Lovely Lavenham

Today we had a brief sojourn into Stowmarket, to sample their plethora of charity shops. One coat, one shirt and two copies of the Hunger Games novel later, we returned to Hill House, where the real fire greeted us warmly. This afternoon Chris, Jilly and I journeyed slightly further afield to the beautiful village of Lavenham.

Lavenham is one of the finest medieval villages in Suffolk. I learned that, as one of the most famous of the wool towns, Lavenham once enjoyed such a high standing that in the reign of Henry VIII it was ranked as the fourteenth wealthiest town in England. The appearance of the town appears to have changed little over the years: half-timbered crooked houses lean impossibly over the narrow streets, while the magnificent Swan Hotel makes a striking feature on the beautiful High Street. The picturesque Market Place is home to Lavenham Guildhall and we stood for ages looking at the range of architectural features visible from this vantage point in the village.

We wandered the streets, visiting some of the open shops and boutiques. All three of us marvelled at the range of old things in the antique shop - Jilly was particularly taken by a selection of books which she purchased with obvious glee. I was looking for a suitable jar in which to keep my 2014 memories (thanks to Lime for this superb idea Memories Jar) and Chris found me a perfect Victorian pickle jar. This pressed glass pot is exquisite and I shall enjoy adding all the wonderful things that I do to my jar and then looking back on them next New Year's Eve.

I could have chosen a number of images from our trip to Lavenham today - but these peacock feathers in the back of the antique shop proved irresistible,