Tuesday 5 September 2023

Sunny Saturday in Conwy

 


We set off early on Saturday morning before the heat of the day got too much, hoping, expecting it to be quiet in Conwy, but already the tourists were flocking to the castle walkways, no doubt enjoying the shade offered by the old stone walls. 


 Already the sun was out and the heat was building up.  

We got a coffee each and sat on the quayside watching the tour boat go out with it's load after load of holidaymakers wanting to be on the water on this hot day and see the beauty of the River Conwy from the centre of the river rather than it's edges.  It must have been nice out there, we will do it one day, but this day we chose not too.

Instead we drank in the blueness of the sky, the calm of the water and the beautiful boats and watched children making sandcastles with coffee cups and ice-cream tubs.  Buckets and spade were available in the gift shop, but don't you just love a bit of ingenuity.  😀


The queue for the Smallest House had been much longer when we sat down, but when I turned to go I realised I could get a photo as there were fewer people now.  

At £1.50 to go in and look at it's two tiny rooms I couldn't justify yet another peep.  It used to be 50p, and then £1 and I visited at both those price points, but I've seen it now and I have the ability to 'save' very detailed images in my head of how interiors of buildings look, so I stood and pulled up the image ... and saved my money.

We shade hopped back to the car park with both dogs glad of the shortish distance, and then took them back to the cool of the flat.  Then we went into Llandudno for a couple of hours, still on our hunt for the final two pieces we wanted to furnish the flat with.  A side table for a lamp and a unit of some description for the television to sit on.


First stop the British Heart Foundation furniture shop, where we really struck it lucky.  Second stop fish and chips at one of our favourite chippy's followed by a little mooch around a charity shop and a book purchase.  Then it was back in the car to the BHF shop to pick up our purchase and head for home.


And this is what we got, a lovely little 'Hi Fi' cupboard.  

Brand new and donated by a furniture shop to the BHF when it recently closed down.  It had previously been priced at £360, reduced to £320, and then donated.  We got it for just £45, a bargain, I guess because of it's name not many people want a Hi Fi cupboard these days, but hey you have to think out side of the box if you want a bargain.  It's not specifically the 'lamp table' we were looking for, but it's even better it's a surface for a lamp but with storage, and it's solid oak wood matches the theme of the flat perfectly.


A quick wipe out and then it was put into place and into service.  

What a successful day.



Sue xx



34 comments:

  1. What a great find and I love the colour and pattern of the curtains beside it. Hope you have many wonderful days in your holiday home.

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    1. It's all coming together very nicely, I think not being in a rush to buy anything but waiting for just the right thing is working well. It should hopefully look really good when we eventually decide to put it on the market.

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  2. What a lovely little cupboard, just what I'd pick. And you were indeed lucky to get such a quality piece at a real bargain price, well done you two.

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    1. The guy helping Alan load it into the back seat of the car told us about it, and he was impressed with our bargain.

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  3. Super find and it looks great in the corner. All our furniture is oak and I like it because it makes a nice light addition to the room.Catriona

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    1. I love oak furniture and always have, it must be in my blood as my great grandfather was a cabinet maker and used mostly oak and mahogany. :-)

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  4. It sounds like a very nice day, I remember going in that tiny house when it was 50p , something so fascinating about things in miniature:-)
    Alison in Wales x

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    1. It's lovely isn't it, poking your head up the stairs to peek at the tiny bedroom upstairs and trying to notice everything you can whilst not keeping others waiting too long.

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  5. Replies
    1. It just sits in that corner so well doesn't it. :-)

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  6. That's a lovely side cabinet. Very stylish and I love the light wood. The castle looks so interesting. The photo of the bay is especially lovely.

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    1. Wales is famous for it's castles and we have always loved Conwy Castle. We used to take visitors that came to stay on our smallholding there regularly. Although Alan's vertigo comes into force when he walks along the ramparts. ;-)

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  7. Today would have been my late father's birthday. We spent many happy family holidays in Conwy, so your pictures have brought back a lot of lovely memories. Thank you! X

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    1. Aww ... I'm glad that this post fell on the right day for you. Lovely memories are so precious. xx

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  8. I just spent some time looking at pictures of the interior of The Smalls - absolutely charming. Suitable for extreme minimalists only! Thank you for sharing.
    Love your bargain cabinet - I'd be tempted to find a lovely remnant that goes with your teal-y soft furnishings and make it a little 'curtain' like this: https://shorturl.at/irsG3

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    1. It's actually very maximalist inside, there is not a surface without something on it. I remember standing thinking of all that I would willingly do without if I lived there. :-)

      Funnily enough I was thinking that if we did need to use it for lots of bits, I would either make a little curtain for the door or use some stick on window frosting.

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    2. I too was thinking about how my essentials would work in that space and what might turn out to be non-essential after all. I think I could make it work!

      Have to share this beautiful window film I covet from Hannah Nunn (he has a lovely blog and newsletter):
      www.hannahnunn.co.uk/collections/window-film
      I like the pebbles best.

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    3. Wow, thank you for that link, aren't they ALL beautiful. If I decide I need to film the door I will definintely be buying from there. Perhaps 'Daisy Meadow' would be my first choice.

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  9. what a great little find, does the job perfectly!

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    1. As soon as I spotted it I knew it would be perfect. :-)

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  10. Sounds like you had a very nice day. I remember reading an article about the smallest house in Britain; just enough room for one person or maybe a couple. :)
    I like the cabinet you found for your flat - it's a very versatile piece of furniture, with the storage space and the clean lines.

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    1. Yes, I think it always had just one resident at a time and has passed down the same family for generations. It's currently owned by the great, great granddaughter of the last occupier.

      It would fit in well in any room wouldn't it, I always like that in a piece of furniture ... adaptibility.

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  11. Makes me wonder if they couldn't have removed the hi fi label to sell it. Not everyone can think outside the box.

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    1. If I'd been selling it that would have been the first thing I would have done for sure.

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  12. Great bargain and how cosy does your little corner look♥

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    1. I know, I just had to take a photo of it. It's so much better than the corner opposite, with the television still balanced on it's plastic box. :-)

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  13. Goodness, you did do well! I liked it at 320 quid, I love it at your bargain basement price! We don't get much oak furniture here, as it's not a local timber, but I do like the grain of oak, and it's such a hard wood it'll wear well. Coincidentally I saw a piece about that Smallest House on one of the programmes I keep an eye on. If you exclude the gory-violent ones, and the constant-bed hopping ones, what you're left with is Escape to the Country, The Repair Shop, and the various celebrities travelling around Britain, so I saw it!

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    1. It's a very British wood isn't it, my great grandfather used to make a lot of his furniture from oak. I used to love watching Escape to the Country (indeed we were on it many years ago) but haven't watched it for a while, the house prices are eye-wateringly high!! Now I really do like The Repair Shop, it's a nice gentle watch isn't it.

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  14. Replies
    1. It really is, I love it's nice neat size ... perfect for modern homes.

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  15. We're on holiday in Llandudno next month. Can you tell me the name of your favourite chippy please? We were in Criccieth this week and enjoyed a fish supper on the beach! Thank you.

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    1. We love both Barnacles and the one a couple of doors away, I forget the name of it sorry.

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  16. Your new table is gorgeous, and solid oak too - not envious at all!

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    1. It is lovely isn't it, I really fell lucky there. :-)

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