Charity begins at home

I love a bargain. Even better when that bargain is something individual, attractive and functional - in a house where so many people and items are competing for space, everything has to earn its keep. These favourite items from my kitchen have all been picked up at knock-down prices.

My mother has a Portmeirion Black Phoenix coffee set. I can't recall it ever being used - indeed, I cannot recall my mother ever making a cup of coffee not of the instant variety. Still, the elegant lines of the coffee pot are sufficient to justify its existence in any kitchen and my mother's has been on permanent display in her glass-fronted cupboard for decades. The Black Phoenix pattern was very popular in its day back in the 1970s and is still sought after by collectors.

So when I saw this coffee pot in a second hand shop in North Wales last summer, knew I had to have it. It cost me under £10. I admit to being a little intrigued by it: it is unmarked Portmeirion and not a pattern of theirs that I'm familiar with. I would love to know more about it. It sits on the window sill in my kitchen and brightens my day every time I look at it. One of these days I'll even use it for serving coffee.

This little side plate cost me £4 in my local Oxfam shop three or four years ago. I bought it because I loved the delightful, quirky, retro American farmyard pattern. It has a small chip out of the rim on the underside, but is otherwise in very good condition. It is marked Mcdonalds Farm by Johnson Bros. and a quick bit of online research revealed that it dates from the 1950s and is very collectable. I'm not surprised. We use it as an occasional side plate. For a while it was known as Joseph's snack plate, my son's preferred plate for a portion of cake or a biscuit, but I think it's worth taking good long-term care of - sorry Joseph - so now it only comes out on special occasions.

Beautiful Burleigh. This big serving platter in Burleigh's Blue Calico was a bargain £4.50 from a local charity shop. It is definitely a second, the quality of transfer at one edge looks worn away, but the defect is actually under the glaze. Do I care? No! I use this quite a bit when we have guests over as it is a useful dish for feeding a crowd. I love Burleigh and will add to it if my budget ever allows. In the meantime, I continue to keep my eyes open in charity shops.

I was intrigued by this enormous platter when I saw it a few weeks ago in the window of a charity shop. It caught my eye because it reminds me of a recent Emma Bridgewater pattern, pink lustre.




This plate is not lustre ware, but I thought it very attractive nonetheless. I will use this on the table at Christmas and can see it piled high with dessert, a large, fluffy pavlova surrounded by berries and chocolate brownies - perfect for easy serving. It cost me all of £6. That's a lot of plate for the money! It is Italian by design, marked Ceramica Dipintiamano Stoviglierie.

I have photographed it with the 7" side plate to give a relative idea of its size.

From the same charity shop on a different occasion, I purchased this jug and large serving bowl. I paid £14 for them both. I saw them in the window of the shop walking my girls to Guides one evening and dashed back next morning to get them. Decorated using a traditional spongeware technique, they look like something from Emma Bridgewater, but are actually Royal Winton. The jug is in excellent condition. The bowl is slightly less pristine - it has a hairline crack and small chip on the outside of the rim. Still perfectly usable.

       

I serve couscous and salad in the bowl, and use the jug as a vase or for pouring custard or cream.