I love it when a plan comes together

A couple of weeks ago I went to a jumble sale, I'd not been to one for years and it didn't disappoint. I had to queue in the rain with a load of pensioners to get in but once inside the tables were piled high with junk and treasure at bargain prices. The problem was getting anywhere near the tables. The blue rinse brigade were hardcore and happy to barge past one another, shollies in tow, then not budge an inch once they had assumed a good position. Thankfully I'm tall so I could scan from afar and then stick a Mr Tickle-like arm through the throng to grab the goodies, which included a Zara jacket (30p), a vintage metal bunny jelly mould (20p) and a book about choosing and restoring salvage items (20p). I practically had to climb over a man in a dirty mac to get to it but it was worth it as it looked brand new and has some lovely pictures inside.

Then a week or so later I was on my way home from the shops with K when we spotted this terracotta pot left on the pavement.

I liked its beehive shape so I rescued it, banged it against my shins on the way home (ow) gave it a clean and planted some basil in it. There was a random metal bracket in the pot which I thought might be worth hanging on to, when I showed it to Mr he shook his head at me in a pitying kind of way, but then I had the last laugh...

On my way to the station I saw an old wrought iron gate propped up against a wall. Our house needs a front gate and it's one of those things I know I should look out for on ebay but never do. I was already late, and had no way of getting it home anyway, so I had to ignore it. I was stunned it was still there on my return (things, especially metal things, don't hang about long round these parts), so when I got home I asked Mr to go and check it out. He went for a jog and spoke to a man who was fixing a wall nearby. The man said that the owner was getting rid of it, he'd just had another person ask about it who was going to come back with a car, but he was happy for Mr to take it there and then, so he carried it home. It has its original latch but it needs a bracket. Yes, the bracket I'd kept fits it perfectly (forgive me if I sound a little smug but I love getting one up on Mr!)

So now we have a gate, a book that tells us how to restore the gate and even the bracket we need. If fate would like to put me in touch with a gatepost and some hinges that would be lovely.

This post is linked to Liz's Magpie Monday, home of all things pre-loved.