52 Author Dates ~ Week 28

Flea market find I wish I hadn't left behind. 

Visit A Flea Market

Not much would stand between me and a good fossick through a flea market or car boot sale. One of my favourite junk spots, and I use the term junk with deep fondness, is the Phillip Island Bazaar.

For many years it’s been one of those portals to yesteryear a history nut like me cannot ignore. While the rest of the family are clambering for ice-cream, I’m the one searching through the echoey heartbeat of yesteryear on shelves cluttered with all manner of junk.

Old clothes, furniture and books aplenty fill this many-roomed display of everything you could image. And then some. 

If it’s dusty, faded, ripped and /or tarnished, it’s all there. Most times I head straight to the musty book corner for old journals and love letters. Sometimes I hit the jackpot. 

Other times, I just wander and ponder who the original owners were and why their ‘stuff’ ended up behind glass in an island store in this corner of Australia.  

When I introduced my dear writing sister, Narelle Atkins, to the Phillip Island Bazaar, we spied this darling pair of shoes. I like to think they could be Edwardian… what do you think? 

Edwardian shoes...?

Spotted with age, they look well cared for and only now, are the stains someone probably worked hard to scrub away... appearing again. I’m guessing they were someone's good shoes. The toes are not as scuffed as working shoes or boots might be. The heels look in good order, too.

Could they be a bride’s wedding shoes? Worn only a few times and wrapped in tissue as keepsakes of a beautiful day?

What if the bride pulled out of her wedding at the last minute, and ran through wet grass for air when her parents insisted she return to remedy the disgrace?

Or, what if...?

Yes, I could go on. I’m sure you could join me in wondering how these shoes remain in reasonable condition long after they were worn. For good reason, the bazaar owners have preserved them behind glass. And authors like me love them for it. 

Vintage Cup and Saucer

Making a trip to the flea market is a challenge I not only enjoyed, but one which has delivered inspiration for another story. 

Thanks to my beautiful island and the little worn bridal shoes in the sea-side bazaar. 

So what does you imagination suggest about these shoes?
Do you have a special treasure you found on the shelf of a junk shop?

Blessings for a wonderful weekend,