Something to brighten a drab February day.

We decided a little outing would be a good idea. The weather forecast said sunshine and showers, so we wrapped up warmly and set off on our 30 minute car journey to Church Stretton.

We were last there in the summer, when we took friends over Cardingmill valley and enjoyed a good walk over the Long Mynd, on a scorching hot day.

Today was different. It was gloomy and a bitter wind was blowing sleet showers across the valley. Nevertheless, we braved the elements and took a brisk walk around the little town.

I imagine, in its heyday, Church Stretton was quite a thriving, busy place. Even now it probably benefits from its position, nestling amongst some of the most dramatic Shropshire Hills. There is excellent walking country around the town and lots of places of local interest, particularly attractive in warmer weather!

However, today, we wanted to have a look around the shops and a snack lunch before returning home.

The visit to the camera shop proved unsuccessful, although the proprietor was most helpful and very knowledgeable.

The next port of call was the Antiques market. Not that we wanted antiques, just a browse around the bric-a-brac. The local directory describes it as an Alladin's cave and I have to agree. It is a hotchpotch of cabinets, shelves, cupboards and table tops crammed with a vast array of goods. I felt as if I was picking my way through a jumble of the left overs from hundreds of house clearances. Items that were once well-loved, now lay forlornly, gathering dust in every corner.

I was beginning to feel the urge to get my feather duster out and spritz the place up. Why was it all cluttered and muddled together? Wouldn't it have been more appealing if everything was sorted and tidy? I think the answer is that more than one firm have stock in the building, so I suspect that each "bay" belongs to a different person - hence the hotchpotch.

Just as I was thinking it was time to get out into the fresh air, I spotted this little gem.

Now I know some will think its only an old table cloth, but others ( I'm thinking MarmaladeRose here) will be delighted with my purchase.

Its fresh and in perfect condition so it might still be used as a cloth. Or..........

I might "upcycle" it and use all those gorgeous, little embroidered motifs for something completely different. Any suggestions?

To complete our trip we took the winding road up to the Long Mynd Hotel for a bar snack and enjoyed the wonderful view up the valley. It has an imposing position on the side of the hill and looks as if it was once the jewel in the crown of the town, probably in the 1930's, as it has an Art Deco facade. ( That's just a guess - maybe I should look it up on Google and see if that's correct - or maybe not!)

Well what do you think? ( Think this photo was taken in a hot, dry summer!)