Welcome to Retro-On-Sea!

Thank you.....

We have had a wonderful response to the shop and in this last blog of the year I would like to thank all of my customers for their valued custom - you have all been wonderful!

All items that have been purchased and paid for will be going out today (Mon 19th Dec) by 1st class post. That is then it for the Christmas holidays! I will not be able to respond to messages until I return - I will happily answer any queries that you have then.

We will be back on Monday 9th January with a newly stocked shop - please come back and see us!

I am looking forward to a great year ahead!

http://stores.ebay.co.uk/Retro-On-Sea

In the meantime may I wish you all the happiest of Chrismas holidays, wherever you are around our wonderful British Isles!

Speak to you soon,

Ros.

Welcome to Retro-On-Sea!

...and a great Christmas coastal feeling!

I think we must have had almost every sort of weather you can get thrown at us over the past week..but this will not put a stop to the Christmas spirit!

We have so many gorgeous items in the shop at the moment - many perfect for pressies and others are great for a 'you' treat! Blankets to keep you warm and pretty sheets and towels bring the sunshine indoors!

Glorious Devon....

....the coast of Britain is not just for the summer!

Last week my husband and I spent a few days down on the north Devon coast, near Clovelly. If you have ever visited Clovelly in the summer time, you will know how busy those steep streets can get! I highly recommend going in November ! No crowds, the beauty of the village and harbour, along with a great walk along the south west coast path! No crowds - PERFECT !

You have to keep an eye on the time, as it doesn't take long to get dark, particularly if you want to take the coast path back! With plenty of warm scarves and cups of tea to keep you warm, the sea air will ensure that you feel re-energised!

If you stay in a cottage at this time of year, it is obviously much less expensive than the summer season - a big bonus!! Also, many have logs available for cosy fires. Great to return home to in the evening!

You return home feeling like you really have had a great time away!

Get inspiration from your surroundings and collect coastal ideas to try out at home. Take photos, paint, sketch, write poems - be creative. Fill a journal with keepsakes and memories of your favourite places you stay!

      

Keep all those lovely memories alive and return to them whenever you want to.

So after a great few days away and a visit to a lovely vintage Christmas fair over the weekend, we are ready for a great few weeks ahead!

 

If you want to see what sort of things we have in the shop this week...here we are!

 A few ideas to get you in the festive spirit and there is so much more. Just click the link and you will be there!

http://stores.ebay.co.uk/Retro-On-Sea

All of these items can be beautifully packaged and sent out promptly. If you have questions or special requests for items - just ask, we will try our best to help.

The shop will be open until the 16th December - so look out for more new stock in the coming week!

At this busy time of year, the best saying is definately...

KEEP CALM AND CARRY ON!

Happy shopping!                 

Speak to you soon,

Ros

Welcome to Retro-On-Sea!            

and an in-between mini blog!

I will be bringing you a longer blog next week with pictures of more gorgeous Christmas delights I will be selling in the shop - do make sure that you take a look!

Life is very busy here - but I am loving every minute of it all - thank you to everyone who shops with me - it is so good to see these lovely items going to places all over the British Isles !

STOCKING FILLER OF THE WEEK!

If you are a retro lover like me or you know someone who is then why not pop a vintage tin or two in their Christmas stocking.

'A TIN ?' I hear you cry!

Exactly that - the biscuit, cake, tea, coffee, sweet, tobacco, cigarette variety, would all be perfect. All perfect to start a collection with and equally attractive and quite possibly usable in your beach hut, seaside retreat, VW camper. They look terrific on kichen shelves for a really retro look!

I will be stocking quite a few here at Retro-On-Sea from next week - so take a look!

There will be some from the 1950's right through to the 70's!

The illusrations and colours are brilliant !

I will be back next week with my longer update!

In the meantime......      

if those wintery evenings and mornings seem to be getting darker - bring out your summer holiday albums and remind yourself that the sun and the warmer days will be back again. I am dreaming of sitting on our local sand dunes once again catching the breeze.....

 Speak to you all very soon!

 Ros.

Welcome to Retro-On-Sea!

Welcome to Retro-On-Sea!...and blog No.5!

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Facebook/Rosalind Davis

I don't know where the weeks are going and we are nearly at the end of another year!

...but first there is Christmas...a time that can be a challenge, even if you love it!

I have been having a great couple of weeks choosing gorgoeus things to stock the shop with for Christmas. If you are a retro-lover like myself then you cannot think of anything more lovely than to be given a present that is genuinely retro. Even if it has to be socks - a pair of lovingly hand-made retro style ones is bettter!

Why not go the whole way and not only give retro pressies but decorate your home in wonderful vintage retro style. There are all sorts of wonderful vintage decorations up for sale at vintage stalls and markets this Christmas - if you look on ebay now there are plenty to be found - yes, the genuine 1950's tree decorations are waiting for a home!

I will be having all my gorgeous stock in my Retro-On-Sea ebay shop from next Monday 14th November.

There will be something for everyone and for multiple orders I can combine the postage. Each item will be lovingly wrapped. They can be posted to your door in no time - if you love cosy items for your seaside retreat (or the one you would love to have) then Retro-On-Sea has it all!

I mentioned in my last blog that I wanted to share one of my favourite places with you - Portscatho - down on the Roseland in Cornwall. Look it up on the internet - there are lots of holiday cottage sites there too.

I have spent years and years revisiting and it is truly one of my favourite British seaside locations - amongst many others!

It is a gorgeous coastal Cornish village and is in my mind one of Cornwalls best kept secrets - for those in the know that is! Not far from St Mawes, Falmouth, Truro, St Just etc. All of which are within easy reach it has a relaxed family feel. There are gorgeous cottages and houses to rent - from pretty cottages in the village square, to larger Cornish homes looking over the sea and sleeping larger parties of people.

If you want the busy surfing style holiday then this is not the place for you - if you want a pretty village with a lovely happy family holiday feel then this is the one! If you rent a cottage in the village - you can walk to Ralph's the local supermarket shop in the village square. When I say supermarket it is one of those shops that has everything you would need while on holiday - including fresh daily deliveries of pasties, bread and cakes...! All the locals are friendly and helpful. Off the village square you also have The Boat House Restaurant / Cafe which also does takeaway fish and chips in the evening - perfect for wet and hungry children at the end of a hard day swimming. Portscatho has it's own little beach - perfect for swimming, rock-pooling and picnicing. You can then walk up the slip way into the square to see the shops and the pretty pub. There is also a lovely vintage style shop that sells pretty handmade gifts and retro items. Perfect for pressies etc.

There is plenty of gentle boating activity going on every day - either for yourself or to watch. The village is also situated minutes from the coastal path in either direction. Perfect for a headland walk.


If it just happens to be a wet day on your holiday - there is usually at least one - head into Falmouth or Truro - Both places have excellent shops / cafes etc and a trip on the King Harry Ferry is also a must.

Portscatho is to me a place for young and old alike - grandma's and grandads can potter while children make sandcastles and  wait for the tide to come in (always great fun in Portscatho).

You cannot help but unwind there - in the midst of the summer season it is busy, but you never feel that you are in a crowd - some days we need not go anywhere else but enjoy a bit of this and a bit of that in one of Cornwalls special places.

Come back and see us in the shop over the next few weeks and join in the Christmas shopping at Retro-On-Sea!

Less stress...more fun!

Ros.

Welcome to Retro-On-Sea!

http://stores.ebay.co.uk/Retro-On-Sea

Here is blog No 4!

Life is busy here at Retro-On-Sea - a big thank you to everyone for buying items from the shop and coming back for more. Also for all the lovely comments that you have made. I am still having as much fun wrapping and posting these gorgeous retro seaside items off to you! This has included everything from flags to petticoats in beach hut and ice cream colours!

I now have a facebook page, so that you can keep updated with everthing I am doing at Retro-On-Sea. Take a look  and see what you think!

It may be getting chillier....

but this is not going to put off a trip to the British coast. You can get some wonderful skys and coastal colours at this time of year. I always find that a Harris Tweed jacket or Welsh Tapestry coat cannot only keep you warm but look just the part by the sea. I will have some of these in over the next few weeks in the shop.

It is half term holiday for many this week....

an opportunity for you to jump on a plane and head for sunnier climes. Lovely as this may be, here at Retro-On-Sea we know that you can have just as much fun on the British coast, yes, even in October!!

This gorgeous camper van was out there only last week, near to where I live. It is mid October, but this is the way to go.

It may not be bucket and spade weather......

but there are still lovely creative things that you can do by the sea. At this time of year the sea throws a treasure trove of gems onto our shores, driftwood, ground glass, ceramics and shells.  An hour at the water's edge can soon pass in your search for these wonderful pieces.

Collect even a few and put them in a ceramic dish or just a plain glass.It brings a coastal feel to any room. I have these in different rooms in the house. Bathrooms are particularly good for this!



 

 

 

Driftwood is also lovely as it is or thread it on a simple wire and make a heart. 

Speaking of hearts.....my husband and I always look for hearts on the sea shore and give them to each other..a gift that is special and hasn't cost us anything.. once you start looking...you will find them!

If you love mosaics, then make your own - a plain white tile, grout and some of your coastal finds is all you need. I made this one out of fabulous pieces of ceramics -all washed up on the same British beach ...

I can now think of that lovely holiday every time I look at it....

 Take a book to the coast this week.......

My recommendation for the week would be 'THE LEVELLING SEA' by Philip Marsden.


If you love Cornwall and Falmouth then this is a great read!

In my next blog I am going to share with you one of my favourite places to stay on the coast and why.....

Portscatho... on the Roseland down in Cornwall. I have been visiting this Cornish coastal village for the past 23 years and still love it as much as the first time I visited.

Speak to you soon, Ros.

Welcome To Retro-On-Sea!

http://stores.ebay.co.uk/Retro-On-Sea

...and blog no.3 !

Last week I was catching the rays on our local coast in Somerset, but as I write the skys are grey and it is what can only be described as mizzely outside.....

SO ENOUGH OF THAT !

Here at Retro-On-Sea in the coming week I have some gorgeous items to get you in the happiest of moods! So many of you have had memories brought alive by these items being posted to your door - thank you to everyone who has given me such great comments and of course for buying, not one, but two, but three and more!

YES, I said jolly.......          
    

There will be plenty of lovely colours in store for you this week to bring the sunshine in ... but in true retro style. Blankets and bed covers seem to be a favourite - so there will be more of those too - but in lovely beach hut colours.

Kitchen items for your beach retreat are also a continued favourite, so I will be adding plenty of these too.

BASKETS GALORE.......

Lovely 1950's baskets, which add style and jollity to any shopping trip....everyone will want a piece of your vintage style. So look out for these. They are equally good for a picnic for one or two - pack one and wrap up with a scarf (or six) and head for the coast - that bracing weather and a great walk is just what we all need. My parents did just that in Orkney last week, gailing winds, a bacon roll and magnificent waves to watch forever.

Autumn and winter on the coast can be just as magnificent as the summer - but in a different way..take the time to visit a coastline near you - you will not be disappointed and will feel quite invigorated..to say the least!

Dont forget...

.A thermos flask in the car or camper is perfect - hot coffee or tea to warm you up ...these lovely old thermos' also just look great in a seaside kitchen.

Create seaside themes throught your house or retreat, adding little details as you go. From the smallest room in the house to the largest, these retro seaside delights will be loved not only by you, but family and visiting friends.

I love collecting postcards to do with the coast and the sea and I have them dotted around my house as reminders of visits and things that I love.

If you have an office at home or even on a jolly notice board, these postcards transport you away to a gorgeous seaside world.

Photos of when I was young at the seaside area also a favourite.

They make me smile..here I am with my own grandmother down in Cornwall...special times that can still be shared through a photograph with so many people. Ask any family that you have for any they might like to give you or share..

Nostalgia is a wonderful thing...

Speak to you all soon.

Ros

Welcome to Retro-On-Sea !

http://stores.ebay.co.uk/Retro-On-Sea

....and post No. 2!

I took these photographs this afternoon down on our beach at Burnham. If only this weather could last forever. The beach lighthouse is just amazing in all weathers though!

I have had so much fun in my 1959 Morris Minor over this last week...the hood has been down and the wind in my hair..headscarves of all descriptions are a must..speaking of which, I will be selling some lovely retro ones for the coast over the next few weeks. I will be adding in some items for the vintage clothing section of the shop.

Keeping the coastal dream alive is what it is all about...

I have some more gorgeous sheets and blankets, towels and cushion covers, to deck out your beach retreat. Lanterns will be there for atmosphere, as well as retro china, tablecloths, cake tins and aprons....and more!

Vintage beach fabrics are also a real favourite of mine...my small collection of genuine retro towelling has grown and keeps growing! During the autumn I will be making up some lovely things for you to buy out of this gorgeous fabric..so watch that space too.

You may have read in the paper this week about the winner of Britain's Best Beach Hut...Julie Lee-Delisle's red and white striped beach hut was voted the best - it proudly sits in West Wittering in West Sussex..she bought it as a refuge after her parents died and has created a speial place to go...I say...fantastic!

On my travels down to Falmouth this summer I came across this book '52 Weekends by the Sea' and I highly recommend it. It is a wonderful up-to-date book on some brilliant coastal locations to stay in all around the British Isles. There are some fantastic places included - from cosy to wild! It is published by Virgin Books and written by Brigid Benson & Craig Easton. It is beautifully produced with amazing photgraphs on every page.

If you love the coast and also like me love photography then I also recommend the October edition of Black + White Photography Magazine (I get mine in Smiths) as it has a 'Beside the Seaside' special article in it!

Wherever you are on the coast...enjoy the sun while we still have it.. I am back on the beach tomorrow evening to watch my eldest son power kiting with his buggy. A brilliant sport that is becoming increasingly popular. It is wonderful to watch them speeding along the straight.....

Speak to you all soon.

Ros.

Welcome To Retro-On-Sea!

Retro-On-Sea shop on Ebay : http://stores.ebay.co.uk/Retro-On-Sea

 

Welcome to Retro-On-Sea and my very first blog!

If like me, you love the nostalgia of the British seaside as well as all things retro - then this is the place to be!

I am a child of the 60's and some of my happiest childhood memories are of summers spent on the south west coast of England in the 60's and 70's with my family.

Nostalgia is a wonderful thing and I hope to bring you bags of it!

I have always had this dream of running my own shop - selling wonderful things that I love and treating my customers how I like to be treated myself. I have always run other peoples shops, but now through the wonderful world of ebay I have a chance to run my own - virtual but very real shop - if you all love it enough it can get bigger and better!

I am enjoying every moment and it is great to see the positive responses from so many people.

Only a few months ago I purchased some gorgeous 1950's beach towels from a lady in her 70's. She had kept them in her attic for years, I will never forget how her face came alive when she told me that she still had the photograph of her sitting on one of the them on the beach as a girl. These towels were suddenly special and real. Those memories that had been stirred were good ones!

This diary page links in with my shop, but hopefully will become even more than that.
By the end of each blog I want you to feel like you have been to the coast for a while, perhaps as an escape, or a revisit to times long ago. You may even feel inspired to add to your goals a trip to the coast this autumn/winter. Come rain or shine, R-O-S intends to enjoy traditional British seaside and coast all year round.

I will bring you each week, snippets of coast to enjoy, news on what we will be featuring in my shop each week and a diary of what I am doing on my piece of coastline through the autumn and winter.

Banish the winter blues and feel reassuringly comfortable with blankets and lanterns, flasks and rugs. Wonderful retro colours will bring back the memories.  Oh, and this week I am going to add a small section to the shop for cosy vintage clothing extras to wear by the sea - coats are a must of course, not to mention scarves and gloves in their vintage glory......

I really want to hear from you - anything you would like to see in the shop or even on this page....let me know.....this is only day one!  Ros.

In case you were wondering....

I am Ros Davis and I live very near the coast in Somerset with my husband and children, and our Jack Russell - who will run for miles on the beach. We are never far from the sea, on our local beach and in the summer down in Devon and  Cornwall. I have family at the other end of the British Isles in Orkney, so in the same day I can both see and hear what either ends of our British coastline is doing!