Saturday...

Yesterday started off with a visit to this place...Newmarket Hardware...

I wasn't buying hardware though...at the back of this shop is a cute little shop known as Gallery B. This shop has clothes, shoes, handbags, jewellery and lots of beautiful knick knacks...and a coffee shop! I was meeting 3 friends for a coffee...

My friend Valerie took this photo of her iced coffee and lemon cake...

After coffee and some catch up chatting, my friends and I headed off on our separate ways, which for me meant heading off to Brunswick Heads with DH. 

Just one stop on the way...Fantazia at Tweed Heads South for some more tablecloth by the metre for my big 3 metre long table. (And 40cm of some Christmas fabric that got my interest)

This year we are not staying in a cabin in the Ferry Reserve Park on the beautiful Brunswick River...the park was booked out months ago for next week. This time we are renting a house closer in to the town...

Our room...

Next Thursday and Friday nights, DH's friend will stay in this room...

And there is a smaller room where I have 'parked' my boxes of craft...

The kitchen...

The lounge and dining area...

All very nice as you can see!

We are staying a bit longer than we normally do when we come to Brunswick Heads so DH can play in the golf comp...a week was only a bit more expensive than the 4 nights we normally do, so DH booked for the week! It will be hard to leave as this area is so lovely and laid back! 

Later in the afternoon we went down to the beach...

And also sat on the rock groyne and enjoyed the view and the breeze...

(We still take terrible selfies!)

Just before bed, I settled down with my knitting to do a few rows...

A pretty good day I reckon :-)

Another coffee shop...

I've written posts before about the monthly coffee morning I have with a group of friends. We call ourselves the 'Newmarket Mums' and our friendships began when our children went to Newmarket State School (primary). We bonded during tuckshop duty, P&C meetings, fetes, street stalls, sewing bees etc. Our children went to many different high schools but our friendships continued. Then about 10 years ago a few of us started meeting monthly and gradually our group grew. We've met in a number of cafes in the Newmarket/Alderley area and for quite a while we've been meeting at Gloria Jeans at Newmarket. We get seniors' discount there and on request the coffee/tea is served in a china cup rather than the ubiquitous paper/polystyrene cups.   

But last Sunday we went somewhere different...

I don't live in Newmarket any more but a number of the ladies do, and they have been 'singing the praises' of a little coffee shop that has been there for a few years now. So for our September coffee meet, we went there...I parked my car in the street parallel to the street where I grew up, so as soon as I got out of the car, the sweet memories started flooding back... 

I walked up the hill from where I parked and turned right and walked along Enoggera Rd until I got to this building...when I was a girl this was Bell's Furniture factory, an intriguing place to peep into as I walked past.

Now it is the home to Newmarket Hardware. That business used to be in the building next door but quite a few years ago, a local bought that building (and the business) and refurbished it and rented it out. He obviously also owned the old factory so moved the hardware store into there. Many of the older locals thought he was 'mad' but he's had the last laugh I think. Oh...you're probably wondering why I'm going on about this hardware store? 

Well the story goes that the owner's wife opened a gallery and tiny coffee shop at the back of the hardware store...and here it is...

My friend Sandra really liked this piece but as she is downsizing to a unit thought it best not to buy it :-)

The building is high off the ground at the back as the ground slopes sharply down towards Enoggera Creek

Here is the lovely owner of the Gallery B...

Coffees/teas are served in lovely china ,mugs , cups with matching plate/saucers...

It was so relaxing sitting on the back deck area...

There was art work everywhere...

Some of the other examples of china

 My friend Maddy had only recently returned from her Canada /Alaska tour

I took photos of the view from the deck...

Looking over the creek towards the suburb of Ashgrove...

Looking west; when I was a little girl, this area was market gardens...

The creek is quite dry at the moment with lots of gravel banks visible. The area of mowed grass on mid right is the back of the Newmarket Bowls Club

 I used the zoom for this photo...this photo shows the water tower in the suburb of Bardon. When I was a little girl I was fascinated by this structure that I could see from the tram stop on Enoggera Rd. My mum told me what it was and somehow I imagined that it was just magical. Didn't get to go and see it close up until I got my drivers' licence in my early 20s. Mind you, it didn't disappoint! lol

And in the Gallery there were the most beautiful items for sale...

My friends browsing

And as we were leaving my friend Robyn was even able to buy some fertiliser from the hardware part of the building! lol

Before I drove home I just had to take a photo of the little church in the street where I had parked. I went to Sunday school here in the late 50s through to the mid 60s. My friends had told me that it was no longer a church, it had been sold...

This church was built in 1958 and was quite a radical/avant garde  design. But I will write about its role in my life in another post. 

One of my friends has told me about a new coffee shop in Newmarket which is in a converted shipping container in the old Brickworks' site...so DH and I might have to check that one out too :-)