The Britsh Seaside, Nostalgia and lashings of Ginger Beer............

"Hey you down there..."

"Who me"?

"Yeah you...the broad with the camera..Now I know I'm kinda handsome and look great against this beautiful blue sky but it's too good a day to waste in September. Stop taking my picture, get your lunch packed, grab the kids and follow me on down to Dorset...."

"But Mr Seagull, however much I'd love to I can't. My daughter has a star part at the Harvest Festival at our local church, she has to hold the 'H' up in the spelling of Harvest Festival. According to her it's a HUGE responsibility and they couldn't do it without her!"

"OK, OK, I'll let her off, let's all be grateful for a fruitful harvest, I know I am, but make an effort, yeah"?

So I did.

How I managed to get towels, changes of clothing, lunch etc, ready before our very own Child Star arrived home with her father I'll never know. As soon as I packed a bag, Beatrice would go along behind me unpacking it... At one stage I went downstairs to find her lying out on a beach towel, stripped down to her nappy with her sunglasses on. However much I tried to be annoyed with her for unpacking my bags, she did look funny!

Imogen arrived back with Mr PL and was promptly changed out of her Sunday Best, put into t-shirt and shorts and back in the car heading in the direction of Dorset. Mr PL did try and protest that by this time of day the road would be really busy but myself, captain Seagull, and the girls argued SO loudly he had no choice.

Now when Mr PL protests it's usually with very good reason and this time he was right...Us and half of the UK were on the A350 last Sunday morning, but hey, it was worth it...well I wasn't going to suggest otherwise. I can never admit that I'm wrong, well not to Mr PL anyway.

Two and a half hours later we arrived. Where? Studland Bay. A favourite haunt of ours, both Summer and Winter. A National Trust beach which just goes on and on, grassland, sand and beach huts. Shallow water inviting children to paddle, a lovely restaurant with tasty food and a great breakfast on a Winter's morning, and of course a lovely National Trust shop for me to peruse all the lovely gifts..... We love to walk on the beach in the Winter too, dressed in thick coats, gloves, hats and scarves, watching the horses gallop on by, wind beating against our rosey cheeks...

We were lucky, we managed to pick a day when a Triathlon had just taken place, so whilst making sand castles, we were able to listen to a great live band in the background and drool at the mouth with the smell of the hog roast. Too cruel for words for someone that's on a diet (Oh, and by the way is sat here typing away in her size 10 jeans...hurray...it's working!!).

Thought you might like to meet the family...

Beatrice - Aged 2.5 yrs, queen of eating sand and making a mess!


Imogen - Aged 4, future movie star


Mr PL - Aged OLD, and owner of a very large forehead! (He'll love me for that!)


Me (Petticoats) - Aged 36, not realising quite how much cleavage I was showing to the beach!

This will probably be the ONE and ONLY time that you get to see a picture of me. I HATE having my picture taken and realised recently that if something ever happened to me the girls wouldn't know what their mother looked like, probably a good thing!! Then they could imagine I looked like Sleeping Beauty, Cinderella, Snow White.....

Well, after a fabulous time spent on the beach, we decided to stop off at Corfe Castle on the way home. I love Corfe, it's like stepping back in time, stepping into the pages of an Enid Blyton book.

We picked a great day too as there was a re-enactment weekend at the castle, everyone dressed in 17th Century costumes.

Now as fellow bloggers, most of you can imagine my total dismay when the battery ran out on my camera!!!! How much did I swear? (silently of course!!). The girls loved it, well that was until the battle took place and gunfire wasn't something that Beatrice took a shine too, I'm not sure what was the loudest, Bea's screaming or the gunfire!

How I struggled to leave and look around all the shops..... lots of shops full to bursting with loveliness. The girls dragged Mr PL to their favourite sweet shop whilst I snuck away to indulge in my favourite shop.... the Ginger Pop Shop.

This is a fabulous shop run by a lady by the name of Vivienne Endecott, a life long Enid Blyton fan. Enid Blyton holiday'd in the Dorset area three times a year for over 20 years and there are many links to local landmarks, particularly in the Famous Five series. Vivienne is dedicating her life to keeping her memory alive. She gives great talks and walks around Corfe Castle village; 'In the Footsteps of the Famous Five', which looks at how this part of Dorset influenced some of the world's best loved children's books.

There are also things for you to find;
The Wishing Chair outside the Ginger Pop Shop
The Famous Five storyboard at Corfe Castle railway station.
Malory Towers storyboard at Norden railway station.

Her shop is all about childhood and has views of the castle from the shop window, immortalised as Kirrin Castle in the Famous Five series and usually with the jackdaws flying around the towers.

I could have spent an absolute fortune in there in a very short space of time. There were 150 Enid Blyton titles, books and C.Ds, a fridge full of lashings of Ginger Beer, Ginger Beer kits and many books of childhood in the 1950's & 1960's. In the end I settled for a Ginger Beer kit (Where on earth am I going to put 26 pints of the stuff when we make it)???? Along with all these gorgeous postcards from the Robert Opie Collection to share with you all.

I used to love visiting the Robert Opie Collection at Gloucester Docks with my mother and grandmothers whilst they reminisced over all the beautiful packaging from bygone years. Unfortunately the developers came in and wanted to turn the lovely old warehouse the collection was housed in, into modern dockland apartments. The collection is now in Notting Hill I believe.

Do any of these bring back memories?

Metal Polish started to be made in a liquid form in Edwardian times; an early success was Brasso, launched in 1905.

Poster c1930.


Sunlight Soap Series
Lever Brothers was founded in 1885 when William and James Lever bought a small soap works in Warrington.
c1910 Magazine Insert


1940's Propaganda Series
The War Savings Campaign was set up by the War Office in November 1939. Local savings weeks became regular events supported by poster campaigns.
1940's Poster.



Cycle Series
Thomas Wall made ice cream a popular British taste from 1922, along with tricycles that sold tubs at 4d. and snowfruits at 1d.
Leaflet 1930.

When We Were Young Series
James Robertson began selling marmalade in 1864. The Golly symbol was adopted by the company as its trademark in 1914.
1920s Advertisement.



Picnic Series
The Golly motif came into use around 1910. The company's advertising slogan was "Golly it's Good"
Showcard 1930's




Childhood Series
Mansion floor polish was introduced in 1912 by the makers of Cherry Blossom shoe polish.
1930's Showcard.



Children's Wear Series
Gustav Jaeger believed it was healthier for people to dress entirely in animal hair, such as wool. The company did not use synthetics until the 1950s.
1930s Knitting Pattern.




Children's Wear Series
Mabel Lucie Attwell's charming and innocent pictures often appear in advertising. The Jaeger twins were used successfully to promote Jaeger wool.
c 1930 Pattern


Mabel Lucie Attwell Bedtime Series
Mabel Lucie Attwell drew as if the children themselves had created the images, whilst living in the adult world.
Box Lid c1930




Out of School Series
Originally called Sumner's Ty-phoo Tea and available from 1905, the grey pack design lasted until around 1960.
Showcard c1955



Confectionery Series
Polo mints were launched in 1948 when there was still rationing on sweets...hence the 'mint with the hole'
Advertisement early 1950's



Childhood Series
The Marmite Food Extract Company Ltd. was founded in 1902. Originally sold in earthenware pots, by 1930 the distinctive glass jars had been introduced.
Poster early 1930s.


Mabel Lucie Attwell Series
Patented as Smith's Patent Germ Flour in 1887, it was renamed in 1880 as Hovis following a competition for a new name.
Poster 1930.




Fifties, Sixties, Seventies Cars Series
Forever associated with motor caravans, the Dormobile grew from traders putting cushions into their vans to take the family out.
Brochure 1963.

Box Trolly Series
Bisto was launched by Cerebos in 1910 with the slogan "Browns, Seasons, thickens in one".
Leaflet c1930




Confectionery Series
Scottish family business McVitie's and McFarlane Lang merged in 1948 to become United Biscuits, acquiring McDonalds in 1960.
1950s Magazine Advertisement.

OK, That's me done......I haven't blogged for weeks and once I started I couldn't stop...If you got this far, 'Well Done'! Hope you enjoyed stepping back in time with me?

Quirky Girl....

I was tagged a little while back by Lesley and Joanne to list quirky but boring facts about myself...sorry it's taken me so long to get around to this!

Now I've been having big, big problems at the moment with my laptop and it's still not up and running to upload pictures, so here are my boring, weird and quirky habits to fill the gap until those pesky computer Gremlins decide to leave my poor old laptop alone!!..

1.I have tiny little toes, half the size of the toes next to them! They obviously decided to stop growing when I was about 10 just in case winkle pickers came back into fashion!

2. I have long arms and in the past I had to have jackets made with extra long arms!!! Maybe I'm just an ape gone wrong!!

3. I have to always park in the same parking space in the same car park in Bath and get REALLY annoyed if someone else is in it! I can't concentrate on shopping at all, which obviously is a bad thing. Or a good thing for Mr PL!

4. I have to have symmetry in the home, which drives Mr PL mad. Everything has to be equal distance from the wall, opposite each other etc etc...I struggle with odd numbers!

5. I loathe the smell of coffee. This started when I was pregnant with Imogen and has never gone away. It makes me feel physically sick and having to sit in Starbucks or Costa Coffee for an hour or so would be my worst nightmare.

6. I match my daughter's pants with the outfit she is wearing!! How bizarre is that? I can't relax if I send her off to pre-school with unco-ordinated colour pants!!! She now also has a complete obsession with matching everything. She'll even find hairbands to match her P.J's!


7. My house always has to be immaculate when I go away on holiday. I even go back into the house to plump up the cushions when everything and everyone is loaded in the car. I'd obviously hate any burglars to think I had a messy home!!

So there you have it, not very interesting am I??

Now I'm not going to pass this on, as it has been doing the rounds somewhat, however please leave me a comment with a quirky habit of your own, so I can feel I'm not a complete weirdo!!!

All aboard the Time Machine......

You began your journey in life like this......

Then you became a toddler..1st Birthday celebrations in St Ives..

Then a little girl on your 2nd Birthday in Dartmouth....

A princess for the day on your 3rd Birthday

To turning 4 on Saturday.

Happy Birthday Darling, we love you very much..don't grow anymore or change in anyway...we love you just the way you are.

This started me thinking....Wouldn't it be wonderful if a time machine were invented where snippets of time were stored and we could step back inside and re-live them over and over again during grey days, sad days, hard days at work or to show our offspring that once upon a time we really were their entire world and looked that young!!

Like a CD or DVD, we could insert ourselves into the machine and travel back in time with a SWIRL, BANG and a huge PUFF of rose coloured smoke.

I'd use my snippet of time to be re-united with loved ones, holding them close for a precious moment more, telling them how I loved them so, thanking them for their love, dedication and devotion, for all they did and what they sacrificed. I'd show them the wondrous human beings I have produced (against all odds), and how they have their eyes, independence or hair colour...how their genes have helped create the two children that lie sleeping in their beds as I type.

One of the most important people in my world was my grandmother who sadly passed away only 18 months before Imogen was born. It makes me sad that she never met her, got to hold her and see how my life had moved forward in such a positive direction, but at the same time it fills me with joy that this precious child I have the pleasure of calling my daughter holds parts of her character along with her name. "I apologise Imogen that you will forever be explaining your middle name 'Adit', how to spell it, pronounce it ('A'dit) and what it means. It holds a story as it belonged to your German grandmother (or Omi as you called her) and is German for Edith which was my grandmothers name".

Isn't it wonderful to think that in years ahead our future generations may hold our names and have our characteristics?...I wonder if they too will have a love for all things vintage, VW Camper vans, red and white polka dots, and treasure the crocheted blanket that we spent many an hour lovingly making? Will they love to watch costume dramas, read Jane Austin and listen to Billie Holiday? Will they adore the Cath Kidston 'vintage' eiderdown, which is presently lying on the beds on some of you lucky bloggers but passed on with love, to future generations un-wrapped with curiosity from a dust covered box in the attic, un-leashing with it many happy memories of times gone by....present times.....times of joy and laughter, snuggled beneath it's beautiful print cocooned from the outside world and coldness of the night...

All the beautiful things that we treasure ourselves and use on a daily basis will someday hold so many stories for our grandchildren, great-grandchildren, nieces, great-nephews etc, and hopefully be appreciated in the same way.

I would also use a 'snippet' (if I should be so greedy as to expect more than one) to re-visit my childhood, remembering all the things that made me so happy and moulded me into the woman I am today; Activities I have passed down a generation to my own family..The trips to the forest collecting leaves, finding various forms of fungi with my father, making me interested in nature and the great outdoors,

Ballet lessons and shows which gave me the posture I now have and the love for beautiful costumes.

Craft days and baking days at home with my mother which I now love sharing with my own daughters.

Day trips to museums, stately homes, wildlife parks with my sister Rachel and now enjoyed in the same way by my own offspring...

Staying up late into the evening to watch firework displays or bonfires being lit on beacons, celebrating Silver Jubilees, Royal weddings and the like....

The good old British seaside which started my love of Prawns (soaked in vinegar and served in a little polystyrene cup), along with my obsession with Boats and Harbours.

Others snippets...Well there are many...The sheer happiness I felt during our beautiful wedding in the Cotswolds, The birth of Imogen along with the sheer relief and immense happiness I felt following the horrific events in hospital immediately after the birth of Beatrice, that I would still be around to watch her grow and be there to share her life. Happy memories of times spent living in the USA, Hong Kong and Australia, meeting precious friends for the first time and discovering how much we enjoyed being in each others' company, 'Firsts' of my children..first smile, words, cuddles...."Mummy I love you"...

There are many, too many things to re-count, but how wonderful would that be to experience? Re-live those moments? Far too often we take each other, our family, friends, homes etc for granted... Fragments of time that we can never repeat, just savour, locking away in our minds, on photographs and on film, but what about the smells that ignite certain memories from within?...The smell of a certain Rose which always transports me back to happy times spent in my grandmothers country garden, rolling down embankments with my sister and playing hide and seek in the Chicken houses. Noises...the sound of my childrens' first cry or the sound of the grasshoppers whilst chasing fireflies at my home in Tennessee...moments in time that last but a second but remembered forever.

I'm a Pisces...a romantic daydreamer....Sentimental and sensitive but one thing's for sure...whatever your star sign, up bringing, social class or race, wherever you are in the world reading this, you too will have those special, special memories you hold tight, treasure and never let go..................

The Wonderful World of Blog..........

To start off I've got the lovely lesley at Notes from my Days to thank for this great award. Another newbie like myself. She writes a great blog..go on, take a peek! She's always so friendly and helpful, I look forward to her updates very much. I've managed to contain myself with the accessorising of this award but I must admit it may warrant the purchase of a lovely blue and white mug I spotted in Sainbury's recently!

Secondly a HUGE thank you to you all for your support on the diet front, you've all given me such encouragement that I have to stick to it now as I feel I'd be letting you all down. I know this isn't really the case but it's a great incentive.

Now I don't want to give the impression that I'm in the running for the world's fattest woman, however I would like to drop a dress size and tone up the 'jelly belly'. I've done quite well over the last week or so. I never follow any diet in particular, I just avoid finishing off the girls' food for them, exercise and cut out all the fat and the junk that I've been eating. I always allow myself a treat at the weekend though otherwise I just wouldn't keep going! That would make it all just too boring!

I cherish all my cyber 'friends', you all offer each other and me so much support it's incredible. You leave lovely comments that brighten each others days, kind words unbiased and non-judgemental. If only all our 'real' friends were the same!

Since discovering blogging through my wonderful friend Anna I must admit I have developed some form of addiction. She did warn me......"You'll get addicted and be checking your comments all the time". She was right, I am and I do...

What the lovely Anna didn't inform me was that my entire life would be taken over by lovely photos of flowers in jugs, gorgeous shoes, fat quarters, ripple blankets, granny squares, home made jam, looking forward to others returning from their holidays to take a peek at their holiday snaps, photographing everything that moves within a metre of me; sharing tears of sadness and joy when fellow bloggers share their lives with us all and the immeasurable amount of support and kindness that you all offer one another.



Why is it that I now feel that my life won't quite be complete until I too possess a couple of chickens, a smeg fridge, aga, country cottage garden, the Apples for Jam cookbook given to lesley for her recent birthday and the red and white door mat that Catherine has at Molly Cupcakes?? Mr PL looks forward to seeing what the next 'essential' purchase will be dropping on our doormat? I think even Steve the Postman is relieved to be delivering something other than Boden parcels!

I know these things aren't really necessary to lead a happy and fulfilling life but they sure as hell make life more colourful during such a grey economy......so why not surround ourselves with prettiness? where's the harm in it?

Poor Mr PL may soon be divorcing me on the grounds of 'blogging compulsive disorder'. I'm sure he's half expecting to come home from a business trip one day and find someone else living in our home. I of course would have chugged blissfully along in my lilac VW camper van to start a new life in a gorgeous cottage in Cornwall sitting in my beautiful window seat looking out at the sea whilst crocheting granny squares; chocolate Labrador by my side in his Cath Kidston dog bed, my 2 chickens, Peony and Poppy, running around my vibrant cottage garden full of fragrant flowers and tasty vegetables. The children of course would be playing happily on the swings hanging from the fruit trees decorated with bunting, before we all sit around the farmhouse table together, original artwork hanging on the walls, for homemade offerings and cupcakes fresh out of the Aga.......... I of course wouldn't be putting on an ounce of weight but floating around in my Cath Kidston tea dress (You know the one...where the only people you see wearing it are size 8....I did try it on once but only managed to squeeze one bosom in before I then had to try and escape from it without cricking my neck, tearing the seems or having to ask the assistant to manoeuvre me out of it...discreetly!!)

I probably would have remembered Mr PL sometime into the second week of my blissful new life and called him from my red traditional telephone, informing him of our change of address. I'd tell him that his new office is an American Airstream which he'll find parked in the orchard next to the ponies. What would be the obvious choice for an office, I would of course have turned into the most magnificent craft room with jars and jars full of coloured buttons, beautiful merino wools, ribbons and threads, drawers full of fat quarters dipicting all things lovely.. cherries, cupcakes, children happily playing together in the 1950s.......

The world of 'blog' is such a lovely place isn't it? I just never want to leave...and I don't...literally!! The pile of ironing is getting bigger and bigger, Shopping has to be done in the early hours when you're all tucked up in bed and the gym at 7am. The dogs have now resorted to taking themselves for a walk, my husband and children are looking severely neglected wearing mis matched crumpled clothes and are wondering why their mother/wife is suddenly waltzing around the kitchen in beautiful aprons listening to the afternoon play on radio four, baking constantly and singing "How do you like your eggs in the morning" at the top of her not so tuneful voice...



My eldest child now never leaves home without her Little Mermaid camera in her handbag and insists on taking photo's of EVERYTHING, a little like her mother (You can spot a blogger a mile away can't you?) Since my post on the Pigs in Bath we have to stop at every single pig and photograph it. She's even asked for a kiddies digital camera for her fourth birthday on Saturday!



My friends are giving me very strange glances when I suddenly stop and take a picture of a beautiful tree or colourful flower (I've kept my blogging a secret from most), and I find myself giving the most bizarre explanations to why I feel the need to photograph a cake on a plate, or a cupcakes through a shop window! They just couldn't possibly understand the joy we get from each others wonderful pictures!!

How does it suddenly become the norm to refer to others as Molly Cup Cakes, All Things Lovely , or to inform my children during a Sainsbury's shop how much Notes from my Days and Little Patch of Heaven would love the spotty crockery I've just purchased and how Cowboys and Custard would use the little china cowgirl I've just spotted on the bric-a-brac stall.

The lovely Cobalt Blue by Dulux Period Paint

Mr PL looked at me in astonishment when I described the colour I'd love to change our front door and side gate to the same colour as Lavender Hearts has painted hers "How on earth am I supposed to know who Lavender Hearts is?" came the reply. Get with it Mr PL, it's Sian from Diary of a Tinyholder of course?!!! He's so behind the times...

So there you have it. Never let it be said that I do things to extremes....shopping, dieting, blogging, baking etc etc..I'm sure a psychologist would have an absolute field day classing me as a person always striving/wanting more, never satisfied with who I am or what I have. The reality is, I am very happy with my lot, I feel extremely fortunate to have such a wonderful husband and 2 gorgeous girls that I adore and make me laugh, a great home and wonderful family and friends, not forgetting my vivid imagination of course! It doesn't stop me however from loving my little blog dreamworld and lusting after all the lovely goodies you lovely ladies post day after day....I think I'll stay a while longer if that's OK with you? I've become very fond of you all....