The Sodbury Sheep Search

Last Wednesday Lucas and I spent the morning chasing around Chipping Sodbury, trying to capture twenty-five escaped sheep.  We're awesome like that.

Actually, we were taking part in a fun trail around the town to find the fluffy sheep who had escaped from their field and were hiding out in shop windows.  Not only was this a fantastic low-cost way to spend a morning, but it also introduced me to lots of new shops that I'd never been into before.  Exactly what the local Chamber of Commerce wanted I suspect!

Celebrating National Afternoon Tea Week, perhaps?

We ambled up and down the High Street, and spent ages peering into shop windows and happily browsing in any shops we fancied the look of. Lucas can spot a sheep from a considerable distance!  I had to be really sneaky to spot a sheep before his eagle eyes!!

As per usual I had to stop in at Hobbs House, even if only to look longingly at their cakes and meringues.  Damn you fast days!!  I love their butcher's bike so much!  It's a great (and unusual advertising) method; so much better than a sandwich board.

I admired the Bake Off themed window in Swagger--I really want the tray they had in the window with enamel pictures of British cakes and biscuits on it--for ages until Lucas dragged me along to Purple Parrot who specialise in miniatures for dolls houses and had some impossibly tiny toys in the window.

Along the way I found myself noticing little details, like the house with the magenta-painted windowsills and door with an original boot scraper outside, some beautiful carvings, and all manner of gorgeous doors.  Apparently I have a thing for a nice knocker--who knew?

The details on the police station are amazing.  I love the beautifully carved Public Entrance sign--that must have been a talented stone mason--and the old olice lamp had me snapping photos like a crazy person!  Surprisingly the police station is still in use and hasn't been turned into a dreadful themed pub, a fate that too many of our gorgeous old buildings face.

As we were leaving, we spotted a lonely sheep chained to a bench.  The label around her neck said that she was looking for a husband.  Apparently she'd be no trouble, all she'd need would be a bit of dusting now and then and a few loving words.  If you fancy a low-maintenance wife, she's waiting for you outside the Penny Farthing gift shop on the High Street!