Charity shop treasures

I finally managed to drop off several bags of stuff at my charity shop of choice today. I have been trying to do this for a while. On my first attempt part of my clutch broke on the journey and in the ensuring chaos I could not get there so these bags have been travelling about in my car boot for ages. The charity shop gods were obviously with me today because as well as successfully dropping off my stuff I also found some treasures to take home!

I only found one in the first shop.

A very nice tin with the Household Cavalry on it. I remember seeing them at Buckingham Palace and at the Trooping of the Colour when I was little. Sharps confectioners were based in York and produced sweets such as toffee bonbons. King George VI died in 1952 so that must be the approximate date of the tin.

My local town has several charity shops (like most towns I expect) and as I left this one I had a feeling that I needed to go and look in another one. I knew exactly which one the feeling was referring to! I know that sounds weird but I am glad that I did as I had much success treasure hunting in this second shop. Always listen to those charity shop feelings treasure hunters!

This is a modern book which I have flicked through many times before and wanted to buy so when I saw it in the charity shop in pristine condition for a whole bargain £2 I snapped it up quickly. Lots and lots of lovely 1950's adverts to look through, such as this one featuring amazing glasses frames. Which, incidentally, I really want a pair of but having tried some modern versions on last weekend I have found that they do not suit me at all. Very disappointing.

I found three of these fabulous Alfred Meakin plates. I know my mum has some like this. I love roses but I particularly like the colours of the leaves, minty, silvery blue/greens.

A lovely scarf in several shades of green featuring some lovely dogs. I don't think that it is particularly old but the dogs are very cute. It has panels of solid and panels of sheer material which is why the pictures look a bit odd.

I had a good rummage in the book shelves and came away with three great ones.

The first is this 1970's book on patchwork which will be very useful as I am trying to learn how to do patchwork at the moment. I have dreams of lovely patchwork quilts.

The back cover showing what is featured inside. Exciting craftyness ahead!

One of the pictures from inside, I really like the fabrics used in this patchwork block. It also features hexagons which are the shape that I am starting with.

Pretty pattern on the front cover but no clues as to what is inside.

Home handicrafts, needlework and repairs - surely a huge range of topics, no wonder it should be part of a household reference library. In the introductions it says that it is intended to be a practical manual covering topics such as how to fix broken china, how to mend a chair leg, how to lay a parquet floor, how to fix a broken lock etc. It has no publishing date inside but a bit of googling suggests 1930 or 1934 and that this book is one of a set of six which would form the reference library.

This is a list of the black and white photograph plates in the book and from this you get a good idea of the topics covered inside.

This intrigued me at once! It has no publishing date and googling suggests that ii has been republished several times. From the illustrations and the paper I think it is late 1930's.

This is the contents page, look at the array of entertainments featured! They are all illustrated with lovely black and white line drawings.

I will be coming back to these two 1930's books in future posts, when I have had a chance to read and digest some of their wisdom!