I Found Love In Chesterfield

It was lying next to the wash basin in Wetherspoons' toilets and it seemed a shame to leave it behind.

Yesterday I left the Black Country, hooked up with Annie at Birmingham's New Street station and hopped on a northbound train to Derbyshire to meet Curtise and Tania for a rummage around the legendary Chesterfield flea market.

After Curtise blogged about one of her weekly trips I was desperate to go and experience the wonder of the Thursday flea for myself and I wasn't disappointed, a mix of vintage fair and car boot sale set in the heart of a fabulously vibrant Victorian town.

This lady had some incredible vintage and antique jewellery and really knew her stuff.

Everything from everyday bric-a-brac

Soft porn

Retro tat
(I was very tempted by this groovy Pifco salon hair dryer but didn't fancy lugging it back on the train).

Fruit and veg

Cow bells

and cutlery!
Check out Annie doing a bit of cheeky haggling.

The owner of this stall is a hotelier in France and crosses the Channel once a week to sell her French and Belgian vintage textiles and artefacts. I can't stop thinking about that boar's head - I wish I'd bought it now! He'd make a great hat display.

We had a brilliant time chatting to and bantering with the traders. Even if I'd bought nothing I wouldn't have cared, I just love Curtise, Tania and Annie's company.

No blogging day out would be complete without a trip to Wetherspoons and Chesterfield's The Portland is a particularly grand one (and it reminded us of Krista). We ordered pitchers of cocktails, swapped parcels and caused a sensation amongst the regulars. 

Here's my pressies!  Obligatory blogger ceramic deer, crystal swan, Ganesh charm, Umberto Giannini hair sparkle, incense and Volver from Tania; Biba bag & a retro Cheese tea towel from Curtise and some VW bookmarks from Annie.

I finally managed to sew my Dollyrockers dress back together.

I'm happy to report that the Wetherspoons pensioners are just as frisky up north as they are down the road in the Midlands. As he couldn't take his eyes off us I got Dave (with the knuckle tattoos and trackie bottoms) to take a group photo as we failed miserably on our last day out.

The toilets were some of the swankiest we'd ever seen (and the only place to get a break from hoards of gawping blokes). 

After a whizz round the fine array of town centre chazzas (where I scored a 1960s leather duffel bag and a vintage gent's Liberty cravat) we stopped off for an ice cold lager before heading back to the station. 

The time just flew. We had a fantastic time, a right old laugh, found bargains galore and the sun even made an appearance. I love my blogging buddies.

Yesterday's lime green leather bag (£3.99, Age UK, Chesterfield) & Curtise's floral maxi worn with 1970s denim swimsuit (Maisie's Closet Vintage), denim waistcoat (courtesy of Lucy), Orange enamel pendant (the sweetest Squirrel), Ted Lapidus vintage sunglasses (given to me free by the charity shop manager when I bought my white ones 4 years ago), New-to-me River Island orange suede cork wedges (a present from a friend)

Curtise also gave me this gorgeous maxi skirt which got an outing today when I nipped into town for an obligatory trip around the chazzas (I came back with a sackful of bargains!) 

Stay tuned - I'll show you my favourite Chesterfield find very soon, it's definitely worthy of it's own post.

Have a fabulous weekend!