May 1st and this was a BIG one in Pezenas. Known in the area for the row of sheds housing a wide range of reclaimed items, this brocante sale in Pezenas was called a ‘Grand déballage’, which if you’re lazy and Google translate means a ‘grand unpacking’ and it certainly was a grand event! A fantastic array of theatrical props, things you thought you never needed, things that made you say ‘how much?’ Along with things you bought simply becasue you managed to knock the stall holder down in price. I went with a friend who’s very partial to having a good nose around and bargaining the stall holders into submission. Me, I get embarrassed and walk away. Anyway, as we waded through yet another pile of superb, heavy weight bedlinen complete with mono grammes, I floated the question of wondering when the supply of old French bedlinen might run out? Somehow Ikea, polyester and cotton mix doesn’t seem to cut the mustard. I also floated another thought (what I thought was a brilliant idea) that as she has holiday accommodation she could offer guests a choice of linen to sleep in and depending on the thread count charge accordingly! If you have been lured into the BBC range of antique themed television programmes, you will know that around every corner of such an occasion is a piece of Lalique, or a perfect Art Deco chair that just need a make-over to double your money. Or if you had the right contacts that set of children sized mannequins would go down a storm. However, the BBC camera crew were at a car boot sale somewhere in Essex chasing after a two teams of experts. And I needed another sit down. Artistically there was plenty of inspiration for the odd still life and plenty of pretty little tables and cupboards that once given the ‘Nicola’ painted treatment would look superb. But some of the prices were well out of proportion to the size and state of the object concerned, so I didn’t bring back anything to ‘do up’. We did however, have a splendid time, spot of lunch and bought a few very modest items and went home with a plaster plaque, two used fruit boxes, a coffee grinder and an empty cardboard box! But it was a Hermes box and I’m not telling you how much I paid for it!