Pinned to my map for many months without knowing what was inside it was finally time to venture out and see just what lay inside this abandoned farmhouse i'd been told about by a contact in the area who'd passed it many times in the course of his day to day life but without venturing inside.

 

Once inside my eyes lit up! The kitchen a veritable feast of vintage belongings just left in situ. My kind of location. A step back in time to when objects were made with precision and care and the life span was more than 5 years. A vintage radio on one wall, a vintage sewing machine by the far window which was made all the more splendid by the torn curtains as its backdrop. The mind boggled as to what else was left behind in this time capsule. Time to wander around the rooms and take it all in. Every room crammed full of artefacts of the previous occupants from collections of postcards to clothes to letters and just about everything imaginable, unwanted, covered in dust and just crying out to be photographed and documented. The far room downstairs was alarming as a huge hole had opened up in front of an ancient sideboard waiting for an unsuspecting person to step on to the mucky carpet over it and tumble into the dark cellar below. Luckily I spotted it and stepped to one side! 

 

Upstairs I went, in excitement before the task of segmenting the house in order to photograph it as I always do. Up the narrow staircase with its solid wood bannisters [of course] and floors greeted me which seem to sway and bend with every footstep. Over time this house has fallen to the ravages of neglect and decay and the front of the house had come away from the left hand side leaving a gap. care had to be taken for sure. 

 

First the bathroom where the name of the house began to take shape. Farmers aren't normally prone to exuberant vanity from what I have seen in other houses yet the 'his and hers' cans of hairspray still standing on the bathroom cabinet seemed out of sync with the place I was standing in yet was a nice and unique touch! Ladies clothes still hung up behind the door caught my eye as I left to go into the bedrooms, all 3 of them. A tiny one at the back with a TV from what must have been 80 years ago with a screen so tiny one wondered how it could be watched properly. Beds still in every room with their old fashioned linen, thick blankets and striped pillow cases, adding to the snugness of the rooms as the wallpaper in its bright retro glory continued to curl away from the bricks and creep downwards to messy floors. All around were clues to who lived here, what they did, their families and their hobbies. Picture frames containing wedding photographs, school portraits and simple poses adorned the retro table tops. The main bedroom continued the theme for the name of the house whereby an old suitcase containing a stack of vintage pink corsets took centre stage. 

 

Abandoned farmhouses generally contain familiar items. Vanity house held a few surprises. Rustic familiarity alongside fashionista. Over 2 months three visits were made to this location to allow others to photograph it. Each time, new items appeared. Furniture had magically moved, items had changed rooms yet the special character of Vanity House remained, shrouded in its glorious past. One of the best and one I won't forget in a hurry.