A pattern emerges

Readers may recall the massive knitting pattern haul that mater scored at the last vintage fair we both went to back in December.  Two 20-plus page booklets dating from the late 1930s chock full to the brim with knitting patterns for man, woman and child!  Mother took copies of a couple to get started and the books now reside with me for further patterns to be selected at will.

I'm pleased to announce the first garment has been completed!  It's not the one you might have expected, though.  Despite there being several covetable men's pullover patterns, mother's prerogative (quite right too!) meant the first pattern to be knitted up was one of the ladies' jumpers. 

The pattern of choice was taken from the second booklet, the "My Weekly" supplement.  Not sharing such an innate love of the period as myself, mater selected one of the more timeless designs - the "Two-Colour Jumper with a Yoke in Moss-Stitch". 

Since knitting terminology is still a bit beyond me, mother explains: "Instead of making separate pieces [as per the original pattern] I completed the cast off on the front piece but then picked up the number of stitches required from the yoke and just knitted it up from that, then it was not necessary for me to stitch it on separately.  Then I adjusted the pattern accordingly, making the sleeves quarter-length, shortening the body [mater suffers the same short body-long legs problem as I - albeit shorter!] and added the knitted flower to the neckline."

The original pattern also called for two shades of green but, of course, colour choice can vary according to preference and mater decided on a simple grey and black that only adds to the timelessness.  She very graciously offered to model the finished article for inclusion on this blog so without further ado I give you the updated Two-Colour Jumper with a Yoke in Moss-Stitch:

So taken was she with the style and general ease of knit of this particular pattern (being used to more modern patterns with varying size instructions mum did note the need to adjust the needle size to account for any differences - most of the patterns being for a 32-34" bust - and she remains very much amused that there are patterns for "the matron" and "the bigger woman" - the latter still only 38" under the arms!) mother is already knitting another in a pink colourway.  After that I am assured a men's jumper or cardigan from a pattern of my choice will be next on the list, and I look forward to featuring it on here as well!

Fairs, letters and patterns

Earlier this month - the 15th to be precise - I found myself at another of my local Essex Vintage Fairs.  Fast becoming a quarterly tradition thanks in no small part to its proximity to m'parents' home it is also a well-run yet intimate event with some good bargains to be found if one is prepared to search beyond the "vintage" (in the worst possible sense as used to describe stuff from the 1970s, '80s - or even later - that just looks old or has a bit of retro about it) and "[insert decade here]-style".  (Those two types of items are, of course, found everywhere these days so this event is not unusual for that.)

While perhaps not quite up there with the summer fair in terms of atmosphere (despite the "Special Christmas Vintage Fair" tagline of the advertisements there was really very little to differentiate it from any other time of year beyond some occasional Christmas music and a few decorations) it was still great fun and we - mother and I - were both able to find a couple of things to take our fancy.

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Mine has lost the wording
but is otherwise identical

The first find was mine - another book for my library and quite an apposite one in view of next year's centenary of the First World War.  In The Royal Naval Air Service is comprised of a series of letters written by RNAS Flight-Lieutenant Harold Rosher to his family (in Beckenham, South East London) from the outbreak of war in August 1914 until February 1916 when he tragically died in a flying accident.  I've already leafed through the first chapter and it looks to be a cracking read and a welcome addition to my World War One book collection (it should be a particularly good companion piece to James McCudden's Five Years in the Royal Flying Corps).  It's my intention to read through all (or as many as possible!) of my Great War books in 2014 as part of my own commemoration of the centenary and this one will be top of the pile.  I'm also delighted to note that it has been republished twice in the last eleven years and that copies are still available to buy or even read/download online.

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At £3.50 for an original 1916 copy, however, there was no way it wasn't coming home with me.  It also has a fascinating pencil inscription on the frontispiece - 'G. Barham N.A.A, "Hood" Division'.  A little bit of digging has found that Hood Division was one of eight battalions of the Royal Naval Division, an infantry unit made up of surplus Royal Navy and Royal Marine volunteers not serving on ships.  A clear link to Harold Rosher, then, who served in the Navy's air force (before it was merged with the Royal Flying Corps on the 1st April 1918 to form the RAF).  Maybe this G. Barham knew Harold Rosher, who can say?  Interestingly enough, towards the end of 1916 the Royal Naval Division was re-deployed to the Army as the 63rd (Royal Naval) Division with the eight battalions losing their names (all famous naval commanders) so it should be possible to precisely place this Barham chap in the timeline of the RND. 

Now, for the second find (mater's, but equally exciting for me too) I must ask any ladies reading - particularly those of you who knit - to please be sitting down or holding on to something because I don't want there to be any swooning.  Yes - knitting patterns!

Not just any old patterns, either.  Hiding in amongst piles of Seventies- and Eighties-tastic booklets (dubious cardigans, three-piece sets where one of the pieces is a hat - you know the sort of thing) were a couple of absolute gems from a far earlier period...  Just feast your eyes on these!

From the 25th September 1937 issue of Woman's Own, a whopping 44 pages of woollen wonders in the Big Knitting Book!!  I mean,everything!  Look at it all! Quite literally the mother lode.

Cardigans!

Jumpers!

Pullovers (for chaps too)!

Even the kiddies are catered for!

If that wasn't enough mother also nabbed an "Autumn Woollies" book from "My Weekly, of approximately the same vintage (sadly there's no date to be found in it, but the styles look very much the same and the fact that it has some colour pages and is roughly A4 in size leads me to believe it is also pre-war).  

Got your breath back yet?  OK, here we go...

Not as many pages as the Big Knitting Book, but still some corkers for the whole family dwell within.

Why not indeed?!

Mater was quite tickled to note that the older, larger lady was referred to as a "matron"...

We chaps are well-catered for too!

By Jove, what a lot of patterns eh?  Should keep mother busy well into the next year.

I'll certainly be returning to the next fair on the 26th of January, with an even bigger one scheduled for the 2nd of March at a larger sports hall in Southend, to look out for more bargains, patterns and books for 2014.

A near-spectacular surprise

After two helpings of Captain Hastings (well, almost two) now it feels right to do an event post by way of a change.

Yesterday (Sunday) morning found me at the St. Luke's Hospice Vintage Spectacular in Basildon.  St. Luke's Hospice, I should explain, is a specialist palliative care charity serving the local area (and although there are several St Luke's Hospices dotted about the country, I don't believe they're linked other than by the services they offer).  They have two large charity shops in the towns nearest me, Basildon and Wickford, from where I have scored many a find over the years.  This was their very first foray into vintage fairs and while it would be something of a stretch to have called it "spectacular" it was well-organised, quite popular (I've never seen so many pin curls and vintage outfits in Basildon before!) and definitely has potential for becoming a regular event.

Some two-dozen stalls were spread throughout the sports hall of the local college, with a dancing area at one end on which the fine folks from A2 Jive (including a distant relative who I caught up with) doing their stuff.  There are some pictures on their own site here that give a good idea of the thing.  Going solely by the leaflet I picked up months ago I was not expecting such a wide range of different stalls and traders, but rather a selection of clothing and collectibles (by the way, did you know the difference between "collectable" and "collectible"?) that had been culled from the two charity shops in the preceding months.  Certainly the sparseness I've encountered on the rails and shelves of both branches recently had led to me to suspect that they were holding stuff back for this event but it turned out that only 3 of the stalls were the hospice's, selling the usual mixture of books, old (and "vintage") clothing and bric-a-brac.  Nothing like what I'd envisaged, though.  It was still a very enjoyable, typical vintage fair, however - similar to my other local one at Benfleet (indeed some of the stalls looked familiar!).  Many local stallholders had turned up, including Lawdy Momma from Battlesbridge - who also happens to feature on Ruby's latest blog.

I had the briefest of flashbacks to my hated school P.E. lessons upon entering the building as the interior layout was almost identical to my old school's sports hall - no doubt the [same] builders had followed a template!  It proved to be quite a boon, however, as it allowed the stallholders and dancers a bit of space.  The Vintage Tearoom were able to set up in a separate room, too, which also allowed them more space; they also had a delightful live singer, Miss Violet Rae, in one corner doing more than justice to 1940s and '50s standards.  Refreshments were more than reasonable too at 50p each for a cup of tea and a fairy cake.

I didn't leave empty-handed either.  As is usual with these events there was a mixture of "proper" vintage, repro and stuff labelled "vintage" that really wasn't (or at least shouldn't have been for another 10-20 years).  Prices were wide-ranging but I did manage to sniff out three bargains, two of which you can see above.  A classic brown leather suitcase that cost me all of a five pound note and a nice plain chocolate brown wool tie.  Neither are of any great age - probably not many years older than me! - but both have a timeless quality that will suit me well.  The suitcase is very similar to one I have that belonged to my father - in colour and size practically identical, so I like to think of them as a matching set now!  )Not that I go on many holidays these days...) The straps on this one are strangely counter-intuitive though - you have to push the metal clasps up and away from you to disengage the pin.  Takes a bit of getting used to!  For such a niggardly sum and in such good condition (only a couple of small dings and marks on the leather) I just couldn't pass it up.  If nothing else it will serve as storage for some items of clothing, away from the dreaded moths!

The tie, although labelled "vintage", was only £4 probably as a result of it sporting the St Michael's label (Marks & Spencer's luxury line) which only ended in 2000.  It was also immaculate, pure wool and an appealing colour, though, so home it came with me.

The third and final item is a really interesting score, from the St. Luke's Hospice stall itself.  The selection of books consisted almost entirely of cricketing tombs (you can see them in one of A2 Jive's photos, actually) - probably all from the library of a recently-deceased cricket fan.  Being something of a fan of the noble game myself, I cast my eye over them and one in particular leaped out at me.  Lo!:

The splendidly-named The Test Match Surprise is, in its own words, a "cricket novel", written by the English batsman Jack Hobbs (later Sir John Hobbs) and dating from 1926!  I haven't had the chance to look through it closely yet but it would appear to be the fictional tale of the trials and tribulations of a lowly cricketer.  It is wonderfully redolent of its period, when Hobbs was at the peak of his popularity following England's win at the 1926 Ashes.  The book itself has aged, of course - the cover is dulled, the pages brown and crisped.  More remarkably the spine is as tight as anything - I can barely open it more than an inch or two without fear of doing some damage.  It's slightly looser up until chapter eight, where there are crease marks from where the page has been folded, but after that...  You know, I wouldn't be surprised if it has never been read in its entirety since it was first bought.  And how much did this 87-year-old book set me back?  One whole English pound.

All-in-all, then, a very worthwhile and enjoyable day out with some lovely finds to show for it.  St. Luke's Hospice acquitted themselves admirably with their first vintage fair and I sincerely hope it will not be their last.  Judging by this one, I think that very unlikely.

If you can't knit 'em, blog 'em!

Another week seems to have flown by, again without a single blog post from me!  How terribly remiss of me, to be sure; I can only say that I rather immersed myself in convalescing (fat lot of good it's done me - now I've gone and caught a cold!) to the point where I've almost neglected this poor little blog.  I must apologise to you, dear readers.

Other than the sniffles, however, I think I can safely say things are all back as they should be (or as near as makes no difference).  I've still got the previously-mentioned drafts to finish but once again something unexpected has come along to upset the order of things (albeit in a totally good way).

That something was another Antique and Collectors Fair at Runnymede Hall in Benfleet, Essex.  Literally just around the corner from my parents, I took full advantage of the fact and stopped in for lunch before mater and I went down there for an afternoon's browsing.  I can hardly believe that it has been a whole year since last I went to one of these (they're roughly bi-monthly at Benfleet, with others held at various locations in Essex), although of course I've had my reasons(!).

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When I attended the February 2012 event, at which I picked up two 1930s non-U.K. pennies as told here, I mentioned my surprise at the high prices in evidence and speculated (hoped!) that it was the exception rather than the rule on the basis of other antiques emporia I had visited around the same time.  I'm delighted to say, based on my experience yesterday, that that seems to have been the case as prices this time were much more reasonable and there were several things that, were I more flush with cash, I might have considered buying.  I don't think for one minute that the antiques and collectibles market is in any kind of trouble either locally or nationally; I believe this was more a case of dealers coming to their senses, reigning in their ambitions and being keener to sell (there was much more of that on display too - lots of deals, half price tables, "everything must go", "make me an offer" and the rather amusing "buyers wanted, no experience necessary!" signs).  It was a slightly smaller affair than last year - the picture above, taken in April 2012, gives a good idea of the scale this time too - but it was well-attended and there were some interesting items, as I mentioned.

I (or, I should say, we) didn't come away empty-handed this time either and it was thanks in part to mother's eagle eye.  One of the first tables we came to contained heaps of odds and ends, many of them Second World War vintage (ironically it was run by a friendly German stallholder who, like most of the traders there, was keen to chat).  Half hidden beneath some old matchbooks, pin badges and similar knick-knacks were some papers.  Closer inspection revealed them to be - knitting patterns, all it seemed from around the early/mid 1940s!

Having leafed through all ten and with mater on a bit of a knitting kick we agreed to buy, for 50p, the one that looked the best for yours truly - as illustrated by the handsome chap above (I can guarantee I won't look as dapper, I'm afraid!).  We then continued round the rest of the hall, stopping for some tea and cake on the way.  During this break the discussion returned to the remaining 9 patterns and after some deliberation I went back to see if I could take our Teutonic friend up on his offer to "do a deal" on all of them.  As if to underline my earlier point about this particular fair, he was happy to let the rest go for a paltry £3!  So, without further ado, here are the rest!

Might see if I can get Ma to have a crack at the men's slippers, although I think she might be rather dubious about using "rug wool" and making the leather soles(!).

Researching Sirdar Wools I was surprised and pleased to find that they're still in business!

A great advert for Lee's Wools in one of two Woman's Weekly pattern sections, this one from November 1940.  Perhaps Tups will be able to tell us the name of the model? ;-)

On the other side, a double pattern for "Stocksize" and "Outsize" ladies vests.  Unfortunately, the "opposite page" which details the materials needed is missing.  Any suggestions from the knitters out there?

Shoulders!

No such problems with this great, brilliantly modelled pattern from a later Woman's Weekly dated the 5th August 1944.

Mum has offered to do these gloves too.  I'll have to supply the binoculars and tin hat myself, though! ;-p

Hang on, this model looks familiar(!).  Could it be Tups' favourite and subject of her latest post, Miss Peggy Chester?!

"They Always Need Socks", is the subtitle on the reverse of this pattern.  Something that still holds true today, I can tell you.  Maybe I should see about dusting off my very basic knitting skills with a pair of these fellows...?

Even mother was getting carried away at this point, but she did say that she might have a try at the bag too.  If she does I'll be sure to try and get some pictures of it.

All in all a splendid day out for all concerned.  I get some vintage knitting patterns to blog about (and reap some woollen rewards from!) and mother gets some more things to knit.

I'm looking forward with renewed anticipation to the next fair in April, as well as some others elsewhere locally that I may blog about in the future. In the meantime I hope you've all enjoyed sharing in my latest acquisitions and I hope to have some new knits to show you soon.

Whither the traditional country fair?

Up until a few years ago I used to attend the annual Essex Country Show, close to where I live(d), and have a great time among the steam traction engines, classic vehicles, heavy shire horses and vintage farming equipment & amusements.

This was the first year I had been able to go back again for some time and I was looking forward to more of the same.  I was slightly concerned to read the official website's positive spin on the Show's expansion in recent times as my in my experience the bigger an event becomes the less specific, the less intimate and the less enjoyable it becomes.  It turned out that I was right to be worried - I'm sorry to say the Essex Country Show has succumbed to commercialism.

Now I know farming is a business and events like these are a great boost to its economy, educating and entertaining the layman in matters agricultural and providing a fillip to local produce. I'd also be a fool not to expect heaving crowds on a hot September Saturday.  But when the very first stand you come to upon entering the grounds is the local SEAT dealership's selection of new cars, you begin to think that something is very wrong in the world of country fairs.  This is how it continued for several rows - stands selling all kinds of odds and ends, such that you could be forgiven for thinking you were at a common-or-garden boot sale.  Every other one seemed to be a purveyor of food - and not just of the specialist variety but also all the usual greasewagons you'd find at many supposedly lesser events.

The craft stalls that had once characterised the Show had been stuffed away in a side-field to make way for this brazen consumerism.  Likewise the display ring where the beautiful horses, dogs, birds-of-prey and the like put on their impressive shows was off to one side and sparsely spectated - certainly more so than I remember.  The fields where the traditional ploughing was taking place could be better seen from the main road!  The whole thing had the feeling of an event that had just got too big for itself and the "captivating atmosphere" was nowhere to be found.  Crowds (which I say again I both expect and accept) milled around moving from one food stall to another it seemed, making photography of the interesting exhibits almost impossible.  Traction engines seemed conspicuous by their absence - I saw maybe only half-a-dozen (some smaller ones trying to make their way through the throngs while pulling trailers of people or hay) which, given that they used to be one of the main attractions for me, was a great disappointment.  Likewise the vintage amusements consisted of one (admittedly charming) large merry-go-round and a suspiciously new-looking steam organ, as well as an assortment of smaller modern stalls (e.g. hoopla, shooting gallery etc.), all dwarfed by several nearby bouncy castles.  Certainly nothing like the vintage arcade machines and rides I seem to recall from previous years.

The few pictures dotted throughout this post are some of the best that I was able to take of the event and I left disappointed, my wallet £12 lighter and with a longing for the simpler, more focussed country fairs of past memories.  Judging by some of the comments I overheard I was not alone either.  I was told that there is a Spring Fair earlier in the year that is smaller and I just managed to make out from the tannoy something about a "Wartime Weekend" at the end of October (although I haven't been able to find out any more about this yet) so it may be that I'll try them in future instead.

In the meantime I will just have to continue to get my fix of traditional country fairs from other sources:

My two penn'orth

On Sunday I went to my first antiques fair for, I am ashamed to say, three or four years (although that enforced absence was in no small part due to circumstances outside of my control) - the Runnymede Hall Antique & Collectors Fair in Benfleet, Essex.

Picture by Martin Hayhurst ©                                          Pictures of England.com

It was nice to be back amongst some really rather nice vintage bits and bobs, items like classic rotary-dial telephones in varying age and condition, silverware (snuffboxes, cigarette/card cases, lighters etc.) 1930s cigarette cards, but mainly jewellery and china.  The event proved popular with a full car park and a large crowd attending; I spotted one or two vintage guys and gals amongst the throng.

What took me aback, though, and highlighted just how out of touch I have become with antiques fairs were the prices.  The last fair I went was before vintage and retro became fashionable again so prices were on the low side but on Sunday, with a few exceptions, most items started at double figures!  Granted there were quite a few examples of really sought-after names, like Clarice Cliff and Lalique - in fact there was a fair share of high-end stuff on display - but bargains were practically non-existent.  I was not altogether surprised, however, as my natural interest in vintage (and programmes like Antiques Road Trip or Put Your Money Where Your Mouth Is) has meant that I've been aware of the rising price of antiques but to actually see it in the raw was still a bit of a shock.  I've been to a few antiques shops and arcades more recently where the prices have been less eye-popping, so perhaps there's a chance this was an aberration.

As a result I very nearly came away with nothing (which wouldn't have been the end of the world, I only went there for a look 'round and the off-chance of picking something up).  We'd wandered about, myself and my parents with whom I'd met up for the day and who pained me by commenting on practically every other item "we/ your grandparents used to have that, but gave it to the charity shop when we moved" and were getting ready to leave when I had one final rummage through a box of old pennies by the door.  Most were in such bad state that they were little more than scrap but I managed to find two rather unusual ones in good condition.

Dated 1935 and 1936 they consist of a Republic of Ireland 1d. coin and an old penny from the then Union of South Africa, which was still a British dominion at the time.  I've not got many pre-decimal coins from outside the British Isles, so they will be a welcome addition to my collection and for a paltry 20p I couldn't say no.  (Brief investigations on eBay show similar examples starting around the £1 mark, so not bad).  Around 5½ million 1935 Irish pennies were minted so they're by no means ultra-rare; the South African penny I'm less sure about.

Essex Vintage Fair

So that's literally my two penn'orth from my latest antiques fair experience(!).  There's another due to be held on the 1st April which I shall probably head along to as well.  It looks from the flyer as though it may be even bigger and better than Sunday's one; I shall look forward to finding out.

A fair (and freezing!) day out

Yesterday found me at the seaside town of Leigh-on-sea, which is a charming spot on the Thames Estuary and only a short train ride away from me. It boasts a larger-than-average selection of charity shops, antique dealers and craft stores as well as a preserved "Old Town", complete with traditional pub, sweet shop, museum/gallery and several excellent cafes/restaurants. You can also still see evidence of the area's once-thriving cockle-fishing industry and even buy a pint of cockles if you fancy it! Some time ago I discovered local vintage events organiser Betty Blue Eyes, who helps run a quarterly Handmade & Vintage Fair (left) in the town hall, so I thought I'd toddle along and check it out.

Although I awoke to a vista of heavy frost and freezing fog, with the mercury showing 2 below (otherwise known as "brass monkeys"), I decided to brave the elements and headed on out. A 1950s Chevy pick-up parked outside the venue boded well and the place was quite busy even at 10:30 on a freezing cold November morning! I have to be honest, from a chap's point of view there was definitely more handmade than vintage (as the ratio of women to men - and associated items - proved) but there were plenty of things that I'm sure some of my female readers would have liked, such as a lovely 1930s satin red gown, dozens of fur coats and stoles and vintage handbags aplenty, not to mention candlestick cake stands, knitted items and intricately decorated cakes. Local vintage caterers All The Tea & China of Southend provided these and other refreshments. Also on hand were local 1940s hair stylists Hair Raid Shelter, who were busy offering authentic dos for the ladies, all of whom seemed impressed and delighted and rightly so, for they were doing a great job at only £10 a time.

I did manage to find a couple of stalls selling menswear but it was sadly slim pickings and the only things that caught my eye were some wool jackets and fairisle jumpers, a few ties and a couple of 1950s 3-piece suits (a very reasonable £65 each, I thought, but we chaps have just as much trouble as the ladies finding vintage-wear to fit when we're pushing 6ft and 2/3rds of that is leg! Men before about 1965 all seem to have been midgets, from what I can see. Either of the suits on display would have left me looking as though I were back in short trousers!). I ended up leaving empty-handed but not too disappointed; it was a good day out despite the weather and it was great to see the people of Essex in so many numbers at such an event. The local Salvation Army's brass band was out in the town square playing Christmas carols as well, which lent a pleasant festive air to proceedings. Betty Blue Eyes also runs occasional tea dances at the Southend Naval & Military Club and I intend to get along to one as soon as I am able.

Going round the charity shops later I was delighted to find this perfectly-fitting, thick navy wool overcoat (above) for only £5! Not a vintage item per se but nevertheless a timeless design that's just the thing for these freezing temperatures. Winter, do your worst!