separated at birth?

Two days before we left for England, we were contacted by a dealer in Sussex. For the past few years, he said, he’d been hearing about us and he was certain he had what we were looking for. He was right.

Walking into his shop was like entering an English version of Painted Porch –- there were painted cupboards and center islands, hatboxes galore and plenty of one-of-a-kind pieces, such as a wooden saddle holder.

Painted English saddle
holder. Circa 1820.

Our next stop also had an enormous trove of exquisite painted furniture, including a lavender buffet and a library ladder. (We also got a little more than we bargained for: while we were browsing, we watched a seagull give birth right outside his window.)

What kind of baby gift do you give a newborn seagull?

Later that night, we had dinner in a delightful restaurant in Wartling called The Lamb Inn –- which felt like a more elegant version of Cheers –- and went over our appointments for the French portion of our trip. But we already couldn’t wait to get back to Wartling later in the week.

next-->