Welcome to Retro-On-Sea! 

Where we love genuine British
retro seaside collectables.

You can find us at :

www.retro-on-sea.com

We will be having some great items in the shop over the coming weeks - everything from 1950's towels for the beach hut to 1960's and 70's items for your campervan! The stock is always changing - so make us a favourite or give us a 'Like' on facebook to keep in touch with all the news!

Well.... summer has finally arrived!
and it's amazing how good it makes us all feel. Early mornings never feel so bad when the sun is shining - there have been plenty of freshly laundered retro sheets and towels hanging out to dry here as well as newly painted 1960's cafe chairs lined up in the sun in beach hut colours. Everyone seems to be loving the beach style furniture - so more is on it's way.

We are very lucky to live 5 minutes away from the beach and it is so good to see everyone enjoying themselves. Our Jack Russell adores the beach and equally loves getting there in my one top Morris Minor - complete with red and white spotted scarf, he sniffs the sea breeze and must suffer from a good dose of 'nose ache' by the end of it all!

Speaking of the coast and beaches I would seriously recommend a great new book for all you coastal lovers.

Secret Beaches - South West - by Rob Smith

is a fabulous new book and it explores the secluded shores of south west Britain. Complete with QR code technology you can download all the information to your phone. It takes you all the way from The Lizard in Cornwall right through to the Jurassic Coast. Each destination shows you a walk, the beach and a 'pitstop' location for food and drink. There are hidden gems which we will certainly be investigating in the future. If you have a holiday booked in the west country for later on in the year - this would be a great time to plan some great places to visit while you are there.

I love to write poetry and I get such inspiration whenever I am by the sea. Even if you think you won't be any good, pack a notebook and pen on your travels this summer. Sometimes you can get wonderful inspiration by not only looking around you but by listening.

The last time I did this by the sea - I shut my eyes and listened to the roar of the tide coming in, the sea gulls and the excitied shreaks and chatter of the children both near and far along the stretch of sand. Even if you are the only one that reads it - have a go - that creative talent could be unlocked!

As we approach 'Picnic Season' once again, the shop will be having some great rugs and sets to get you in the mood for eating out of doors.

Vintage inspired picnics really are a

'girls best friend' 

so a little thought goes a long way. Us girls are particularly partial to an open-top car, (the rug can be useful for keeping warm on the way home). Strawberries and a bottle of something rather good can never fail to impress. The excuse of a birthday or anniverary is always good but a specific event is never essential - just give her long enough to find her headscarf and retro shades and whisk her away! It will work every time!!

Although we are very busy online at Retro-On-Sea, we are planning to get out and about a bit over the coming months.

We have just booked our first stall at a fabulous vintage and craft market in Bristol for July. If you are near enough to visit this on the 7th July in Henleaze then we would love to see you. We promise to have a great selection of goodies for you to see and buy!

In the meantime..

enjoy

this wonderful weather!

If you can get to a nearby coast then have as much fun as you possibly can.

Speak to you all soon,

Ros.

Welcome to Retro-On-Sea!

Where we love all things retro seaside and so enjoy sourcing items from the 50's, 60's and 70's. Items that are perfect for your seaside retreat, beach hut or campervan!

If you enjoy this blog, buying or just browsing in the ebay shop then please do let us know by giving us a 'LIKE' on our business facebook page.

www.facebook.com/retro-on-sea

We are constantly on the look out for great retro items - new stock will be coming through the door weekly in the shop over the summer.

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

I am often asked if I have a 'real' shop here in Somerset where people can find us. The answer is 'not yet!'. I do however treat my virtual shop as the real thing - customers are important, how my stock is stored and shipped is just as important and I want all of your purchases to arrive looking wonderful! If you ever want to collect items from here that is never a problem and I have weekly pick ups from quite a few of you! 

As we head to the weekend I want to share with you a particular highlight of my week.....

I took a detour from the coast and headed inland.....

to the Reading Carriage Sale!

If like me you have had a love of gypsy caravans since a small child..

dreaming of living in one, travelling to wild and remote places down beautiful country lanes, then this wonderful auction in Reading is quite a treat!

This sale was a first for me, but not for my husband Michael - so it was great to be with someone who 'knows the ropes' as such.

We were there by 7.30am - there was a great chance to look around at all the lots before bidding started at 9.00am. There was a wonderful selection of carriages for sale - anything from a humble hay cart  right through to the most beautiful of rides.

Lovely as they were.....

It was the array of other items for sale that really made my day!

I was in vintage carriage sale accessories heaven and with my love of photographing vintage collectables - so was my camera!

There was lot after lot of the most gorgeous leather trunks and suitcases, everything from bowler hats to gladstone bags.

Top hats and hat boxes of every description!

There were certainly a few lamps that would have fitted into a seaside retreat quite happily and there were certainly some bargains to be had!

The bidding was entertaining and exciting - with the usual dealers there for the day from all over the country and world!

I could have got completely carried away and the quality of some of these items was just beautiful. It is so good to see that many of these traditional, gorgeously made and crafted items are still so sought after.

It brought together a wonderful mix of people - the atmosphere was fantastic and the excitment of the bidding made the day. Not to mention a delicious cooked breakfast and lashings of tea and coffee all there for the taking!

My caravan had to wait for now - I managed to capture this picture of my hubbie Michael surveying lot number 70 for me - perhaps not the fastest way to get home on the M4/M5 !

There again...it may be a little too grand for the garden!

Thank you M for (as always) sharing your wonderful knowledge with me - and for a grand day out!

Speak to you all soon!

Ros.

Welcome to Retro-On-Sea!    

I hope that everyone had a good weekend - well here in the south west of England we had some lovely sunshine - it was just brilliant to be able to wander out without a raincoat!

This morning I am SO excited about these lovely new messenger bags that I had to share them with you all.

I have lots and lots of ideas for things that we want to sell in the shop but limited time to make them all - so I have a wonderful helper who is a whizz at bringing these ideas to life. It is so fun seeing what she has created each week and here we have our latest messenger bags - made with love at Retro-On-Sea!

Each bag has been made of wonderful quality fabric and trimmings. These have such a great fun nautical British coastal feel. Perfect for summer holidays - each bag is slightly different and so individual.

From today they will be for sale in our Retro-On-Sea ebay shop. Please take a look!

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

If you would like to purchase one from us direct...

and maybe don't have access to ebay - then we would love to hear from you. We have more available so please send me a message either through the message service at

www.retro-on-sea.com              

or just email me directly at      

rosdavis66@tiscali.co.uk

and I will come back to you!

Happy shopping!

Speak to you all soon,

Ros.

Welcome to

Retro-On-Sea!    

.....and all things 

retro seaside.

I am passionate about genuine retro seaside collectables and so enjoy finding items for peoples beach hut, campervans and seaside retreats.

Today I am dreaming about feeling some warm summer sunshine on my face and a return to summer dresses and sunhats.

It doesn't take much though and if the skies lift the warmth will soon return. This week I have been so encouraged by the amount of people still preparing themselves for summer - buying anything from beach wind breaks to deck chair covers!

As promised we are trying to fill up the shelves of our ebay store as fast as possible - so keep looking every week for new items!

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

All these lovely things come through my door in Somerset and look so fabulous altogether - I wish you could see them - perhaps I will post a photo at some point! I always say I am lucky to meet some wonderful people who supply me along the way and I get the chance to visit some great places too. 

So many fellow sellers in the vintage retro world have become lovely friends.

We all share that love of the wonderful world of vintage and retro - preserving things that are worth keeping and up-cycling something into another life - to be enjoyed!

We are about to embark on a whole summer of British celebrations and most of us are certainly going to use it as the biggest excuse for being jolly. Alot of the well known names in the world of interiors and new retro have embraced this as an opportunity to sell some lovely new British items and there is a real dollop of retro nostalgia in there too.

As well as supporting these well known names - the British stallholder and small business retro vintage seller would love to see you out and about at a variety of fairs, markets and online this summer. There are some wonderful genuine retro items out there that need good homes and the love and detail that goes into anything from homemade bunting, cushions fit for a queen or simply tea and cake cannot be surpassed! There is a wealth of talent and ingenuity out there which needs you!

Please support our glourious British cottage vintage and retro industries this summer - all happening in a town or village near you!

So on that rallying note I will step down from my soap box and say,

'Bring on the sun', preferably on the bank holidays (including lots of tea and cake) and enjoy the nostalgia and spirit of our very, very green and pleasant land!

Find us at :

http://www.retro-on-sea.com/

Speak to you all soon!

Ros.

Welcome to Retro-On-Sea!    

...and it really has been the sea...

Everywhere this week. This deluge of water from our British skies has caused chaos in so many places and as we start the month of May we most definately need some ...

really CHEERY things to brighten our days and homes!

Here at Retro-On-Sea the weather has not put everyone off - maybe this is proof of our wonderful British spirit - to have fun whatever happens..

and so we should!

The shop has infact been so busy this week that a few changes in tack are taking place - as stock disappears out to your homes, holiday bolt holes and into your campervans - I promise that more will come through our door as fast as I can get it there! Keep checking the site each week as listings will happen at least once if not twice a week.



As well as all those genuine retro seaside items we will be adding in some great summery bags, cushions, and even clothing for you to use and wear on our wonderful British beaches.

We now have a Facebook business page Retro-On-Sea so please do look it up - I really want to know who likes what I do so if you have a minute - please, please hit the LIKE button! It is always appreciated.

I will be doing short mini blogs every week from now on as we head to summer - a longer one once a month. So look out for those too.

Wherever you are this bank holiday weekend - have a fantastic time - if the skies are grey then make some of your own sunshine with whoever you are with.

Keep in touch with us at Retro-On-Sea...

Nostalgia is a wonderful thing! We love what we are doing and hope that you do too.

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

http://www.retro-on-sea.com

Speak to you soon,

Ros.