Poppy Day, Tower Exhibit, Old Curiosity Shop Cup And Saucer, Royal Birthday

It's Remembrance day, Poppy Day or Veteren's Day depending on how you were raised..Brit or Yank.  The name Poppy Day came from this poem written during the Great War or World War I:

 On my last post I shared the progress on the Tower Of London installation commemorating Britain's entry into World War I. You can read about it HERE. It was finally finished...with 888,246 red ceramic poppies...the number of British casualties in the war...

The Times Online posted this photo of the Tower with the completed exhibit from the air, and a friend of mine is in London at the moment, visited the Tower and sent me this photo....

 Look at the way they poured from a window...the scope of it is truly amazing. Thank you, too, to all the veterans who have given so much for our freedom. Thank you. The poppies are in place until Nov. 11 when they will be sold for 25 pounds each to raise funds for charities, 11.2 million pounds.

And to my teacup for Tuesday...

 I want to share a teacup for Tuesday Cuppa Tea, so chose this English themed Rosina, England demitasse cup and saucer that was a souvenir of The Old Curiosity Shop in London England...

 The Old Curiosity Shop was immortalized by the novel of the same name by Charles Dickens....

 I can remember crying so hard over the plight of Little Nell when I was a child...

 The Old Curiosity Shop is still there, although it has been through several changes in the stock...from antiques & curios, to high fashion shoes, to carpets to an art gallery...but the outside remains unchanged...this is from one of our London visits...

Rosina, England, one of my favorite china makers, made fine bone china souvenirs for the shop in the 1940-1950s, most with this Cecil Forbes original engraving design of the shop...for more info on the teacup at Time Was Antiques click on the photos.

This is a circa 1900 early postcard and early photograph of the shop interior...I would have LOVED to have a wander around...wouldn't you?

And a Happy Birthday to HRH Prince Charles whose birthday is November 14th....who is 66.

Prince Charles at age 5 with sister Princess Anne...and below from a few months ago...both courtesy of Getty Images...

 Thanks for visiting. I hope you have a wonderful week. I am joining Tuesday Cuppa Tea.

Happy 200th Birthday Charles Dickens, Teacup Thursday, Win Trip To Downton Abbey

Today, Feb. 7th is the 200th anniversary of Charles Dicken's birth, and has been a day of celebration all over the world. I am late posting about this because of the Queen's Ascension Day yesterday which took precedence! I am joining Teacup Thursday with Miss Spenser and Vintage Thingie Thursday with Coloradolady as well.

Prince Charles and his wife Camilla participated in a service at Westminster Abbey in London, England today honouring one of the most famous novelists of all time. A wreath was laid on the novelist's tomb in Poets' Corner. Prince Charles and Camilla then visited the Dicken's House Museum in London.

As part of the commemorative day, Dicken's novels are being read allowed in public places in nations all over the world, plays are staged and many TV reruns of plays are in progress or will be over the next few months. Many leading actors from Dicken's productions were at the Abbey for the service.

So I have chosen a Rosina, England teacup that was made in the 1950s to be sold at The Old Curiosity Shop in London, famed for the novel of the same name by Dickens.

I have had all sorts of pieces in the pattern. I just love it. And this is not the only Dicken's china there is:

A Lancaster & Sandland, England cheese dish from the 1920-1930s with Oliver Twist saying Oliver Twist Asks For More.

 A Sam Weller character jug from The Pickwick Papers by SylvaCeramics.

A Lancaster dish from the 1930s in purple luster that says Sairey Gamp Entertains Betsy Prig from Martin Chuzzlewitt.

Another rendering of Sairey Gamp from Martin Chuzzlewitt by New Hall pottery also from the 1930s.

And Mr. Pecksniff from Martin Chuzzlewitt also by New Hall in the 1930s. All of these and more are available at Time Was Antiques. Just click on the photos.

Charles Dickens had a dramatic effect not only as a writer but as a crusader for improved conditions in England, and laterally of the world. His depictions of poverty, child labor, child crime, the workhouse and the social ills of his time were a voice for change and improvement. He lives on as a writer of incredible depth, humor and pathos...the supreme storyteller...and as a man ahead of his time in working for those who were often preyed upon in English society.

Happy Birthday Sir! 

And for Downton Abbey fans...PBS has just announced the Masterpiece Classic Sweepstakes. Win a trip a personal VIP tour of Highclere Castle, the real Downton Abbey and afternoon tea wth Lady Caenarvon! The trip is Sept. 17-22, 2012! Airfare, transfers, Hotels stays...the lot! Also Leeds Castle. To enter daily, here is the link:

PBS Masterpiece Classic Sweepstakes Downton Abbey 

Tuesday Cuppa Tea, Rosina Christmas Rose Teacups, Bath England Christmas Market, Store Coupon

Welcome to another Tuesday Cuppa Tea blog party that I am joining at Antiques And Teacups blog, as well as other blog parties at the bottom of the post. This is the first Christmas and holiday blog of the year with lots of lovely special parties next week.

This sweet Christmas themed cup and saucer is in a design called Christmas Rose by Rosina, England that was made in the 1950s. The Christmas Rose is actually a Hellebore which was said to have bloomed through the snow when Christ was born.

Rosina is a favorite maker of mine that is a was a pretty recent manufacturer, only becoming a name on it's own in 1941 from a split at Warrilow & Sons which split into Rosina and Queen's. Rosina ceased to exist independently in 1983.  To see more of the Christmas Rose teacup at Time Was Antiques, click on the photos.

At this time of year, right after the American Thanksgiving, I always think about the annual Christmas Market in Bath, England that we attended a number of years ago, combining a holiday visit to family with our annual English buying trip.

 Bath is a favorite city, and we have spent quite a bit of time there during our annual month in England. But the Christmas market was special! All around in front of the Pump Room by the Baths themselves and the other squares like the Abbey Yard and Bath Abbey that you probably remember from Jane Austen and other English writers, the streets are filled with stalls selling all sorts of hand made goods and goodies. There are street musicians...buskers...choirs, hot chestnut and jacket potato sellers, Punch and Judy showsm acrobats and all manner of entertainment.

 At night the market enters another dimension with the magic of thousands of fairy lights. Did I mention that many of the vendors are in costume? You see grunge, Regency, Victorian and anything else. The smells of the potatoes, gingerbread, wassail, and hot chestnuts is absolutely intoxicating! We spent several night of the week we were there in Bath wandering around, nibbling, buying and generally soaking up the fabulous atmosphere.

 These photos are from the Bath Christmas market site, as our visit predates my ownership of a digital camera. I keep saying I'll get a digitizer for regular photos, but haven't gotten around to it yet.

The Bath Christmas market is open everyday starting, this year from Nov. 25th until Dec. 11th. I would love to go visit it again. Maybe you can???!!!
 2 websites you can visit:
Bath Christmas Market
Bath Christmas Market Magic

Have a wonderful day visiting the blog parties listed below, and the countdown to the holidays has truly begun! 

Here is a coupon for FREE shipping at Time Was Antiques:

FREE Shipping any order over $30.00 for 3 days only. Nov. 28-30. Code CYBER or #029 at 

Time Was Antiques.

Ruth ~ http://antiquesandteacups.blogspot.com/
Tuesday Cuppa Tea

Martha~  http://www.marthasfavorites.com/ 
Teacup Tuesday 
Terri~  http://artfulaffirmations.blogspot.com/ 
Teacup Tuesday

Wanda Lee~  http://silkenpurse.blogspot.com/ 
Teapot and Tea Things Tuesday 
Pam~  http://breathoffreshair-paperbutterfly.blogspot.com/ 
Teapot and Tea Things Tuesday 
Wanda Lee~  http://theplumedpen.blogspot.com/ 
Tea For Two and Wednesday Tea For Me and Thee

Trisha~  http://sweetology101.blogspot.com/ 
Tea Party Tuesday

Lady Katherine~  http://ladykatherineteaparlor.blogspot.com/ 
Teatime Tuesday

Sandi  ~  http://sandimyyellowdoor.blogspot.com

Teatime Tuesday

Kathy~  http://blissfulrhythm.blogspot.com/
Victoria - A Return to Loveliness