Tuesday 14 November 2017

Sentimental journey

No rest for the wicked!

After the antiques fair of Saturday before last, we weren't able to put our feet up on Sunday either, as we had a flea market to go to.



Saturday's rain had been replaced by a cold spell, and I hadn't chosen wisely when I selected this lightweight and unlined green charity shopped jacket. I am posing outside our garage for a change, and I am actually standing in a puddle, which wasn't very wise either, as my boots - a pair I just can't seem to say goodbye to - aren't exactly waterproof!


The dress I'm wearing was charity shopped as well: a lucky find just weeks before last March's retro event. On top, a light brown cardigan, and a scarf in similar colours as the dress. You can see a detail of both below.


My accessories were a brooch (on the cardigan) with multicoloured stones bought in Wales last year, green beads and a gold tone ring with a heart of sparkly yellow glass. The classic brooch, with its gold tone leaves and row of tiny pearls was pinned to the collar of my jacket.


The flea market in question is the famous indoor one in Mechelen, about 20 kilometers away, which is being held monthly from September until June. This year, we have taken out a membership card, saving us quite a bit of money. That means, of course, that we actually have to go now, no excuses! As if we need any incentive ...

In the top photo you can see Mr. S. in conversation with the other member of our party, my lovely friend Inez!

My first find was a jacket for the princely sum of € 2, but you'll get to see that in my next post.


Then, this empty lemonade bottle caught my eye! It dates from the 1960s, which I know for a fact as it was the lemonade my Mum always bought when I was growing up.

Although I had forgotten what the bottle looked like, I still clearly remembered their slogan, which ran "Ordal, best van al" (best of all). As I didn't like the taste of that lemonade at all, I always said it should have been "slechtst van al" (worst of all)!

I was charmed to see it even had a complete poem extolling the brew's merits on the back of the bottle. Wouldn't have convinced me, though!



Next up were these two small snuff tins, probably dating from the 1920s. The round one even still has a small amount of the vile stuff at the bottom, which I'm not going to sniff any time soon!



Talking of tins, I was very taken with this fabulous souvenir tin of the 1935 Brussels World Exhibition, in typical shape and colours of the era.



From the same stall came this tin advertising Belgian chocolate and biscuit factory Victoria.
They were established in 1896 and until 1938 their logo was a portrait of Queen Victoria, after which they switched to the marching British brigadier beating a drum, instantly recognizable to people of a certain age in Belgium!


The company finally stopped trading independently under the name Victoria in the late 1970s.



The market itself was huge and we browsed for almost four hours, only interrupted by a spot of lunch and a well-deserved cup of coffee or two!

But wait, no brooches?, I can hear you say ...

Well, it actually took me until the very last aisle to finally spot my first brooch, which was the butterfly, although I rather suspect it's a moth!


At a stall directly opposite, I found the gold and blue brooch with the chain. It wasn't priced but after thinking long and hard, the seller's verdict was € 1!

Then, a couple of stalls further on, the little dog and the pearly ladybird were waiting for me!

Four brooches wasn't bad a all, of course, especially as I'd bought six of them the day before.

But that was before I came across the stall heaped with costume jewellery I blogged about here. I'd promised a photo next time but guess what? I forgot!


The seller is the complete opposite of the Brooch Lady with her neat folders, but actually at least as much fun, as I love a good rummage. The result were no less than eight brooches for which I paid a total of € 22.

I'd taken the Monday after this two day bonanza off. However, we still had to get up early-ish to collect yet another buy.

We'd been looking for cups and saucers of a Boch dinner service we'd started collecting after we'd been given a couple of dinner and soup plates for free. Pure nostalgia for Jos, as it was the dinner service he'd grown up with.


After many years, we finally found cups and saucers - and much more besides - on a Belgian Facebook page called The Vintage Market. Asking price, a ridiculous € 25 for the lot!

We have been told by several people in the know that the cups and saucers are quite rare.

We also learned that at the time this particular dinner service could be saved up for by collecting loyalty stamps when buying a range of products, called Fort, at the grocery shop.

I remember their catalogues full of stuff to spend the full booklets of stamps on, and in particular the ones which were issued this time of year, full of toys to ask Sinterklaas for.


When emptying my parents' house, we came across this booklet of stamps which somehow never got completely filled, possibly because the company in question stopped trading in 1987.


So far, this trip down memory lane!

Even though it's Tuesday, I'm taking my outfit to Patti's Visible Monday at Not Dead Yet Style.

33 comments:

  1. What a fabulous market that is! I loved your purchases especially the brooches. I splashed out on a couple of brooches this week; both real silver - oh dear I'm supposed to be cutting down...

    I loved your brown and green outfit. Beautifully co ordinated and you looked very stylish and colourful.

    xxx

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    1. Thank you Veronica! Oh, real silver brooches, that's quite posh isn't it?

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  2. Oops! I meant to say that your stamp collection with the purchase of groceries seems very similar to our Green Shield Stamps system - ceased in the 1980s I think.

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    1. I guess a lot of countries had such a stamp system, one way or another. They're kind of a forerunner of loyalty cards, I suppose ... xxx

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  3. We had S&H Green Stamps in the US.
    The china is lovely, even nicer being a bargain.
    Love, love, love that dress! I'd steal if from you if I didn't need to cross an ocean to get there;)

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    1. I'm glad we finally managed to find the cups and saucers, we'd been looking for them for years ... Now we've got enough for eight people! xxx

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  4. Oh, that looks like a wonderful flea market! I love a neat table with everything priced, too, but I also don't mind a good rummage through a jumble of things. You never know what you can find! I love the ladybird brooch the most.

    Lovely outfit!

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    1. I usually prefer having everything laid out and priced, but this stall really is a nice exception, especially as I know prices are reasonable whatever I pick up ... xxx

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  5. I don't think I've complimented you on this before but you mix colors like a pro. This outfit included.

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  6. You're going to have to open a brooch museum... I'd visit! Fabulous choices once more. I like how the v-neck of your cardigan under the jacket makes it look a little like a waistcoat. I hope your feet weren't too soggy from the puddle xx

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    1. I'll let you know if I ever open that museum! I'd let you in for free, seeing you'll have to come a long way ... xxx

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  7. thank you for taking us with you!!
    membership card for fleamarket - wow :-D but it looks like something gorgeous to do - its giant and you found some pretty stuff already!
    i´m too for opening a brooch museum - if only being it online! so beautiful items!
    fab green/brown look! weather appropriateness is for cowards ;-)))
    huge hugs! xxxxxx
    p.s.: "slechtst van al" - schlechteste von allen - hihi.

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    1. An online brooch museum might not be a bad idea, but you'll have to wait until I'm retired ... or you could come over and have a look in real life ;-) xxx

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  8. Amber and green is such a great colour combination, especially on you, it really suits you.
    I love the brooches, the poodle one is gorgeous.
    I'm glad you found the cups and saucers for your dinner service, that was a lucky find.
    What a flea market, it looks massive, a day out in itself!
    Your lemonade story made me laugh, there were some pretty revolting fizzy drinks around in my childhood too! xxx

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    1. Thank you Sally! I just knew you'd like the poodle brooch ... Oh, and I certainly agree on the revolting fizzy drinks, although the Ordal one just tasted bland to me! xxx

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  9. What a fab flea! It's huge!!
    I love the Victoria tin - it's got my name on it - and the lemonade bottle - and the brooches and the pottery. Great prices, too.
    Your outfit is lovely and cheery. The colours are gorgeous together, shame the boots leaked and the jacket let you down - the weather is very trying! xxx

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    1. It is a huge flea market, especially this time of year. We were quite exhausted by the end, I must say. The Victoria tin is gorgeous, isn't it? I've been trying to get rid of the boots for years, but they're so lovely and comfy. I can still wear them when it's dry, can't I? xxx

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  10. Oh Ann, if I see this post I would like to go to a flea market. Great findings.
    I love these brooches and you look amazing:)
    Big hug Tina

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  11. Ooh those trading stamps remind me of the ones we had in the UK, Green Shield Stamps. I remember the catalogue well. I love your logic with the membership for the flea market, no excuses for non attendance now! More gorgeous brooches too, how will you find time to wear them all?! xxx

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    1. Thank you Claire! I am wearing a different brooch every day, sometimes more than one, so they'll all get worn, except for the really fragile ones. xxx

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  12. I think I'd get overwhelmed at a flea market that size! I love the dinner service, so pretty.

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    1. We are so used to going to this flea market that we're no longer overwhelmed. There are quite a few stalls that can be skipped as well. Still, we were quite exhausted by the end ... xxx

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  13. I adore this outfit! Green and orange are just so good together (or green and brown/yellow). This market is similar to antique malls here - only they are open daily, and you pay to the shop versus a particular seller, but booths are owned by different people, and it's quite a mix of things. We love visiting them, though not very frequently. Like you, I collected a few different sets of dinner dishes over the years, so I get your excitement.

    You found more pins and brooches, and they are lovely! I was especially taken with that little birdie pin, but they all are pretty, great addition to your "brooch museum". :) <3

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    1. Thank you Natalia! Your antique malls sound like the antique centres we've been to in the UK, which work the same way. We have quite a few of these flea markets here in Belgium. You have to pay to get in, though ... xxx

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  14. Aaah, stamps for things! My favourite kitchen knife is one I collected stamps for as a student in the mid-1990s, and I still have the side-plates and cups/saucers from a dinner service my mum bought me the same way when I went to university. (The dinner plates and bowls are long gone, so the remains have become a tea set.) Perhaps it's because of the time it took to get the stamps, but those things always felt a bit special to me. Do you know if Jos' parents got their dinner service through collecting stamps?

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    1. Incidentally, we too own a set of knives which we collected stamps for when we were first together ... Unfortunately, we have no idea whether Jos' parents got the dinner service through collecting stamps, but we suspect they did ... xxx

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  15. ooooh! I love that dress! Love the photos of the flea market. Your haul of brooches is lovely too. Iremember Green Shield Stamps, very similar to your Fort stamps.

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    1. Thank you, Linda! Quite a few people have mentioned the Green Shield stamps, they do indeed sound quite similar! xxx

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  16. what a lovely dress!, and also lovely color combo (once more!), those greens and golden-brown shades!, and so delightfully matchy accessories!, love them!
    (sorry that you had to pose in a puddle! we do so many strange things for our blogs!)
    I do love to see another fab fair and some brooches!, you're amassing a collection!.
    besos

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    1. Thank you Monica, and indeed, the things we do for our blogs ;-) xxx

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