I have been absent for a couple of weeks due to some family issues but I am back after a short break to York. Having not visited for years I was excited to seewhat was new. I WAS THRILLED. I bought some amazing leathers on the market for
Ghost Furniture and got the chance to visit
The Imaginarium and it's sister shop
The Yorkshire Soap Company. Go and make yourself a cuppa as this will take a while.
It's other worldly, even the staff are like characters from Alice in Wonderland.
The displays are innovative to the extreme.
Not sure what this represents but it's pretty impressive and huge.
More of those innovative displays
It said
Abigail Ahern to me as soon as I stepped in the door, wasn't sure if I wasn't in Islington and there was one of her fabulous lamps sitting on the reception desk.
Mr Finch, who I have featured here before, has been busy making some fabulous fabric toadstools specially for
The Imaginarium,
my favourite was this black one.
Another one of my
previous posts was about
Vinegar and Brown Paper who etch glass in a clever and very distinctive way
all done with their inimitable sense of humour.
The fireplace was full to bursting.
Elegant hands come out of the wall holding beautiful scarves out for your approval.
Wacky but totally adoreable soft toys sit on the floor.
Colurful and totally elegant pots and cans fill the shelves. All in all my senses were in overload by the time I left but
it wasn't all over as I stepped out into the rain little bubbles were surrounding me, coming from above the door of the shop next door.
The Yorkshire Soap Company doesn't sound as though it's going to be much fun but IT IS. A huge shop full of butler's sinks sitting on old sewing machine tables are full of soap flakes. Every soap is presented to you as a pudding, cupcake or a slice of cake all beautifully decorted.
It was like being in a perfumed patisserie in Paris. I know te sign says No Photos but I got special dispensation. I could go on and on but what I would suggest is that you VISIT. There is so much more North of Watford Gap you know and I hope this post proves it.
My good friends Helen and Chips, AKA Chippendale and Morris are owners of The Stencil Library and live in this amazing Georgian Farmhose not far from me in Northumberland.Chips is the artist who is responsible for this masterpiece. I JUST LOVE IT!
I could live on these stairs. Whenever I visit I have to keep going to the bathroom (that's another story) so I can pass the painting and take a closer look.
It is a true adventure climbing those stairs as
there is always another surprise like finding Marilyn Monroe in another room made up of dots also and 
suddenly a disco ball appears over a winndow seat. How cool is that?
And before you go take a look at the Mona Lisa in the lounge.
