Crikey, it's the great British summer!

After my (perhaps excessive) homecoming bake-a-thon, my parents kindly requested that I find alternative entertainment this weekend - although I did sneakily make some Mini-egg muffins. So yesterday, in spite of the dubious weather forecast, we set off for Killerton, just outside Exeter, for the latest Crikey It's Vintage event.

For those who don't know about Crikey, it's a fair which is usually held in the Rougemont Thistle hotel in the middle of Exeter. Various fashionable and clever people sell their vintage and handmade wares, ranging from clothes and hats to crockery and vintage books. The first event I went to was - I think - in November 2011 and it's grown hugely in size and popularity since then (this weekend, 5 500 people visited the Killerton fair).

Although we had heavy rain on the A38 on the way up, once we arrived, it stayed remarkably dry for most of the day. The only problem was the wind; strong gusts + gazebos and trestle tables + vintage china could = trouble! Thankfully I didn't see any accidents, so hopefully everything stayed intact. 

To shelter from the wind, we headed for the first tent we could see among the dozens of stalls set out on the meadows in front of Killerton House. Arrietty's sewing tent featured some amazing dresses (one made from three different wedding dresses and another an entirely bespoke and handcrafted design) and my mum and granny had a good chat to her about taking up patchwork quilting again - that's probably the best thing about Crikey, it inspires people to take up new hobbies and re-start old ones.

Inside the main tent was an eclectic mix of vintage and homemade; my favourites included tea cup scented candles and some excellent canvas bags printed with retro Devon postcards. The Blitz and Peaces singers made an appearance with some popular wartime tunes, in full costume of course. Another chap had also made the effort to get dressed up, although unfortunately I didn't get any pictures of him! (But you can just about spot him in one below) However, his stall was one of the most interesting there and featured a range of paraphernalia, from military artefacts to cameras and portraits. It looked as though the stallholders travelled in style too, judging by their original VW camper!

Unfortunately, being the cash-strapped student I am, I had to choose my purchases wisely - although actually, in the end Granny ended up treating me - and I came away with a fab little National Trust book on afternoon tea, from 1980. Not only does it contain recipes for all the teatime essentials (including lots of different types of punch or 'cups', which will undoubtedly keep the housemates happy in September), but there's lots about the history of tea and the food that goes with it. The author, famed Cornish foodwriter Marika Hanbury Tenison, even details the numerous types of afternoon tea, including the farmhouse, the Royal and the nursery. Here it is on its beautiful stall before we bought it.

Even if Crikey hadn't been there, I think that the house and gardens are more than worth a visit. The first floor currently houses the 'Objects of Desire' fashion and clothing exhibition, designed by Russell Sage, which continued the vintage theme with some amazing original pieces from the 1920s and 1930s. Now, I know that I'm not the world's most obvious fashion fan, but I found the show really interesting. Brand new designers' work was on display, interwoven with some of the big names - pieces from students at Falmouth Art College featured alongside an exhibit on Christopher Kane (who's designed stage costumes for Kylie and Beth Ditto) and designers from last year's London Fashion Week.

My sister and I concluded that one of our favourites was Georgia Hardinge's 'Inverted' collection from the A/W 2012 show - although they would certainly be brave choices, given the amount of sheer fabric and the daring lengths.

All in all, we had a great day out, both at Crikey and exploring Killerton House. I'll leave you with some more of my favourite pictures from the day, which are also over on my Instagram page.

(: xx