Frome

I've been on another of my trips to Somerset, and this time I had a day out in Frome (rhymes with 'broom', not with 'home'). It's a lovely town, with lots of old buildings and a street with a stream running down its centre, and last year the Sunday Times 'Best Places to Live in the UK' listed it as best in the South West. Unfortunately the weather was far from lovely, so the photographs I took don't really do the place justice.

One of the things which makes Frome stand out is its independent traders. From March to December there is a monthly market called the Frome Independent, and there are a great many independent shops as well. Many of these are situated on Catherine Hill.

Looking up Catherine Hill . . .

. . . and looking down

One thing which Frome is not, is flat.

Steps up from Catherine Hill

Fortunately there are places to sit down if it all gets too much.

Somewhere to take a rest

I spotted a few lovely hanging signs, such as this:

Elephant!

and this:

Camel!

and, erm, this.

Knickers!

So, on to the shops themselves. There were too many to describe them all, but are a few of my favourites. I loved the colours in this display, not least those of the birds.

Florist's display in Cheap Street

And I always like to see an independent bookshop.

Bookshop in Cheap Street (and the stream)

Sadly this vintage shop was closed for a refit.

The window display was wonderful

Poot Emporium is a collective which sells vintage and upcycled clothing by a variety of makers.

Quirky

While Deadly Is The Female sells modern reproduction vintage brands.

Apologies for the reflections

If making your own is more your thing, there are shops which cater for this as well.

Frome Yarn Collective

Unsurprisingly, my favourite shop was this one.

Millie Moon

One half of the shop is used for workshops and classes, while the other is packed with fabrics, haberdashery, indie patterns, and an impressive display of vintage sewing machines.

Fabrics

Patterns and haberdashery

Confession time: I had already bought some cotton velvet from Sew Over The Moon in Glastonbury (because even though I don't need it until later in the year, good quality cotton velvet at a reasonable price was too good an opportunity to pass up) and some retro cotton from Sew Vintage in Wells (because it was half-price, and cute), so I resisted buying any more fabric. I did buy a few bits and pieces though. They were beautifully wrapped up, in sheets of discontinued pattern tissue - a lovely touch. In fact, nothing which I bought in Frome was wrapped in plastic; a detail which pretty much sums up the whole town.

Meanwhile, the stashometer - it's really Not Going Well