Friday, 19 March 2010

Smile or you'll have yer head chopped off!! ;-)


I was in town yesterday morning...town is 'downtown N.A.'
N. A. is short for Newton Abbot.
I don't talk about my town too much because it was once such a lovely town and then the planners came along and messed with it .
Sadly lacking its previous character, it does have an amazing number of charity shops!
Ah no..you misunderstand..this isn't one...
This lovely building, above, houses the library and adult education centre.

Newton Abbot has its 'landmark' clock tower.
This tower is all that remains of the church of St Leonards.
Next to the tower is a plaque which marks the spot where the first declaration of William 111
Prince of Orange, was read in 1688....
('I hearby declare that all in this town do smile from this day forth!'
Signed Will )
Read on and you'll get the gist...
My town is also well resourced for coffee shops.
My mum and I just happened to be in this part of downtown N.A. yesterday, Queen Street.
There's also amazing craft shop, situated in Queen Street.
This is where I picked up these two canvas bags and decided on the spot that I would use the rosy fabric for bags and not cushions.


However, whenever I go into the craft shop..AND IT IS LIKE THIS ALL THE TIME...
the owner never smiles.
You hand over your money and smile...but...nothing!
I mean 'a smile costs nothing' has always been my motto!
So... I wish that she sold coat hangers cos then..you know what I would do with one,
don't you?
So... no smiles... but the shop is amazingly well stocked so I suppose that's one thing in her favour.
She's on the ball....
but no smiles for Sal Hall!
lol
I smiled a lot when I saw these boxes of buttons and fibres.
Not only do I love what's inside but I can use these boxes too.

I came home and fiddled about with my bags...


And I smiled a lot this week, when my new pieces of vintage fabric arrived.


Some for me..some for my shop.
So what's making you smile today?
The thought of the weekend?
Anyway...I'm signing off now with a big cheesey grin
Have a good one
;-)
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17 comments:

  1. KC'sCourt!19 March 2010 at 12:51

    Come to the shop (Daisy Chain - Minehead) where I work between 9am and 12noon Monday to Friday and the odd Saturday (you'll have to check if I am working that morning) and you always get a SMILE and a "Hello, may I help you" if you look lost or a "stranger" in town - try it and see! It is only a tiny shop but does have a lots of things!

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  2. Trixie@ the vintage bothy19 March 2010 at 15:22

    Mmm I know the feeling!
    My local town has also been ruined by planners & council. We have beautiful river frontage and the site of the 2nd largest abbey in England before the Reformation, however they just ruin the town and waste our money on hairbrained wasteful useless traffic and enhancement schemes!
    Oops sorry rant over!
    Have a lovely weekend
    Tracey

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  3. Selfsewn19 March 2010 at 15:39

    finding 6 vintage fabric items for £1!!!!! and designing a witty ditty in my head whilst walking in the drizzle; to finding how aptly it goes with your post.

    You will have to wait to see what it was ;0

    Clare xx

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  4. Anonymous19 March 2010 at 15:47

    The thing that is making me smile today is the HUGE (2 tonne)pile of topsoil & compost which was delivered this morning! Husband spent last week-end making me 5 square raised veggie beds and by the end of this wee-end I will be able to start planting. I completely agree with you, a smile doesn't cost anything but can mean so much.xx

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  5. Victoria - Florence and Mary19 March 2010 at 16:00

    Isn't it disappointing when you go into a shop and are served by such miserable shop assistants!

    The fact I only have 1 hour left of work to go is making me smile at the moment as well as the prospect of my first boot sale of 2010 on Sunday!!

    Victoria xxx

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  6. Alice and Ginny19 March 2010 at 16:27

    As you know Sal, I have a very wide smile which is often positively commented on, however on showing my ferocious Grandmother my photographs of my 21st birthday, she remarked "lovely dear but it looks like you've got a coathanger stuck in your mouth". It has never been forgotten by me or alas, my relentlessly teasing brothers.
    Maybe the lady in the craftshop has a fixed expression but is smiling inside!!!!
    Have a great weekend Sal.
    With love,
    Al xxxxx

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  7. bellaboo19 March 2010 at 16:53

    I find this too,especially at the supermarket.We should have a 'give us a smile' day!
    Enjoy your weekend.I've got a smile cos it's the weekend and the chance for a bit of vintage/charity/car booty stuff!

    Bellaboo :o)

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  8. Country Cottage Chic19 March 2010 at 18:27

    A smile doesn't cost anything nor does it hurt so why don't people do it more?
    I'm smiling cos it's the weekend & I just ate a cream cake!
    :-) :-) :-)

    Jayne :-)

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  9. galant19 March 2010 at 18:38

    You are quite right, Sal, a smile costs nothing. Some people have had their smile organs removed at birth! My local post office has an employee who never smiles and I consider it a personal challenge to get her to smile, but thus far I have failed miserably. I grin like a lunatic, "Nice day, isn't it?" Not a glimmer.
    But to that lovely buidling, the first photo on your post. That is the lovely Passmore Edwards building. Passmore Edwards was a philanthorpist who endowed many libraries and reading rooms in the west country, and it is truly the best building in Newton Abbot. I would also mention here the department store of Austin's without which Newton Abbot would almost certainly cease to flourish. It is a lovely family business with various sites in the town and I can thoroughly recommend them for good, old-fashioned service (and not necessarily more expensive than other seemingly less expensive outlets.)
    Margaret P

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  10. Twiggy19 March 2010 at 18:52

    Ooo wht a misbo that woman was I'm very smiley. I'm smiling cos it's the weekend and my boys are at home - yay !!
    twiggy x

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  11. VintageVicki19 March 2010 at 18:55

    More gorgeous fabric :)

    One of my pet hates is grumpy shop staff - worst culprits are the teenagers in our supermarket - a whole transaction without any proper speech :(

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  12. Andi's English Attic20 March 2010 at 06:57

    Well, the developers may have moved in but at least you still have your gorgeous library. Many are now moved out of their Victorian homes and into modern buildings. We're told it's progress. Why can't progress equal the beauty of the buildings they tear down? xx

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  13. Anonymous20 March 2010 at 08:40

    A smile can make someone's day. I think it should be obligatory for shop-owner's to smile, it should be in the manual lol!

    Lovely fabrics Sal. Have a great weekend ... :0)

    Shirl x

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  14. Guenievre20 March 2010 at 10:34

    I smile today because my husband wasn't at home last week (he went to a professional course) and he came back this night :-)))
    But I laugh a lot in everyday life, I'm quite cheerful.
    N.A is a very beautiful town !
    Have a nice week-end.

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  15. frayedattheedge20 March 2010 at 11:32

    I get very annoyed by surly shop assistants- maybe they should think about changing their jobs! I am smiling this weekend because I am going to see Helen (http://busybeestudio.typepad.com/my_weblog/) - we've been blog friends for a while, so it will be lovely to actually meet her (and I've been saving my pocket money to buy some of her gorgeuos things!!)

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  16. sharie20 March 2010 at 18:05

    LOL at the surly sales assistant. I've met a few downright rude ones as well - not a great customer service and tehy certainly don't brighten your day.

    I'm smiling at my new Laura Ashley curtains bought from the church bazaar for £2! Well that and the fact I've just finished ironing.

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  17. Josie-Mary21 March 2010 at 10:02

    Have you been to the wool shop in Queen st, Exeter? It drives me mad......how rude!!! I don't know why people work with the public if they don't like smiling!!
    I hope I always give you a smile :)
    Although I'm not smiling today :( ....back to work tomorrow. x

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