After a couple of weeks off, the Shelf Sunday series returns. And it returns with a beauty.
Earlier in the year when Team PS were on their Summer Tour, we had a delightful, if a little cold and breezy, trip along the south coast. A highlight of our afternoon out in St.Leonards-on-Sea was sheltering with tea and cake at the Post Office Tearooms.
A highly recommended little place, crammed full of vintage crockery, jovial banter, delicious cakes, and letterpress printed artwork.
Anyways, furnishing our table was the best condiment set I have chanced upon (and there's a fair few tucked away in our kitchen cupboards - more on those another time), the most lovely pair of salt and pepper shakers, dusky pink orbs. (I know we are talking about being by the British coast here but don't worry I won't stray too far in to kiss-me-quick territory). The proprietor said they were Swan Lake by Hornsea. And so. I put this info in the back of my mind, (and notebook) and off we set.
Fast forward a few months, cross to the other side of the country and we are in Anglesey, which certainly is a rich picking ground for thrifty vintage finds.
And here I find, in a charity shop window, unfortunatley not the dusky pink condiments, but the creme of the collection, the Swan Lake teapot. It even has a little swan on the lid, with concentric ripples going out all around the pot.
As part of the second-hand set were two tea cups and saucers, and 4 dinner plates. These are all in a soft grey matte glaze, which for daily use works really well. Even I can admit you can have too much pink.
Hooray for charity shops. One day I shall find those salt and pepper shakers, one day they shall be mine....