Sue's Family, Flowers and Fun Stuff: Colombia Road Flower Market

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It was a very early start today, we were all up just after 5 am, as Jamie and I had to be in Newport Pagnell to be on a coach at 6.30! Not the normal time of day for us to be up and about! Mike dropped us in NP ready for the coach, what a luxury not to have to be the one organising and arranging everything! We hopped on the bus, along with lots of other flower arrangers and headed off to Colombia Road Flower Market.

This gives an indication of how busy the market was, this photo was taken at around 11 am. Another view at around the same time, at the other end of the market and still very busy.

I had a long chat on the way down, whilst Jamie napped, to another flower arranger I'd met on another course, the time to London flew! We arrived safely at about 8.15 and my first task was to ensure Jamie got his bacon sandwich, it was my bribe to him for getting him up so early. Mike was working so Jamie had to accompany me, he was the youngest on the coach by a long shot and one of only 3 chaps and about 30 women!

After a couple of false starts we found a lovely coffee shop that was doing excellent breakfast baps, Jamie had sausage and scrambled egg with hot chocolate and I had bacon and scrambled egg with a latte, it was very welcome and very good. We were joined by another flower arranger, our coach had pretty much taken the cafe over, and we had an enjoyable breakfast chatting about flowers and Liverpool, she was from Liverpool originally. By the time we had finished breakfast and headed back out onto the street, the places to eat, which had been so hard to find at 8.15 am were open everywhere, perhaps to be sampled later.

The weather was glorious, the sun was beaming down and the narrow streets and cobbled lanes were looking lovely. So Jamie and I began browsing around the flower and plant stalls, not perhaps the most riveting thing for him, but for me with my flower arrangers hat on sheer heaven. There were flowers and plants as far as the eye could see, but there was also people, a lot of people and as the streets were narrow, you got pretty close!

There were stalls selling just about every plant you could want from big feature plants to bedding plants, all at very reasonable prices. People were constantly passing you laden, completely laden down with their purchases, heading off home for some Sunday morning gardening! There were other stalls which were just full of flowers of just about every colour and every variety. I was spoilt for choice, but I did ensure that we had a really good look around everything before I even thought about what I might buy.

To give me some thinking time and to ensure Jamie didn't get bored we headed off to the local park, and Jamie had a chance to have a really good play. We were playing on the see-saw, and I was just about to get onto it, when I heard a shout and saw Sue Billington and some of the others from the coach ready to take that shot of me on the see-saw, they shouted too soon, I didn't get on! I was rescued by Jade's (from my floristry class) other half Simon who helped push Jamie for a little while as I was getting tired! Below Jamie on the roundabout.

After the park we headed back and had a wander around some of the shops, which were full of wonderful arts and crafts gifts and bric-a-brac. I really enjoyed wandering around them, and a few of the flea-market shops too. There was also an amazing jewellery shop, with some of the most wonderful designer type jewellery I've seen , I'll be heading back to that shop with some funds next time I'm there.

I didn't want to start buying anything too soon, first because the prices come down, sometimes quite a lot as the day wears on, and the prices are good to start with and second, because I didn't really want to be weighted down carrying things for too long. I have always tried to suggest to Jamie that if he has some money to spend, he needs to ensure that he has had a good look around the shop he wants to spend the money in (eg The Lego Shop or ToysRUs) and look at everything he may want to buy before he makes any decision to part with his money. So I had to set a good example, but I always like to have a good look, before parting with any hard earned money!

It puts me in mind of craft fairs such as the big one they hold at Birmingham NEC in November. In 2007, I went up on my own and had a totally brilliant day, really enjoyed looking around and came home laden with loads of stash which I have had lots of fun using, and pretty much bought everything I needed or wanted, why because I'd had a really good look round first, then had my lunch and then spent my money in the afternoon. In 2008 I went with someone, and knowing what that particular person is like, I really ought to have known better, but we'd had a chat beforehand and had agreed a plan of action. Sadly, that person, who has a real buying obssession, just couldn't wait and had started buying after about 40 minutes. The first time she did it, I gave her some leeway, the second time, I left her to it and later in the day left her waiting whilst I made sure I got a couple of bits for Mike and Jamie. My first words to Mike when I got home where never again! The bits I had missed out on due to her selfishness I had to catch up with through the internet.

So before I parted with any money, we headed back to a stall we'd found selling some amazing home-made cakes and we had a piece of delicious chocolate cake each (sorry Jayne), but it was lovely. We stocked up on water for the journey home and headed into the vintage sweet shop to get a small bag of pick and mix for Mike, a bag which Jamie and I dipped into once or twice on the way home (sorry Mike!). There was no way I was going to let Jamie miss out on his cake, or taking home some sweets for his Daddy.

Here is one of the most handsome chaps I saw during the day, there was another couple of sausage dogs hanging out at the market too, who were incredibly cute too.

Here we are on our way back to the coach, again via the park, to give Jamie another breather from it all. We met up again with the lady who joined us for breakfast and we had another lovely chat. I have to say that I have met such lovely people through my flower arranging, that I really look forward to every class or demo I go to. I was also very proud of Jamie and the way he behaved all day, because it was not the most exciting thing for him to have to do. When I did see Sue B at my next floristry class, she said how good Jamie had been all day, so he can be very pleased with himself and he has shown what a super chap he is and how proud of him I was when I head that from Sue. Well done, sweetie pops!

Jamie slept most of the way home and Mike was waiting for us when we arrived back home in NP, after dinner, we all slept well after being up so early. But what did I buy? Well I bought