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brocante visited

• Message 1. 

  Posted by punpun (U14553477) on Sunday, 15th August 2010

  Hi All,
  Well as promised i'll tell you what gardening things i saw at the brocante (bootsale) today,
  well i walked for miles once there and all due to not being able to walk in anything like a stright line, "what with people blocking the main direction one trys to walk along to see the stalls by just standing there talking and this being france people meeting and spending time greating one an other with kisses and hugs and of cause the people who are walking in front of you and then stop dead or bend down to fix their shoes and anyone walking behind them almost falls over the shoe fixer and ends up with a red face as they nearly mount the shoe fixer.
  
  Now i made a mistake by going to such a sale during the month of august as its the average french persons holiday and all the dealers knowing this but the prices up! So not a good time to go.
  
  I did notice some of the sellers trying to sell these metal urns "full of rust" and trying to make them look very old when in fact they are fakes and made in the last 12 month, and these i thought we're very costly.
  
  As i did say last night the french think anything old is worth a fortune but today i saw the last word in garden lights as the biggest joke ive seen for ages and the sign said "for sale antique solar lights" well that say's it all dont you agree?
  
  I did have a look at some very old watering cans for 20 euro, they we're so old they both had holes in the bottoms (a rip off).
  
  To be honest after about 2 hours of walking around I'd had enough and im pleased to say so did my wife,
  The only thing i did see i wuold have loved to buy was a very old push bike "the type with brakes that pull up under the wheels as appose to the more modern ones that have cables and the brake shoes close to the sides of the wheels, and it was a sit up and beg style of frame, no tyre's a complete strip and start again project (for the winter) but i was told i was'nt having it as i'd not finished the last one i bought 3 years ago!
  
  i felt like i was 5 years of age and mummy had spoken.
  
  But as we made it back to the car i couldnt help but think to myself "I hope we dont go to another one of these sales" I'd rather stay at home away from the crowds and do something in the garden.
  
  So ive no gardening rare tools to tell you about and im sorry i couldnt say it was a great day out.
  
  But like the last time i went to one of these wonderful events I thought i'd learnt a lesson and that lesson was me and crowds dont go to gether.

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• Message 2

  , in reply to message 1.

  Posted by Miss-polly (U14402803) on Tuesday, 17th August 2010

  Sorry to hear you didn't find any gardening tools or bargains at your brocante. but although your trying to make it sounds horrid, its sounds like heaven to me. I'd love to pop over to France and have a look around the markets. then perhaps stop for a crepe or pop in to one of those chocolate pastery shops.
  
  The bike sounded intresting, a collegue of mine has one (a dutch bike, I think its called and the spares where very expensive).
  
  Antique solar lights - great
  
  I love old watering cans, my OH likes going to antque fairs and I ususally make a beeline for the kitchen and garden stalls, usual victorian period, they know how to make things to last and they had a gadget for anything and very good quality.
  
  On the plus side punpun, at least you got some excersie and it made you appreciate working in your garden
  
  Ps- sorry about the spelling i'm having a brainfog day.

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• Message 3

  , in reply to message 2.

  Posted by punpun (U14553477) on Tuesday, 17th August 2010

  Thanks for your reply, it was really nice to read
  (frogs and all)

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• Message 4

  , in reply to message 1.

  Posted by Neophyte (U14590779) on Monday, 23rd August 2010

  Hello, I have place in France too and have never found any antique bargains at a brocante, and the prices in antique shops are ludicrous. I'm afraid we English are to blame for putting the prices up, swooping in like those bargain hunt programmes! I expect that has stopped now with the price of the euro. Anyway, still an interesting day out... Bon continuation, as they say!!

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