Local Colour

I love the ordinariness of Saturday mornings - the lazy start to the day, the gentle waking up to the start of the weekend, the chance to wander round in your pjs, the stark contrast to the buzz and frenzy of the week. I love days when a stroll round town, following a familiar path at a leisurely pace with one or two of my family by my side, avoiding the crowds brings me comfort from its very ordinariness. Spring days when its not quite warm enough to pack a picnic and head for the beach, just a little too early in the year to wander round a country house and marvel at the gardens - days when its best to savour the familiar and enjoy the colour on my doorstep.



Our Saturdays have changed slightly recently, Big Sister has just started a Saturday job and so we find ourselves no longer glancing at the clock watching the day disappear as she languishes in bed till noon, these days she's up and ready and out of here and our family party becomes a party of three.



We follow a well trodden path down into town, noting today the many armfuls of flowers being taken home for well deserved mums tomorrow (even my youngest can't help but smile and notice the many dads looking rather harassed in the shops, surrounded by children desperately seeking the perfect gift).



The spring flowers and tables on the streets lighten my step as you can honestly smell the scent of Spring in the air.



So we wander through The Lanes into the local street market, which these days seems home to nearly as many cupcakes as flea market finds,



still I'm not complaining, it all adds to the fun of it.



It's great to know that if you get too hungry looking through the pile of old books there's an Oreo cupcake with your name on waiting for you on the next table!
The vegetable stall becomes more colourful each week as the choice of produce increases,



We buy a bag of mixed salad leaves from the old tin bath and I stop to admire one of my favourite shops.



This really is a good one, full of vintage inspired items, wonderful household goods and gifts.

A quick walk past the shop where Big Sister walks and try not to press our noses up to the window to get a better peep at her ... onwards towards the Pavillion where we are surprise by yet more stalls and discover a food festival taking place. Oh I wish this blog was in smellorama, the wafts and fragrances were really mouthwatering...



huge vats of curries, handmade chutneys and pickles, cheeses, baklava,



olives (we had some of those),




baker's stalls with piles of rustic bread and patisserie (almond croissants and pain au chocolat for Mother's Day breakfast)




and we couldn't resist, and nor would you, buying some of this delicious ginger beer. It's not, I fear, the kind advocated by Enid Blyton, this is of the alcoholic variety and I'm not sure the Famous Five would have solved nearly as many a mystery under the influence... and as I sit here typing, i am trying really hard not to open a bottle now as it is so darned tasty...



To round it off a very unexpected and lovely treat from Mr Roses - lunch in our favourite - Bill's. A riot of colour and a feast for your tummy and your eyes.



So I guess in many ways not quite the ordinary Saturday morning that we envisaged and full of enough local colour (and ginger beer) to last a weekend or two.