NOVEMBER COLOURS AND STYLISH ANTIQUES

The days are getting shorter  at our house in Northamptonshire, November is a time of big fires frosty mornings and amazing colours. The leaves this year seem brighter than ever and the colour can be almost blinding when you walk under the oaks that arch above your head in blazing golds and reds. The evening skies have been putting on displays of  colour to match the richness of the trees below.

As in London we adore pictures and prints and hang them close together, covering the walls from low to high. In this, our drawing room in the country we have a large Verdigris Hexagonal Lantern hanging  from Charles extensive range in the centre of the room.

At this time of the year the fire blazes and week ends are cosy affairs in front of the fireplace, with good books, the week end's papers and going through auction catalogues looking for stock for the shop. 

We have just had in a wonderfully stylish early 19th century French mahogany bookcase, the glazed doors with the original glass and discreet yet high quality gilt bronze ornamentation.

More soon...................

PROVENCE & LONDON

The last few days were wonderful weather, still hot but with the autumn colours starting.

a spotted horse and sheep on the lane to our house

Our young olive grove produced four bottles of excellent olive oil last year and we are hoping for an even better harvest this year................

  Our oil pressed at the mill in Salerne 

the olive grove on the right of the drive up to the house.

Like so many before us we ended up with the car towed off the motorway and staying the night in Vienne just south of Lyon on the Rhone. 

NEVER PUT PETROL IN A DIESEL !!!!!

The most wonderful Roman Temple of Augustus and Livia, 

we lunched in the sun  and visited the XII-XV  century Cathedral of St Maurice

The quality of this Empire period marble relief is incredible.............back to London where there was a photoshoot organised in the shop for Charles. Dave Mallows was there with all the paraphernalia need to photograph lanterns............these were for Architectural Digest and the Charles Edwards web site. Normality is now back, VAT returns, updating the shop web site, uploading new items to 1st Dibs and of course blogging...................................

PROVENCE IN SEPTEMBER

At the very beginning  of September we held the "Workers Lunch" for everyone who works for,  or is associated with  Charles Edwards Antiques Ltd.....Last year the rain poured down but this year the Gods were smiling and it was a glorious late summer day. We were 23 for lunch 

We ate under cover in our open barn

All the food disappeared at speed

 The boys stuck together!

A few days later we left for our house in Provence........two days in the car stopping in Beaune on the way and suddenly we were back, it was as if we had never left.

The skies are a special sort of deep blue, and after the cold of rain in England we have found ourselves in the summer, it is hot, dry and wonderful.

We have been re-visiting favourite places and seeing friends, enjoying the wonderful weather, it has been a long year and it is a joy to unwind.

Meanwhile back at the shop in the King's Road we have some new faience just in

More soon....................................

NAME PICTURES, BIRTHDAYS AND OTHER THINGS

When I am not being and antiques dealer I am painting name pictures for children, last week end came up with some new fun, painted frames for them

         
                              


They can all be seen on my site Children's Name Pictures  ..................

Monday was Charles birthday and a tradition in our businesses dictates everyone gets a cake given by the person whose birthday it is.

We had cupcakes for every member of our two businesses with their names in icing from the Chelsea Cake Shop in lower Sloane Street, what a wonderful place!! The most divine cakes I have ever seen.............

Our cakes........

Charles Edwards and some of the staff.....

Charles with Ella and Eric

Jeff and Noel at the warehouse........brilliant electricians

Lawrence and Jo, also at the warehouse 

Mohamed with a cake to match his coat.......

and Tim...........

And this is from a photoshoot done in my shop for the Charles Edwards Lanterns

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