Tea | A Zestful Quest

Yesterday was a beautiful, sunny and warm day and I decided to go to the antiques market in Greenwich with C. because I wanted to look for some treasures. We got there early and had a coffee and hot chocolate on a terrace while basking in the warm morning sun. I’ve found some wonderful treasures, a Noritake tea set: six cups and saucers, six small side plates, a sugar bowl, a milk jug and a cake plate. The back mark seems from between 1911 and 1941.

I also found a cup and saucer by George Jones & Sons, Staffordshire and two tiny Chinese bowls to add to my rice pattern collection. And I bought three beautiful old books: I love how they’re bound, the covers and old pictures. One needs restoration work on the back but I learnt how to bind books while attending graphic art school so I can do some of it myself. It’s weird if you think of the fact that this book belonged to someone else over a hundred years ago…

The market is closed down as of next week, another beautiful and vibrant place gone because the borough sold the land to a property developer. These are the kind of places that make London London to me… Such a shame, but I’m happy I have something that reminds me of a beautiful day I got to spend there!

George Jones & Sons, Blue Dragon c.1891-1920

Noritake, c.1911-1941

Old books

Update January 13: thank you all for emails and phone calls, I had two wonderful days and feel truly spoiled! So many parcels with beautiful words and gifts and more cool Moleskine notebooks and beautiful Fifties design books: all so inspirational!!! I’ve promised myself to start sketching again this year because it’s extremely relaxing and I’ve been neglecting it: pencil and ink drawings. There are a few more people I need to reply to which I will do this morning. Back to ~~normal~~ life again today *hehe*

The best year [and more to come]: I’m embracing it with a huge smile thanks to all of the wonderful people that are close to me. Thank you for making me feel blessed, thank you for being part of my life, thank you for all the wonderful gifts in any form or shape that I have received and that I’m still receiving today. I’ll try to reply to emails asap but things have been hectic today already: telephone and email-wise *LOL* And I promised a special someone to spend some special time on my special day so some might have to wait till tomorrow…

Sunday I celebrated with a movie at the Odeon in Leicester Square, a drink at the pub and Afternoon Tea at Claridge’s, what an amazing experience that was… There was friends, extremely tasty sandwiches, beautiful decorated cakes, I chose Jasmine tea, wonderful live jazz [piano and double bass] and the staff of eight even brought me my own cute birthday cake while the musicians played ‘Happy Birthday’. More about the movie in another post, it left a deep impression on me…