Magpie Monday - School Days

Driving past my old Middle School earlier in the week (we still have the three-tier schooling system here), imagine how I felt when I saw a hand-painted banner adorning the gates, proclaiming

Car Boot Sale

here Sunday - 10-1

Well, here was an opportunity to good to miss.  I haven't stepped foot in there since I was thirteen and I was quite looking forward to re-living my youth.  Yesterday morning however, it was chucking it down with rain, but I ventured out and was pleased to see they had moved the sale indoors.  Even better!  It was held in my old assembly hall.

As I walked in, everything was exactly the same - only smaller!  How odd that a building can seem to shrink.  The school hall, where I had spent every morning for four years, stood through mind-numbingly boring assemblies, singing 'Morning has broken' or 'To be a pilgrim', desperately wishing my parents would write in to say we were members of some obscure religious sect, therefore please may I be excused.  The stage and curtains remain unchanged, as do my memories of the excruciating play performances I had to endure, my knees knocking and my whole body trembling with fear.

On the whole, they were happy days, and as I walked round the handful of stalls, a guy smiled at me and said "Hello Elizabeth!".  Embarrassingly, although I recognised him as someone from my class, for the life of my I can't remember his name.  Still, it was ego-boosting to know I haven't changed that much in the past 25 years!

The "light refreshments" (I used the inverted commas advisedly) were served in the entrance and reception hall.  I couldn't pass up the opportunity to sit outside the Headmaster's office - for old times sake.  Only once was I sent there and was particularly terrified as caning was still in place then.  Although my Headmaster would have had to be particularly hard-line to cane me for what I was being punished for.  Myself and a group of friends were practicing our high-kicks in the playground (as you do), and I managed to fling my shoe off accidentally.  It landed on the science block roof and the caretaker had to get a ladder to retrieve it.  Hardly crime of the century - although I suspect if I'd gone home with only one of my new blue, flower cut-out Clark's sandals my mother would not have been too pleased.

Anyhow, back to the boot sale!  It was a pretty dire affair, with only half a dozen stalls.  Most of them were selling kid's stuff - toys, clothes and games, so I only managed to bag a few items for Ruby.

Given that her Thomas the Tank Engine obsession is showing no sign of abating any time soon, I bought her this dress-up set for £3.  It still had the labels in and she was very happy with it - as you can see.

From the same stall I spotted this 4-in-1 jigsaw set, still sealed in the box for £1.

Then a few more books to add to her collection for the bargain basement price of 5p each.

I also got her a Hello Kitty necklace and a pack of Tweenies snap card.  For the princely sum of £5 I was declared the best Mum in the world.  A bargain in anyone's book, surely.

So what bargains have you been bagging?  Have you been to a sale anywhere interesting?  I'd love you to grab the badge and link-up. x



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