It's the start of the Autumn Fayre season. Fundraisers for villages all around. From November they will be called Christmas Fayres, but basically the same thing!
At the first one I went to in the United Reform Church in Debenham I found a crime fiction new-to-me author, I've read it already as I was out of library books. It was slightly cosy-crime but readable. Also bought a home made lemon cake to take home which has lasted me all week.
At the second Autumn sale in Thornham Magna village hall, I just bought a jar of lemon and lime marmalade from a local small business but it will be the last one I buy from them as they're now using 8oz jars whereas they used to sell in 12oz jars, but charging the same price for the smaller. As well as selling at all the craft/autumn/Christmas sales, they've just opened a shop in a unit at the hardware/gift place - maybe they had to put prices up to cover that.
Lots of people selling Christmas bits at last Sunday's boot sale. I have enough really now I only do a Christmas tree and the seasonal bits on the bookshelf but I liked this Christmas Goose and bought it for £1. The man had a whole box full of these and similar new tree decorations, originally from The Range and originally priced at £1.99 or £2.99. Maybe he bought them in the January sales last year?
We're the reverse; we like to get out and about during the week, and avoid the families and crowds at weekends. It does mean we miss all the fares though.
ReplyDeleteMy weekends out and about are the car boot sales!
DeleteCurious how someone is selling a box full of a branded item...the goose is rather cute. So many Christmas titled books these days. As the comment above we tend to prefer taking trips midweek as our roads are lethal places at the weekends with an extra dose of bad drivers. There are often lovely events going on round about here at Haworth, Saltaire or in Derbyshire but getting to them or parking is an event in itself! Lovely that you have such idyllic villages close by you to visit at the weekend.
ReplyDeleteThere were all sorts of similar tree decorations from The Range in the box but some were too heavy for my small tree
DeleteI'm usually a "who done it" fan ( crime ) but enjoy an Australian writer Natasha Lester. I find her books lovely to read and quite often learn some more history. Her latest one is about the French resistance from a woman's angle in WW1. Her books are novels I've got all her books and even though like you I use my library all the time I do pay real money at times usually pre Christmas to save my husband the worry of what to buy me. ha ha. Shirley in Perth OZ
ReplyDeleteThe library have a few of her books, not the latest. I've made a note to try one
Deleteworld war two not one. Shirley
ReplyDeleteAlmost every company is shrinking their product size, in hope we don't notice. Asda has been doing it for decades.
ReplyDeleteI think this small local business might price itself out of the market.
DeleteLovely buys at the autumn fairs but shrinkflation is catching on everywhere. I’ve just noticed that the porridge oats we have bought for years have reduced from 1kg to 750grams! Enjoy your weekend-it’s dreich here but I managed some garden maintenance this morning. Catriona
ReplyDeleteI was surprised when I realised how much they were charging for their small jars
DeleteI like the goose. Rising prices and shrinking quantities seem to be normal now.
ReplyDeleteThere were several other geese and teddies and santas, but I decided one was enough
DeleteI think that everything is shrinking isn't it, and in some cases the price going up as well, but us savvy shoppers ARE noticing and cutting our cloth to suit our circumstances. You have got to love a bought homemade cake from a fayre haven't you, well I know Alan does. Sadly, the dairy-free ones are thin on the ground!
ReplyDeleteIt was a delicious looking lemon loaf - enough for the whole week and still one piece left for tomorrow
DeleteLovely to get out and about and then IRS a case of ' nice to go out , nice to come home again ' isn't it? I like occasionally buying a cake from a stall, makes a change from cooking!
ReplyDeleteAlison in Devon x
I sometimes realise I've been out and about too much and need a day at home for housework!
DeleteShould say it's
ReplyDeleteAlison x
Ive just been reading on BBC news website about the changes to the annual flower show at Sandringham. Usually a showcase for many local flower-based businessess. But now it will be every 3 years, and prices for stall holders have risen astronomically. No doubt ticket prices will be much higher too. Can't help feeling this is a bad move. There is much to be said for the cheap and cheerful sales, boot fairs and community events !! As usual you've done well with your bargains, Sue
ReplyDeleteThank goodness for car boot sales and small village events - anything to avoid proper shops!
DeleteThat's a nice Christmas goose and your lemon cake sounds delicious.
ReplyDeleteI love going to fairs too. I recently went to the "Topsfield Fair" and it was very good. I saw nothing to buy but that's ok.
Now I will look forward to the Christmas church fairs. Some of our shops are displaying holiday items and it just seem to soon.
Not too Christmassy in the shops yet but it will be very soon
DeleteYou are so ready for Christmas already! I've not even started and we have a few December birthdays too which complicates buying presents!
ReplyDeleteMy library doesn't have the books you mentioned but it does have the ones that Shirley from Australia commented on so I've placed a hold on those.
Always looking for ideas on what to read! :)
My library book photo coming on Monday!
DeleteTook a bit of detective work to find out that Flora spread comes in 450g boxes now, not the 500g ones of many years.
ReplyDeleteThe box seems the same size so maybe shallower now ?
It's the same all round
DeleteA big box store I went into this week had Christmas trees up! There are still Halloween decorations for sale too. Is Halloween a thing in your part of the world? Decorating for it now matches the Christmas decorating.
ReplyDeletePlenty of Halloween junk in the shops - all things I don't need
DeleteWe are seeing Christmas decorations up right next to the Halloween things which are set up next to the autumn/Thanksgiving displays. Yesterday, buying cat food, I browsed the clearance aisles, chockablock full of the leftover summer things. Which was opposite the Christmas aisles! My gosh! Throw in Easter and call it a year!
ReplyDeleteEaster will be straight after Christmas!
DeleteI've read some of the Stephanie Austin novels and they are cosy crime and all a bit samey. Not starting to think about Christmas until after OH's birthday at the end of the month. Xx
ReplyDeleteI might not read more unless I get to the stage when there is nothing else to reserve at the library
DeleteLove that little goose. Book sounds good and 20p cheap enough. I don't blame you buying the cake. When Danny and Emma were here, she wanted to support the small Farmer's Market down the town. I went along too. I needed chutney, and bought a jar - £3.75 for a very small jar. Never went back!
ReplyDeleteA new company has taken over the Antiques Fair on Builth showground. NOW the price for my stand has gone up from £185 to £225 . . . Heaven knows what they charge for the food and drink stands as this year not ONE of the stallholders who had been doing it for the last 20 years or more was there, and very little choice of food and what there was had a big price. No ice creams either.
Shame about the price rise for the Fair - they'll put everyone off and have to charge more for getting in too to make up and put visitors off as well - lose lose!
ReplyDeleteYou did speak about having a small unit instead but I guess that's expensive too
The goose ornament is just so cute. Sorry the marmalade has gotten smaller and at the price of what the larger container used to be.
ReplyDeleteGod bless.
I like the ornament. I didn't mind that book. I think I got a couple of them cheap. It is nice to have a look around even if you don't need anything! I think that size trick is something a lot of food companies use - smaller size, same price and think they will fool you!
ReplyDeleteIngredients have become so much more expensive but that sounds tasty. Anything with lemon I love! Glad to see a new author!
ReplyDelete