Monday 26 November 2012

Run, Rabbit, - Run! - 1940's sheet music.

At the weekend, we went to Cambridgeshire to visit family and were treated to a rather delightful afternoon tea in a vintage themed tea shop called Sophie T's Tea Room.  It's in Yaxley, on the main street and if you're in the area, I cannot recommend it highly enough.  The service was wonderful, the cakes absolutely delicious and the setting was right up my alley!  If you are planning to visit, I would recommend that you book in advance because they were jam packed on Saturday.

Anyway, while we were there, I got talking to the owner's husband who said that the shop had once been an antique shop and that there were still some "bits and pieces" for sale upstairs.  I was actually very pleasantly surprised with what was on offer and came away with 2 pairs of shoes, a hat, 3 dresses and an amazing swing coat, all of which will be heading with me to the Little Vintage Lover Festive Fair in Blakeney this weekend. 


Beside the clothes rail, in a heap on the floor, was a large pile of vintage sheet music which was free and the owner of the shop kindly gave me the entire bundle which totalled over 200 pieces.  Now we're home, I've had a proper sort through what I brought home and am very happy as there were some real gems.  I can read music and play the piano, just, but that's not what they will be used for and it's not why I love them and I thought you might like to see a few of them too :o)



Many of the cover designs are absolutely beautiful. 



Each one a little piece of artwork in it's own right.  Some cheeky or quirky, others sorrowful or sentimental. 



They come from a time when music was so important to keep up morale.  Songs that would have been sung both on the home front and overseas. 



A little piece of history on each and every page. 



They have been well loved, each piece inscribed with the owners name, a treasured possession of a very accomplished pianist with the entire collection spanning 3 decades, from classic waltzes through to The Rolling Stones.  I can't help wondering who she played to. 



Come the new year, I'm hoping to frame some of them as they are simply far too lovely to leave hidden in a drawer, but for now I'll leave you with a little clip, courtesy of Youtube, of one of my favourite wartime tunes, Comin' in on a Wing and a Prayer. 



Am linking this post to Lakota's Ta-Dah Tuesday.  Why not pop over to her blog and have a look at what other people have been up to.  She's also running a festive giveaway - after all, Christmas is rapidly approaching!!


7 comments:

  1. What an amazing treasure trove!!!! I love these tunes - my Dad used to sing them to me. I have a wartime memories Cd which has many of these tunes on it! Fabulous find!!!!
    Liz @ Shortbread & Ginger

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  2. They'll look fabulous framed and on show! As you say, far too good to hide away in a drawer....but now 'I have a lovely bunch of coconuts' going through my head!!! :)

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  3. Oh my what a lovely gift- I especially like the George Formby and Arthur Askey ones- they are by two of my favourite men. Might have to get of the AA and GF dvd box sets……again!
    Lovely Jubbly!
    Tups x

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  4. Great gift to receive. The artwork is fab isn't it?

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  5. I love that coconuts song!!!

    What a treasure trove, good find.

    Porcelina xx

    www.porcelinasworld.blogspot.com

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  6. So sorry it took me so long to finally catch up on my old Tadah Tuesday posts - I always get here in the end though. What a great haul, I have a load from the same era, they were given away on freecycle and I have used a few of the more battered ones for crafting.
    x

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