A Cottage Down the Lane...............

.....................that's Water Lane, a short, narrow lane in the little village where I grew up. Perhaps you were thinking I lived in the the center of that bustling seaside town, while actually I was on the outskirts, tucked away in this small village. The post office is inside a little family run newsagent/quick shop grocery store, the few other shops include the proverbial 'chippy' for deep fried golden fish & chips, a larger chain grocery, a chemist (drug store) and hair salon. As a child I could also visit a bakery and a wool/knitting supply shop - every mum kept her knitting needles clicking making Fair Isle patterned jumpers (sweaters), and warm woolly gloves to keep off the damp chill of a British Winter.

The group of thatched cottages in Water Lane are lovely and have stood the test of time. I remember often visiting one that was the home of a friend of my mother. The roses completely covered the walls back then, the perfume on a Summer evening was intoxicating and the lady would cut bunches for us to bring home.
I thought about these romantic cottages today when visiting another new blogger, Melissa at her lovely Sunbonnet Cottage. I don't think she has thatch on her roof, but she has the prettiest golden yellow door to welcome you and obviously has made a warm and loving home for her family ~ hope you stop by to say hello. You will see her pretty interiors and how she is decorating in colors we all love.

All photos taken last October when I returned to walk down Water Lane once more.

Secret Doors & New Friends

You know how we search for vintage places to shop, always ready to open the door, cross the threshold, peek round the corner in search of a treasure to bring home or give as a gift..........

Street in Arles, Provence - June 2006

Here's a new blogger who has her very own shop in Pennsylvania.

Verna at The Cottonwood House knows how we love peeling paint ~ she even does peeling paint!

Les Baux de Provence ~ June 2006

Blue gate ~ Torquay, UK ~ October 2007

Some doors we can't enter to view the mysteries they hide, but I'm certain Verna's will be open for business. Do stop by and visit ~ you'll met Sondra too!

Edited: Today you can also meet Carmela and see Sweet Pea's Boutique

at The Cottonwood House too!

Seaside Pavilion

pa-vil-ion ~ noun
1. ornate tent
2. a. A light, sometimes ornamental roofed structure used for
amusement or shelter, as at parks or fairs: a picnic
pavilion.
b. A usually temporary structure erected at a fair or show
for use by an exhibitor: the French pavilion at the World's
Fair.
c. A large structure housing sports or entertainment
facilities; an arena.
3. A large structure or another building connected to a
larger building; an annex.
4. One of a group of related buildings forming a complex, as of a hospital.

(Middle English pavilon, from old French pavillon, from Latin papilio)

Pavilion may refer to a free-standing structure sited a short distance from a main residence, whose architecture makes it an object of pleasure. Large or small, there is usually a connection with relaxation and pleasure in its intended use. A pavilion built to take advantage of a view is referred to as a gazebo.

******

Growing up in a beautiful seaside town on the south coast of England included many visits to the Pavilion - a now listed historic building classified under 2.c in the above description. Built in 1912, it's one of the few remaining examples of Victorian seaside architecture and combines a mix of Classical and Art Nouveau styles to create a splendid triumph of decorative frivolity.

On the cover of the official 1965 Torquay brochure looking down toward the harbour you can just see one of the Pavilion's green copper domes between the trees (beyond the sunbrellas).

Photo below from the same year - the Pavilion's gardens and promenade front the harbour providing sunny spots for relaxation in a deck chair. When I moved to the USA in 1962 those three monstrous blocks of flats had not been built, see the vintage sepia photo below. The stunning views across the bay from their windows command high prices!

Below, the Pavilion in December 1912 just a few months after opening.

In its heyday as a theatre with a stage, balconies, lounges and a cafe, an elegant atmosphere prevailed and the town founded a municipal orchestra with classical concerts and a Winter Orchestral Season was held. During the Christmas season the annual pantomime ran for several weeks, a special treat for the children. My favorite was Jack and the Beanstalk. Could this be the reason for my joy in raising large pots of climbing beans each Summer!

Another reason for my affinity toward this lovely building is that my mother worked here for many years during the 1960's. She was the manager of the theatre box office and her offices were on the right of the above photo, the windows where the couple is standing.

Later, following construction of a new modern theatre complex nearby and where my mother next worked, the Pavilion became the 'poor relation' turning into a bingo hall and then a faux 'ice skating rink' utilizing Glice, a Belgian invention manufactured in France.

The new larger capacity theater did bring top entertainers to town and my mother met many 'stars' including The Beatles, and shared many stories about the not so nice side of those in the entertainment business!

Below, view showing Tor Bay, Torquay harbour and Princess Gardens in 1914 with the Pavilion on the left.

Fountain in the Princess Gardens at the Pavilion - October 2007

Above, same fountain and gardens circa 1930's.

The Pavilion is built on a site formed partly from land reclaimed from the sea, on a concrete 'raft' weighing 1000 tons. The white facing tiles covering the exterior are Royal Doulton's carrara enamelled stoneware which, if replaced today, would cost almost $200 each! Scheduled for demolition (horrors!!!) in the early 1970's, the Pavilion was saved by energetic efforts of a group named Friends of the Pavilion ~ it was then listed as a building of special architectural and historic interest, thank goodness, and cannot be demolished.

The Pavilion is now what else but a 'shopping centre'. After extensive restoration work which fortunately respects its elegant past, it reopened in 1987.

Interior shots of the original beautiful ceilings and walls - October 2007

When officially opened in 1912 the Torquay Pavilion was touted as a 'Palace of Pleasure' to attract more visitors to the resort and to create a venue in which to hear music, see plays and meet friends. Its graceful proportions continue to evoke ideals of a gentler era. Each time I visit my home I always make it a point to stop at the Pavilion to reminisce and relive some of the wonderful childhood moments spent there,

I hope you enjoyed another visit to a special place in my hometown.

Who knows where we'll go next time - funny how a town is always so interesting after you leave!

Paris Pink Saturday

pink day in Paris

Page from my Paris scrapbook ~ June 2006

Granddaughter with a touch of Paris Pink

Prettiest Paris Pink tag by Jeannie at Uniquitiques, Hillsborough, NC

And this of course has nothing to do with Pink or Paris ~ but it's my dh's Birthday today and I just know this would be his favorite cake ~ if only I had thought to make one decorated like this!
Much love and Happy Birthday wishes dear Bob.

Be sure to check Beverly's blog How Sweet The Sound for the complete list of Pink Saturday participants - plenty of fun pinkness as usual!

Independence Day 2008

Wishing you all a safe and happy

Independence Day.

~ Gabriella Oldham ~ 'Tis the Star Spangled Banner ~

Freedom has its life in the hearts, the actions, the spirit of men and so it must be daily earned and refreshed - else like a flower cut from its life-giving roots, it will wither and die.

~ Dwight D. Eisenhower ~

Garden Glories

This is not my Pink Saturday post coming to you early - there will be one on Saturday as promised - however on yesterday's walk through the garden I enjoyed seeing so many pink blooms.

The mailbox bed is thriving right now in the full sun exposure. The potato vine is running rampant and may be crossing the cul-de-sac in a few more weeks unless I prune! Petunias in pink and purple, pale yellow daylilies all blooming.

The Mandevilla vine is making it's Summer climb up the gazebo.

My favorite pink geraniums in large pots along the path to the front steps of the cottage.


This week the beautiful Stargazer lilies opened - they are in pots to protect their fragile bulbs which often become dinner for the pesky voles!

The new butterfly bush by the back fence is growing rapidly - I thought it was a purple one but it decided to be pink - fine with me and the butterflies.

........and this little sweet flower means Summer eating of the best kind. This is the blossom on the French Haricot Verts - green beans extraordinaire. I spied the first few beans so perhaps a meal is imminent!

Hope you enjoyed sharing the garden update. We still struggle with watering issues here - hauling hoses and watering cans is permitted just two days a week for a couple of hours due to the drought - but it's really worth the effort, sore backs and painful shoulders, when the blossoms nod in the early morning sun to welcome bees, birds and butterflies on another hot day.

Give Me a Sign......

Yeah, yeah.............girls just wanna have fun at the beach this time of year. Here in the hot and humid Southeastern states, beaches, lakes, ponds and pools are the first choice of people wanting to keep their cool! This is one of many fabulous old prints framed in the neatest painted wood frames. Great selection at SuzAnna's Antiques for every room in your home - you can glimpse more on the wall in the last photo below.

If you can't get to a watering hole on a hot day, just head out to SuzAnna's in Raleigh. They're not lakeside property, the only standing body of water may be in the birdbaths scattered around the yard, however they will have ice-cold water for you as eloquently stated on this sign. And.............while sipping and looking at charming signs, here are a few more which caught my eye when visiting the shop with my granddaughter the week before last.

Now this one I need for my potting shed................

......... and we all have something vintage that needs identifying - I'm thinking dh!!!!

If you have a little cabin in the woods, next to a pond, with a view of a mountain......you also need a sign so we can all stop by to visit - and wouldn't that sundial be perfect in your little garden.

Isn't this a fabulous sign for your place at the beach.........nothing fancy or contrived (have you seen the crazy names some people give their beach properties?), this one just states the obvious.................signage perfection.

Oh! a barn, how I'd love a real barn-red BARN.......then perhaps a few chickens, a rooster, my own fresh eggs.............an old John Deere tractor..............a farm!!!!!

I don't have a garage but if I did I'd definitely take this one home and hang it on the door - after all MY car would be on one side, and MY stuff on the other................dh's car would probably still be parked in the driveway!

Ahhh! MUSIC. Who can't use a music sign to prop up wherever music is playing around your house or in the garden, and on lovely old barn board.

Susie and Anna - thanks for being there for us, come rain, come shine.............come 102 degrees, and keeping the water cold! You are the best shopkeepers ever - welcoming, kind, funny, helpful, talented, generous, beautiful.

We love your shop - we love sweet Linda and others who help you - we love YOU!

Susie, Anna and my granddaughter - June 2008.