Four V&A Quilt Exhibition Pin Winners & Our Post Office

Well, it's my pleasure to announce the winners of the V&A Quilt Exhibition Pin Draw tonight - and I thought you might like to see where your pins will be posted from - and indeed all the items you purchase from us. We don't have a post office in our village, it closed down about 20 years ago, however, there is a post office down the road in the next village - Dunsfold. And above you can see a typical building in the village. This house is called Yonder Lye since it is the homestead furthest from the church. Its great beams belong to a return cargo of old ship's timbers from a wrecker's yard on the coast. The old cottage which forms the east end of this ancient house has fire dogs and a fire-back dated 1599 and 1619.

The Holy Well stands a little away from the village green and is a place of especial calm which we enjoy visiting on our rambles around the countryside.

This is what the post office and village store looked like in 1955 - nowadays it is half the size and last year it looked very much like we would lose it as the owners wanted to retire and move away and no-one wanted to take on the post office or the store! So it was, that Richard and I and just about every concerned villager for miles around became part owner of the Dunsfold Post Office - and we are very proud to be able to keep this vital shop open thanks to volunteers who come in to run the shop - and to our fully paid up post mistress, Annie.

We all love Annie - she is the sort of gem who will say, "Drop by to see me anytime, whether you have anything to go or not." She also runs the local Brownies (mini Girl Guides and most definitely not for munching!). And what is more, she is from Pennsylvania, a fellow lover of Wintherthur and of textile history. So your mail could not be in better hands.

So, there is nothing left to do but to sound the bell and say the winners of the 4 buttons are: Lore, Karen, Carol and Catherine. Thank you to everyone who participated.