If I ever mention I'm going glamping, slap me!

Those that know me will realise, even if I haven't told them, that I am probably not the person you would associate with glamping.  I think if I told anyone that I was thinking of 'glamping' at the weekend I would be met with an incredulous stare and possibly a snort of laughter.   Unfortunately that didn't happen four years ago when I decided that Mark and I simply HAD to do glamping.  If it had then I may have re thought my quite frankly ridiculous idea and settled for a little cottage in the Scottish Highlands.

I had seen a lovely B+B in a magazine called La Rosa in Whitby.  It looked exactly like my type of holiday, quirky, quaint, old fashioned seaside fun, vintage and in the location that Bram Stoker wrote Dracula so steeped in history too. 

Robin Hood Bay

Robin Hood Bay

I set about looking it up on the internet, found the website and saw that there was a SPECIAL OFFER.  Now I love special offers as it means you have money left over to spend on something else and you get more bang for your buck so to speak.  Excitedly I looked at the offer and saw that you got one night free at La Rosa's sister site, The Campsite Extraordinaire.  I should have stopped there.  I didn't and with visions of my other beatnik, bohemian self, I imagined myself at one with nature, cooking marshmallows over the camp fire, wearing my shorts with a chunky knit cardigan and light vest with my green hunter wellies and long blond hair looking ethereal in the late summer sun, laying in the outside bath looking at the stars with a flower bando on my head.  My bohemian self ignored the very large warning sign that I shouldn't be booking this holiday when my eyes glanced at the words COMPOST TOILET.  I, for some reason completely chose to ignore this and I think just thought that of course there will be proper toilet facilities but what a quaint idea a compost toilet is.  I duly booked a night in the vintage Roma full of beautiful etched glass and 2 nights actually at the b+b in Whitby.

I always know when Mark thinks something is a ludicrous idea because he tells me.  When I informed him of our little break, the look on his face and the silence that followed should have told me he didn't think it was a good idea.  If I wasn't getting it from those clues then the incessant questioning of whether I thought it was a good idea as "You know what you're like" should have made it perfectly clear.  It didn't so off we set and as soon as we got to the campsite I knew I was in trouble.

The honesty Caravan where you could buy sweeties

It had been raining and I only had my Birkenstocks and it was muddy, very muddy.  After gingerly walking over the crates to save you sinking in the mud we got to our van and I have to say that it was gorgeous and exactly what I wanted, very gypsyesque and romantic especially as it had the wood burner.  Okay, so this is alright I'm thinking, it smells a bit damp and the sheets feel a bit damp but that's what us bohemians do, who needs perfectly dry sheets.  Then we found the toilet.  The only toilet on the campsite and yes, they hadn't been joking, it really was a compost one.  The fixed smile slowly slid from my face and completely slid off when I saw the communal showers with no curtains or any privacy for when you want to wash your bits.  The outside bath wasn't quite as romantic either as it was next to the washing up tap so that was out.  Remaining positive we went to the pub through the woods and had a lovely evening.  We got back and even though I was slightly scared to put my arm under my pillow in case I came across a Spider and her babies and Mark's asthma started playing up because of the damp, it could have been worse.

Our Roma

The entertainment tent

The entertainment

Someone was happy

It got worse at precisely 4 o'clock in the morning when I needed to go to the toilet.  I lay there thinking that I could just hold it as it was dark, I doidn't want to get dressed and I really, really really didn't want to use the compost toilet in case something popped up and bit me on my bum.  There was no way I could hold it and as Mark was asleep I realised I was in it on my own.  Well I was until I started huffing and puffing and quietly sobbing and sitting on the end of the bed for 10 minutes hoping I'd wake Mark up without actually waking him if you know what I mean.  My plan worked and all of a sudden I heard Mark say "Are you okay?"  Well of course I turned round and told him that I wasn't really as I really needed the loo but was too scared and couldn't cope any more with the compost situation and that I hoped I hadn't woken him.  Mark told me later that he had lain there
awhile listening to me, pretending to be asleep and hoping that I'd deal with it on my own.  That was never going to happen and I would have sat there and probably nudged him until he woke up.

Where you spend a penny or two

The sawdust

Anyway I was happy as nothing crawled up my bum, I was feeling more comfortable and we could get a few more hours of kip before we left.  We had about about two hours sleep and were wide awake at 6.30am so we thought we'd go and have a shower before everyone else.  Well it was farcical to be honest as yet again I couldn't deal with the fact that we were not in a hotel but on a campsite.  There was a curtain at the door of the shower that didn't shut properly so Mark had to somehow pull it across as far as it would go, then put a chair in front so people would know it was occupied.  I had the quickest shower ever, no romantically washing each others hair here I can tell you. Then I dried myself in record time and I was outta there.  By 9am when we decided to leave I had had three outfit changes (I think it was the stress) and Mark had aged by 10 years.  As we left I saw my other bohemian self, without any shoes on actually, acting exactly as I had imagined myself.

The next two days were fabulous and Whitby is a really fantastic place to visit.  La Rosa is what it is and just because it wasn't what I had in mind doesn't mean that it wasn't any good. When all is said and done, we had a really good time and La Rosa definitely contributed to that.

La Rosa room at La Rosa

Two things came out of the experience
A.  I am never allowed to utter the word Glamping again and
B.  My name is Fiona and I am high maintenance

Happy Camping everyone!

Oh I do like to be beside the seaside............

..............and that's exactly where I was this weekend!  The sun came out on Saturday and not wanting to miss this rare occurrence and inspired by the photos of my Roldan dolls in the snow, Mark and I decided to head to the beach to take some more more photos of some more dolls!  I have had these dolls for a long time but didn't know what they were or who they were made by.  They look like Roldan dolls but aren't so that was where the trail ended, I put them away and kind of forgot about them.  Then one day I came across a doll that had very similar characteristics as mine and found out that they were made by a company called Larrea in the 1960s.  They are France's answer to the Spanish Roldan or Klumpe doll.  They aren't quite as detailed as the Roldan's but they are noted for their distinctive features such as their tear drop eyes and lips.  I only have a few and as they have often lost their tags and not as well known as the Roldan dolls, they are hard to find.

I thought that they deserved a photoshoot too and they fitted perfectly with the Brighton beach vibe.  So off we went and spent a lovely day in the sunshine taking photos of these funny dolls!  Hope you like the outcome.

These ballet dancers were taken on the bandstand.  I had wanted to contact the Theatre Royal and see if they would let us take photos on the stage but I was told by Mark that not only was it highly unlikely that they'd let us but how unimpressed would they be when we turn up for our 'photoshoot' with a pair of dolls and an iphone!  I got his point and actually prefer the bandstand as a backdrop (well I didn't have much choice did I?!)

Next is one of my favourites and she's a bit saucy.  Her top is normally half open but in the interests of decency I covered her up.  Only the French would come up with a half naked doll!

These photos were taken further along the promenade near the smoke house and fishing museum which I had never been in until Saturday.

We then went down to Hove to the beach huts to take photos of this little cutie

She looks so at home in front of the beach huts and suits her surroundings brilliantly.  The colours really pop and I am so pleased at how these photos turned out.  I had a vision and I think it worked!

Next saw us at my favourite shop Three Angels to take photos of my final Larrea dolls  I had always felt they had a Parisian air about them even before I knew the were made in France so I thought the French style surroundings of the Three Angels cafe would suit them perfectly.

 I love their outfits and the fact that they have cigarettes, so French and so of the time.

 As well as my Larrea dolls, I took some other curiosities along to photograph as well.  I have never seen anything like them.

They look very similar to the Larrea dolls but look closely and you can see that they don't have legs and there is a silver button type thing.  That's because underneath the cloth is a plastic bottle that you would fill with perfume.  They are perfume atomisers!  Again I think they must be French.

For our final photos of the day we thought we'd try and include the iconic West Pier and my next dolls fitted in perfectly with their surroundings.  They are cloth dolls made into the characters from the artist Brownie Downing illustrations.

Her most successful subject was Aboriginal Australia and she delighted both children and adults with her ability to capture the simple, naive beauty and innocence of children and wildlife.  Her illustrations and watercolours are beautiful and you can find prints quite easily.  She also illustrated children's books and porcelain items.  A search on eBay will probably come up with a few but these dolls are very rare.  I found the lighter haired doll at the same time as my perfume atomisers at Detling antiques fair and luckily the dealer was able to tell me who she thought it was based on.  I then did a bit of research and came across the other 2 on eBay.  I think they are wonderful and so full of character.  I love the boomerang and kangeroo especially.

So there you have it, more dolls!  I think they are great display pieces and whilst they aren't everyone's cup of tea, you can't deny how full of character they are and what great photographic models they make!

1950s Roldan Dolls in the snow

I love the snow.  I love how it makes everywhere look so pretty (as long as its not slush!) and I love how it reminds me of being a kid again making snowmen and having snowball fights so when it snowed again this morning I couldn't wait to get out and take some photos.  Only problem was I've already taken photos of all my new stock but then I remembered I have a wonderful collection of Roldan Dolls that would look fantastic photographed against the snowy background.  Mark and I set of with the dolls and some props and slid our way to the park.  Here are the results!

Waiting for a bus anyone?

Anyone for Tennis

Roldan dolls originate from Spain in the 1950s/60s and are tourist dolls.  They come in many different guises, some being rarer than others.

Off to a christening

Nice day for the beach!

I have collected them over the years but very very rarely have I found them at fairs or in shops apart from 2 that I found at the Brighton Boot Sale which was a bit random.  I have mainly found them on the internet where prices can vary greatly.  Having said that though my favourite is this lady...........

.......who I found in Wardrobe, a vintage and antique shop specialising in vintage clothing and jewellery in Brighton.  The detail is superb, right down to her seamed stockings and garters!

Pregnant lady and her little boy

Here comes the bride

Hope he's strong!

Anyone for a bit of apres ski?

And finally the secretary who reminds me of my mum only because my mum used to be a secretary in London in the 1960s.  I'm not sure she actually looked like this!

There are some other dolls which are very similar to these called Klumpe.  They too come in many different characters but their faces are slightly different and I don't think the detailing is always as good.  Roldan are my preferred choice of doll and I think they are GREAT!

Hope you enjoy the photos as much as I enjoyed taking them :)