Come Into The Garden

It's lovely to see a couple of our items in this month's "Homes & Antiques" magazine.  It's a very cheery, bright and floral edition and we're thrilled to be a part of it.  Makes you feel that Spring is on its way....

Building The Body Beautiful

In 1930  Mary Bagot Stack created the Women’s League of Health & Beauty..  She had long believed in the power of exercise and in the 1920s, when she moved to Manchester she saw that women working in mills could benefit from systematic exercise to invigorate them after a hard day. She believed completely in the power of women to improve the world. She inspired many and it wasn't long before huge public displays of physical exercise were taking place throughout the country. For many women it was the first opportunity to participate in sports and physical exercise. The first, in Hyde Park, drew 160,000 members and was caught on newsreels at the time.

WOMEN'S LEAGUE OF HEALTH AND BEAUTY

(click on image to watch video link)

Her classes were popular and affordable and everybody could join in.  So much so, that you may well remember Lady Agnes in Upstairs Downstairs having a good old stretch and swing in one of the episodes.

Good news if you've overindulged on the old chocolate front this Easter, we are thrilled to have a copy of her popular 1930s book "Building The Body Beautiful" on our Library shelves at the moment and in honour of Mrs Bagot Stack we've placed it on one of the highest shelves so that we have to stretch as much as possible in our starched aprons!

Spring Hop!

Well despite donning our thermals, woolly vests and socks, we have been finding it very difficult to keep warm and carry on round here. 

Having a Stockroom full of goodies waiting to be listed has helped though. 

 There's nothing like running up and down a rickety old ladder to reach the highest shelves to keep you warm.  

Perching precariously from the rungs whilst one of us holds on for dear lives is enough to make our temperatures rise.

The results have been pleasing though and well worth the tummy turning escapades. 

 We have new treasure in all Departments and the Emporium is showing signs of Spring and Easter at last (well if the weather's not going to oblige, it was the least we could do).

So. please grab a basket, 

Hop to it

Have fun

And enjoy the rummage.

With all Good Wishes For Easter

(and a bit of sunshine too)

Keep Warm & Carry On

Milly & Dottie's Springwatch

February may well be on its way out, but Winter still seems to have us in its grip.  Here at the Emporium we have been sitting, noses pressed against the Stockroom windowsill, eagerly awaiting the first signs of Spring.  On grey days like today they may be hard to find but they are here - we can't fail to notice the gradually lengthening days,  dusk not arriving until 6pm (there's an improvement if ever there was one), the sweetest sound of birdsong in the garden at the end of the day and buried deep in the garden the first signs of Spring shoots bravely emerging from their winter beds.  

We cannot wait!  Desperate to don our wellies and gardening gloves, we have instead filled the Emporium shelves with all manner of Spring like goodies.  Sunshine yellow coffee pots in the Scullery,  nature books, children's books and favourite Spring time reads in the Library, posters in the Dovecote and sewing notions in the Sewing Room.

Keep Warm and Carry On!

And there's more!

We just wanted to quickly let you know that the Library shelves are fair to bursting with newly added books and the 1940s edition of Nancy Mitford's "The Pursuit of Love" has to be a favourite,  Absolutely perfect for Valentine's day, in fact perfect for any day of the year in our eyes!

There's a wonderfully 1930s feel to the Pixies in this Pixy People book,  The beautifully illustrated book of Pixy People and Pixy Village is just charming.

We love all the titles in the King Penguin series but these two would certainly add a touch of Springtime cheer to the bookshelves,  The beautiful decorative board covers are in very good condition considering they were published in 1940s.

If you fancy a touch of 1930s satire and fun and a glimpse into the world of the "Bright Young Things" there is a bundle of three classic Evelyn Waugh classic Penguins too.  Just pick up a Penguin...

Finally here's a short film eschewing the virtues of a Children's Library - we love the ideas of checking for clean hands, the look of concentration on the children's faces whilst doing their homework and the fact that they are encouraged to leave their chosen books on the tables so that the librarian can make a note of their favourite reads.

CHILDREN'S CORNER

(Please click on image for video)

Love Is In The Air....

Hello

Why not visit our Dovecote for a romantic tryst or two?  Whilst outside the temperature is falling, inside the Emporium we have enough vintage love tokens to make the pulse tremble a little! Vintage Valentines and Romantic Words abound. 

Elsewhere in the Emporium are newly added items to  make our hearts flutter.

Why not join us down the Garden Path and have some fun in the Dovecote?

We hope to see you soon.

Milly and Dottie

PS You never know where love may find you... 

"CLIPPIE" ROMANCE

(Click image for video)