Keeping Ourselves Amused
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As a grandmother, I realise the importance of finding amusing things to do. Fortunately I invariably find our outings as enjoyable as Poppy does. Sometimes it’s because of her reaction, not just what we have gone to see.
On Sunday, we all went to Tilgate Park in Crawley. It was a pleasant surprise to find such a well established and well attended space.
The animal section was our favourite. Of course. This pig looked exhausted…..
No wonder.
Poppy liked the look of those piglets. She offered to go in with them………we didn’t think so.
The ducks were charming
For some, the idea of being looked at by us didn’t appeal. He took off sharpish
Others happily strutted about showing off their colours
These felt safer as a pair
Goats are perfectly happy standing in their dinner
Speaking of which, we needed lunch. So we dropped into Goffs Manor for a delicious snack and pudding.
This business of keeping babies amused is good. Very good!
Thinking About War
I’ve been thinking about the impact of the second world war recently. None of it was planned, but in the event I found both experiences moving and thought provoking. I have already posted on my visit to Auschwitz . Images are still in my mind from the experience.
Now I am remembering my visit to Guernsey, and the German Occupation Museum we visited. One man, Richard Haeume set up this fascinating place and has maintained it for many years with so much memorabilia he and others collected from the occupation
We visited off season, so had it to ourselves. Mr Haeume gave us a cup of tea, and threw in a mince pie each on the house.
There were dozens of photographs like this one of these three lovely nurses. (My uniform wasn’t far off theirs when I first started out as a trainee). I was most interested in the detail of daily life in an occupied country. People struggled to find food, as the island was completely cut off during its five year occupation.
There were food parcels sent in the early years, but people had to live on what they could grow as help from outside dried up.
Here’s someone’s recipe for potato cake. Better than no cake at all.
Don’t know what these medicines were for. They are German names.
The few Jews that were on Guernsey were sent to Auschwitz. Their fate is still fresh in my mind
Liberation at last! The Germans knew the allies would come, but it took much longer than expected. After the war, some Germans returned to Guernsey and made a life for themselves.
German officers were interrogated by the British. They eventually returned home.
I for one was glad of a good walk along the coast after our journey back to the war years.
Lake District Walk
For me, a visit to the Lake District must include walking. On my way back from Scotland, I stayed with my good friend in Ulverston. We have done many walks together, including some fairly demanding treks in Nepal and Peru. So, a stroll in the hills of Cumbria was nothing to us!!!!
This lovely path stretched out for miles. So inviting. We did not see a living soul throughout our walk.
Actually we did see living souls. Sheep souls.
The rams had to stay in. I think they’d done their work. As it were……..
The lamb maternity unit is nearest the farm buildings.
We were never far from the river. This bridge had been built in memory of a local resident.
It was freezing, but somehow we still managed to sit by the river and eat our sandwiches. Quickly.
What would normally be boggy under foot was frozen solid. The going was easier but still hazardous due to potential slips on the ice. We wondered if we were old enough to break our hips if we went over. The prospect of landing in an orthopaedic ward in winter made us take special care.
As we progressed along the river, the boulders got larger. They had made their way down from the highest hills sometime before we were born.
Yes it was cold. These icicles are probably still there. Heavy snow is predicted in the next few days. Glad we got our walk in, as it will be impassable now.
Walking on the Moors
I borrowed a dog, and set out for a decent walk in the Scottish Moors where I am staying. My new best friend Fergie and I circles a reservoir which was spectacular
A glorious, but freezing morning
Fergie was up for anything. He didn’t care a hoot about the cold.
We went along the wall of the reservoir. Fergie took his first dip off this wall
There wasn’t a breath of air, and the water was calm
Icicles formed along the edge of the water, making an interesting pattern
Fergie stopped for photo shoots when asked, although it was hard for him to stand still for more than a second or two
Despite the sun, nothing thawed
What would normally be boggy under foot was frozen solid, which made for much easier going for both of us.
We got all the way round in a couple of hours. A really lovely walk with a good friend!
I think I’ve fallen for this chap……
Ready…Steady……..Bake!
I am a fan of a the BBC’s latest cookery programme: The Great British Bake-Off. One of my baking heroes, Mary Berry is a judge. She is so very sweet with the poor competitors, but will quickly tell them the difference between a ‘good bake’ and a not so good mess! So, with dear Mary watching over me, I assembled my ingredients in preparation for a bake. This is to be taken to a very special person, so it has to be perfection. No pressure there then..
I need four of these pale blue Old Cotswold Legbar Hen eggs. Their yolks are orange and rich
Limes are another key ingredient. I need seven for this Raspberry, Blueberry and Lime Drizzle Cake
After a good deal of beating, folding and baking, my cake is ready:
I think I’m happy with the results. What do you think Mary? Am I in with a chance?
Now the cake is packed and ready for its 8 hour drive tomorrow where it will be given to that most special of people.
Now then, back to some more domesticity. Some knitting I think..
Staying with the theme of bright colours
The finished articles will be for another special person…….all of nearly 10 months old.
And a little magic to finish. Lovely day!
Messing About with My Camera
Didn’t get out much today. Had a look round the house for some colour.
Orange is good when it’s grey outside
A taste of Summer for tomorrow’s breakfast
Car Boot jug
My mother brought this cup and saucer out for guests
Fruit cups
Thomas.
Winchester Day
Winchester is another lovely Cathedral City I’m fond of. Decided to take Poppy and her Mummy for a day out. Weather dull and drizzling, but that didn’t put us off
We just happened to be talking about a wedding, and we came across these jolly frocks. Which one shall I have?
Then came this rather fetching shoe. If I could just find the other one, I might make a purchase. To go with my pink frock?
We quickly dragged ourselves away, and headed towards some culture. On the way we came across this excellent street players. They were classical musicians I’m sure
The cathedral looked marvellous, shrouded in mist
This glorious 900 year old building can take any type of weather and still looks wonderful
We were welcomed inside, and there was no objection to Poppy crawling and exploring some of the well-worn floors
The Chagall window is a favourite of mine
The ceilings are also works of art
Views from the cloisters are lovely, but by now, Poppy had more than enough culture, and was up for some tea. So were we:
Lemon tarts for the grown-ups…….
and yummy pudding for Poppy. Another perfect day!
A National Trust Day
Another sunny frosty day. It seemed right to visit one of our National Trust stately homes. I have been visiting Polesden Lacey for over 20 years, and never tire of what it has to offer. Especially on a day like this.
This gorgeous house was owned by Mrs Ronald Greville, a society hostess who regularly entertained Royalty. She insisted that the house should be enjoyed by the public after her death, and donated it to the National Trust. She is buried in the gardens, as are many generations of her pets.
She held fabulous dinner parties with elaborate French cuisine. I wouldn’t have minded popping in for supper I must say.
The Edwardian garden has a series of walled and hedged enclosures with roses and herbaceous planting. But what I love the most are the lawns and views on the North Downs.
In the enclosed gardens is an ancient wisteria which is magical when in bloom
Today it’s bare, but still lovely as it’s branches are so intricate
The walled garden has a series of portholes which seem to want to frame its contents.
Beyond the garden, but still in its grounds are some little covered bridges
This one has some seats for a quick rest, or, as was the case today, a place for bored children to practice their orienteering skills.
The place was very busy. Time to go before the lunch crowd descended. A lovely sunny place to be. I never tire of Polesden Lacey.
Exploring Winchester
As someone who enjoys looking at other people’s pictures, I am a fairly keen member of Flickr. One of the very positive outcomes of this is my new-found friends belonging to a local group. So, we set off last Sunday on a photo-walk around Winchester. As soon as we arrived, so did the sun. It wasn’t expected, so the cameras were adjusted and the clicking began.
The Cathedral was as magnificent as I remembered. We didn’t go in, as the outside had so much to offer.
Gothic in appearance with ornate spires and some evil-looking gargoyles gaping down at us.
This lovely old tree, set in the Cathedral gardens was up for some hugging.
As we set off for The Great Hall, there were tempting doorways to explore. So much fun when you are with fellow camera geeks.
And there it was; King Arthur’s table.
I found this stunning gate as interesting. Such drama.
Back in town, looking for lunch, we came across a busker who caught our attention with his excellent songs. I thought he sounded like Eric Clapton….a bit.
A splendid day out. So glad we went. Could well have been on my Bucket List.
Seaside Findings
While walking the coastal path of Guernsey, we came across an optional diversion to be taken with care due to steep and slippery steps. We took it.
And there at the bottom of our slippery steps was a little treasure of flotsam and jetsam
Little boats were moored up for winter and lobster pots waiting for their next outing
The colours were lovely. A photographer’s dream I thought.
The more I looked, the more I could see…….
Nets, ropes and rusty old anchors
Some patience was needed while I clicked my camera dry
Some boats were abandoned and left to rot
Others told their own story
There’s something about boats and coves and the sea I find irresistable……perhaps that’s why I’m moving to Nova Scotia this year.
The Little Chapel
In 1914, a monk decided to build a miniature replica of the basilica at Lourdes in Guernsey. After several attempts, and rebuilds, Wedgwood donated china to form the mosaic covering of this amazing Little Chapel. It was dark and raining when we visited, but the colours were as bright as if it were sunny
This tiny little chapel is charming. Every available surface is covered in Wedgwood china pieces
History is told on some of the sections. This one shows the then king and queen
A dancing cat appears on an old plate….wonder what the story was there..
Someone’s mother also features
Inside, just under the altar is a weeny last supper. The shells behind show how tiny it is
Outside is also decorated charmingly. Who knows how long it took to complete this delightful project
Not something I would like in my back yard, but it made for a lovely morning on a rainy day in Guernsey.
Discovering Guernsey
My final Bucket List treat took us to Guernsey for New Year. What a lovely little island it is! St Peter Port is it’s capital and it was buzzing .
Tiny streets, lined with not-all-high-street shops full of tempting sales. I failed to resist, especially in my favourite Seasalt which is rarely found outside Cornwall.
A delectable lunch was found in Le Petit Cafe/Bistro. The trio of deserts was almost too much to bear!
Three little creme brulee’s and tuile biscuits were arranged so beautifully, it took me a full 2 seconds to admire them before hoovering them up.
A walk around the harbour and back was managed before it got dark, and the rain came
A mast lit the town centre in anticipation of the night ahead.
Happy New Year!
2011 in review
The WordPress.com stats helper monkeys prepared a 2011 annual report for this blog.
Here’s an excerpt:
A New York City subway train holds 1,200 people. This blog was viewed about 6,600 times in 2011. If it were a NYC subway train, it would take about 6 trips to carry that many people.
What a Difference From Last Christmas
This was our first Christmas with Poppy. What a difference a baby makes! She had no idea what it was all about. Except that there was a lot for her to do
Sparkling lights to figure out
Learning how to unwrap things
Giving everything a good shake. Needless to say, the paper and ribbon was the best
A lot of laughing
Watching people eat and eat and eat
Wearing her new reindeer bib
And just being sweet
Just wished to could get her paws on that Jimmy-Cat
It’s Raining in London Town
Decided to pop into London to see the sights. However it rained, and rained. A warming curry was called for, so headed over to Brick Lane (where else?)
Not much evidence of Christmas down here, but the graffiti’s good
Brick Lane is lined with exotic little shops and restaurants. The smells are wonderful
At the end are the bagel bakeries, selling wonderful Jewish breads and of course…
Salt beef. I thought I was back in New York for a moment
After our curry, we fancied some ice cream
Benets of Brick Lane did the trick. Luscious recipes. My favourite being Bakewell tart ice cream. They also served home-made cakes to tempt us
These were somehow resisted. Out into the dark streets looking for some sparkle
There are shops selling hand-made everything here in Spitalfields
Some of the models have over done the dieting I thought.
As we moved nearer to the City the windows became more elegant, then the rain came
And we all hurried to get to the railway station
The Gherkin turned on its lights
And soon we were warm and cosy and fast asleep.
Happy Christmas!
Photo Walk
Woke up to frosty sunshine. My photo-friend Mick arrived at 8am, and we set out to catch the early light. How lovely to walk with another geek taking pictures and talking about camera settings and the like.
It was a particularly golden light
The quality of winter sunshine showed off my favourite oak trees to their best advantage
The frost had settled on these leaves turning them into little works of art
We could have spent the whole morning on these oak leaves
But we moved on towards the river Mole
The deer park was full of eyes watching us
Some of the oak trees still have their leaves, and it’s almost winter solstice
Crossing over Reigate Heath, we spent time on the old windmill with a chapel in its base
And a final surprise on the bottom of an old oak; someone had made a door and fitted it with a tiny Christmas wreath.
The Antidote to Christmas Shopping
I am quite happy about Christmas this year. I get to do my shopping when the masses are at work. I have a new little person to buy for. It’s all good. Last Saturday I discovered the antidote to Christmas shopping. A seriously long walk in the hills with a friend. Excellent result!
The leaves are still on the trees, so there’s plenty of colour. A blue sky helps no end
We passed a deer park where the stags keep themselves apart from the girls. All looking beautiful in the wintry sunlight
The Old Man’s Beard caught the sun for a lovely showing
These tiny mushrooms are getting enough nourishment from this ancient tree stump to grow
It’s been a very good year for fungus. Some day I might learn what they all are
Just look at the colour of these Mahonia berries
It was green enough to still be summer. Except that…………
Some creatures have decided to hibernate.
Knit and Natter
Since retiring in July, I have discovered some lovely things. One of the best has been Knit and Natter. I do love to knit, but it can be a bit solitary. However, every Friday morning I go to my favourite wool shop Fluff-a-Torium, where, upstairs is a joyful little space for those of us who knit.
The room is bright with the colours of people’s wooly work. Felting seems to be the new black in knitting circles. I never knew such places existed
As we take our places and settle down to knit, the lovely Claire makes us delicious coffee, and sometimes cake
There is a great deal of talking going on. All at once.
We come from all walks of life. But for these few hours, we step outside of our daily routines and just become knitters.
A great deal of the talking has little to do with knitting. We tell it all here……
I have made some very good friends here. I met Sue, and we have already been on a walking holiday together.
I wouldn’t miss it for anything
Next week is our Christmas Do. Can’t wait! This retirement lark is the best!
Park and Ride!
There was nothing for it, I had to tackle Christmas shopping. And then I remembered: Park and Ride. What a joy to get into the centre of Kingston in minutes and step off a bus in a calm and comfortable manner. Another joy for me was not having to go on a Saturday. I now have all week to do it. If I came home with nothing it was not going to matter.
It was bustling, but not hellish. The sun was out and the town was decked out for Christmas
Bentall’s Centre was tasteful as usual
Look at all the Stuff. What is it all? Just stuff to buy for someone else to be surprised about.
The guys were there, cool as dudes
Festive sausages were sending out dreamy aromas. We were all hungry. Plenty succumbed. I didn’t.
This one had to be taken home for cooking. Not so appetising
There I am, taking a picture of myself in the biggest toy shop in town. Did I buy anything. What do you think?
All in all a successful mission. I hopped back on my Park and Ride bus and was home in a jiffy without even a single tantrum. Thank you Mr Park and Ride.
Baby Time
My daughter has a lovely group of NCT friends who had a little get together. The theme was Babies at Christmas, and I took the shots
My models didn’t quite get what they were there for
There was an escaped lamb that fell all over everybody
Group shots were beyond my skills. However, even single poses didn’t provoke a smile on Santa Claus
The angel was rather heavenly I felt
The little lamb eventually showed her face. I know that face…..it’s Poppy!
The king was not amused
At the end of the shoot it was all too exhausting for my little Lamb Poppy.
New York, New York!
It’s all going on in New York today
Everyone wants to get in the other lane. No one is going to give way. We’re all in a hurry
It’s Halloween and there are costumes to be put on. People get home by what ever means they have
The skating has started already, so a quick circuit round the rink before heading home
And there are familiar characters about
Some ready for lift-off
Others ready for ‘battle’
Most of all, we were all ready for fun. No one was disappointed!
Joining in with the Idiom Photo Hunt
I liked the idea from this blog of producing photographs with attached idioms. Here are my offerings:
a watched pot never boils
Love is a many splendid thing
As easy as pie
There’s plenty more fish in the sea
Keep your chin up
It’s Halloween in Washington
The Americans love to celebrate Halloween. It’s almost as big as Christmas in the UK. Houses are decorated with ghoulish characters
There are ghosts hanging from the trees
Dismemberment hangs over garden gates. Eek!
Cobwebs cover the shrubs. Spiders lurk on lamp posts
If you go up-market to George Town, things are more discrete
No ghoules here. Just good taste and plenty of money.
Charms of Paris
There are numerous places I found in Paris with odd little quirks that were quite charming. This applies to many of the people we saw also, but it seemed impolite to blatantly take their picture without asking. Here is a selection of oddments I found attractive and interesting:
The old ornate Metro signs are mostly gone. However these ‘new’ ones are lovely. As is the efficiency and price of the Metro system.
While on the subject of the Metro. Look at these stylish seats for the very short wait
What an interesting window display. The sewing machine has been crocheted. We all need one of these at some in our lives.
Isn’t she lovely? Waiting to find you a table at a stylish diner.
This was a gem of a linen shop. These tea towel bundles carefully tied with ribbon.
There is nothing in this window that I didn’t like. It would have been silly to have gone in.
This gift shop was in a delightful arcade. There was an aroma of French perfume as we passed the door
People leave padlocks on this bridge with messages. I don’t know why they do it.
Hand made chocolate. As expensive as gold. Made do with a cup of coffee instead
