I took some pictures of the garden at the weekend to do a kind of ‘end of the month’ thing, and I wanted to show them to you, but it’s taking me forever to get round to uploading them, and I just don’t have time tonight (or rather I have more important things to do, like eating).
Instead, I found this draft post I started about this delightful little find from the charity shop the other week, so I’ll tell you about that instead, and the garden can wait for now.
A small play, by L. du Garde Peach – and isn’t that just the most fabulous name? I’m told he had a fair bit to do with writing Ladybird books.
While the play is itself charming, what really made this was the hand written prompts inside. The entire play, written out, minus one character’s words, to help them learn their lines.
A little bit of detective work, and we can see that this was done by the person playing Mrs Jones.
J Chapman, perhaps? or G Chapman? Looks like the same person might have been playing Miss Wardlow!
I love finding little glimpses into other people’s lives in hidden places. I’m just nosey really, although I tell myself that social observation is a good thing, and being interested in other people’s lives is only right and proper.
While skimming through the notes, admiring the swirly handwriting, I found this, sandwiched between sheets 12 and 13 – a recipe for pickled onions.
So you see, being nosey is a good thing after all. I’ve now got a Proper Old Recipe for pickled onions.
Which I absolutely detest.
a cheerful living adventure 
Strangely, I was listening to an interview this morning with the author Lauren Child and she said one person’s nosey is another persons observation. I like to consider myself observant, or concerned.
Fantastic find, I love to buy old cards and postcards from antiques fairs, charity shops etc. The history of them always intrigues me and I can be carried away imagining the life of the person who has written it. That play looks really intriguing to me.
I love finding interesting things tucked into charity-shop books. I once had one with a boarding card for an aeroplane trip in the US…. (found in a charity bookshop in Oxford, UK)
Ooh, how interesting both of you! I love finding things tucked away in books Maria – often we’ve found photographs, which we’ve got dotted around the house. We’ve also got a few old postcards cheri, I especially love it when they’ve got messages written on them.
I love this – what a great find! Another one here who loves old postcards and similar too, especially fascinating when they relate to somewhere you know as well of course.
That’s brilliant! My favourite “interesting thing found inside a secondhand book” is a photo of a boy in very 70s/ 80s tracksuit trousers and a t shirt with a charity logo on it as if he’d just done a sponsored race (I think he’s just finished anyway, he looks worn out!).. wish I knew who he was, how fast did he run, does he remember it now?
You romantic you! And I totally get it. Great post.
David loves pickled onions, will borrow the recipe. How cool, you happenned upon such lovely things. X