Shop Missus!

Hope you've all had a good week and enjoying warmer weather.
We just wanted to let you know that we have been up and down the shop ladder this week like nobody's business!



The shelves are stacked with lots of new goodies from Making Do and Using Up 1930s recipes in the Scullery - "Don't Throw Food Away" to sewing and knitting in the Sewing Room.



1940s dressmaking tips and patterns sit alongside knitting patterns for all ages, and the best knitted swimsuit in town if you're thoughts are wandering to summer.



Animals, we've got them - animals of the countryside in our Attic, Nature books in the Library where you will also find the perfect welcome to Spring



with Enid Blyton's Daffodil book and Jill's adventures on the farm.


Mabel Lucie Attwell is sitting patiently in the Study, whilst things are less calm in the Nursery where we have some vintage parlour games to keep you amused - Shpp-Missus promises to be "Uproariously funny" and "Who Knows?" will challenge your general knowledge.


So if you're at a loose end this weekend, please pop over and have a browse - we'll be waiting in our newly knitted swimsuits, crocheted berets and scarves, busy doing things with yesterday's breadcrumbs.

It's The Weekend!

Keep Warm and Have Fun! Make sure you dodge those snowballs...

Milly & Dottie's Love Tokens

With the first snow of the season falling, one’s thoughts could easily turn to cuddling up in front of a crackling fire. Baby it may be cold outside but soon our hearts will be warming as ‘tis also the season for love with Valentine’s day just around the corner. Bluebirds will be twittering and hearts will be fluttering and Milly & Dottie will be busy playing cupid by stocking the shelves with some choice gifts for your loved ones..

It is traditional to give flowers and chocolates to a loved one, but how about an alternative bouquet which you will find in the Attic with a beautiful floral calendar.. or if Bon Bons are more appropriate.. there are charming vintage chocolate boxes in the Box Room. Silks and satins, pearls and lace.. the Boudoir has oh so pretty silk purses and Bohemian glass earrings.




Find something to cuddle in the Nursery with dear Herbert the teddy bear.. or fill your heart with a good old romantic novel which you will find a plenty in the Library with I Capture The Castle or with The Lover’s Pocket Book or poetry ...

send some sweet nothings with a vintage Valentine card from the Study..

So why not say it with flowers.. say it with vintage.. say I love you with something special from Milly & Dottie’s Emporium this Valentine’s Day..

50 and counting ...

Crack open the Wincarnis and pass the custard creams - we've reached over 50,000 visitors to our Emporium! Thank you so much to everyone who has visited, browsed the shelves, met us in the stockroom and enjoyed some of the treasure. We certainly have been overwhelmed by all your visits, lovely comments and friendships we've made along the way. A much needed new doormat is on its way and maybe the front door could do with a lick of new paint...



Whilst our somewhat glazed expressions seem rather bemused, we really are jumping for joy! So thank you all very much. Chin chin and toodle pip!

You'll Find Us In The Cellar

Oops! We completely forgot to mention to you our winter sale that is now on in our Cellar. There are bargains in our basement, you never know what you might find! Have fun rummaging, we've left the light on for you and there's not a spider in sight...

Home Chat

There are times in the day when there is nothing better than a cuppa and a quick browse through a magazine or two. Here at the Emporium we were looking through some of the magazines we have on sale at the moment. They are a far cry from the full colour glossies available on the shelves today and offer nothing of the tantalising glimpses into other people's homes or wardrobes that we have become so used to nowadays. But their modest plain paper printing and dashes of colour are far more interesting in many ways.



For perfect vintage bedside reading we have this wonderful edition of 1949 Mother and Home on our Boudoir shelves. This is full of fashion, cooking, beauty and knitting tips. Oh how we love this fair isle knitting pattern



Articles about dressmaking from sale remnants of fabrics remind us that this was a post War Britain, still struggling to its feet. The food recipes reflect the shortage of food supplies and making best use of all that was available.



In our Cellar there is a 1918 Christmas edition of Home Chat magazine, special in its way because it is the first peace time Christmas edition of the magazine for four years. The magazine is full of lovely nostalgic adverts and in amongst them are adverts reminding us that food rationing was not just introduced in the 1940s.



Recioes for Christmas puddings and mincemeat are offered using rations "very different from the puddings of pre-war years, but quite nice all the same" (we wonder what they really tasted like!).



Warnings to women about economy hair tonics appear on pages, stressing the dangers of buying low price beauty products in a time of economy....



Pretty dance dresses are featured, for, as Camilla and Lady Betty say,"Dancing is in Favour again" after four long years of World War.
And, poignantly, a little paragraph on things they say about Christmas
"First peaceful Christmas for five years. Won't it be absolutely topping!"
"Simply must find some trifles for the children's stockings: the tiniest things please them."

Woof Woof!

Happy New Year to you all!
Well the first few days have been rather grim weather wise, but help is at hand... cheer up your winter wardrobe with this 1937 fashion tip!