Kaffe Fassett Exhibition

Trip to London for pleasure to see the Kaffe Fassett (rhymes with safe asset) at the Fashion and Textile Museum in Bermondsey Street.
So a lovely walk along the South Bank from Waterloo; well it would have been a lovely walk if it hasn't been pouring with rain!
Wonderful couloirs and textures. Reminded me of the lovely things that Aunt Jane made. Must make more time to be creative...

...oh and rose bud tea in the cafe.

Using Up Store Cupboard Goodies

Well first the discovery of a can of already boiled condensed milk led to the making of a Banoffi Pie.
Today, using Nance's old recipe, I made a Very Easy Fruit Cake. Does this count as one of my five a day?

Wrapping paper

A thoughtfully wrapped present

The contents! Such fun!

Writing Workshop

In my attempt to say "yes" to everything social and fun in the run up to the move, I went to Jane Austen House Museum yesterday for a brilliant Writing Workshop led by author Rebecca Smith, aided by Reader and volunteer Olive Drakes.

Sunshine, coffee, biscuits and writing - an almost perfect day.

One exercise focused on using postcard prompts and working within the theme of Arriving. I choose this rather elegant postcard of a smart couple and a distant tropical island, and wrote 3 postcards from the woman to her friend:

Cissy
Arrived safely. What a journey! Train to Southampton then ship to Windies. Delightful cabin all compact and cleverly designed to provide everything one could desire. First night dinner at Captain's table a bore as sat next to a Rev Payne. Still must do one's duty. Hotel marvellous! All staff smart in crisp whites. Dark skin a shock - how their teeth shine! Hal resting while I dash off letters. Blissy-bags to feel the sun on my back!
In haste Cyn!

Dear Cissy
Days settled into routine. Up early. Walk along beach then breakfast in room. Hal off to club. I to hotel lobby for coffee and letters. Lunch at club then Hal rests. Too, too hot. Even sand burns feet. Reading Evelyn Waugh - rather turgid! Swim in the sea. Pestered by smiling hawkers. Then back to hotel to prepare for dinner. Evenings spent on hotel verandah with Hal and new chums Audrey and Geoffrey Payton-Smythe - from Sheffield of all places!
Love Cyn

Dearest Cissy
The sun is evil. Saps all my energy. Hardly written anything today. Can't wait to be home. You will meet us at Southampton, won't you? Longing for rain and home
Much love Cyn x

Destruction or Preservation?

Well the lumberjacks have been to Bluebell Woods. Are they even called lumberjacks now? Suspect its something like arboreal technician or some such.

Anyway, they've made a real mess of the main path through the woods, and just as it was beginning to dry out after that dreadful wet winter. I know that woods need to be managed and kept productive and safe, but the timing is poor. So many people are visiting the woods at the moment; not just the regulars, but the ones that come especially for the bluebells. It's such a short season, already they are beginning to go over as the tree canopy fills out.

Alison's Walk

Happy Birthday to me!

BH gave me a wonderful present; made me cry.

It's by our clever artist friend Ewa Adams and is of my favourite walk through the bluebell wood near the old water tower. Such a thoughtful gift on the eve of us moving to London.

Reducing my book stock

I had to face it; I needed to reduce my collection of books.
So decided to have Coffee Morning with cake and books
Just asked people to take some of the books away and leave some money for MIND.

Wonderful daughter sorted the books alphabetically.

Lots of cakes!

Lots of money raised - Thank you everyone.

Reconnaissance

"Time spent in reconnaissance is seldom wasted," my grandfather was fond of saying.

Over a year ago we started visiting Ealing and literally walked the streets.

This map shows the miles that we walked as we tried to get to know the areas around Ealing.

RIP Clio

Sad day. Had to sell Clio for scrap.

Did take a cherry red Fiat 500 for a test drive. Fell in love with it.

But need to be sensible and wait until after the move, when we'll sell the Galaxy and buy a Fiat.

Haymarket Theatre

Went to the Haymarket last night; the one in Basingstoke, not London. Went to see Inspector Norse by Lipservice.


A bizarre story involving a band called Fabba, moose, hot tubs, a crime fighting duo, a favourite sweater and knitting!

Audience participation involved making Sporkles to enjoy the fireworks display performed with dance and wool! You had to be there. Such fun!

The Amazing Collapsing Wardrobe

The old wardrobe is huge but they were quite clever back then. It comes into five pieces; top, bottom, left, right and the bulky middle bit.
Brother turned up with a trailer and a pal and made quick work of manoeuvring the pieces downstairs.
The wardrobe fitted perfectly into the trailer, even leaving room for the old desk.
Much huffing and puffing with ropes and knots (knew that sailing would come in useful for something) and they were on their way.

Oops! Forgot that we painted the room after the wardrobe was in place...

Purgatory

We are having to give to our lovely big old wardrobe to my brother as it won't fit in the new house. He has borrowed a horse box for the weekend so we need to empty the wardrobe!
Decide to get a couple of clothes rails to store all suits, dresses, shirts etc

So gird my loins and off to a store that shall remain nameless, save only its colours are blue and yellow and most people love it. To me it is the essence of hell. Floor after floor of stuff that people buy in an attempt to look individual and stylish but the result is a soulless sameness.

However, needs must so after work I join the happy commuters heading to Southampton.

Being a novice shopper at this vast shed I dutifully follow the signs and wheel my trolley through room set ups, garden areas, children's rooms, rugs, etc etc etc finally I find Home Organisation and, feeling very pleased with myself I advance to look at the choice. The cheapest, and it is cheap, is a bit wobbly so I plump for the next one up, take a note of the aisle and location number as instructed and wend my way down, via several more sections, to the Self Service area.

Words cannot describe my frustration!

I find the way back up and go back to the product area. As I thought, no polite note informing people that this product is unavailable! So I put three of the really cheap and wobbly ones in my trolley, along with 10 plastic storage bags and head back down.

Going through the now familiar aisles I feel like an old hand but am determined to never come here again. The few staff that I have met and spoken to have all been polite, cheerful and helpful but can do little to change my opinion.

I self scan the items and load my car, then drive away feeling victorious but exhausted.

Loft!

I always thought that lofts were a Good Thing; somewhere to keep all that paraphernalia that I wanted to keep but didn't need on a daily basis.

Well, I've changed my mind. They are the Brian-child of a malevolent genie.

On the hottest day of the year so far, I found myself in a cramped, stuffy space full of boxes and mice pooh. Unable to stand straight it was extremely awkward lifting and lowering the items to BH at the bottom of the ladder.

And where did all this stuff come from!?

We decanted it all onto second son's bedroom, purging as we went. Do hope he's not planning on coming home any time soon...

Emptying the Old Desk

This lovely old desk should have been used for all the family paperwork. However, it sits in our entrance hall and is full of dog leads, pooh bags, hats, scarves and gloves.
It's going to a new home with my brother, so Operation Empty the Old Desk.

Just how many hats does one family need?
As for the scarves, well most of mine are fashion items rather than just to keep the cold at bay, but even so...
Among the gloves we find various singletons, some with holes and even a pair of black rubber gloves! (Used for making snowmen apparently!)

At least there's a bag full of extras to go to charity.

Emptying the wardrobe

Operation Emptying the Wardrobe was surprisingly easy. Merely a matter of lifting clothes on hangers and transferring to the newly erected racks from the shop that shall remain nameless. All looks quite good. Can you tell which is my rack and which belongs to BH?