My Grandad was born and raised in Lincolnshire in a very picturesque village on the edge of the Wolds called Tealby. Every now and then, my mum likes to visit the village and remember the holidays she spent there when she was a little girl - so for part of her birthday treat, I took her for a visit today.
Her Grandparents house used to stand where the bungalow is now. It was like the cottages either side, but had to be pulled down when it became unsafe. My mum visited every year with her parents when she was young. It was their annual holiday. She says that she can remember her grandfather sobbing uncontrollably when the time came for them to leave every year. We take communications and being able to stay in touch so much for granted these days.
After a warming soup in the village pub (and boy did we need warming up, it was freezing!), we embarked on a marathon walk around the whole village - and beyond.
My Grandad moved to South Yorkshire for work. He was a farm hand/woodman and eventually landed in Wentworth working on the Fitzwilliam Estate. Whilst the estate would have been very beautiful, the rest of the area was in its mining hey day and I know he didn't think much of the rows of pit houses and the grime that covered everything. When you wander around his village, you can see why it would have all been a shock to his system.
Mum showed me where all the shops etc used to be, now almost all of them are gone. She also told me that the cottage that my great grandparents lived in had no electricity and no running water at all.
A brook runs through the village and through many of the gardens of the lovely big houses. A couple of old Mills have been converted into homes and still have the brook running through them.
The village has also been home to the Grandparents of Alfred Lord Tennyson, and I think I read somewhere that Elton John's songwriting partner - Bernie Taupin was from here too.
A few miles away is the church where my great grandparents are buried. My mum still has the telegram that arrived for my Grandad to say that his mum had passed away back in 1965.
It was interesting to find the very simple grave with just their names on the stone surround. My mum realised that she had never known her Grandmothers name!
The shop is at Elsecar Heritage Centre, Elsecar near Barnsley (and just next to Wentworth for a full day out!) and she is full to the brim with vintage fabrics and china etc, all at very reasonable prices.
Apparently, a lot of what she is currently selling is from her own collection, and it is all very lovely. She has some gorgeous vintage aprons etc
If you are in the area, call in and say hi to Julie - and tell her I sent you - but don't blame me if you come out with more fabric for your stash! Julie's daughter told me that her mum has always owned fabric and haberdashery shops in one shape or another and now is keen to teach and will be running workshops from here too.
I wish you great success Julie and Jo. xxx
The gardens are free to enter (unless something special is happening).
The bedding planting is very "parks and gardens" but colourful.
The plants in the glass houses are far more exotic. I believe that this is the plant the Tequila is made from.
It was a lovely and very colourful diversion.
I also made one with some lovely pinstripe denim......
but I thought you would be more interested in the lining! 
(Modelled of course by my hubby and his police motorcycle!)
