from the outside, which requires lowering of the window by means of a leather strap, enabling you then to reach the door handle. It's these little quirky details that make holidaying in a railway carriage a bit different and special!

All around the interior are little displays of authentic railway paraphernalia collected by Chris

Inside the wash house behind the railway carriage is a washing machine and ironing board and folding garden chairs.

The rear of the carriage has been left painted in the original cream and brown livery of the 'Great Western Railway'.

 I have spent the most enjoyable day pottering around my home-from-home, enjoying the sunshine in the garden and filling the carriage with bits of antique fabric as I prepare items for sale to take with me to The Decorative Living Fair on Saturday (see side bar). 

This little chap will be appearing on my stall too!

At night the carriage takes on a warm homely glow.

Tomorrow I shall show you around Annie's very special garden.

xxx