old

an old water tank
An Old Water Tank

In the olden days (well way before I was born) this used to be the water tank the parents of our family friends took camping.  These days no one would be crazy enough to lug this along on their camping trip, but it looks great in a backyard!  Mixed up with some old metal buckets – for potted geraniums and catching the water –  this old tank adds rustic charm and enables hours of water play for some fortunate children (mine, when they visit their nanna).

Where to find one?  You’d have to be lucky! My mum and dad inherited this along with a whole lot of old camping gear from their friends who knew they loved second hand stuff …

Perhaps the best place to look for something as fun as this would be at a country recycled building materials yard.

 

cream johnson bros.
cream johnson bros. – thesecondhandcity.com

Two years ago I started a collection of Johnson ware cups because 1. I liked the fineness of the china and 2. they could handle the dishwasher.  They cheer me up immensely for my morning cup of coffee, and it is lovely to serve tea to anyone who pops past with some nice china and a teapot.   With these out you can’t go wrong!

Op shops are a great source of Johnson ware, but as it is becoming more popular and less of it is out there to be discovered for a bargain, there are other more reliable places to shop … the secondhand shop on High Street in Thornbury, for example, sells mixed china for $5 a piece.