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British Cigarette Cards: Flowers

3/29/2013

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People all over the world collect and trade cigarette cards; in fact, cigarette card collecting has a name: cartophily. Who knew? British cigarette manufacturers created some of the most fascinating and beautiful cards, including lots of gorgeous flower sets.
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The cards started out as practical—in the 1800s cigarette manufacturers inserted cardboard "stiffeners" into cigarette packets to help reinforce and protect the contents. Some enterprising individual came up with the idea of using the cards as a marketing tools: enticing customers to buy more cigarettes in order to collect the whole series. Very clever actually.

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In 1933 and 1934, my gran collected and saved a boxful of embroidered silk flower cards issued by Kensitas. Each cigarette pack that she purchased contained a small card that opened up to reveal gorgeous woven silk flowers. 

The photo to the left shows one of the cards cut in two (I didn't do it!) The cards actually look like those at the bottom of this post: little booklets that open up to reveal the flower on the right and a lovely poetic description on the left. 

These were the last silk cigarette card flowers that came in an outer protective folder, so I feel very lucky to have them. My gran collected them and gave them to my mother, who saved them and gave them to me, who framed them and hung them next to my desk. 
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This little booklet holds and displays the flowers. Isn't it cute?
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The flowers at St. Ives: a slideshow

1/31/2013

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Even though it was late September, St. Ives was bursting with color. Today it's 30 degrees in Cincinnati. All the flowers are dead. Sigh. This slideshow should help.
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British window boxes

1/12/2013

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The Brits do window boxes right. No skimpy, plant-the-flowers-far-apart-to-stretch-the-budget in this country. British window boxes are the word profusion exemplified. 

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This photo is chock-a-block with texture. Stucco wall. Textured glass. Sharp crisp window frame. Brilliant flower arrangement. Soft gathered curtains. Really, it's a perfect picture. Click photo to get an in-your-face profusion of perfection.


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Cotswolds manor garden

12/5/2012

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I went a bit nuts taking pictures of this house and garden.  

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Probably you can see why.


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Chinooks and climbing roses

11/29/2012

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The wonderful man, Ray, from University College, has taken Bob and me down to the rugby (soccer? football? badminton? whatever) field to show us where and how Bill Clinton's Chinook blasted out the greenhouse windows when he and Hillary came to visit Chelsea.  

More than you ever wanted to know about Chinooks
Ok. So Bob and Ray are getting all excited over the Chinook details. I am bored to tears and can no longer fake interest. Then I notice these roses.

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The gardens at St. Michael's Mount

11/13/2012

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The gardens you are about to see are from this castle, which is on an island you get to by this causeway—unless the tide is in, in which case you take a boat. Or swim. Which is frowned upon because you'll get the castle carpets wet.

You can read all about this castle in the Cottages & Castles section, but the gardens are worth their own page. Actually, every single thing about St. Michael's Mount is worth its own page, but as we're in a "gardens" post probably we should just stick to the flowers.
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A slideshow of Cotswolds shrubbery 

10/2/2012

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Years ago we took the boys to Stratford-upon-Avon to see all that Shakespeare stuff. Part of the trip included a foray into the Cotswolds, where we were greeted by shrubbery that has its own personality.

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Saturday 9/21

Land at Heathrow, train to paddington, train to Exeter, train to barnstaple, walk to The Old Vicarage—where we are staying until Thursday.
Have to remember how to read these boards.
Our room.
Love the bath!
First, tea in the garden.
After our tea we walk to the bus station to pick up bus schedules. Hop the 21 to Fremington, which is where we left off last time.
On the path.
Ha! Bob wants “he was a character” on his tombstone.
Fairly uninteresting walk, mostly along marshes.
Security idea for PP@L
We’re on an old railroad line, cute tunnels and all. This looks like a tunnel from the Thomas videos.
Our first pub. This is Instow.
My new favorite drink. It’s cucumber and elderberry and so good I have two. Which means we are finished for the day! We’ll complete this stretch of the walk tomorrow.
We order fish& chips takeaway rather than eating it in the pub because (a) it’s about half the price, and (b) fish & chips taste best outside! Check out the newspaper wrapping!
Not so healthy but it’s the first night and we’re on the coast where the fish is fresh, so.

Sunday, 9/22 Morning

Ate a marvelous breakfast, then walked straight out of Barnstaple to pick up the path heading northwest.
We fill out a little form the night before, choosing our breakfast time and meal items. Plus, there’s a sideboard of granolas, yogurt, fruit, etc.
View from our table.
Walking through Barnstable before hike.
The path. Heading first to Braunton.
The path is flat and fairly unremarkable. Sky is threatening.
We reach Braunton, almost pass right by this, then decide to stop for a short break.
Lovely inside, nicest people.

Sunday, 9/22 Afternoon

We walk Braunton to Saunton, intending to catch bus at Saunton, except I read Saturday’s bus schedule instead of Sunday’s because it’s so easy to do that and we soon find out there is no Sunday bus service in Saunton.
This Is looking back to Braunton. Path leads along this estuary. I think it’s an estuary.
Blackberry bushes are everywhere!
We’re right next to military training grounds.
Lunch break. Sandwiches. Forgot to pack dessert.
Ha! We see this sign as we close the gate after walking across the field.
It’s here that we realize that no bus will be coming. Luckily there’s a golf course right next to the path and we bum a ride to Braunton, which we know for sure has Sunday buses.

Saturday, 9/22 Evening

Our main goal on Sunday every time we come to England is it to make it to a Sunday Roast Dinner. Usually we miss it. Today though we are lucky: we find a good place in Braunton and end the walk on a full-belly note. Total miles today: 11.5.
Roast beef, potato, assorted fresh veggies, gravy, and Yorkshire pudding. Yum.
Waiting in the rain for the bus back to Barnstaple.
The Vicarage at last! We are both exhausted.
This waits for us every afternoon. That’s fresh cream on top.
Washed our clothes though not very thoroughly.
Choose breakfast and go to bed!
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