A rare and very pretty vintage set of Royal Albert Bone China in the 'English Bouquet' pattern.
Cup Shape: Coutness
Plate Shape: Hampton
There are four cups, saucers and tea plates, a cake plate and a milk jug and sugar bowl. All are in good condition with a nice shiny glaze and gilding, all pieces understamped
Quintissential vintage English china made by Royal Albert, lovely to use for summer time teas, and to display.
Delicate and robust English china that will last a lifetime.
A beautiful vintage English 7 piece Queen Anne bone china coffee set in the Old Country Sprays pattern , a truly delightful delicate floral pattern of country garden flowers.
There are two cups and saucers, three bread and butter plates and small sugar bowl. All are in amazing condition with a nice shiny glaze, gilding, all pieces understamped and absolutely no crazing or damage.
Harebells and voilets, buttercups and forget-me-nots, and pink polyanthus on a fine white china.
Wonderful to use and display, very sturdy china that will last a lifetime. Real country vintage!
Chic pastel rainbow and white vintage gilded bone china from Delphine, an elegant set for tea ~ six of each cups, saucers and tea plates, in perfect condition. Made in England by one of the best china companies, in a delicate pastel rainbow, hand gilded and with a shiny glaze, this china appears to be unused.
A delight to use and display ~ to mix with your china for that eclectic touch of shabby chic Tea definitely tastes better from a bone china cup!
If any of my readers are lucky enough to be near the Schwarzwald, and particularly near the town of Rust, between the 1st and 15th August, there is a special treat awaiting!
Star Cape Malay chef, Cass Abrahams is cooking up a storm of traditional Cape Malay and South African dishes at the Colonial House in Europa Park, Rust. Cass has been visiting Germany for the past 4 years at the invitation of Thomas Mack of Europa Park, and while there, along with her assistent chef, cooks up a storm of familiar South African favourits for the geusts.
Last year I went along with my daughter who was invited by Cass, and it was absolutely fantastic. I met Cass and her team, who slave all day long in the kitchen preparing the wonderful dinner. Of course, we are making a family outing of it again this year and taking along some friends for a bit of Cape flavour from the old heimat.. There was a full on braai, with Boerewors, skaap tjoppies, ostrich fillet, sosaties, fish braai.. you name it bud..all done to a turn! There was also the Cape Malay buffet with a chicken curry that was so great I can't even begin to decribe it, words fail me, this was accompanied by yellow rice with raisins, and of course Cassies delectable home made chutneys, blatjangs and sambals. There was Babotie and bredies, salads for Africa, Malva pudding with custard, souskluitjies, dark chocolate cake...there was such a huge variety of mouth watering dishes a person would need 3 stomachs to try everything! All accompanied by a selection of fine South African wines.
Europa Park laid out the venue at the Colonial House so beautifully, building a lapa outside where the buffet is served, the braai fires going alongside, live music, and the tables set out in the garden under the trees. It was absolutely beautiful, and a big hats off to the organisers who work so hard to make it a special evening!
Booking is essential, as over the past years word got around about this feast, and Cassie cooked for a sold out house every night last year. I will post an update of our evening next week. Hope you can make it too..!
I thought I would make all you poor office slaves stuck in a concrete block all day a wee bit jealous, and show you what a loverly office I have in a protected nature reserve. It is in a little fachwerk building, situated right next to a river surrounded by potplants and flowers.
Am I not a lucky girl..!
The river banks are full of trees and plants, and behind my office is a small patch of woodland area.
In the early morning I take a walk round the back and just enjoy the quiet, and listen to the birds. The ground is covered in wild grasses and buttercups, and othere small wild flowers. I have red squirrils that run up the tree next to the office occassionally, and have even had a hedgehog come sniffing around by my door. I usually only see hedgehogs squashed on the roads, so it was a real treat to see one up close and alive!
There are many wild birds that nest around the area, and apart from many black ravens that nest in the tree tops, I have even seen the fairly rare 'Blaumeisen', which is the cutest little blue and yellow birdie ever..
.
The city is looking beautiful with all the trees in bright spring green.
The Rathaus
cars and bicycles
Colombi Schlosspark is looking really pretty with all the spring bulbs blooming
Black Forest Cup and Fruit Jogurt Cup at the Ice Cream parlour on the Rathausplatz is a must after a hard days shopping!
Dappled shade in the park behindthe church
Floral detail on the wroght iron fence surrounding the churchyard
The lawn around the church is full of buttercups and tiny white 'Gänseblumchen', little miniture daisies.
A wreath of sandstone roses adorn an old tombstone in the churchyard
I was delighted to see Bluebells growing among a tangle of weeds and ivy on an old overgrown grave.
Real Bluebells, although common in much of Britain and Ireland, are rare in the rest of Europe and absent from the rest of the world. The populations in the UK represent about 30% of the global population. The species has greatly declined over the past 50 years and is globally threatened.
Beautiful old Gothic tombstones covered in moss
This lady buried beneath this pretty tombstone, Emma, was born in 1858 and died in 1878.
The Ecover Chelsea Pensioners' Garden was Julian Dowle's 26th garden - and 26th award winner - at the Chelsea Flower Show in 2005.
Julian's inspiration for his entry came from discussions with a group of Chelsea Pensioners over a pint. The result was "A Soldier's Dream of Blighty", - a nostalgic vision of an English country pub garden in 1945.
The pub, the "Chelsea Pensioner", has a thatched roof with traditional rendered walls covered with climbing roses. Outside is a stone terrace, with benches and tables, surrounded by a cottage garden.
A timber-framed shelter provides a seating area beside the "Dig for Victory" vegetable patch. The vegetables were grown by the Royal Hospital Chelsea using varieties selected from a 1939 catalogue.
A stone gravel path links the pub to a village green and duck pond. The village green - as befits five years of wartime neglect - was awash with wildflowers, symbolically dominated by wild poppies. Both fence and pub were adorned with Union Jack bunting, representing celebrations of the homecoming.
Last year I went along with my daughter who was invited by Cass, and it was absolutely fantastic. I met Cass and her team, who slave all day long in the kitchen preparing the wonderful dinner. Of course, we are making a family outing of it again this year and taking along some friends for a bit of Cape flavour from the old heimat.. There was a full on braai, with Boerewors, skaap tjoppies, ostrich fillet, sosaties, fish braai.. you name it bud..all done to a turn! There was also the Cape Malay buffet with a chicken curry that was so great I can't even begin to decribe it, words fail me, this was accompanied by yellow rice with raisins, and of course Cassies delectable home made chutneys, blatjangs and sambals. There was Babotie and bredies, salads for Africa, Malva pudding with custard, souskluitjies, dark chocolate cake...there was such a huge variety of mouth watering dishes a person would need 3 stomachs to try everything! All accompanied by a selection of fine South African wines.
