George the third Cartwheel Penny has come back to the place where it was found .

A chance meeting on the way to the village fete has in a strange way brought the penny back where it was found nearly 50 years ago. I know I posted the picture of this penny a while ago, but it didn't belong to us at the time.

The couple who renovated our cottage back in the sixties came back to live in the village. We just happened to follow them down the road to the village fete one year. Quite unaware who they were until they asked where in the village we lived. The story goes on a bit from there but at the beginning of the week we were invited to tea.

How lovely that they asked if we would like to put the penny back into the cottage.
It's not possible to put it back in exactly the same spot but it has been placed 2 yards above where it was found by the door.

We also trundled our way back down the hill with two huge bags of apples. We can't thank them enough that the penny has come home......... I will say it once more. THANK YOU................



Tonight, with the penny now in a frame we had the official "putting back ceremony."


Some of us looked on with enthusiasm.....and some did not!

1956 Sentinel Steam Waggon by Lesney

The matchbox toy cars have been in the shed for ages. Time we brought them out in all their dusty glory. The blue one at the back we know about. It's the Sentinel Steam Waggon, but not sure about the one in the front. We think it's a toy company called Britain. I'm sure someone out there knows more than us. All information greatly recieved by the way.


This car is completely different. It is made of wood. Created in the Soggibottom shed by our Soggibottom wood artist. I know I will get Brownie points for that comment. x x x
He is also a great cook.............................................................

Any idea what these are?

We know, just wondering if anyone else out there does.

No competitions, (sorry) no prize for guessing............

They look decorative on top of the fire place, but it's not what they were made for.


My word there are some quick bloggers out there. I thought I would post the first picture then go and take a quick snap of the muskets. Your right....... as organised as a barrel of frogs.

You were too quick for me.
Mind you I did do a couple of emails and feed Fluff, Frank, Hannah and Mew in between.

I'm not that keen on the muskets being displayed on the wall, even though they are reproductions.
But as we have the REPRODUCTION muskets, at least I can give you an idea of the REAL musket balls size. The smaller musket ball would probably have fitted the smaller gun (the one at the bottom of the picture).

Things to do at Dartmouth Royal Regatta in Devon in Regatta Week

You can watch the gig racing from the shore.


Have a go at crabbing on the quay.

Catch streaky bacon loving crabs.


Never cross the Regatta officials.


Gaze at the shops in the town....you might need to look closely here at the prices.
Surely not, or is it because it is Regatta week?


You can follow Amie around. She knows her way around Dartmouth on foot and with a blind fold.
Here she is under the Butter Walk.


You can cross the Dart using the Lower Ferry... if the weather is rough this ferry is more fun than the higher one. Talking to two very senior citizens of Dartmouth yesterday they remembered when it cost 3d to cross from Dartmouth to Kingswear. 3d is the equivalent of one and a half pence. ............
Yesterday it cost £3.20 to cross here. (It's £3.50 on the higher ferry). So really the lower ferry is better value all way round. It's cheaper and you can have a real scary ride. Did I say scary.... I meant fun....fun....fun.....

Yeah. Yeah! Design

We have just had the creative director of YEAH YEAH DESIGN.... come through the door.....

www.yeahyeahdesign.com


Lucky us...............eh?

One of us was waiting for him....it's slightly chilly here tonight so she had her scarf on... she dragged it through the dirt before getting a pose for the camera.

I have also found another great quilting blog. Faithful Quilter is having a "Civil War" give away. You have to be quick and enter by Thursday 27th Aug. Click on the link for Faithful quilter. Good luck, just in case anyone asks....the cannon ball at the Cottage is staying where it is.

Frankie de tabby's guide to eatables from the garden

Not one of Frank's best mug shots, he has been scraping.....




I would have thought........ like you , mice, moles and birds.

Hope you have been pleasantly surprised, although he does eat the beans.

I know I should keep quiet here..... I think this is really funny! sorry guys................hum....

I'm really busy over the next few days....... hope this keeps you smiling.

Ball park dog

Have to add Amie on here now and again or we receive emails from her friends asking about her.
Yes she is snoring as I type. But just to prove she doesn't sleep all the time.

This is one of her favorite games. HOLD ONTO THE BALL, HOLD TIGHTLY, DON'T LET GO.. You will notice she still has enough teeth to do just that.

Bats.......well... yes she is, along with her owners probably.

Thanks guys for all your comments on the last post about bats. You still come across the odd one who think that the bats are going to grab their hair. It made me smile that so many that call in here on the Soggibottom blog also like bats!

I'm not sure if I would find them so appealing knowing that they have roosted in the cottage. I can imagine creeping up to the attic to feed them (if they were resident I would have to). Finding them in material would be.... a...slight surprise.
We have an old cider press on the other side of the bridge, I think that is where they come from.

Long may they fly around and long may I watch them during Summer evening. Lucky for them they are also quicker than FRANK!!!!!

No one dare call me BATWOMAN! x x x

We have bats!

Well actually not us, but they fly between Soggibottom and the cottage next door.

Over the garden and up along the path to the park behind.
Oh...................

We have had Batmen around monitoring the bats.......... they have found that we have horseshoe and pipestrells bats. (has piperstrells got one L or two?).

I think the batmen must have been very dedicated because I wouldn't have been around at three in the morning with the bat gadgets........

We don't mind the bats, to see them swoop around on a Summers evening, cool little fellows....have to add here we don't feed them. They feed themselves.......

Over 80 deg at Exeter Quay's

It was a hot day today.
We went over to the Quay's at Exeter and sat beside the river.

It was far too hot for Amie in case anyone mentions that she isn't around in any photo's.
She stayed in the cool of the cottage inspecting the inside of her eye lids!

She also doesn't like crossing bridges unless she is carried..............
There are a few bridges around here so we thought we would save her embarrassment.

I really hoped she would mess around with the computer and put things back to the way they were before we down loaded Ghoulishly google mail!!!!!!!


The Custom House on the Quay's.

IS IT ME.COM?

Looks like I have ears....... I have been jumping from site to blog tonight as it seems we have lost the Soggibottom profile on nearly every blog. We have had problems downloading pictures from our old server and thought we would change..... MISTAKE...... so guys, sorry for jumping around tonight without leaving a comment on your great blogs.
I thought it was just me, losing my brain and not just my hair length and colour.......
I will wake up in the morning with hair like a woolly hat..............I still haven't figured out who it is who keeps looking back at me in the mirror...........but I still can't get back our lost Soggibottom profile on some blogs.......... haven't deserted........just not going to download GOOLEMAIL AGAIN!........Yes I did say GOOLEMAIL......

Sneaky view of the inside of Exeter Cathedral.

I admit it, the soap shop in Exeter draws me like a moth to flame.
If the shop door is open the wonderful sultry smells wander down the street.
I can smell the shop before I see it.

What has this to do with the cathedral?

Cathedral green is behind the shop ( well, almost) . The reason I really go to Exeter is to visit "the soap shop"..... lush, lush, lush..... (I'm not advertising by the way).
But you can google lush and it will be there. I can no longer keep the soap shop a secret. Everyone should smell this good.



There is an entrance fee to go inside the Cathedral now, when the soap shop and I were first acquainted entrance into the Cathedral was free.
If you want to pay the entrance fee. GO FOR IT.......it's really interesting inside with lots of history. But if you don't then here is a sneaky view.

Free Rag Doll Pattern from Soggibottom

I've made a girl and a boy doll, they are really cute dolls that need not cost a fortune to make.
Just imagination. (Some bright spark will tell me just how many days it is until Christmas Day).

The girl doll I've made with recycled jeans material. What do you do with your old jeans?

Here is the pattern. Also a dress and knicker pattern to dress your doll. The face is embroidered and I have used knitting wool that has a felted thread going through it for the hair.
Any questions ?
It is quite easy to put together but if you need to your always welcome to ask me and I will help.

Harry Patch Bear (the last Tommy)

As promised to True Blue Canadian a grainy picture of a Soggibottom Harry Patch Bear.
Our last Tommy......
I had to hunt around the cottage to find the old photo's.
Taken on our now obsolete camera.

Every time the real Tommy........ Harry Patch hit the headlines with another birthday I would be utterly amazed at his longevity and the history within.
How could I not make a bear.

I never made Harry Patch with patches of sewn on cloth, he is an ordinary bear with larger than normal ears. I think his ears were his charm.

I normally tend to make ONLY ONE of any Soggibottom bear. By doing that I tend to think it makes the bear really special. The Harry Patch ted's orders just kept coming......



I still have his pattern by the way!!!!!!!!!!
You will have to catch me when I am in a beary making mood............and I have the time.

Soggibottom Bear fact..........

Harry Patch was a child friendly bear.
Safety eyes and joints.
Made with Beautiful English Mohair.
It is easier to make an artist bear using glass eyes. (honestly).............
I never kept or made a Soggibottom Harry Patch Bear for myself.
I now wish I had!


I did give one away to some one special.

Michele x x x

Nosing around the cottage on four legs

This nose belongs to Basil............................



Better view.................



And his friends....................


Roxy is ..................the newest addition...........

The girls will dress her up as they did Basil when he was a pup......he has his own set of pyjamas!

How to recycle old flower pots

This isn't our garden feature, but we are on the ball with the idea.
Again..............you have to watch the video.........................................