tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33663523623538368152024-02-19T11:18:45.863+00:00I want to live in a lighthouse...Flohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10312538685856436794noreply@blogger.comBlogger24125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3366352362353836815.post-75177869843095701282011-06-02T19:00:00.000+01:002011-06-02T19:00:00.464+01:00Home-made pasta<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9A2Q4LRA1E8W-4B7FbpSgvv6H0hiH9hlj5r37D6g4VvXiUy7jZ4SKpTkKXMr600bnN-6USDelTs0d2EYzajJkyUyTYBOvzSg2l402M4cvd-qfMwpae9N9xD6nZCr1NybUk3QCaEfoS9zs/s1600/DSC_0360.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 213px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9A2Q4LRA1E8W-4B7FbpSgvv6H0hiH9hlj5r37D6g4VvXiUy7jZ4SKpTkKXMr600bnN-6USDelTs0d2EYzajJkyUyTYBOvzSg2l402M4cvd-qfMwpae9N9xD6nZCr1NybUk3QCaEfoS9zs/s320/DSC_0360.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5613340534994258514" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-family:arial;">I bought a pasta machine when I went on holiday to Florence some years ago. It is one of those items that has since found it's way to the back of my kitchen cupboard and rarely gets an outing.<br /><br />A few weeks ago a friend of mine served home-made pasta when I went round for dinner and it reminded me that I too have a pasta maker. Taking advantage of having a day off work mid-week (it is sometimes the simple things in life that bring the most pleasure) I got out the pasta maker, dusted off the box and had a go at making it.<br /><br />Pasta is really straightforward to make. A bit of flour and a couple of eggs form the dough, you knead this for 5 minutes, rest it for 15 and then begin the process of rolling the dough through the pasta machine.<br /><br />This is definitely an activity that you need to practice to get good tasting pasta. My first few attempts saw the dough going through the machine wonky, and if you put too much through you end up with metres and metres of pasta with not enough hands to hold it.<br /><br /></span></span><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6Psf-1gDLZrawDfEie-NtiGY3BcXOyZ1PlAA_IEFr-nXYRsZgrQdrB1xvhodNVUqWXMFK2vVCaFqA-fw4Kxw0TB31nxxsLJH_FWfBDgVdMK8de3C69KIjokLsHRM1LTN6LfMZzeOzJHyH/s1600/DSC_0364.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 213px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6Psf-1gDLZrawDfEie-NtiGY3BcXOyZ1PlAA_IEFr-nXYRsZgrQdrB1xvhodNVUqWXMFK2vVCaFqA-fw4Kxw0TB31nxxsLJH_FWfBDgVdMK8de3C69KIjokLsHRM1LTN6LfMZzeOzJHyH/s320/DSC_0364.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5613340538035546514" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-family:arial;">Once you have put the dough through the cutting rollers, the next task is to dry it out without all of the pasta sticking together (otherwise you will end up with a clump of flour paste when you boil it.) I don't know what Italians do, but I found a tea towel on a dish rack worked rather well.<br /><br />I tested a small amount to see how long to boil it for, 3-4 minutes, although the recipe said longer.<br /><br /></span></span><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcH9UbGY4H8F20Q5Oa17g5_neoFsWr49YrsEbHdc7hwOxrqyOpUB2j4HeCkbb38fNWwT5K_D_WDAN2Jp1BBIQbk-HSZHMAo6qtxn7YKFg34BsXqNJrqNZO7Wv3wu2Xlnhq2WPQCvCbsLPy/s1600/DSC_0369.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 213px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcH9UbGY4H8F20Q5Oa17g5_neoFsWr49YrsEbHdc7hwOxrqyOpUB2j4HeCkbb38fNWwT5K_D_WDAN2Jp1BBIQbk-HSZHMAo6qtxn7YKFg34BsXqNJrqNZO7Wv3wu2Xlnhq2WPQCvCbsLPy/s320/DSC_0369.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5613340543559848194" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-family:arial;"><br />The result was really tasty (helped along by a tasty topping lovingly prepared by my boyfriend) and I was surprised at how easy it was.<br /><br /></span></span><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsqDWPwDFxWn0oz9Xhg6bW3wGnQVsnQEzY3o6ttFGjg38r_RFB-fPBzCaqoYz1TXIugfngOwkfxeKFJFfQFmrMV93hyphenhyphenv5IPGfX465g5Hh-31w36zYfSKGzwmhT0mtdLwS_DFlFg9WnuKsS/s1600/DSC_0374.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 213px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsqDWPwDFxWn0oz9Xhg6bW3wGnQVsnQEzY3o6ttFGjg38r_RFB-fPBzCaqoYz1TXIugfngOwkfxeKFJFfQFmrMV93hyphenhyphenv5IPGfX465g5Hh-31w36zYfSKGzwmhT0mtdLwS_DFlFg9WnuKsS/s320/DSC_0374.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5613340546135622338" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-family:arial;">I have enough left over for another meal and I will definitely be making this again, perhaps even trying my hand at tortellini or ravioli, yum!<br /><br /></span></span>Flohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10312538685856436794noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3366352362353836815.post-90148611712564700432011-06-01T11:03:00.006+01:002011-06-01T20:42:47.943+01:00Finding my voice again<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRzgX37Ila-HxHXIIbnnHEwfLIJfRDTq3Ch8SsAhsQgzanenzLm73VJzE0DpfX-ChJigNSbOY6zpDcf-E_WMwSEwwDjew9c3RvNPqAFeNV5p_PQxf45mPsHvLyBu5ekgZPUNbttKFGRpWV/s1600/IMG_0362.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRzgX37Ila-HxHXIIbnnHEwfLIJfRDTq3Ch8SsAhsQgzanenzLm73VJzE0DpfX-ChJigNSbOY6zpDcf-E_WMwSEwwDjew9c3RvNPqAFeNV5p_PQxf45mPsHvLyBu5ekgZPUNbttKFGRpWV/s320/IMG_0362.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5613284737333892130" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-family:arial;">I have not written anthing for a long time. I stopped being able to write and I am only just getting the desire to put pen to paper (or rather finger to keyboard) back. </span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">It was a whole series of events that left me unable to think or concentrate on anything for longer than a few minutes; stresses at work, an ever lengthening commute, an illness that knocked me for six and the death of my grandmother.<br /><br /></span></span><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1UDqwr6be7ajHGMRYiPvE-BggW14R3lXHAIxP1LbfUYyacZA2WJuoollDrwCDqPMK1WltPbGfi3qErogqzfgFg8iriie9vRInuZVs5IBTlwrym__e38beoRe9cPA2XNQKRNBdG6jw5kdk/s1600/DSC_0499.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 213px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1UDqwr6be7ajHGMRYiPvE-BggW14R3lXHAIxP1LbfUYyacZA2WJuoollDrwCDqPMK1WltPbGfi3qErogqzfgFg8iriie9vRInuZVs5IBTlwrym__e38beoRe9cPA2XNQKRNBdG6jw5kdk/s320/DSC_0499.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5613284505671301714" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-family:arial;">1 year on from the climax of all these things (I quit my job, got treatment for my illness and started to grieve) and I am slowly beginning to find a voice again.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">Over the last few months I have been very busy with trips to London, visits to gardens and generally getting back to normal and I hope to write about all of these things very soon...<br /><br /></span></span><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAAZvggfjGpCwGrW3EvUP5wCe-FAIhj2MgqSex280CPBY_XEecSrQf_bdRqZLZInnCBe-hNGsJr-k9D2zL4Z7SjysbwcXWnnKUFKf-mHI23FhcXx631gf1UKbCXyl-WUEBbbAJ9_S7N8kv/s1600/DSC_0472.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 213px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAAZvggfjGpCwGrW3EvUP5wCe-FAIhj2MgqSex280CPBY_XEecSrQf_bdRqZLZInnCBe-hNGsJr-k9D2zL4Z7SjysbwcXWnnKUFKf-mHI23FhcXx631gf1UKbCXyl-WUEBbbAJ9_S7N8kv/s320/DSC_0472.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5613284505581058866" border="0" /></a>Flohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10312538685856436794noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3366352362353836815.post-1456880223625935722010-07-15T20:15:00.002+01:002010-07-15T20:21:17.673+01:00The TLS<span style="font-size:85%;"><br /><span style="font-family: arial;">In trying to find where I could buy a copy of the Times Literary Supplement I discovered that they actually have a very comprehensive </span><a style="font-family: arial;" href="http://entertainment.timesonline.co.uk/tol/arts_and_entertainment/the_tls/">web-site</a><span style="font-family: arial;">. Whilst I still prefer to read from paper, until I can find a hardcopy, it will do.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: arial;">The very first article I read was </span><a style="font-family: arial;" href="http://entertainment.timesonline.co.uk/tol/arts_and_entertainment/the_tls/article7154474.ece">'Phyllis Bottome, protest novelist -The mortal storm surrounding a forgotten writer'</a><span style="font-family: arial;"> by Caroline Moorehead</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: arial;">I had not heard of Phyllis Bottome before but the article certainly grabbed my attention. She was born in 1882 (100 years before me and the same year as Virginia Woolf) in Rochester, just down the road from where I live. She lived and travelled all over the world and wrote for most of her life. The article mentioned The Mortal Storm, which was the first of her books to be very successful, partly due to it being printed by Penguin as a "Penguin Special"</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: arial;">On the off chance that I would find a 1930's edition I headed over to e-bay and found this first edition copy for 99p!</span><br /><br /><a style="font-family: arial;" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibPcMs1IomxrjlFpF_hbC2H1ta7AOFRDt8AN267Y58UWE4vNtjRyartXHcX60yki6SzjA7yhsISt_WsenTWX61m7LrvZ-3qrP-2fVgSI-gF-pFkstrB_t25BtY-oOhe4mdi78ZU-BKXUer/s1600/The+Mortal+Storm.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 213px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibPcMs1IomxrjlFpF_hbC2H1ta7AOFRDt8AN267Y58UWE4vNtjRyartXHcX60yki6SzjA7yhsISt_WsenTWX61m7LrvZ-3qrP-2fVgSI-gF-pFkstrB_t25BtY-oOhe4mdi78ZU-BKXUer/s320/The+Mortal+Storm.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5494214371304212802" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><span style="font-family: arial;">The dust jacket (which in itself is unusual for Penguins) is a little torn but other than that it is in very good condition. I haven't had a chance to read it yet, but I think it will be very interesting, if only for the fact that it was written just as the Nazis were coming to power in Germany but before all of the atrocities of the second world war had happened.</span><br /></span>Flohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10312538685856436794noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3366352362353836815.post-79200189821460474812010-03-13T18:01:00.004+00:002010-03-13T18:23:20.175+00:00Baking<span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-family: arial;">I just love to bake. I find it very relaxing and if ever I am stressed or need to think something through I am often to be found in the kitchen, mixing bowl and wooden spoon in hand. There is something very satisfying in beating together butter and sugar (I make all of my cakes by hand) then gently adding eggs and flour, baking it in the oven and then 30 minutes later, as the delicious smells of baking waft through the house, a warm golden cake comes out of the oven. I learnt to bake from watching my mother and grandmother and they have taught me all that I know.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: arial;">I have developed a reputation at work for my baking so when the creative director spotted </span><a style="font-family: arial;" href="http://megduerksen.typepad.com/whatever/2009/05/happiness-is.html#">this blog</a><span style="font-family: arial;"> she had to show me. I casually said that it looked easy enough to produce and the challenge was set, I had to make a rainbow cake!</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: arial;">The cake itself was straight forward enough to make, but the best bit was taking it in to the office and everyone trying to guess what was so special about this cake...</span><br /><br /><a style="font-family: arial;" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIPVUYFsipkh7LdCmFT7uukHEyzmsVPMYKFIOEN4Zq9klQIS_8Hkzd13IGmIAOoFZAd0wGbo5biWNnwWRbuKjW5Oh3ty6BiwS7Jt_WZ9HYVM1R5vDxiqu7NVsu__7oZ1ofkWeFP93O_dVT/s1600-h/DSC_0372.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 213px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIPVUYFsipkh7LdCmFT7uukHEyzmsVPMYKFIOEN4Zq9klQIS_8Hkzd13IGmIAOoFZAd0wGbo5biWNnwWRbuKjW5Oh3ty6BiwS7Jt_WZ9HYVM1R5vDxiqu7NVsu__7oZ1ofkWeFP93O_dVT/s320/DSC_0372.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5448184381124037186" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><span style="font-family: arial;">I hadn't told anyone what I had done, so it was brilliant to hear the gasp and "oohs" from people as I cut into the cake and all was revealed.</span><br /><br /><a style="font-family: arial;" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLYQxbhcxHH1QNJRJECizXgl6l_amtJoJbT_jOBNAr8-HL-3H5P_viGO_3GwOHYndW84LA479CWqxLh_W4GHNTFNBayDU4jfP9USEpN_B9WHwxkdtom5o0k-7IKXz9zk-HQZX6aIX7Gilx/s1600-h/DSC_0373.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 213px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLYQxbhcxHH1QNJRJECizXgl6l_amtJoJbT_jOBNAr8-HL-3H5P_viGO_3GwOHYndW84LA479CWqxLh_W4GHNTFNBayDU4jfP9USEpN_B9WHwxkdtom5o0k-7IKXz9zk-HQZX6aIX7Gilx/s320/DSC_0373.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5448184605881678818" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><span style="font-family: arial;">I photographed each stage of the baking process as I think this is as interesting as the final results.</span><br /><br /><a style="font-family: arial;" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeZhiR2Oodz10Yy1UlIfe5oj_D4SIMGUBv3mcfN7SUo8m8h0tW6eFktoH2rrgn-6MPyyPAo98Fmep4fxCHsiU_iZq4rVfiUGWEFCf9egyYh2v9TVyHTvSGA5EofB9CGahWy8JZpPSqYjb-/s1600-h/DSC_0365.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 213px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeZhiR2Oodz10Yy1UlIfe5oj_D4SIMGUBv3mcfN7SUo8m8h0tW6eFktoH2rrgn-6MPyyPAo98Fmep4fxCHsiU_iZq4rVfiUGWEFCf9egyYh2v9TVyHTvSGA5EofB9CGahWy8JZpPSqYjb-/s320/DSC_0365.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5448184354150266434" border="0" /></a><br /><a style="font-family: arial;" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnOaIcLLkzGwIOXUmu_OlB9IdgI5TglGWo6DFnlAzLtcROfuPVx-uR3XWwEoOX8-xdrY9ye7OVZE55f9vcSYNxk114jlrcKSuKHMPnzsIpLnvcB7BG0S7K54BzdYhgT5DQcUCItqSGVcTk/s1600-h/DSC_0366.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 213px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnOaIcLLkzGwIOXUmu_OlB9IdgI5TglGWo6DFnlAzLtcROfuPVx-uR3XWwEoOX8-xdrY9ye7OVZE55f9vcSYNxk114jlrcKSuKHMPnzsIpLnvcB7BG0S7K54BzdYhgT5DQcUCItqSGVcTk/s320/DSC_0366.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5448184355326480450" border="0" /></a><br /><a style="font-family: arial;" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj44GGvM7MdEDf_7n3vNyk4V8QTNAMHO4omM0A92CKMazf6A9RoJxCqFOJ0TjiJfbxNtlQ1SOYXsoGAjWyCw4BD3i3h0WlPU_94xJsqSDhFkEMpW3wVt8XYPfm6agehzxG5DUZ5xRvORtKU/s1600-h/DSC_0367.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 213px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj44GGvM7MdEDf_7n3vNyk4V8QTNAMHO4omM0A92CKMazf6A9RoJxCqFOJ0TjiJfbxNtlQ1SOYXsoGAjWyCw4BD3i3h0WlPU_94xJsqSDhFkEMpW3wVt8XYPfm6agehzxG5DUZ5xRvORtKU/s320/DSC_0367.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5448184365343002018" border="0" /></a><br /><a style="font-family: arial;" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhygDlllIJBZleiSEVpiMaFgDW8YRHGuSW4zy3ioypzguuf29wNJ50D4HsQ7kJBmNW_AN4Hu6QzEejUMH4OiVokZn1MUxO4a-v8A1y9fCdFWnoS4VVWo3P0Gv6-fzppmn4J-NpiOYoCg0Be/s1600-h/DSC_0369.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 213px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhygDlllIJBZleiSEVpiMaFgDW8YRHGuSW4zy3ioypzguuf29wNJ50D4HsQ7kJBmNW_AN4Hu6QzEejUMH4OiVokZn1MUxO4a-v8A1y9fCdFWnoS4VVWo3P0Gv6-fzppmn4J-NpiOYoCg0Be/s320/DSC_0369.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5448184373824459922" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /></span>Flohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10312538685856436794noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3366352362353836815.post-16023888887660590652010-03-03T12:39:00.004+00:002010-03-03T12:54:04.531+00:00Vintage<span style="font-size:85%;"><a style="font-family: arial;" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjlsG-bnt0u0wn2yiDMSk-HQd8bMpK139NAOzCu99j4US7zUDS3hbZtQUKgN7RKG7gXEkekZP5IPFMVfZg6mKxYiXaKj6JfNyJjeEadhcoLS-QBmWe6lke7NI0R2YlRrFS2AyvYgNGaLO-/s1600-h/DSC_0204.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 213px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjlsG-bnt0u0wn2yiDMSk-HQd8bMpK139NAOzCu99j4US7zUDS3hbZtQUKgN7RKG7gXEkekZP5IPFMVfZg6mKxYiXaKj6JfNyJjeEadhcoLS-QBmWe6lke7NI0R2YlRrFS2AyvYgNGaLO-/s320/DSC_0204.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5444389860830435378" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><span style="font-family: arial;">I am something of a nostalgic person, not for my own childhood but for times past. If I have a choice between something that is brand new or something second hand or "vintage" it is usually the latter that I will go for.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: arial;">I love reading second hand books, especially old penguin classics. I saw this </span><a style="font-family: arial;" href="http://spitalfieldslife.com/2010/02/08/the-first-hundred-penguin-books/">link</a><span style="font-family: arial;"> on </span><a style="font-family: arial;" href="http://thepersephonepost.blogspot.com/">The Persephone Post</a><span style="font-family: arial;">, the blog written by the Persephone Books team. Persephone books are pretty much the only books I buy new, and a trip to the shop to buy one is a whole outing in itself. The blog is rather lovely as it posts one image per day which offers a 5 minute pick-me-up where I can switch off from work with a cup of coffee in the morning.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: arial;">I am trying not to look at my own Penguin Classics to see what numbers I have. I do have a couple of early editions but most of mine date from the 1950s. I think as soon as I look I will become obsessed with finding and collectin old editions...</span><br /><br /><a style="font-family: arial;" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWV26qM34LS6tAB67jbgPddsjYWZisqhOlkb0spvL9Obw1oG0Rhv8AlRQQCQ8UvEdztkdYR1bYV2I2XBnG-KeVvFr_EVttvMVko4J5XBFKr2FQnttgENZwyeniI9fZ1O4EhhMMxiaSrE7j/s1600-h/DSC_0068.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 213px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWV26qM34LS6tAB67jbgPddsjYWZisqhOlkb0spvL9Obw1oG0Rhv8AlRQQCQ8UvEdztkdYR1bYV2I2XBnG-KeVvFr_EVttvMVko4J5XBFKr2FQnttgENZwyeniI9fZ1O4EhhMMxiaSrE7j/s320/DSC_0068.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5444389144299886930" border="0" /></a><br /></span>Flohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10312538685856436794noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3366352362353836815.post-34666055441026715942009-05-30T16:23:00.001+01:002009-05-30T16:27:32.479+01:00A lovely day off<span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-family: arial;">I took Friday off work to spend the day doing lots of lovely things...</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: arial;">After a very early start I arrived at my Mum's in Ipswich for morning coffee and cheese scones, freshly baked just before I arrived. We had a good gossip over coffee before doing some more baking.<br /><br /></span></span><span style="font-size:85%;"><a style="font-family: arial;" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVxeLyCSqzwGvOhK4VFqfuiUI34sR0XVuvs-tx47utWuySPtr7nqk588BSE14p5EtpuxQgNFqG5GIzMsmyIyTqgSSPOM4lQCFzAQt1klEiYnwk8msPquWjBBITJ58fq56FctnOT5MV4Kmg/s1600-h/DSC_0157.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 266px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVxeLyCSqzwGvOhK4VFqfuiUI34sR0XVuvs-tx47utWuySPtr7nqk588BSE14p5EtpuxQgNFqG5GIzMsmyIyTqgSSPOM4lQCFzAQt1klEiYnwk8msPquWjBBITJ58fq56FctnOT5MV4Kmg/s400/DSC_0157.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5341638559232603506" border="0" /></a></span><br /><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-family: arial;">I called into my Grandparents to say hello to them and have a cup of tea in my brown mug. We talked about where they had lived when they first got married and had a good reminisce about the past.<br /><br /></span></span><span style="font-size:85%;"><a style="font-family: arial;" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyuEbLx0_6CWR90wzaSn2YuwObIqqkMn57PfIkFCr9zHZBRoMJg3WHW214ZXJDdXtxTbjS0j7uUfoxZ-n_vJDP0ya1kzRWuSpFffWbLYB4HPcDdjpUhMwCFPmYahfVTtdAEARRz6vC-m1t/s1600-h/DSC_0011.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 266px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyuEbLx0_6CWR90wzaSn2YuwObIqqkMn57PfIkFCr9zHZBRoMJg3WHW214ZXJDdXtxTbjS0j7uUfoxZ-n_vJDP0ya1kzRWuSpFffWbLYB4HPcDdjpUhMwCFPmYahfVTtdAEARRz6vC-m1t/s400/DSC_0011.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5341638552590476610" border="0" /></a></span><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-family: arial;"></span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: arial;">Then it was off to the University of Essex in the afternoon for a Lecture by Hermione Lee as part of The Afterlives of Virginia Woolf season that they have been running. You can read more about the lecture on my <a href="http://thoughtsofthecommonreader.blogspot.com/">Virginia Woolf blog</a>. She is a wonderful speaker and I came away feeling very inspired and studious.<br /><br /><br /></span></span><span style="font-size:85%;"><a style="font-family: arial;" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.essex.ac.uk/lifts/WoolfpageTimeline.aspx"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 136px; height: 166px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCKXXH6lIsVUaHlNz-H_Z2q9RgoTgkkdOQvOQHMEzbipnCLC3JLnwCUcdnxUopxcw8uISgIgdaL2ETUfyBweo6cHopa0ZSbQXMiL6xn379qRzXH37VfeM81ijkrRIrnm3tPvz121KjGzoi/s400/Virginia+Woolf.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5341638546450362258" border="0" /></a><br /></span><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-family: arial;">I headed home at 4:30 and despite getting stuck on the M25 at rush hour I was still home earlier than I would have been if I had been to work. It was a wonderfully relaxing day and I just wish everyday could be like it. </span><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /></span>Flohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10312538685856436794noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3366352362353836815.post-52115504269280535822009-05-21T13:48:00.005+01:002009-05-21T22:45:58.223+01:00A most unexpected pleasure…<span style="font-family:arial;font-size:85%;">Yesterday evening after work, I went to The Chelsea Flower show. A girl who I work with had a spare ticket and knowing my interest in gardens she invited me along. So, at 5:30 sharp we jumped on the tube to Sloane Square and </span><span style="font-family:arial;font-size:85%;">I had my first Chelsea experience. It is an absolutely wonderful event and I came away wanting to give up my job and get stuck into my own garden. I have watched The Chelsea Flower show on the TV for yea</span><span style="font-family:arial;font-size:85%;">rs </span><span style="font-family:arial;font-size:85%;">and</span><span style="font-family:arial;font-size:85%;"> I am fascinated at </span><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-family:arial;">how these gardens spring up in the centre of London for 5 days of the year and then vanish.</span><br /></span><div><span style="font-family:arial;font-size:85%;"><br />There was a huge variety of different gardens to look at. The Laurent Perrier Garden had </span><span style="font-family:arial;font-size:85%;">the most wonderful group of purple flowers, irises, peonies and tulips. If a tiny corner of my garden could look like that I woul</span><span style="font-family:arial;font-size:85%;">d be very pleased indeed.</span><span style="font-size:85%;"><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhR8Q0AYaQ3vW_xQ_6zBzmFMUi96G4A5FZxS1-DgHTlBCJjV-utH4Zvt2hO8jU84DcPgsw97gttv9zTDE8EKgUepFJJnwkNCaNcrTrn_oTUBFt5ql20tw6FPCJmlpYMdC2Smk0vbP23EcEm/s1600-h/P1140389.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhR8Q0AYaQ3vW_xQ_6zBzmFMUi96G4A5FZxS1-DgHTlBCJjV-utH4Zvt2hO8jU84DcPgsw97gttv9zTDE8EKgUepFJJnwkNCaNcrTrn_oTUBFt5ql20tw6FPCJmlpYMdC2Smk0vbP23EcEm/s400/P1140389.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5338387585746629154" border="0" /></a></span><span style="font-size:85%;"><br /></span><span style="font-family:arial;font-size:85%;">The Daily Telegraph garden was very elegant and again had some lovely purple planting.</span><span style="font-size:85%;"><br /></span><span style="font-family:arial;font-size:85%;"><br /></span><span style="font-size:85%;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIuqGezBsnqkri8GA3LZJrBctX8iIymrF2b0rzV6RPkFytPbjKwA5G3W2zTmVIOcWy4Mar1pA8vcOdz2qWcTLXnVwquZVBxqIhDMorwaZlYT83pQxg3rtzGpXutv0VEMPCtKDkkPfM_pf8/s1600-h/P1140391.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIuqGezBsnqkri8GA3LZJrBctX8iIymrF2b0rzV6RPkFytPbjKwA5G3W2zTmVIOcWy4Mar1pA8vcOdz2qWcTLXnVwquZVBxqIhDMorwaZlYT83pQxg3rtzGpXutv0VEMPCtKDkkPfM_pf8/s400/P1140391.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5338387588530725634" border="0" /></a></span><span style="font-size:85%;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1Ga2ea6DL9bwFHnPhZcQqMJUEYgRrr6yVMhVJMSGQzhPAjq_sUF14fDRz3_QIsUWLsA4fR9RGfCkhLPgc-MybpLMn9c4XHGmKg0PKkICPoBFxxoFCguAkmEvLCB7BJmDw9-WKT5xZXEoz/s1600-h/P1140392.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1Ga2ea6DL9bwFHnPhZcQqMJUEYgRrr6yVMhVJMSGQzhPAjq_sUF14fDRz3_QIsUWLsA4fR9RGfCkhLPgc-MybpLMn9c4XHGmKg0PKkICPoBFxxoFCguAkmEvLCB7BJmDw9-WKT5xZXEoz/s400/P1140392.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5338387596236139938" border="0" /></a></span><span style="font-size:85%;"><br /></span><span style="font-family:arial;font-size:85%;">The Key garden was a wonderful mix of planting and planters. A gentleman who had once been homeless explained to me the thinking behind the corner of the garden that he had put together. Breaking with convention he had planted edible plants next to poisonous ones, spiky leaves next to soft. He had been giv</span><span style="font-family:arial;font-size:85%;">en the pick of all the plants and he said it was like being a child in a sweetshop. His enthusiasm really demonstrated</span><span style="font-family:arial;font-size:85%;"> the good work bein</span><span style="font-family:arial;font-size:85%;">g done by the Homes and Communities Agency who put together the garden in partnership with the Eden Project.</span><span style="font-family:arial;font-size:85%;"> </span><span style="font-size:85%;"><a href="http://www.edenproject.com/our-work/plants/chelsea/index.php"><span style="font-family:arial;">http://www.edenproject.com/our-work/plants/chelsea/index.php</span></a><br /><br /></span><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-family:arial;">My favourite part was in the great pavilion, looking at all of the perfect specimens of every variety of plant that you can imagine. The work that goes in to creating these stalls must be enormous. I learnt that there are over 24,000 named varieties of daffodil<br /><br /></span></span><span style="font-size:85%;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9VdMUzBZkU70Dez5PgvLnMEgic5eQSrEhrTnZ0KNy6KFfRlZk03VMHkCW5q7CW7Uii0J54q9pzBJeGjjuSQ3RXrzYmUUX7dsUHD11pjKkfGDStPp1CYZCybfozx-Th6zNgkg1ihKPvCbe/s1600-h/P1140411.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9VdMUzBZkU70Dez5PgvLnMEgic5eQSrEhrTnZ0KNy6KFfRlZk03VMHkCW5q7CW7Uii0J54q9pzBJeGjjuSQ3RXrzYmUUX7dsUHD11pjKkfGDStPp1CYZCybfozx-Th6zNgkg1ihKPvCbe/s400/P1140411.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5338394522854583298" border="0" /></a></span><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-family:arial;">and the secret to growing 2ft long parsnips is a very large bucket!<br /><br /><br /></span></span><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrcFyQ88j33D11eqw2qm-BsxVuAv5__G3DreKRyOKnWlWngt7FWagFFUQ1tqhgbJcjDowsyu51RDbzoHCUrvhaEpjvedXee6_JpytexElk1C04DuVriut1Jri_COPHWnkIoiFBBhvqXEN3/s1600-h/P1140433.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrcFyQ88j33D11eqw2qm-BsxVuAv5__G3DreKRyOKnWlWngt7FWagFFUQ1tqhgbJcjDowsyu51RDbzoHCUrvhaEpjvedXee6_JpytexElk1C04DuVriut1Jri_COPHWnkIoiFBBhvqXEN3/s400/P1140433.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5338396088930936786" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-family:arial;">It is so striking to see a whole group of varieties together, as in most gardens they are mixed in with lots of other plants.</span></span><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-family:arial;"> There were some wonderful alliums, these are one of my favourite plants but my small patch at home is tiny compared to these beautiful examples.<br /><br /></span><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuj4e9imb2QkEXhMxL3KTJW5Tc5uFuNhadZBxN44A4GbOxP4MRc1R0tW1lBY05nRgpwN1GPhEF6xces686JakwGSCS4ktstlomn5o_OXaCD7NyFXwzgMcsvBITnpvsG5z4m8Z0ASlaIWFj/s1600-h/P1140423.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuj4e9imb2QkEXhMxL3KTJW5Tc5uFuNhadZBxN44A4GbOxP4MRc1R0tW1lBY05nRgpwN1GPhEF6xces686JakwGSCS4ktstlomn5o_OXaCD7NyFXwzgMcsvBITnpvsG5z4m8Z0ASlaIWFj/s400/P1140423.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5338394524943611538" border="0" /></a><br /></span><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-family:arial;">James May’s garden was very busy and rightly so as it is a wonderful piece of art.<br /><br /></span><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiH5STXsflNJE-bLhXQn2XA4hgj98tIOLlYrTWIRCMMAybalO_n9kAf2_yRm9Eg0bQ-EWnAHopIOng2NC1jOj-ZaB_diL1dir6bYrNgDfUNl-qCVKqKvi2ejv9VEnSFyY5U_ZYc3DB-nMC7/s1600-h/P1140406.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiH5STXsflNJE-bLhXQn2XA4hgj98tIOLlYrTWIRCMMAybalO_n9kAf2_yRm9Eg0bQ-EWnAHopIOng2NC1jOj-ZaB_diL1dir6bYrNgDfUNl-qCVKqKvi2ejv9VEnSFyY5U_ZYc3DB-nMC7/s400/P1140406.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5338394514923514130" border="0" /></a><br /></span><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-family:arial;">He has taken the idea of a child’s fantasy garden and recreated it, along with the help of children, mod</span></span><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-family:arial;">el makers and Chelsea pensioners, in plasticine. Everything you see is made of plasticine, right down to th</span></span><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-family:arial;">e soil the plants sit in. The bust, also made of plasticine, is a tribute to the materials inventor William Harbutt.<br /><br /></span><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOpftkl30SIzZmMArVWVCS43D74fLNvw3KP7NjNJHm8qkHLyR1AtaFqZOU_sXI_O72agSgaTcSk0ok-ApkIfKTZsw22Ls9sUS3dMrpNX-TqSrppmZ-uk_dcYtgQK3mZ_bHZsBkdfsB6R_b/s1600-h/P1140401.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOpftkl30SIzZmMArVWVCS43D74fLNvw3KP7NjNJHm8qkHLyR1AtaFqZOU_sXI_O72agSgaTcSk0ok-ApkIfKTZsw22Ls9sUS3dMrpNX-TqSrppmZ-uk_dcYtgQK3mZ_bHZsBkdfsB6R_b/s400/P1140401.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5338387608324729602" border="0" /></a><br /></span><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-family:arial;">My favourite garden was entitled ‘1984’<br /><br /></span><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCtWeZ85g9C2gIu2g6Ff61R-4oNWqzm1KurT2PDnL6IiKA4hxDaWAFbcbW8iFwVR3whlZ15U7_gZl4w17pvB76EKPqAKEiuDt8epEGUAqKys5WK4YDv2dQ-bZUrqR4dHtMDKE5Wic1f15a/s1600-h/P1140408.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCtWeZ85g9C2gIu2g6Ff61R-4oNWqzm1KurT2PDnL6IiKA4hxDaWAFbcbW8iFwVR3whlZ15U7_gZl4w17pvB76EKPqAKEiuDt8epEGUAqKys5WK4YDv2dQ-bZUrqR4dHtMDKE5Wic1f15a/s400/P1140408.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5338394518395536706" border="0" /></a><br /></span><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-family:arial;">Described as “a modern urban retreat with a nod to the kitsch, built with cost efficiency in mind for our cash-strapped world!” Of all the gardens I saw it was the one that I thought I could replicate in my own garden.<br /><br />And just for my Dad, there was a Harley Davidson inspired garden c</span></span><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-family:arial;">alled “The Ace of Spades”. It was built in the shape of a spade and the plants, which were all very dark purples and greens, were potted up in old tyres.<br /><br /></span><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRVyhmaR5QZAh9EGF0ZXcCgWTRAP6si9jrEAyOxAClYsHzEVTVRkjbJeLnt_dwlv6w7wCrDiLVuk-_0k7rvvEd6WrWshlXqpuXmOILbZLjdPc1c3Go7VvtxHnxn_ElDukxtFK-FCNJc_Xk/s1600-h/P1140400.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRVyhmaR5QZAh9EGF0ZXcCgWTRAP6si9jrEAyOxAClYsHzEVTVRkjbJeLnt_dwlv6w7wCrDiLVuk-_0k7rvvEd6WrWshlXqpuXmOILbZLjdPc1c3Go7VvtxHnxn_ElDukxtFK-FCNJc_Xk/s400/P1140400.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5338387601309563906" border="0" /></a><br /></span><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-family:arial;"><br />I was completely bowled over by Chelsea, I only got to spend 2 hours there, but I had such a wonderful time. It is amazing to think how much time and effort goes in to putting it together. I will definitely be trying to get tickets for next year!</span><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmjazEnF6pZ1YGBCDBg3pM3ZNjPsSxN-Ybbp8jS9vhKmlz5C5UEcMPaHfvXD7j8QFK586QzOG3petYbTCLd049zbgHsOoOAy0btYTccXnABgrBtOpak-sI9MH_iS_WxEacfECNhKQtce8q/s1600-h/P1140431.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmjazEnF6pZ1YGBCDBg3pM3ZNjPsSxN-Ybbp8jS9vhKmlz5C5UEcMPaHfvXD7j8QFK586QzOG3petYbTCLd049zbgHsOoOAy0btYTccXnABgrBtOpak-sI9MH_iS_WxEacfECNhKQtce8q/s400/P1140431.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5338394535787252834" border="0" /></a></span></div>Flohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10312538685856436794noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3366352362353836815.post-41592485753864149302009-04-26T15:08:00.002+01:002009-04-26T15:14:38.088+01:00An Outing To London<span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Despite the fact that I work in London, i don't often get to see very much of it as I am dashing about to meetings and appointments. So yesterday was a real treat as I got to spend some quality time in the capital. </span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: arial;">I started off at the Barbican where I saw the exhibition about the architect and designer<a href="http://www.barbican.org.uk/lecorbusier"> Le Corbusier</a>. I first went to the Barbican 13 years ago where I saw an exhibition of the photographer Don McCullin's work. I love the building, such a striking piece of design from the 1960's but very easy to get lost in. </span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: arial;">I really enjoyed the exhibition but I found it a little bit too much for someone who does not know a huge amount about Le Corbusier. What I did enjoy was the bits of film that he made showing his vision and gave you a glimpse at what his early life in Paris may have been like. I was surprised about what I did know and how much of the furniture I recognised. I also enjoyed more his earlier work, which was more simple and had a youthful promise to it. Some of his later work seemed to be very grand and I couldn't identify with this quite as much. Le Corbusier was a very intelligent young man working on his first house at just 18 years old and his inspiration to the world of architecture and design continues through to today. </span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: arial;">After lunch I visited <a href="http://www.persephonebooks.co.uk/index.asp">Persephone books</a> which I have been waiting to go to for sometime.<br /><br /><br /></span></span><span style="font-size:85%;"><a style="font-family: arial;" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWuc2AGB5wLVgB1sWX58f93dbecF5SVpD1jlSzBvbAjZYwiJmpky7ETB2Kt92spxuv9TNlSLqc3iftj9tmU7AfYXkdxP0lCbIxx1xVt7CvbzwcvV3n6HqfLnKS-ocsk6ve-Y1jXsTPw38p/s1600-h/Persephone.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 266px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWuc2AGB5wLVgB1sWX58f93dbecF5SVpD1jlSzBvbAjZYwiJmpky7ETB2Kt92spxuv9TNlSLqc3iftj9tmU7AfYXkdxP0lCbIxx1xVt7CvbzwcvV3n6HqfLnKS-ocsk6ve-Y1jXsTPw38p/s400/Persephone.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5329002415873425890" border="0" /></a></span><br /><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-family: arial;">I first heard about Persephone books from my good friend over at <a href="http://cuppateaandcake.blogspot.com/">Cuppa Tea and Cake</a> and a few weeks ago I was given one, 'A Very Great Profession' by Nicola Beauman, as a present. I love the idea behind Persephone, it was set up to publish books by and about women that were not readily available from other publishers. What makes them</span></span><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-family: arial;"> extra special is that each is printed with a plain grey cover, but inside is a wonderfully bright end-paper that has been chosen to match the book.<br /><br />I was in there for sometime as I couldn't decide which book to choose. After much deliberating I settled on 'The Wise Virgins' by Leonard Woolf. He wrote it around the time that he was marrying Virginia Woolf in 1912-1913 and as I am up to 1908 in my Virginia Woolf read (see my other blog <a href="http://thoughtsofthecommonreader.blogspot.com/">here</a>) I thought I might be a good book to read as a break from Virginia Woolf. </span><br /><br /><br /><span style="font-family: arial;">Luckily I had my book bag with me so was able to get it home without it getting scuffed in my bag. All in all a rather fun day out</span><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><a style="font-family: arial;" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjc_w2h0OTDvzEQ4REjITbjLTCOQ7nu0c-WQJ2rwt3TfVgu5qrXXnmYLVipLLy79yRRM7cFgtfzBrs30RW5k8HK251pjAYyxKv413r34fuDEU3dUv0FqZG8gZ_FaAnuYhGmpwdhg55ScUA9/s1600-h/DSC_0026.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 266px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjc_w2h0OTDvzEQ4REjITbjLTCOQ7nu0c-WQJ2rwt3TfVgu5qrXXnmYLVipLLy79yRRM7cFgtfzBrs30RW5k8HK251pjAYyxKv413r34fuDEU3dUv0FqZG8gZ_FaAnuYhGmpwdhg55ScUA9/s400/DSC_0026.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5329002411417005362" border="0" /></a><br /><br /></span>Flohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10312538685856436794noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3366352362353836815.post-59377838041325513342009-04-15T08:23:00.005+01:002009-04-26T14:46:43.839+01:00Hallelujah!<span style="font-size:85%;"><a style="font-family: arial;" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWW7aEKdEXHV4xr50dqv4U5xuwPOesGLBU-oXNnMD1MoI9DVeeoL4utVt9V2AuvdtaHPtAe6rUufRxF81fO7HGr6tWghBqhA_kqR9ZBHyyOZ_u79NmuJIKh7hb-Vp57shyphenhyphenuTjL7_yPLF7h/s1600-h/DSC_0025.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 267px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWW7aEKdEXHV4xr50dqv4U5xuwPOesGLBU-oXNnMD1MoI9DVeeoL4utVt9V2AuvdtaHPtAe6rUufRxF81fO7HGr6tWghBqhA_kqR9ZBHyyOZ_u79NmuJIKh7hb-Vp57shyphenhyphenuTjL7_yPLF7h/s400/DSC_0025.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5324815623314044674" border="0" /></a><span style="font-family:arial;">On Tuesday 14th April I went to see Handel’s Messiah at Westminster Abbey. The performance marked the 250th anniversary of Handel’s death and poignantly it was performed in the place in which he is buried.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">It is the first time that I have seen the work performed in it’s entirety. I took part in a Messiah workshop last year with the choral society that I sing with. We spent the day rehearsing the piece and then performed it to an audience of friends and family in the evening. It was great fun and also my first attempt at a solo. </span> <span style="font-family:arial;">Singing is something that I have always done, but only started doing it again recently after a break of five years.<br /><br />My Great-Grandmother sang all her life, right into her 70’s and my Grandfather also sang and played the organ for many years. I have programmes of Messiah concerts that my Great-Grandmother took part in dating back to 1917 so it is exciting for me to watch or take part in something that she took part in over 80 years ago.<br /><br /></span></span><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhagdln1xwvegQaOfTumlQQR7cifqZGGLj0QZB2AcZRHHyTtsooHgLxltiP-S0l8cNNOAOeMGgEFJYfokU9w8x_pC5hwG8d0cuLasF99vxAjg2noCeCqlBef22kXVTYCtX7hYrdeuHZ1HUQ/s1600-h/DSC_0031.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 266px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhagdln1xwvegQaOfTumlQQR7cifqZGGLj0QZB2AcZRHHyTtsooHgLxltiP-S0l8cNNOAOeMGgEFJYfokU9w8x_pC5hwG8d0cuLasF99vxAjg2noCeCqlBef22kXVTYCtX7hYrdeuHZ1HUQ/s400/DSC_0031.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5328995765762435298" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-family:arial;"><br /></span><span style="font-family:arial;">Westminster Abbey is a wonderful place to have a concert, the sound just carries right up into the roof. I haven’t been there since I was a child so we took the opportunity to have a wander round in the interval. I am amazed at how a the abbey was ever built. It is huge and the craftsmanship that would have gone into it, and the time it would have taken is amazing! </span> <span style="font-family:arial;"><br /><br />The choir sounded superb with really beautiful treble voices and the soloists were really good too. I particularly enjoyed the Tenor soloist, Paul Agnew. He had a very clear voice and his articulation and expressions really added to the atmosphere of the evening. He is going to be performing at Covent Garden this year in Acis and Galatea. At my last concert with the choral society we sang a couple of pieces from Acis and Galatea so I would like to see it being sung professionally and would also love to hear Paul Agnew sing again.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">My mum asked me to bring my score with me so that she could follow the piece. It is interesting how differently people hear music and I think she got more out of the piece by following the score rather than being a passive listener. </span> <span style="font-family:arial;">We have decided to try to attend the Messiah sing along at the Albert Hall in November. Whilst some people think that Messiah should not be performed on a larger scale, we both think that singing the Hallelujah chorus in the Albert Hall with several hundred other people would be quite an experience! </span> </span>Flohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10312538685856436794noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3366352362353836815.post-88315568693587341152009-04-08T23:24:00.003+01:002009-04-09T16:06:26.421+01:00Dunwich - March 2009<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMNB315bVfycpIDIFLIhoWovfLSUip1R8Ks9czgzGShQNL5hqtUycGFVO2YXS6aC396fsSOgXslgQy-GsuxJ9j2yujK0-93B7vJWchg_v4ptlic5ZFDLHNs-Nr0W4oRlzHX4Udzd52-FD3/s1600-h/DSC_0062.JPG"><span style="font-family:arial;font-size:85%;"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5322451309201944434" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: pointer; HEIGHT: 266px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMNB315bVfycpIDIFLIhoWovfLSUip1R8Ks9czgzGShQNL5hqtUycGFVO2YXS6aC396fsSOgXslgQy-GsuxJ9j2yujK0-93B7vJWchg_v4ptlic5ZFDLHNs-Nr0W4oRlzHX4Udzd52-FD3/s400/DSC_0062.JPG" border="0" /></span></a><span style="font-family:arial;font-size:85%;"><br /><br /> A couple of weeks ago I made my annual trip to Dunwich for fish and chips at The Flora Tea rooms and a walk on the beach. Over the years mine and another family have met there on Mothering Sunday, but this year the numbers were somewhat depleted so it was just me and my mum.<br /><br />Dunwich, or what is left of it as most of it has fallen into the sea, is typical of the Suffolk Coastline. A vast expanse of heath meets the shoreline at a dune of pebbles that cascade down towards the sea. We had great fun rummaging amongst the pebbles to look for hag stones which can be hung up together to keep witches away. If you are lucky, or spend a large amount of time looking, you can find pieces of amber mixed in amongst the stones.<br /><br />We started off by having lunch at the tea rooms. It is a simple wooden shack and it serves large plates of fish and chips with pots of tea all on old fashioned green ceramic plates. In the very British tradition of “if the sun is shining make the most of it” we sat outside even though the air was a little nippy. </span><br /><span style="font-family:Arial;font-size:85%;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:arial;font-size:85%;"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5322451308519994962" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: pointer; HEIGHT: 266px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5Gs5igZ28eeLP2L7UsVSVcKfm4t-dXvZHpSoXrxU-jPUpGucN6dE8v8v1ERxT2H5ijVuscQ5356KLICj4zB9QZd-TOnvoCrqVrMYeql-XvtEJvfb6p4BBANZO2J6bqSoJeXL2WRjw9bWf/s400/DSC_0040.JPG" border="0" /><br /><br />After lunch we walked off our chips braving it over the dunes and into the wind. There is something very simple about Dunwich, next to the tea rooms are a few boats and dotted up the coast might be a few people fishing or walking, but other than that it is really empty. </span><br /><span style="font-family:arial;font-size:85%;"><br /> <img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5322451308236758226" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: pointer; HEIGHT: 266px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAfTXg8p8bxnOXCXTMamFfz2sUqNbMtoTUNfyIKV6_SurknVhjRZE5TfiLXOQf8bsNBRcd3ccGsmSo4C6Er9lv3kEdwNi-26UiIgv9Nd8gJ7EwAvKcUUDi6CjmPSEv2_PHZGZa_DNRG-NV/s400/DSC_0051.JPG" border="0" /><br />Aside from the chips and the beautiful scenery the thing I enjoy about going to Dunwich is stopping at Westleton, the village before Dunwich, and visiting the second hand book shop. Set in a Methodist church, this is one of those quirky little finds. The books are piled up in bookcases or boxes, but all are labelled by type. A door out to the back office has a sign that says “Hit can with stick for attention” and sure enough if you do this the proprietor will come out and answer your questions and even offer you a cup of tea or coffee. I picked up a couple of 1940’s penguin classics to add to my ever-growing collection…</span><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdqu3G84dcwiPeYgTvrK7SVr7WUU-AFjJRYmZ4lEwwC7X351637Ey7B-NZh69zkRW_ItH_kgoV_t03yZH76stVF-Mf-QC-YG80mPUtylscy2K21N1f-Tm5PGJC3_EUjfNcDEiXYnfpk83t/s1600-h/DSC_0037.JPG"><span style="font-family:arial;font-size:85%;"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5322451300211995458" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 266px; CURSOR: pointer; HEIGHT: 400px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdqu3G84dcwiPeYgTvrK7SVr7WUU-AFjJRYmZ4lEwwC7X351637Ey7B-NZh69zkRW_ItH_kgoV_t03yZH76stVF-Mf-QC-YG80mPUtylscy2K21N1f-Tm5PGJC3_EUjfNcDEiXYnfpk83t/s400/DSC_0037.JPG" border="0" /></span></a><span style="font-family:arial;font-size:85%;"><br /></span>Flohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10312538685856436794noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3366352362353836815.post-46870119143143413252009-03-08T22:07:00.002+00:002009-03-08T22:13:26.808+00:00Beth Chatto Garden<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSVSVn-43eBatuQwEcA3Aduj7GsqA3P3At2GAJgD_FnjTRe2sCC9O6x0wEpNTMVmats4TCSei73VCHYuEljZpSJQ6E_V3qusT4KOdTA0ra8kig628MI4HunPpngKzBCdFgi2_ejiMbwoS8/s1600-h/Beth+Chatto1.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 266px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSVSVn-43eBatuQwEcA3Aduj7GsqA3P3At2GAJgD_FnjTRe2sCC9O6x0wEpNTMVmats4TCSei73VCHYuEljZpSJQ6E_V3qusT4KOdTA0ra8kig628MI4HunPpngKzBCdFgi2_ejiMbwoS8/s400/Beth+Chatto1.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5310942755879337394" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-family:arial;">Last Saturday marked the beginning of my garden adventures for the year. it was my Mum's birthday so I took her to Beth Chatto's garden just outside of Colchester in Essex.<br /><br />As with so many of the gardens that I have visited I did not know vert much about the garden before I arrived, although my Mum has been suggesting we go for some time now.<br /><br />The garden began life in 1960 as part of Beth Chattos family garden. It was this garden that prompted Beth Chatto to begin to write books about gardening in difficult areas of the garden.<br /><br /><br />As well as the garden there is an extensive nursery where you can buy many of the plants that are featuered in the garden. I came away with a lovely Iris called "George"<br /><br /></span></span><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggtCn468sZFP8vZnPKC-2wUPJPaLkhJCbFgs4_umaSnrzYhC4Q605M-5CckYM6QBFYaMtiQCw7gb3cUcIOvQnflQOIIQqExGJARM07OVBpzJ9CYXyz5OmqlSOXt1Tpm6TZX2dPcB50E_1r/s1600-h/Beth+Chatto4.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 266px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggtCn468sZFP8vZnPKC-2wUPJPaLkhJCbFgs4_umaSnrzYhC4Q605M-5CckYM6QBFYaMtiQCw7gb3cUcIOvQnflQOIIQqExGJARM07OVBpzJ9CYXyz5OmqlSOXt1Tpm6TZX2dPcB50E_1r/s400/Beth+Chatto4.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5310942778637938994" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-family:arial;"><br />The garden itself feels like a real garden. Some of the gardens that I have visited feel very manicured and unachievable. Whilst being a large garden it did not feel overwhelmingly tidy. Plants had been pruned and tidied, but fallen leaves have been left as well as empty pots waiting to be planted up.<br /><br /></span></span><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgttDdeV6qcsV6drOu6YU1aJ8rsrM3dBb_4E_L26gCIs0LhEEjQ-Kla7MWCyFpSLjNVeBmSwi9JaV_BxQL3liH7CwJkxmig1yJcVrS0ro_IgrURiuOm7xetMMqFNlA5vSulzgUNTt830gqy/s1600-h/Beth+Chatto+2.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 266px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgttDdeV6qcsV6drOu6YU1aJ8rsrM3dBb_4E_L26gCIs0LhEEjQ-Kla7MWCyFpSLjNVeBmSwi9JaV_BxQL3liH7CwJkxmig1yJcVrS0ro_IgrURiuOm7xetMMqFNlA5vSulzgUNTt830gqy/s400/Beth+Chatto+2.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5310942761015579554" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-family:arial;"><br /></span></span><br /><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-family:arial;"><br />I liked the way that the garden was divided up into different areas by the type of growing conditions. As you enter the garden from the car park you find yourself in the dry garden. It is an experimental area that is not watered to see how plants cope and ultimately so that the nursery can sell plants that work well in drought conditions. Wishful thinking of a gloriously hot summer for this year and the accompanying hose pipes bans.<br /><br /></span></span><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyiTye-2k6q8muu6O_iHEQf3GIGL6yo5dWfydpia21t4m6JJREp1pstq9ExX14ARZreHbyVWa27JRmlW1IATgi4sLWAbJSfGoNRd3gaez7J9suBoVMYZGRjla4_5poVkecTyRgc3xM4KKe/s1600-h/Beth+Chatto5.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 266px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyiTye-2k6q8muu6O_iHEQf3GIGL6yo5dWfydpia21t4m6JJREp1pstq9ExX14ARZreHbyVWa27JRmlW1IATgi4sLWAbJSfGoNRd3gaez7J9suBoVMYZGRjla4_5poVkecTyRgc3xM4KKe/s400/Beth+Chatto5.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5310943371933649682" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-family:arial;"><br />We think we may have spied Beth Chatto at one of the windows as she lives in the house. I am not sure that I would like to have 100's of visitors wandering through my garden everyday, but then if I had such a lovely garden I may not mind showing it off.<br /><br />The planting felt very natural, particularly in the woodland areas. It gave the garden the feel that it had all just grown up of its own accord. With closer inspection however you can see the work that has been put into the garden.<br /><br /><br /></span></span><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9hSyfvTxCd6TCX0d9N5AVFhDxkd59Lb0a0d0CMYil_vZkHq0u91rf3H_wB2HPG3oN_Gf9PAjZ-nNH3AgBGlclQmG6yqaBAx19acG2efaj7tXTNNR0bum8tcPmbB0ST8yCEHZ7TGKqnWbc/s1600-h/Beth+Chatto3.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 266px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9hSyfvTxCd6TCX0d9N5AVFhDxkd59Lb0a0d0CMYil_vZkHq0u91rf3H_wB2HPG3oN_Gf9PAjZ-nNH3AgBGlclQmG6yqaBAx19acG2efaj7tXTNNR0bum8tcPmbB0ST8yCEHZ7TGKqnWbc/s400/Beth+Chatto3.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5310942767192589794" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-family:arial;">To finish our visit we popped into the tea rooms and had a delicious piece of cake and cup of tea. I really enjoyed visiting the garden but it has left me wanting to know more about Beth Chatto and her techniques of planting and I also want to visit the garden again when more things are in bloom. Another trip later in the year then...</span></span>Flohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10312538685856436794noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3366352362353836815.post-72732484073800644872009-02-02T21:30:00.002+00:002009-02-02T21:35:18.177+00:00A brief interlude from hibernating...<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOQNx2OnFEJrrznwJkHh_pgushVIgjUQonH3YX7peVn-RiAn4nQskC6ZhnRIoEWclcPvJS-xsihUsGcRnHDnlObsdnLSgYcM1ISb8oTXp6Bg0qUJCCu3md2BzLamhoZk2onNFJgPtAuYgX/s1600-h/DSC_0023.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 266px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOQNx2OnFEJrrznwJkHh_pgushVIgjUQonH3YX7peVn-RiAn4nQskC6ZhnRIoEWclcPvJS-xsihUsGcRnHDnlObsdnLSgYcM1ISb8oTXp6Bg0qUJCCu3md2BzLamhoZk2onNFJgPtAuYgX/s400/DSC_0023.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5298316739766025986" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIMYtEk1eCPYIRnCRYSdpGWj47WDQBsKJxXQi7P0BWEakgqUUtzULKUWZSValnAX0ZYimSur4a9sXdG8qRajUcaq9amyqvEgqm7wHYxVbHwkT-tfSdhBcG8EJ_2tzkXGtAD1sQAzM2g3nK/s1600-h/DSC_0020.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 266px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIMYtEk1eCPYIRnCRYSdpGWj47WDQBsKJxXQi7P0BWEakgqUUtzULKUWZSValnAX0ZYimSur4a9sXdG8qRajUcaq9amyqvEgqm7wHYxVbHwkT-tfSdhBcG8EJ_2tzkXGtAD1sQAzM2g3nK/s400/DSC_0020.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5298316732039397634" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-family: arial;font-size:85%;" >I have had so much fun today building "Snulpture" (Snow Sculpture), w</span><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-family:arial;">orth coming out of hibernation for...</span></span>Flohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10312538685856436794noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3366352362353836815.post-81252459553720122932009-02-02T10:44:00.004+00:002009-02-02T10:50:53.749+00:00Winter Hibernation<div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiC9Ha9SE0TdREbrxaBzC4d443Xj7kLCd9p7jI6NjkGNlPww-YGmurpi9UKUohjjycwLElNbOj6hs81stPAo3OJJlHxMXY_Fjb5_uggtcepMjDatFwKdIAg_AdO_JmGuIh_AZav_PMTTbJ5/s1600-h/DSC_0013.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 266px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiC9Ha9SE0TdREbrxaBzC4d443Xj7kLCd9p7jI6NjkGNlPww-YGmurpi9UKUohjjycwLElNbOj6hs81stPAo3OJJlHxMXY_Fjb5_uggtcepMjDatFwKdIAg_AdO_JmGuIh_AZav_PMTTbJ5/s400/DSC_0013.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5298150553224581826" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-family: arial;">It has been far too cold for any exciting outings so I am hibernating until the spring and warmer weather!</span></span><br /></div><br /><br /><img src="file:///Volumes/LaCie/Flo/iPhoto%20Library/Originals/2009/4%20Jan%202009/DSC_0013.JPG" alt="" />Flohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10312538685856436794noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3366352362353836815.post-49930976546121204132008-08-28T12:31:00.005+01:002008-08-28T23:34:15.294+01:00Sissinghurst Castle<span style="font-size:85%;"><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGC5ZvRqdGt9o-CaEEtNsWIDmBvUKTnG85nTt8cIAjkYXcnByjknblblQtr33qwvJP61M7YcwFPH7bqmBJhEgMALTDYCqPi2IMDrDuD6RmxH2nP4oZDHjXJYM51WldUqGQva9ilYsqETn4/s1600-h/DSC_0008.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGC5ZvRqdGt9o-CaEEtNsWIDmBvUKTnG85nTt8cIAjkYXcnByjknblblQtr33qwvJP61M7YcwFPH7bqmBJhEgMALTDYCqPi2IMDrDuD6RmxH2nP4oZDHjXJYM51WldUqGQva9ilYsqETn4/s400/DSC_0008.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5239531985566747218" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /></span><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-family:arial;">I have wanted to visit Sissinghurst Castle for a long time. I first heard the name when I began reading about Virginia Woolf and the Bloomsbury Group. It was not until sometime later though that I realised that it had a fabulous garden and even then I was not really sure what it would be like. Despite only being a 20 minute drive down the road from where I live and being a member of the National Trust I have only just been to visit it this weekend.</span> <span style="font-family:arial;"> </span> <span style="font-family:arial;"><br /><br /><br />My mum arrived at my house on Saturday morning in time for a quick coffee before we set off to find the castle. The drive down through the Kent countryside is very relaxing with stunning views of the Kent Downs. Sissinghurst village itself is very pretty, we were drawn to the antique shop but resisted and drove down the road to the castle that is just off the main road that runs through the village. It is a very narrow road with 6ft high hedges running along both sides so you have no idea what the castle looks like and it is only once you have parked the car and walked through a small wood that you actually see it.</span> <span style="font-family:arial;"> </span> <span style="font-family:arial;"><br /><br />What I hadn’t appreciated is that the castle is in fact a ruin of a once grand castle. When you first walk up to the castle you can see the tower poking up and you just assume that the rest of the castle is hidden by the building in front of you. It is only when you get through the main gate that you see that the tower is in fact standing on it’s own and there is no castle to be seen!<br /><br /></span><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEife3X58xijw9loexfZ76i4HfZWgCxT04XBvEC6eu45IUEASGW6daK26k3OBOF8eWJjh2hRhCg0tAhtGK1qEtu8HsgviEoUc9JMqfKDbMiroJwe0O23EgrGYZbqEePzPkOxe1AShzGWF5Gl/s1600-h/DSC_0017.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEife3X58xijw9loexfZ76i4HfZWgCxT04XBvEC6eu45IUEASGW6daK26k3OBOF8eWJjh2hRhCg0tAhtGK1qEtu8HsgviEoUc9JMqfKDbMiroJwe0O23EgrGYZbqEePzPkOxe1AShzGWF5Gl/s400/DSC_0017.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5239531991808009090" border="0" /></a><br /></span><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-family:arial;"><br />It has taken many different forms over the hundreds of years that it has been standing and there is quite a good summary<a href="http://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/main/w-vh/w-visits/w-findaplace/w-sissinghurstcastlegarden/w-sissinghurstcastlegarden-history.htm"> here</a>.<br /><br /></span></span><span style="display: block;" id="formatbar_Buttons"><span class="" style="display: block;" id="formatbar_CreateLink" title="Link" onmouseover="ButtonHoverOn(this);" onmouseout="ButtonHoverOff(this);" onmouseup="" onmousedown="CheckFormatting(event);FormatbarButton('richeditorframe', this, 8);ButtonMouseDown(this);"></span></span><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-family:arial;">We started off by having lunch at the restaurant that is housed in a refurbished barn. The food was delicious, I loved the home made chutney that is made from vegetables that are grown in the garden. They are currently working on producing more home grown food at the site which is great. The windows of the restaurant, large wooden frames that blend into the scenery, allow you to enjoy the pretty view whilst staying in the warm as it was a bit overcast at this point.<br /><br /></span><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjRpxNhf4bD3O-sxMXvLWsG4b0gHB4NVSSX3jI2lMIyB3wccmjpm8nfoCqBgK4w2O6elf1DD21piMtIEIgYzhj2rLXFth7zixqSOVd2BxQk4Y7-n8GOqXqZdGhqGK8OR6IVSOV6TRvv5vO/s1600-h/DSC_0011.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjRpxNhf4bD3O-sxMXvLWsG4b0gHB4NVSSX3jI2lMIyB3wccmjpm8nfoCqBgK4w2O6elf1DD21piMtIEIgYzhj2rLXFth7zixqSOVd2BxQk4Y7-n8GOqXqZdGhqGK8OR6IVSOV6TRvv5vO/s400/DSC_0011.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5239531997144954658" border="0" /></a><br /></span><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-family:arial;"><br />I assured Mum that by the time we had finished our lunch the weather would have improved and sure enough, when we set off towards the garden the sun had come out.</span> <span style="font-family:arial;"> </span> <span style="font-family:arial;"><br /><br />For me, the real interest in the garden is the last family of occupants, Vita Sackville-West and her husband Harold Nicholson. I am fascinated by the Bloomsbury set and I have read about Sissinghurst Castle in Virgina Woolf’s diaries. The garden was developed by Vita and Harold and they were inspired by the gardener Gertrude Jekyll. It is set out into lots of different areas, each with its own theme and distinct planting scheme. Some areas are very formal, whilst others are much wilder and flowing. Moving around the garden you get a feel for the different themes that they were trying to achieve in the garden, but this becomes much clearer when you see the views from the tower. You can very clearly see the different areas of the garden and the blocks of colour really stand out.</span> <span style="font-family:arial;"> </span> <span style="font-family:arial;">The borders around the edge of the first part of the garden before the tower are absolutely full of plants in contrast to the delicate climbing roses on the wall of the library.<br /><br /></span><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVPOJLYxku6ZNx4GXRtnNfnaJfOELNgWsDIO890bM2iQSbL1upLDie84Q1a9wxUKhv9GACCptgVXczGkZXRrymP_Kw7R1-BP3CYceyaYeeZSwjUoVn-Xga9kGeCcaR70NG3vFmccCPcooR/s1600-h/DSC_0022.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVPOJLYxku6ZNx4GXRtnNfnaJfOELNgWsDIO890bM2iQSbL1upLDie84Q1a9wxUKhv9GACCptgVXczGkZXRrymP_Kw7R1-BP3CYceyaYeeZSwjUoVn-Xga9kGeCcaR70NG3vFmccCPcooR/s400/DSC_0022.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5239532009921905826" border="0" /></a><br /></span><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-family:arial;"><br />The grass is immaculate and I felt really bad walking across it and wanted to pick up the stray leaf that had blown onto it.</span> <span style="font-family:arial;"> </span> <span style="font-family:arial;">The tower itself is a wonderful part of the estate. Vita had her writing room up here and peering in through the door you can see a room full of books as well as her writing desk. The space where she wrote is surrounded by all sorts of little trinkets and large picture of her friend Virginia Woolf. Although the weather had improved there was still quite a breeze at the top of the tower, but what a place to go when you are lacking inspiration.</span> <span style="font-family:arial;"><br /><br /></span><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaVGx3lGo5pxT33b9cIpp20eNf-ou0wlbB0E1L_VMTSziDAaKsejvg-HZWNWrnEMgCQfpRWVSNX84qGHW-ZFMIAHlyM6Z0Bidfk0bdPWi1Xwtl_hJCO9GGSJbF4eNkrj-xVcb8ct_NNjJD/s1600-h/DSC_0030.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaVGx3lGo5pxT33b9cIpp20eNf-ou0wlbB0E1L_VMTSziDAaKsejvg-HZWNWrnEMgCQfpRWVSNX84qGHW-ZFMIAHlyM6Z0Bidfk0bdPWi1Xwtl_hJCO9GGSJbF4eNkrj-xVcb8ct_NNjJD/s400/DSC_0030.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5239532016669680946" border="0" /></a><br /></span><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-family:arial;"><br />Having come down from the tower we wandered through into the wilder part of the garden. The grass has been allowed to grow long and there are bee hives dotted about amongst the fruit trees. The original moat of the castle still exists and I think it would be wonderful to row a boat along it on a cool summer evening.<br /><br /></span><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQdWMoiKl9H9flOUTYMY1kPOtiOkSreUhmR6cmm6-FqUViJ-KgShPPIYSlhughTHxAx1ViV2FOxxtDVY6Yt73DG1vU_eQw6YP-7hPx36EPe3hWv4A_smiqMM91xT4KB7yqHkb3r84QbiPr/s1600-h/DSC_0038.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQdWMoiKl9H9flOUTYMY1kPOtiOkSreUhmR6cmm6-FqUViJ-KgShPPIYSlhughTHxAx1ViV2FOxxtDVY6Yt73DG1vU_eQw6YP-7hPx36EPe3hWv4A_smiqMM91xT4KB7yqHkb3r84QbiPr/s400/DSC_0038.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5239589689671760274" border="0" /></a><br /><br /></span><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-family:arial;">The pavilion at the corner of the garden was built in memory of Harold Nicholson by his sons in 1969 following his death in 1968. From the garden it doesn’t look very impressive, but from the footpath on the edge of the garden you can take a peek inside.</span> <span style="font-family:arial;"> </span> <span style="font-family:arial;">Following the moat round you are brought to the more formal area of the garden. This pot here really needed to be taken with a person in the picture, as it was huge, about 4ft tall!<br /><br /></span><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPaEG7EmwgVr7S-_G3-TRT_NKwnA3izZ98SR9LKZ5Qz3iMjeSSxfsDRjGRPevAFpKW2BeJOWS19VHDkBscJXmp06U_adrXqSwFGLDPh9WjZzVNKYJdPGsT2ltcbKuFSZY67hOzqCa3lmJY/s1600-h/DSC_0047.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPaEG7EmwgVr7S-_G3-TRT_NKwnA3izZ98SR9LKZ5Qz3iMjeSSxfsDRjGRPevAFpKW2BeJOWS19VHDkBscJXmp06U_adrXqSwFGLDPh9WjZzVNKYJdPGsT2ltcbKuFSZY67hOzqCa3lmJY/s400/DSC_0047.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5239589692306683106" border="0" /></a><br /></span><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-family:arial;">There is certainly plenty of room here for oversized pots without them detracting from the rest of the garden.</span> <span style="font-family:arial;"> </span> <span style="font-family:arial;">Winding back down through we found ourselves in the hot garden which also has a cottage in it (which you can see from the top of the tower).<br /><br /></span><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtFDRJwfupP7rXNmawR1Yd6Nd-NtKtJPHKMuz11x8kiIyhBxqMJ-mB2yPAR5snTjscsrHuLDdNAHAGVq-mzpNbRo0LgHdBXtHzCP85PH0ZHUXHr5ipeHa1PQso73735P_2_61rZJQVtCw-/s1600-h/DSC_0061.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtFDRJwfupP7rXNmawR1Yd6Nd-NtKtJPHKMuz11x8kiIyhBxqMJ-mB2yPAR5snTjscsrHuLDdNAHAGVq-mzpNbRo0LgHdBXtHzCP85PH0ZHUXHr5ipeHa1PQso73735P_2_61rZJQVtCw-/s400/DSC_0061.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5239589694998236834" border="0" /></a><br /></span><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-family:arial;"><br />I would be quite happy with a house and garden this size and it really demonstrates how big the estate is that this is just one small part of it. I loved the colour of this pot and the contrast with the orange and green of Osteospermum in it.<br /><br /></span><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhz3M7_Jmt0w4bSnKtkjtcbdDaGi04ycE_c__b5FL3HWvkXzubXryr1gkXlCAthaRJZh11iGyIH8mTn8Px2f6RZbibK-WJuxlxQ6sVTnyvP8l0XzoU1dzvK0Xq1JMFvzW4JEe8E4RGRngtA/s1600-h/DSC_0066.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhz3M7_Jmt0w4bSnKtkjtcbdDaGi04ycE_c__b5FL3HWvkXzubXryr1gkXlCAthaRJZh11iGyIH8mTn8Px2f6RZbibK-WJuxlxQ6sVTnyvP8l0XzoU1dzvK0Xq1JMFvzW4JEe8E4RGRngtA/s400/DSC_0066.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5239589705924924626" border="0" /></a><br /></span><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-family:arial;"><br />The garden really does live up to it’s name as all of the plants in it are deep fiery red and orange colours with touches of pink and yellow too. I would love to see this garden in the winter to see if it still has that warm feeling.</span> <span style="font-family:arial;"> </span> <span style="font-family:arial;">We headed back towards the moat and I was pleased to find some borders that were more on my scale. These borders ran the length of the wall and I could see the remains of the alliums that had been planted there. It is about the same width as my borders and I think I will be planting some of this in my garden.<br /><br /></span><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0goeYBWLOzKowYyfkYca-WMg_p61dXbuOlAmRkw875H_ZSCNdxZgJNvlPSkNhNUZ0atQI22h32GS1nmoIx-Lhk5MepChrvwEE1AR837F7fTOTELBgDyphOwyPZqEz3Hk67ABWYxLZA3_E/s1600-h/DSC_0078.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0goeYBWLOzKowYyfkYca-WMg_p61dXbuOlAmRkw875H_ZSCNdxZgJNvlPSkNhNUZ0atQI22h32GS1nmoIx-Lhk5MepChrvwEE1AR837F7fTOTELBgDyphOwyPZqEz3Hk67ABWYxLZA3_E/s400/DSC_0078.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5239602346926441298" border="0" /></a><br /></span><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-family:arial;"><br />We finished up in the white garden where we spotted this perfectly coloured little white butterfly. The seperation of the gardens by colour really helps to make distinct areas, but the style of planting is also very different. In the white garden the planting is quite informal but each bed is divided up by a very rigid box hedge.</span> <span style="font-family:arial;"> </span> <span style="font-family:arial;"><br /><br /></span><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh31-iMt1Dt6yrzNb9FDpC7j6uFJm5WrcGfvhDX6yUXHlTJ8MKuzAN26ZKxH5LAWo6ZkVtUfK9jVKJNA7DrbtnzslP1gwYcgjLmfQ2Pt-avtjHZx5DmFPm9o3k3M709siWTDsgWTwRy82AA/s1600-h/DSC_0097.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh31-iMt1Dt6yrzNb9FDpC7j6uFJm5WrcGfvhDX6yUXHlTJ8MKuzAN26ZKxH5LAWo6ZkVtUfK9jVKJNA7DrbtnzslP1gwYcgjLmfQ2Pt-avtjHZx5DmFPm9o3k3M709siWTDsgWTwRy82AA/s400/DSC_0097.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5239602348546556274" border="0" /></a><br /></span><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-family:arial;"><br />I felt that the garden was almost too big, I was ready for a cup of tea and piece of cake at the restaurant by the time we had walked around. It is definitely one to visit again and again so that you can see how it changes throughout the year and really get to know the different gardens. I don’t know what it would be like to live with. Obviously you would have to have a whole team of people maintaining the site, but I think I would prefer something more on the scale of Charleston. You can very easily get lost at Sissinghurst, and you could spend your whole day not seeing anyone if you wandered off to a quiet part of the garden. I did however get lots of inspiration from the garden and there are several things that I would like to try in my own garden, even if it is on a smaller scale.</span> <span style="font-family:arial;"> </span> <span style="font-family:arial;"><br /><br /></span><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6jr56q6dUKpnHieEgDgaK1Zs_0cCKXw9ntdJJoDYhDNN2b6yFlAoRU02lAYBGZwKvL7QrSC0AYQwM-LGb_O3ST-4HTp68C6FPV_Yk7_A1-WoAv8T0fBv5HBJJCBhjhUqILVpuNCUTUABh/s1600-h/DSC_0114.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6jr56q6dUKpnHieEgDgaK1Zs_0cCKXw9ntdJJoDYhDNN2b6yFlAoRU02lAYBGZwKvL7QrSC0AYQwM-LGb_O3ST-4HTp68C6FPV_Yk7_A1-WoAv8T0fBv5HBJJCBhjhUqILVpuNCUTUABh/s400/DSC_0114.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5239602355983413202" border="0" /></a><br /></span><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-family:arial;"><br />One of the unexpected highlights of the day for me was in an exhibition about the history of the castle that we popped into just as we were leaving. In a room about Vita’s friendship with Virginia Woolf there was on display THE “Hogarth Press” (pictured above) that Virginia and Leonard Woolf had used to print some of their early books at Hogarth House in London. Virginia had given it to Vita as a present in 1930. I had seen the printing press when we went into the room, but it was only when I read the information on the wall that it all became clear. I hadn’t quite appreciated that Virginia and Leonard had printed books by hand, page by page, setting the type for each page by hand.</span> <span style="font-family:arial;"> </span> <span style="font-family:arial;"><br /><br />I really enjoyed my day out at Sissinghurst and as I have just renewed my National Trust membership I will be visiting it again soon</span></span>Flohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10312538685856436794noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3366352362353836815.post-42731321091584022922008-08-18T21:59:00.006+01:002008-08-18T22:16:45.326+01:00Whitstable - A Visit To The Seaside<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjV_rQcuXcKJBNJcBqzizcfggJSgKW-BECpkuVwMs0Qpm_cE-tqSdiLS4-tGSQNrsTLWdtA_bZKecR6cd0u7krAFkXq1maErPJj38OSd5xTlAq08HIwTI62Npf0Lprb7nLUeomFBnorcH1B/s1600-h/DSC_0052.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 255px; height: 169px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjV_rQcuXcKJBNJcBqzizcfggJSgKW-BECpkuVwMs0Qpm_cE-tqSdiLS4-tGSQNrsTLWdtA_bZKecR6cd0u7krAFkXq1maErPJj38OSd5xTlAq08HIwTI62Npf0Lprb7nLUeomFBnorcH1B/s200/DSC_0052.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5235965897006624098" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-family:arial;">My Mum and I took my very French cousin William and his very French friend Kevin (Not such a French name) on a very English seaside trip to Whitstable. We had packed a picnic and despite the weather being a little overcast, windy and about to rain we put down the picnic rug and carried on regardless. I'm not sure what Kevin and William made of all of this, but they did seem to be rather relieved when we retreated to the car for a cup of tea and home-made flapjack.</span> <span style="font-family:arial;">I had been to Whitstable a couple of time before, but only to the beach, so I had not really explored the rest of the town. I really love a trip to the seaside, but what I love about Whitstable is that it has retained to many of the old features and whilst it does have lots of "mod cons" the high street still has a unique character and has not been turned into the generic high street that so many towns now have.</span><br /><br /></span><br /><span style="font-size:85%;"><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">After our tea and flapjack, we set off to explore the harbour which is still very much a working harbour.<br /><br /></span></span><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTt1aNj2My3jWQZvVxQx9eLyn8qBYoB10GeXGOrXt7eho1rqaeuy9J60ZED6poq7XU9sdQOFs9EwoVMVG8QJUezeji8bO3sVnYSYBT6JEmNOWNh5KXOhCgZmSQ8xP4xx8GbNsB1ts_NUBx/s1600-h/DSC_0028.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 172px; height: 258px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTt1aNj2My3jWQZvVxQx9eLyn8qBYoB10GeXGOrXt7eho1rqaeuy9J60ZED6poq7XU9sdQOFs9EwoVMVG8QJUezeji8bO3sVnYSYBT6JEmNOWNh5KXOhCgZmSQ8xP4xx8GbNsB1ts_NUBx/s200/DSC_0028.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5235967854290549330" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-family:arial;"><br />There were posters up campaigning to keep the harbour as a place of work and not to turn it into a shopping district. There were several beach hut style buildings that looked like they housed craft shops, but as we were there on a week day they were not open. I am a vegetarian and do not eat fish, but I think it is important to keep local industries working. Many of the restaurants advertise the fish on their menu as having come from straight from the sea, fresh and local. And whilst I don't eat it myself, I bet it tastes so much better than something that has been sat in a freezer for a few weeks.</span> <span style="font-family:arial;">So with none of us sampling the local catch, Kevin didn't like that look of the cockles, we headed off to the high street.<br /><br />It is very exciting to wander up the high street, many of the shop fronts have kept their original features but inside are all sorts of wonderful shops.<br /><br /></span></span><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixmT-5JL7YIwIlFXOt8o-ZIg4C3NlNF_FNlFnbrW3V3__7R9OlWrLeu9RUuJxuJsKSdXWIUitmUWZjlekzp0CzlBt3_syCvmdY0btPHQet9z50XdDsgnuIAX8jS9v9fIeLz8_Ofu7dqPkm/s1600-h/DSC_0034.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 186px; height: 279px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixmT-5JL7YIwIlFXOt8o-ZIg4C3NlNF_FNlFnbrW3V3__7R9OlWrLeu9RUuJxuJsKSdXWIUitmUWZjlekzp0CzlBt3_syCvmdY0btPHQet9z50XdDsgnuIAX8jS9v9fIeLz8_Ofu7dqPkm/s200/DSC_0034.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5235967851123865106" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-family:arial;">The ice cream parlour, Sundae Sundae... a Seaside Store, is a real treasure trove. Selling local handmade ice cream, it also has lots of souvenirs that look back to the days when people used to go on holiday to the seaside. I bought some 1950's inspired liquorice allsorts napkins. Another shop selling lots of lovely things, bags, tea towels and books had a lovely garden at the back. None of these shops had very much room, but every last little space was filled with something pretty and interesting to look at.</span><br /><br /></span><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6Wfq8yt9hrW0uh8ZxeW3B_7rV-WuvjMTWvt6IaDAJli_yPfru3JiJbihtbBzV4KOuxEYymUNiliB78hpLnV9z-WaWXrjWCJOgZAy3UFEtwkwJ2f8CibYeadPuSOR8U8UpiqjhRF2cMH7-/s1600-h/DSC_0053.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 301px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6Wfq8yt9hrW0uh8ZxeW3B_7rV-WuvjMTWvt6IaDAJli_yPfru3JiJbihtbBzV4KOuxEYymUNiliB78hpLnV9z-WaWXrjWCJOgZAy3UFEtwkwJ2f8CibYeadPuSOR8U8UpiqjhRF2cMH7-/s200/DSC_0053.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5235967858803577714" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-size:85%;"><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">We continued up the high street, through to the Horseybridge arts centre which hosts a whole variety of things and back onto the beach where we saw this pile of crates.<br /><br /></span></span><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQo5eWn4wXorPVTkN1aqT_DBrxydW0Xa5VH8S_qVXwv07DJoAdOYfNRykNH5GqWhBQYMRbMtoc975yaIxFXS95MMU4QUYRF2ZoMRbmTBqyjiMZMgf7Pr-F3MdphNkz9syJXUc8Omrmp2Zf/s1600-h/DSC_0049.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 259px; height: 172px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQo5eWn4wXorPVTkN1aqT_DBrxydW0Xa5VH8S_qVXwv07DJoAdOYfNRykNH5GqWhBQYMRbMtoc975yaIxFXS95MMU4QUYRF2ZoMRbmTBqyjiMZMgf7Pr-F3MdphNkz9syJXUc8Omrmp2Zf/s200/DSC_0049.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5235967867381160754" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-family:arial;"><br />It is actually an oyster shell recycling point! </span> <span style="font-family:arial;">Whistable really does seem to be proof that trade and tourism can live and work side by side, with a bit of recycling thrown in for good measure. I'm sure I will be back there again and again...</span></span>Flohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10312538685856436794noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3366352362353836815.post-44817492844300748472008-07-20T14:40:00.000+01:002008-12-12T04:43:48.782+00:00The Chelsea Physic Garden<span style="font-family: arial;font-size:85%;" >A few weeks ago I visited the Chelsea Physic garden with my Mum. I had bought her a membership to the garden for her birthday but did not have any idea what the garden was. So I took a day off work mid week and we met in London<br /><br /></span><a style="font-family: arial;" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLF0QqB65i0Kf5C8arxxLBOIj6-dqiWWNMkTmW0auX7rAPax2BEcd6hdf0Vn8FN1UN9Nnbv4eiqN453WBrQcfwlmTsnBq1DL5RPqoqgquGNZonS7HP34NxvGq6X6ndOYz0sC7rvDu_7Be5/s1600-h/Chlesea+Physic+Garden.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLF0QqB65i0Kf5C8arxxLBOIj6-dqiWWNMkTmW0auX7rAPax2BEcd6hdf0Vn8FN1UN9Nnbv4eiqN453WBrQcfwlmTsnBq1DL5RPqoqgquGNZonS7HP34NxvGq6X6ndOYz0sC7rvDu_7Be5/s200/Chlesea+Physic+Garden.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5225091198184751378" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-family: arial;font-size:85%;" ><br />The garden is a short walk from the busy shopping street of The Kings Road. On the way you pass some lovely old houses, all beautifully maintained with painted railings and window boxes full of flowers. The garden is surrounded by large walls on all sides and the entrance is through a small gate off a little side street. As you step into the garden you suddenly forget that you are in London.<br /><br />The garden was founded in 1673 as a garden for apothecaries to train their aprentices in identifying different species of plant. Over the years it has been taken over by various people and many different varieties of plant have been brought here from all over the world. You can read more about it's history here... http://www.chelseaphysicgarden.co.uk/garden/index.html<br /><br />We started off by having lunch from the small cafe that they have. It was a refreshing experience as the cafe is not at all commercial. There is a table at the end of a room where there are various salads, quiches and cakes laid out for you to choose from as well as homemade lemonade. I had a delicious goats cheese quiche with a sundried tomato base. I think I will be trying to replicate this myself as it was really rather good. There are tables outside so we were able to have our lunch whilst looking out into the garden.<br /><br />The garden is divided up into different areas that are home to different types of plant; Pharmaceutical Beds, Systematic Order Beds Dicotyledons, Systematic Order Beds Monocotyledons etc. When you go into the garden you are given a "Points of Interest" sheet with information that is relevant to that month. It is definately a garden to go to throughout the year and see how it changes with the different seasons.<br /><br />We set off into the Tropical Corridor and Glasshouses to start with as it was just starting to rain. The heat of these is the first thing that hits you, and then you can apreciate the detail of the houses. They are probably of victorian era, wooden doors with detailed brass handles, and great big brass levers for opening the air vents. (I stupidly didn't take my camera so I will just have to visit again to take some more pictures)<br /><br />The Pharmaceutical beds are fascinating as I had just not apreciated how many plants have some sort of medicinal property. Close to these beds is the fibre bed which has a collection of plants that are used to make rope and textiles. It is surrounded by the ropes and has an explanation of where each one is used. It is funny to see the plant where the ropes come as it is not obvious from looking at the plants what they would be used for.<br /><br /></span><a style="font-family: arial;" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgr_5KMnT_2f4Rnd7vI5prH_QyNgnAMFsfy8_tYom2Njbu7vsq_ZE9WmuUgqGVqdRnUt7s-SUgQfjFJ0cUXJmdAUZqsP7Q4WvDYc-Zi3VQjETJk84cx3m8IRxEjYIUSHkAnhTMatd4roPZe/s1600-h/Fibre+Bed.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgr_5KMnT_2f4Rnd7vI5prH_QyNgnAMFsfy8_tYom2Njbu7vsq_ZE9WmuUgqGVqdRnUt7s-SUgQfjFJ0cUXJmdAUZqsP7Q4WvDYc-Zi3VQjETJk84cx3m8IRxEjYIUSHkAnhTMatd4roPZe/s200/Fibre+Bed.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5225091202960673746" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-family: arial;font-size:85%;" ><br />The most fascinating area for me was the Cool Fernery. It was similar in construction to the glasshouse. but it was in the shade, cool and just had different varieties of ferns in it. Mum said that she has a fern that she can give me, so I will have to find a suitable place in the garden for it. There was also a Wardian case in the cool fernery. It is a simple idea, it is like a mini green house and you don't need to water the plants as the closed environment keeps it moist. I have a large glass sweet jar that I am going to try to make into a Wardian case.<br /><br />The great thing about the garden is that it is a working garden and on show all year round, so it is not comeplly neat and tidy. It has also got me interested in the academic side of gardening. I love the sound of Systematic Order Beds Dicotyledons, but I do not really know what this means, and I am hopeless with the latin names of plants. I think I will try to learn more about this over the coming months. The other thing that I loved was that no matter how large or small a plant was, almost all of the potted plants were in terracotta pots, not plastic here.<br /><br />I really enjoyed my visit, and I think that The Chelsea Physic Garden is possibly my favourite place in London. I am going to become a friend of the garden and visit it as much as I can.<br /><br /></span>Flohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10312538685856436794noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3366352362353836815.post-75419424158081936002008-07-20T13:35:00.000+01:002008-12-12T04:43:49.009+00:00My Own Garden<span style="font-family: arial;font-size:85%;" ><br />My own garden is really starting to come along and I feel that I am getting more confidence. It has managed to recover from the arrival of the chickens last year, who as lovely as they are, can really cause a lot of damage in a very short time if they are not watched.<br /><br />My borders are quite poor this year and I have had a real problem with slugs, but I have (so far) been a lot more successful with my vegetable growing. I am starting be able to enjoy going out into the garden and picking things to take inside to eat.<br /><br />This was my haul the other evening<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHym0u5liiyrIykVyNzUu1HJyGiarYfva6cwgzDDeG85YEL8geDmwUrGupzBj-WHuxXIYyQ_QT5zbiMcJR1PkMcqpfv51dJtpFPnKRgq4rNo8VFnfbYzYJBd-K3tuyPVlWLbLuEBQTaobB/s1600-h/DSC_0031.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHym0u5liiyrIykVyNzUu1HJyGiarYfva6cwgzDDeG85YEL8geDmwUrGupzBj-WHuxXIYyQ_QT5zbiMcJR1PkMcqpfv51dJtpFPnKRgq4rNo8VFnfbYzYJBd-K3tuyPVlWLbLuEBQTaobB/s200/DSC_0031.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5225074622937395522" border="0" /></a>Tiny but certainly moving in the right direction. The strawberries were delicious and I have been able to have a small vase of sweet pea for several weeks now. I have had a couple of courgettes too and the tomatoes and potatoes are thriving. I am not quite ready to live from my own produce (I think I would be rather hungry) but it is one, all be it small, step closer.<br /><br />So much of gardening ins unknown, how will a plant work in your soil, will the slugs or the chickens destroy it. But when it does work there is something quite magical about seeing a flower, fruit or vegetable that you have nurtured from seed grow and mature.</span>Flohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10312538685856436794noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3366352362353836815.post-25412723321166735522008-06-21T21:23:00.000+01:002008-12-12T04:43:50.692+00:00A Room of One's Own<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh18OQo5s54-JDTKHS-iVYUl_7W7BuSZdVEoctLC8UemFeZtvnd3eVtDrpIHsXm217q5h4j5RxI4Jrk2wJ6MrEF4oCl5d3rlNhXbsM7Sx3l89RVBzoLL2IwErU4LnHft2dYQSSOSDuAY5lB/s1600-h/DSC_0115.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 245px; height: 163px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh18OQo5s54-JDTKHS-iVYUl_7W7BuSZdVEoctLC8UemFeZtvnd3eVtDrpIHsXm217q5h4j5RxI4Jrk2wJ6MrEF4oCl5d3rlNhXbsM7Sx3l89RVBzoLL2IwErU4LnHft2dYQSSOSDuAY5lB/s200/DSC_0115.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5214435486392907394" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-family:arial;">Last Autumn I went on a Bloomsbury tour of Sussex and visited the country houses of the Stephen sisters Virginia</span></span><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-family:arial;"> Woolf and Vanessa Bell. Monks House in Rodmell was Virginia's house. It is a small, understated cottage with a large garden that stretches out into the Sussex downs where Virginia </span></span><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-family:arial;">used to go on regular walks. It is owned by The National Trust, but is lived in by a couple who occupy the upstairs rooms but have left the downstairs areas as Leonard and Virginia would have had them. Monks House was very much a retreat from London for the Woolf's, especially in the late 1930's when London was in the middle of the blitz. It may have been safer to be in the countryside, but it was very much at the centre of the conflict, with The Battle of Britain being fought in the skies</span></span><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-family:arial;"> above.<br /><br /></span><span style="font-family:arial;">My favourite part of the house and gardens was Virginia's writing room, which is a small shed at the bottom of the garden containing a desk, chair and a few simple items.</span></span><br /><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-family:arial;"><br /></span></span><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbtVqz3qXTNCA1Z8-hjq72Rjd8vBfdCVaUYkW-1pZ_kQWnq4432jKdA4QCVXG7Z2kgKBpMDbQaQf4A1OvIlyuNg_19mS5MDNXPsVzVeWevoL_e6CTSs_X0zgcqPkCEh3cJIzUsHuB0CMiN/s1600-h/DSC_0092.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 167px; height: 251px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbtVqz3qXTNCA1Z8-hjq72Rjd8vBfdCVaUYkW-1pZ_kQWnq4432jKdA4QCVXG7Z2kgKBpMDbQaQf4A1OvIlyuNg_19mS5MDNXPsVzVeWevoL_e6CTSs_X0zgcqPkCEh3cJIzUsHuB0CMiN/s200/DSC_0092.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5214434937455306178" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgesS9ZlxtzaUmprdU4MI6CYI-7KCRpS7fti4fNv6R6oe4Adq8vbgFbKu8dfd2OFTJ5B7mKPc_H1PFcaEbjR0kBaAI5Qm-bTQyVDP8sViPIwMEIF51LzfBorF9vNBghxXZ_EnRuMYVqSQLH/s1600-h/DSC_0083.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 165px; height: 248px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgesS9ZlxtzaUmprdU4MI6CYI-7KCRpS7fti4fNv6R6oe4Adq8vbgFbKu8dfd2OFTJ5B7mKPc_H1PFcaEbjR0kBaAI5Qm-bTQyVDP8sViPIwMEIF51LzfBorF9vNBghxXZ_EnRuMYVqSQLH/s200/DSC_0083.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5214434941767828322" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-family:arial;"><br />Just behind the writing shed are the huge vegetable patches that are bigger than my entire garden.</span> <span style="font-family:arial;">I really enjoyed visiting Monk's House because it is was where Virginia Woolf had lived and written some of her novels from. Virginia Woolf is one of my favourite writers, but I only began to enjoy reading her work after I had read about her life. I am fascinated by the connections between her life and her writing and I don't think that you can truly appreciate one without the other. Being able to see some of the places that she writes about in her diaries adds a whole new depth to reading them.</span><br /><br /><br /></span><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1AA6sef41H7n6ASwuog-Drgtx2Ur3rnrh3r7DSe2zGvpuUGjIizMHN8h5F9JAIQMBOmXWwIJU6AidvCu-HKjsV1KFOt6qMw8XlhyvG2Pl3NBQAb3M_UTvga1Ybx-MGRWmAKEGGCCGhXfN/s1600-h/DSC_0072.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 257px; height: 171px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1AA6sef41H7n6ASwuog-Drgtx2Ur3rnrh3r7DSe2zGvpuUGjIizMHN8h5F9JAIQMBOmXWwIJU6AidvCu-HKjsV1KFOt6qMw8XlhyvG2Pl3NBQAb3M_UTvga1Ybx-MGRWmAKEGGCCGhXfN/s200/DSC_0072.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5214436739426541234" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-family:arial;"><br />The visit to Charleston, Vanessa Bell's house, was very much an after thought. The trip itself was another mother/daughter outing and it was my mum who suggested that we call in at Charleston as well. It made sense as it was just down the road from Monk's House, they have a lovely cafe where we were able to have lunch and it was very much a central part of the Bloomsbury Group. I am really pleased that we did this as it is the most beautiful farmhouse and it has been preserved just as Vanessa left it, so it is full of all of the art work she did. Each of the rooms of the house has been decorated by Vanessa, with bold patterns on the walls, doors and fireplaces and contain objects made by various of her artist friends. </span> <span style="font-family:arial;">My favourite room was Vanessa's bedroom which is connected to the studio (which is a brilliant, light space) as well as having two double doors that open out onto the garden.<br /><br /></span></span><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSh-85Dbm8X7wOvvOODZE_xs0GLOMR5hNNE-ZBBM4VKh_pZtYfMcvIaztNhjWLamFNgS0So0hK4OqN-KqD3QU2Y6ol1NLmEskzLi9G1mGq3JAs8yanu1hucSRnJ3ExfiJQwYG4UdQFbBi4/s1600-h/DSC_0052.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 177px; height: 266px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSh-85Dbm8X7wOvvOODZE_xs0GLOMR5hNNE-ZBBM4VKh_pZtYfMcvIaztNhjWLamFNgS0So0hK4OqN-KqD3QU2Y6ol1NLmEskzLi9G1mGq3JAs8yanu1hucSRnJ3ExfiJQwYG4UdQFbBi4/s200/DSC_0052.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5214436727606663074" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-family:arial;"><br />And it really is a fantastic garden. It is much less formal than Monk's House and the borders are full to bursting with brightly coloured, scented flowers.<br /><br /></span></span><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZgMtcBO4fQHdfBeNQc7nRlKcaDbOR98wIanx200v0xE2zXSA7Ek7HrU7i1H5UhRQLP7fi_o9qX_L-bpMkcnTg0jLdnZfpM9mkp8iI2-8tLc6VJRCGtkZ0H6-vwg7FuvjYNDpOHno_sLjS/s1600-h/DSC_0057.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 259px; height: 172px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZgMtcBO4fQHdfBeNQc7nRlKcaDbOR98wIanx200v0xE2zXSA7Ek7HrU7i1H5UhRQLP7fi_o9qX_L-bpMkcnTg0jLdnZfpM9mkp8iI2-8tLc6VJRCGtkZ0H6-vwg7FuvjYNDpOHno_sLjS/s200/DSC_0057.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5214437772411249490" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-family:arial;"><br /><br />Vanessa took her artistic talents outside and there are little touches of her art all over the garden such as these tiles.</span> <span style="font-family:arial;"><br /></span></span><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyFfOd_ZBOjNPQkQPV_pxr5taVjKrD1hMX7VMknAxHAAQqCGTnD1hT1qU3405juFShoDJ_SYVHrFz4k7D1ixqS1S9LcKLYam061V4jKFw5cz2BDJClPIgu58RyLcdVsbnoIcDbbEj9JQHn/s1600-h/DSC_0059.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 263px; height: 160px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyFfOd_ZBOjNPQkQPV_pxr5taVjKrD1hMX7VMknAxHAAQqCGTnD1hT1qU3405juFShoDJ_SYVHrFz4k7D1ixqS1S9LcKLYam061V4jKFw5cz2BDJClPIgu58RyLcdVsbnoIcDbbEj9JQHn/s200/DSC_0059.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5214436732107417170" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-family:arial;"><br />I can't decide which house I prefer because I liked them both, but for different reasons. I know that I would love to live in either of them and I took lots of photos and found it very inspiring for things to try in my garden. </span></span>Flohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10312538685856436794noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3366352362353836815.post-50629097531317839132008-06-12T21:59:00.000+01:002008-12-12T04:43:51.493+00:00An English country garden<span style=";font-family:Arial;font-size:85%;" ><span style="" lang="EN-GB">Whilst I really enjoy tackling my own garden, I also love</span></span><span style=";font-family:Arial;font-size:85%;" ><span style="" lang="EN-GB"> visiting other people’s gardens for inspiration. In the last month I have been to several great places that I have really enjoyed and that have inspired me to try things in my own garden. Visiting gardens is something that I started to do with my mum a few years ago. It is a really </span></span><span style=";font-family:Arial;font-size:85%;" ><span style="" lang="EN-GB">lovely way to spend time together as we both appreciate the gardens and I can gain some knowledge by asking her questions. But we are also spending time together where we are not distracted by the hustle and bustle of day to day life.</span></span><br /><p class="MsoNormal"><br /><span style=";font-family:Arial;font-size:85%;" ><span style="" lang="EN-GB"><br />We took my Mum’s friend Lee and her daughter Cathleen to Wyken Vineyards in Suffolk in May. Lee is American but regularly comes to the UK armed with a list of things she wants to do. She had been to the Vineyard some years ago on an organised tour, but the guide had only allowed her to have lunch there and not to see the garden. Needless to say this time she was not going to miss out on seeing them. It was the most perfect day. The weather was glorious, the sky was a really deep blue with not a cloud in the sky and it made the house in the vineyard, which is a deep terracotta colour, look even more stunning.</span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjItcOmlwtofGwPmdZGzX4Tx9av7DzK3eKt2ETeb-cWrod8XjbcidC46qhTN6ung-4qxrvm1qzrSCwgDaeB4HxawZVHHNy5326z-VzKWhEZiN3iBn9NvY1PrB7tw-rvSk3GfJS4kKGj8sZg/s1600-h/DSC_0163.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjItcOmlwtofGwPmdZGzX4Tx9av7DzK3eKt2ETeb-cWrod8XjbcidC46qhTN6ung-4qxrvm1qzrSCwgDaeB4HxawZVHHNy5326z-VzKWhEZiN3iBn9NvY1PrB7tw-rvSk3GfJS4kKGj8sZg/s320/DSC_0163.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5211103434350560034" border="0" /></a></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style=";font-family:Arial;font-size:85%;" ><span style="" lang="EN-GB">We had lunch at the café before setting off into the vast four acres of gardens. It was interesting to see another mother/daughter pair enjoying the gardens and the four of us all agreed that we are lucky to be able to spend a wonderful day together. I also enjoyed seeing the different breeds of chickens they have roaming around. Since getting my girls I have become obsessed by all things chicken! This little cockerel was my favourite, I think he is a bantam. He tried to crow as loudly as the full size cockerels, he wasn’t as loud but he gave it his all!</span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5-mpGuBCkkz2wRmzTtafVx74affcoeki0UP23DKXQwDd3EuoRm0u-ESJDIlHbHINYnNTXTQ542grLeodpKjJsSwv98CbM_nc0bQHda9PnQkVYBLsrbMzqmJ2AAkdjTnIMngNwrhDSyNk4/s1600-h/DSC_0170.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5-mpGuBCkkz2wRmzTtafVx74affcoeki0UP23DKXQwDd3EuoRm0u-ESJDIlHbHINYnNTXTQ542grLeodpKjJsSwv98CbM_nc0bQHda9PnQkVYBLsrbMzqmJ2AAkdjTnIMngNwrhDSyNk4/s320/DSC_0170.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5211104020742241362" border="0" /></a></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style=";font-family:Arial;font-size:85%;" ><span style="" lang="EN-GB"><br /></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style=";font-family:Arial;font-size:85%;" ><span style="" lang="EN-GB"> </span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style=";font-family:Arial;font-size:85%;" ><span style="" lang="EN-GB"> </span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style=";font-family:Arial;font-size:85%;" ><span style="" lang="EN-GB">Last Saturday was one of my favourite days of the year. A friend of my mum has a beautiful garden and for the last few years she has held a plant swap party. She invites all of her friends round and asks them to bring a plant that they have too much of, they can then wander around her garden (which is not open to the public), eat some home made cake and then at the end of the day everyone dives in to grab a plant or two to take home. It is a great garden and last year it won the Times back garden of the year competition! <a href="http://webmail.conran.com/exchweb/bin/redir.asp?URL=http://property.timesonline.co.uk/tol/life_and_style/property/gardens/article2473795.ece" target="_blank">http://property.timesonline.co.uk/tol/life_and_style/property/gardens/article2473795.ece</a> Despite not having anything to take, Sorrell insisted I went away with something so I have a strawberry plant, an artichoke and a geranium to add to my ever growing plot.</span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style=";font-family:Arial;font-size:85%;" ><span style="" lang="EN-GB"> </span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style=";font-family:Arial;font-size:85%;" ><span style="" lang="EN-GB">And as if that was not enough gardens for one weekend on Sunday I went to the Eye Open Gardens with my Mum and our friend Jess. The village of Eye in Suffolk is very picturesque and has managed to retain a really retro feel to it. This year the church and town hall had organised a weekend of open gardens to raise money for various repairs. We arrived at the town hall at 1:30, paid our entrance money and were handed a map of the town with the 18 open gardens marked. We set off to explore the gardens which were all beautifully numbered by the owners. The gardens we visited were a real mixture of planting styles and ideas. The first one we visited was very well thought out but also clearly loved by the owner. She was sitting in the garden ready to tell all the visitors about the gardens history and what inspired her. </span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style=";font-family:Arial;font-size:85%;" ><span style="" lang="EN-GB"> </span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style=";font-family:Arial;font-size:85%;" ><span style="" lang="EN-GB">We stopped half way through for tea and scones in the town hall, very 1950’s. The spread of sandwiches, scones and cakes was very impressive but as we were off to a tea party of our own we held back. </span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style=";font-family:Arial;font-size:85%;" ><span style="" lang="EN-GB"> </span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style=";font-family:Arial;font-size:85%;" ><span style="" lang="EN-GB">By the time we came to the next set of gardens the sun was blazing hot and we only made it through 9 of the 18 gardens on offer. We did manage to keep going until we got to the garden with the plant sale and I picked up a pot of purple sprouting broccoli. Jess and I even managed to get our picture taken by a reporter from the Diss Express. He thought that a picture of us taking pictures of the plants was an interesting angle to go with. You can see it here http://www.photostoday.co.uk/Gallery.aspx?GalleryID=18214 picture number 8DE0608042<br /></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style=";font-family:Arial;font-size:85%;" ><span style="" lang="EN-GB"><br /></span></span></p><br /><p class="MsoNormal"><span style=";font-family:Arial;font-size:85%;" ><span style="" lang="EN-GB">At the back of the garden with the plant sale is the Eye allotments which are just wonderful. If I could live in a village like this I would be very happy. All in all a thoroughly enjoyable weekend.</span></span><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAUARN3HC1sb5I4OVbEkLJon7Khta1O0d1-0jNSXt-2FZuf1LU4bCBVflZ9o81c2G5dKCSC6keZ0burX64OETT4jxLn8_k37ULIIDfvPpuznE_BjKt19_4mY58iLufxb_GlIoDDBooMUVh/s1600-h/DSC_0132.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAUARN3HC1sb5I4OVbEkLJon7Khta1O0d1-0jNSXt-2FZuf1LU4bCBVflZ9o81c2G5dKCSC6keZ0burX64OETT4jxLn8_k37ULIIDfvPpuznE_BjKt19_4mY58iLufxb_GlIoDDBooMUVh/s320/DSC_0132.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5211477527620136626" border="0" /></a></p><p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style=";font-family:Arial;font-size:85%;" ><span style="" lang="EN-GB"><br /></span></span></p> <span style=";font-family:Arial;font-size:85%;" ><span style="" lang="EN-GB"></span></span>Flohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10312538685856436794noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3366352362353836815.post-86988042786383259892008-06-12T21:57:00.000+01:002008-06-12T21:58:59.136+01:00Strawberries and cream<span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-family: arial;">I have had my first crop of strawberries from the garden. Well, I say crop there was actually only three but they taste delicious. It is so satisfying to grow a plant, water and look after it and then be able to enjoy the produce.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: arial;">I have been cooking with my home-grown basil and the flavour is just so much better than anything you can buy in the shops.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: arial;">I feel like this is my first step to growing the majority of my own food. The other plants I have seem to be doing well. Some little courgettes have emerged, the tomato plants are flowering and the potatoes in bags look from the surface like they are doing well. I haven't grown potatoes before so I am not really sure what they are supposed to look like.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: arial;">The onions have not done so well, but this is mostly due to me not being able to stop Mabel the chicken from jumping into the bed and digging them up. It is great having chickens in the garden, they are lovely creatures and there is nothing quite like a freshly laid egg for breakfast. Their poo is great for the compost and they help to keep the weeds down but they love to dig. Trying to keep them off my plants is a full time job and if they are not digging they are nibbling the leaves or tipping over flower pots. Naughty chickens... but oh so lovely!</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: arial;">I was so excited about the strawberries that I forgot to take a photo of them </span></span>Flohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10312538685856436794noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3366352362353836815.post-54022749328359707082008-04-23T08:11:00.000+01:002008-12-12T04:43:51.710+00:00The Day of the Triffids<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2naReiz0nnWuKsr9O5CIRKhKfu-QekkKtH_blhDGQSIthehBIrcGH_P71Vr0qR6w6vnse6RpTH5J7_KMAq3xjni47j045oXVsH3xKJxeRkGsmY3FSbgy2iwDogmC6BExfE2W_MH11iL5Z/s1600-h/DSC_0005.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2naReiz0nnWuKsr9O5CIRKhKfu-QekkKtH_blhDGQSIthehBIrcGH_P71Vr0qR6w6vnse6RpTH5J7_KMAq3xjni47j045oXVsH3xKJxeRkGsmY3FSbgy2iwDogmC6BExfE2W_MH11iL5Z/s320/DSC_0005.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5192335982758312546" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-family:arial;">I am attempting to grow some of my own veg this year. I have had a go in the past with mixed results but it is a really fun thing to do and if you do manage to grow something it tastes so much better than shop bought veg.</span> <span style="font-family:arial;"><br /><br />I have taken some pictures of my courgettes which are the most fascinating plant to watch grow. They seem to grow several centimetres a day and when they get a bit bigger look like something from Day Of The Triffids.</span> <br /><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">My garden isn't really big enough to have a proper vegetable patch so I am having to squeeze things in where I can find space. I am also making a raised bed to grow onions in, as these are set (excuse the pun) to have one of the biggest increases in price this year. I think my biggest challenge will be trying to keep the chickens away from all of the young plants, as even a few seconds munching from them can destroy a whole batch of seedlings. They do have their uses though, I am hoping that they will keep the slug and snail population down. I don't want to use any chemicals in the garden and I don't much like the idea of the various traps that you can use as you end up with dead gooey slugs. The chickens are a much cleaner way of dealing with them and they thoroughly enjoy it too!</span> <span style="font-family:arial;"><br /><br />It is really good fun to find a plant that you can grown in your own back garden and then be able to take it inside and eat it for lunch. Another step on the road to self-sufficiency... This weekend I am going to try to make my own butter.</span></span>Flohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10312538685856436794noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3366352362353836815.post-48967753472409933802008-03-12T22:27:00.000+00:002008-12-12T04:43:51.871+00:00Irish Soda Bread - Attempt No. 3<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYPEnrQ0rCquGNV-0VeNsKIxhy9GyAg5FbpLwtMa1YztIp8NeKx70QUeKG3zST3d_c1kFfb6tEztxIQoEqnzNYnnLsVKGxlJZnZ7GgF_YMbybq502dviVS7eJvN3VRWFUQz1tIWjHzq2a8/s1600-h/DSC_0001.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYPEnrQ0rCquGNV-0VeNsKIxhy9GyAg5FbpLwtMa1YztIp8NeKx70QUeKG3zST3d_c1kFfb6tEztxIQoEqnzNYnnLsVKGxlJZnZ7GgF_YMbybq502dviVS7eJvN3VRWFUQz1tIWjHzq2a8/s320/DSC_0001.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5176986486885542738" border="0" /></a><br /> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:Arial;font-size:85%;"><span style="" lang="EN-GB">Visiting relatives in N. Ireland every year meant regular trips to the local bakeries. A NI bakery is very different to an English one in many ways. For a start, people still go to the bakery (and the butcher and the greengrocer) as it is only in the last 10 years that the big supermarkets have really established themselves there. When you get there you have the most amazing choice of breads and cakes. Wheaten bread, soda bread, wheaten soda, treacle soda, cherry scones, fruit scones, Paris buns, barnbrack… and the conversation from behind the counter is very friendly. You are also likely to find that some breads are only baked on certain days (which meant tracking down Paris buns when I was last there very tricky)<br /><br />Every time I went to visit I would always leave a space in my suitcase to bring home a selection of baked goods to stash in the freezer, even thought they taste best fresh, the day you buy them. I have fond memories of arriving home after a stay in NI and getting out some cherry scones that I had bought that morning and eating them with a cup of tea. I would reluctantly share them with the rest of the family</span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:Arial;font-size:85%;"><span style="" lang="EN-GB"><br />The bakeries in England jut don’t compare, so I have had a go at making some of these myself. My cherry scones are not bad and the picture is my third attempt soda bread. It is made with buttermilk and bicarbonate of soda instead of yeast and had a delicious sweet taste. It can either be cooked in an oven like normal bread or pressed flat and cooked on a griddle. It is really good toasted with a little raspberry jam, but somehow my effort just doesn’t taste as good. I am almost out of my frozen supplier from my last trip so I will have to make a trip over there soon</span></span></p>Flohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10312538685856436794noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3366352362353836815.post-34762412804861610682008-02-17T19:25:00.000+00:002008-12-12T04:43:52.011+00:00I'll put the kettle on...<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZuQws0GlwBUIKUdQjXH3TtsF3wnJgYCDPW7gajBI78nxIA5JY0i9XWCTgYLiKxlJbhM8rtST9_eFmKbvY4oDkFYbBjfHkonEHmb4R-S3oC3y74tJYduou_2Z3ZMmeO-lnkzU_2sIGK5fW/s1600-h/DSC_0015.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZuQws0GlwBUIKUdQjXH3TtsF3wnJgYCDPW7gajBI78nxIA5JY0i9XWCTgYLiKxlJbhM8rtST9_eFmKbvY4oDkFYbBjfHkonEHmb4R-S3oC3y74tJYduou_2Z3ZMmeO-lnkzU_2sIGK5fW/s320/DSC_0015.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5168033018426633554" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-family:arial;font-size:85%;">I visited my grandparents for lunch yesterday. It is one of my favourite things to do. They lived in Northern Ireland when I was growing up so I would only see them once or twice a year. A few years ago they moved to a bungalow near to my parents which means that I can pop in and see them more regularly.</span><span style="font-size:85%;"> </span><span style="font-family:arial;font-size:85%;">I love the familiarity of being there. I always have a cup of tea in my brown mug, there are ornaments there that moved with them from their old house. But most of all I love chatting to them about the past. Where they lived when they were younger and members of my family who I never met. </span> <span style="font-family:arial;font-size:85%;">I found out yesterday that an uncle of my Grandmothers died during the first world war. I know a lot about my Great-Grandfather's time during the war but know very little about the family of my Grandmother's side of the family. I will have to start to research that too...</span>Flohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10312538685856436794noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3366352362353836815.post-83755894371976231932008-02-15T21:01:00.000+00:002008-12-12T04:43:52.238+00:00Two pints please...<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFjvMKKA5ypupWH0MU_xkBXxH6Sci-eUcpFZ4oO8q1Kvh5Y8gI7gRqxMsUPxa0-RzCpp_1er3cqwEsAQ-L49b6jgt2DTtHll35MclTDXC1obbhJnpIgd-idNVewWXbTj6uSV9tOhhSxJVP/s1600-h/DSC_0183.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFjvMKKA5ypupWH0MU_xkBXxH6Sci-eUcpFZ4oO8q1Kvh5Y8gI7gRqxMsUPxa0-RzCpp_1er3cqwEsAQ-L49b6jgt2DTtHll35MclTDXC1obbhJnpIgd-idNVewWXbTj6uSV9tOhhSxJVP/s320/DSC_0183.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5167316196974865730" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);font-family:Arial;font-size:85%;" ><span style="" lang="EN-GB">We had our first delivery of bottled milk today. It was really exciting to open the front door at 6:50am and see two pints of milk waiting for me on the doorstep. I checked that the milkman delivered early as we both go to work before 9am but before 7am is very impressive.<br /><br /><br /></span></span><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);font-family:Arial;font-size:85%;" ><span style="" lang="EN-GB">This is another small step towards using the supermarkets less frequently. My new year’s resolution is to stop using the big supermarkets to do all of my shopping and use local shops and online retailers. I feel very strongly that the supermarkets have really taken over and the food that they are providing is having a damaging effect on both our local communities and the environment, not to mention our perception of what real food is actually like! My aim is that by the end of the year I do not have to go to the large supermarkets for anything, that as much of my food as possible is locally sourced, and that buying it is no more expensive or less convienient than going to a supermarket. With all the recent programmes about chicken rearing and where our food comes from I have become more aware of just how controlling the supermarkets are. I already keep two lovely chickens, Mabel and Luci, and their eggs are absolutely delicious. They are made all the more tasty by the fact that I know that my chickens have a lovely life and are very well looked after.</span></span><p class="MsoNormal" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><span style=";font-family:Arial;font-size:85%;" ><span style="" lang="EN-GB">So all in all I am very excited about having milk delivered to my door. It is slightly more expensive than buying it from the shop, but the big bonus is that it is in glass bottles which are re-used, so less plastic recyling for me and less plastic in a landfill! It is also supporting a local dairy and my milkmans livelihood. I will have to get up a bit earlier if I want to meet him though…</span></span></p><br /><span style=";font-family:Arial;font-size:85%;" ><span style="" lang="EN-GB"><br /><br /></span></span>Flohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10312538685856436794noreply@blogger.com0