PRETTY LITTLE ENGLAND ..........

Our daughter lives in Stamford, Lincolnshire. One of the most beautiful, fully preserved Georgian towns. They used to live in Crouch End, London but, to buy anything bigger than a flat was in the triple millions so they chose Stamford. Crouch End is an amazing place to live when single, then a couple but, when children come along, the countryside sometimes beckons { especially the price of property ! }. I remember when I worked in London ..... there was such a buzz, amazing shops, restaurants, clubs, so much to do and see and, of course , the history, which was taken for granted when you were there every day. My sister lived in Cambridge when she was first married as her husband was doing his PhD there and they lived in an old cottage which belonged to the college. She worked in London and she walked past the Bridge of Sighs and all of the stunning colleges every day on her way to the station. She always said how people from all over the world would save to visit or only be able to look at photographs but she lived amongst it all. I lived in London for a while and I learned a lot in my twenties but, when I married and had children, we moved to Hertfordshire.  When we had children, we would travel all over the UK ..... Cornwall, Devon, Wales, the South Coast, Scotland to name but a few places. Then, when our children were choosing Universities, we visited quite a few cities, Birmingham, Leeds, Nottingham, Liverpool, Manchester, some of which we hadn't been to before. But, when our daughter moved to Stamford, I realised the Midlands had gone completely under the radar. It is so pretty. So many beautiful villages, very much like The Cotswolds and, I think the houses are built of Lincolnshire Limestone..... that pretty honey coloured stone.  We see a great deal of our children and grandchildren and we all went to visit her yesterday and had lunch in the pub in the above photograph. I had to take a photo of the rose and the thatched roof. It looked stunning, the weather making everything look even prettier, although, photographs never seem to capture how lovely these things look somehow. Do you find that ? 

Enjoy the beautiful weather ..... we have a week or more of it.

My New Years Resolution of posting more often doesn't seem to be working !!! I will try harder. 

XXXX

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO ME ..........

It's February 1st and I nearly forgot to post my birthday here  ...... 

probably forgot because I'm 74 😱 !!!

Thought a Waterlogue , arty photograph would be best this year 🤣

Am going for a family get together, which will be lovely.

XXXX

THE BELLS ..... THE BELLS ..........

I guess we all have good things and bad things about where we live. One of the lovely things about where our house is, is that it's a stones throw away from the 600 year old C of E church, built between 1418-1448,  with evidence of an older church on the same site, dedicated to St John the Baptist. 

The bells ring out every Sunday and for every wedding { if the happy couple have paid for bells !!! } We also hear them a few evenings a week when they practice and they are rung whenever there is a significant celebration. 

I took the above little video at 9.45 a.m this morning, the bells calling people to the Holy Eucharist service { you have to have the volumne up high to hear the bells ! }. I know a bit about the church, not because we go but because our son was a choir boy there. I think I might have told you this but, when he was seven, he came out of school saying the choirmaster had visited asking boys if they would like to join the choir { it was all boys then but they have girls now } and he said he did !!! He went on to get his grades in singing, then a degree in music and now works in the music industry..... he was born with the music gene !

Our garden is going over now but it did look nice in the Spring and Summer !!! 

XXXX

SEX EDUCATION IN THE 60's ..........

When I started Senior School, the girls in the first year were given a book to take home and read. The other day I was trying to remember what it was called. I thought it was something like ' The Facts of Life ' but thought I'd google it. I couldn't find the one we were given but the following popped up ! 

Scroll past the first picture as it's hard to read. 

It's clearer in the next two photographs.

😱

XXXX

73 TODAY 😱😱😱 ..........

Good Grief ..... how did I get this old ? 

73 is pretty old isn't it ? Actually, it's very old !

I know everyone says it but I am still about thirty inside !

Anyway, it is far better than the alternative 

I am going to get down with the kids and watch Saltburn ..... have any of you seen it ? I've seen so many clips that I feel as if I've watched it !

Anyway, Happy Birthday to me and I hope to see you here on my 74th { with a few posts in between }  !!!

🥳🥳🥳🥳

XXXX

DECK THE HALLS ..........

Christmas decorations are completed. I have gone for a smaller tree this year ..... I have been doing the same thing for about 40 years so wanted something a bit different. I have also gone a bit minimalist and just have lights and candles on the tree ! A bit Scandi.  I might even go smaller next year ! 

Is this what we do, the older we get ? 

See the candles in the candle holders ? They are LED ! They were £28 for ten candles and you got 20 batteries as well { unfortunately, not Duracell Tom !!! } I mean, how good was that ? Plus, they came with a remote. You can have them constant or flickering, bright or not so bright and you can have them on a timer ..... all for twenty eight quid AND, I ordered them on the 17th of December thinking they probably wouldn't come before Christmas and they arrived on the 19th ! I was most impressed. Knowing my luck they will probably stop working tomorrow 🤣😂🤣 I have to say that I have always been a purist when it comes to trees and candles and love the real thing but, with grandchildren running around, real lit candles are a bit of a danger and these LED ones are pretty realistic and you can leave them and know you are not going to burn the house down ! 

XXXX

HEY ..... I'M BACK ..........

Hi, I've been very absent haven't I ? My life has taken a bit of a turn as, after my husbands chest infection, he has deteriorated. I have to look after him and am a full time carer. I haven't been out since February so I'm having a bit of a time of it to put it mildly. I like to think that I am a very capable person and can cope with most things but, living with someone with dementia is very difficult. I am not going to go on about it and, we all have things to cope with but I just thought I would tell you what has been going on. I've been dealing with this for ten years now so it did start to take its toll a bit. I have been waiting for Social Services to sort out a Day Centre so that I can get out but I've been waiting six months for that and they are now telling me there are staff shortages ! They keep promising it will be soon but nothing comes of it. I wish they would just say there's a long waiting list so that I know where I stand. 

Anyway, enough of the doom and gloom, have you listened to the latest and last ever Beatles offering ? It has taken me back to my teenage years when my friends and I would record any new Beatles song on a reel to reel tape recorder and just keep rewinding it to learn all the lyrics !!! I think I know pretty much every lyric that they wrote ! 

I have listened to so much music and watched so many films and series over the last few months as I am stuck indoors. At least I am lucky that, in these days of modern technology, there is so much to entertain me but, as human beings, we are social animals and need our contact with our friends so I am hoping that Social Services will get their finger out and give me some help soon !!!!!

Here's hoping you all haven't deserted me and will leave me a comment for my mental health 🤣🤣🤣

I am still reading your blogs and will get back to commenting on a more regular basis soon.

Lots of love,

XXXX

KITCHEN CHAOS ..........

I think we are on the last lap...... or the penultimate last lap { I mustn't tempt fate or speak too soon ! } The kitchen guys are here. They will put most of it in then we have to wait ten days for the worktop and, the factory put the hole in the extractor hood in the wrong place so we will have to wait for that. I shall have to use bottled water and the microwave until then ! It's not really a problem and, another couple of weeks won't hurt. 

Sorry I've been AWOL commenting but, my husband is in hospital. He has a chest infection which resulted in psychosis, delusion and confusion which can take quite a while to recover from so life has taken a bit of a turn. 

XXXX

HAPPY 2023 ..........

Happy 2023 everyone.

Here's hoping for an amazing year to come.

Many, many thanks to everyone who has { or hasn't } commented here this past year. 

As a Blogger, our followers and commenters are very precious to us. Your support is very much appreciated as it would be a bit of a lonely place if you weren't there !

I hope we will enjoy more of the same in the coming year.

Sending lots of love and happiness to you all wherever you may be.

{ Sorry, that all sounded a bit like our late Queen  but it is sincerely meant !!! }

XXXX

image via google

OCULUS .....

Our grandson got Oculus for Christmas ..... OMG ..... it's brilliant ! You can experience everything that virtual reality has to offer !

First you have a tutorial ..... you have a practice at picking things up and using the hand pieces. You are standing in this amazing sci fi space and you begin by throwing paper airplanes, picking up objects etc.

Then you progress to dancing with the above robot, holding his hand and twirling him around and a bit of freestyle ! Someone should have videoed me ..... I'm sure I looked ridiculous !

BUT, the best part came next ..... I progressed to the roller coaster ! It's just like being on one {and I LOVE roller coasters}

It is so realistic ..... I was getting motion sickness { but in a good way } It really gets your adrenaline pumping ..... the speed, the turns, the height ..... it is SO much fun. 

..... and, topically, you enjoy the ride with Father Christmas !

I WANT ONE !

On a sad note, as you probably know, Vivienne Westwood died yesterday.

I loved much of her style { not so much the bonkers pieces but that was her ..... she loved to shock }

RIP Dame Vivienne

XXXX

MERRY CHRISTMAS EVERYONE ..........

Wishing all of my blogging friends the merriest of Christmases.

Whatever you are doing, have a great day, 

Eat, Drink and be Merry ,

Thank you all for your blogging friendship, your posts which have made me laugh, cry , enlightened me, touched me and have given me food for thought. 

I still think blogging is the best social media platform even though it is now thought a bit like it's had it's day ! 

Keep blogging ..... I'd miss you all so much if you weren't there, 

See you all in 2023

Lots of love

XXXX

 

ORANGERY UPDATE ..........

So much snow arrived here and it's not really melting ! ..... but, it does look magical and pretty and so lovely to have at Christmas. 

Orangery and window are all done but there is so much more to do. 

Some of the flooring is down and the plastering is done but, electrics need to be finished, it all needs painting , still some carpentry to be done and we will have to wait until early February for the new kitchen but, we are getting there. It's lovely to get a full view of the garden. See all of the snow on the roof ?

It hasn't been too disruptive and, all of the different trade guys have been brilliant. 

I'll show you more when it starts to get prettier !!!!

XXXX

GETTING VERY UGLY in the KITCHEN & ORANGERY PRE - INSTALLATION ..........

I think I was lulled into a false sense of security ! All was going swimmingly ..... not much dust and walls going up. Then came the moving of the boiler 😱 I don't know if this is of any interest but, hang on in there .... there are pretty pictures of the new Orangery { I'm calling it an Orangery as that is what the company who are building it are calling it !} at the end .....

It has been a major task ! .....

So many pipes to move but, they only have the gas pipes to deal with so they should be finished with that job today. 

The Company making ' The Orangery " sent me a video yesterday of it being built but it wouldn't upload. Maybe it's the mp4 format ..... I don't think it's too big.  I tried filming the video on my phone but that didn't work either so, I have taken some screen shots to show you. 

It still has to be painted but it's nearly finished. 

Didn't have anything to cook on last night so we had take away ..... it arrived stone cold ! We ate it though ! 

Will be back with the next chapter. 

XXXX

.......... and SO IT BEGINS ..........

We are now a week in to our building work. Our old conservatory was, in my opinion, rather nice and complimented our late Victorian house but, as most of you know, after over 30years, it had fallen into disrepair and was rotten and leaking { mostly due to the con man who built it !!! }

Still, we managed thirty years from it but, it is now time for it to go.

Here's the outside of the old conservatory .....

..... and here's the inside, empty of all furniture etc. .....

 

..... and here's what it looks like now 😱😱😱 !!!

We have had progress since the last photograph was taken and have foundations, some wall built and floor joists in. It's not been dusty at all but, that could all change when they knock down the wall on the left to open it all to the kitchen.

progress ..... with some of the wall built and floor joists.

It has to get ugly before it gets pretty !!!!!

XXXX

all photos by me

HERCULEAN EFFORT ..........

We have had a Pieris plant in a terracotta planter { similar to the one above .....  I forgot to take a before photograph } and it has been in that pot for about 25 years ! I think my Dad bought it for us. Over the last few years it has not performed well . It used to produce hundreds of tiny, white bell-like flowers in the Spring but I think we had about three this year. As the builder will be starting in a week or so, & as it is

 standing next to the conservatory, I thought I should get it out of the pot and put it in the garden to see if it will do any better.  I also didn't want to break the pot as, a terracotta pot of that size would probably cost over £100 now. 

I am always full of great ideas that nearly always turn into major projects !!!

It took me two days to get that bloody Pieris out of that pot !!! It was stuck so fast it just wouldn't budge. Usually, when you dig around it, it will gradually start to wiggle a bit ...... I dug and dug and there wasn't the slightest movement. I went at it with a little hedge trimmer that I use to trim the yew topiary ..... still stuck fast ! Then I used a small saw ..... nothing. I gave up after that on Day one ..... I was knackered. After a couple of hours of sawing and digging on Day 2 , it finally started to wiggle a tiny bit and, after yanking and yanking ..........

..... it was released !!!!!

I have planted it in the garden but, after all the trauma it had to endure, it might not survive but, we shall see.

It was a Herculean task which required a great deal of energy and effort ..... I'm not sure why I bothered now as my arms ache { especially the one I broke } and, it probably won't survive but, at least I saved the pot !!! 

XXXX  

HAIR STORY ..........

Two posts in a week ..... that's something for me !

I've had long, straight hair pretty much all of my life Throughout my childhood, it was mostly in a ponytail, swishing backwards and forwards as I walked. It wasn't anything special ..... it was also mousey in colour ! By about the third form in Senior school, the pony tail was ditched as I was now a teenager of the 60's and wanted to look like Patti Boyd ! 

My hair remained that way as I left school, stayed the same in further education and then the big, outside world beckoned and I had to find a job ! 

Lucky me landed a job in Mount Street in Mayfair ..... one of the poshest streets in London. Paul McCartney and the like would buy their suits from Dougie Hayward and celebrities/MP's would all dine in Scotts restaurant. Residents bought their meat from Allens of Mayfair { which opened in 1830 .... sadly it closed in 2015 } and purchased their cigars from Sautters. 

My bosses were a husband and wife couple and, for my birthday, they paid for me to have my hair highlighted and cut at Michaeljohn ..... Michael & John met when they were hair stylists at Leonards { he who did the famous haircut for Twiggy } They attracted celebrities including Mick Jagger and even Princess Anne. I was only about 19 so it was pretty special to have my hair done there. I doubt Michael or John did my hair but it didn't matter ..... it was still amazing ! 

A few years later, London was even more swinging and, the place to have your hair done was Smile , Brompton Road, Knightsbridge. Smile was owned by Keith Wainwright and his two partners Lesley Russell and Paul Owen. Clients included Roy Wood, The Move, Cat Stevens, The Walker Brothers and Elton John. Keith worked with chemists  and hair technicians  to create unnatural hair colours which were later popularised by the British punk movement. So, my next birthday present was an appointment with Paul at Smile ! 

I worked in Mount Street for quite a few years and then went on to get married and have children. Highlights continued up until this day and I think I have been to most of the hairdressers in the surrounding area of my home !!! But, for the last fifteen years I have had the same guy highlight and cut my hair. During Covid, things went a bit wrong for him and he had to close his salon, but, during this past year, he came to our home and did our hair. Then, he started to work for a hairdresser quite a long way from us so I needed to find another hairdresser. A friend that I have known for many years has highlights and said her hairdresser was very good. I booked an appointment even though a mutual friend had made an appointment there but didn't even cross the threshold as she didn't like the look of it !!!!

WELL ..... I went yesterday ! I arrived dead on time ..... dusty, old plastic flowers sat on the reception desk and about seven old { I know I'm old but these ladies were OLD } sat having perms ..... they all had those tiny little rollers in, some were still having the rollers put in , some were sat under those old fashioned dryers. One lady was being helped by two other ladies to the wash basin. I did think how the mighty have fallen { joke } but, I didn't run away !!! I actually thought how brilliant it was that these ladies still wanted to look nice and have their hair done. 

The girl who did mine was Polish, young and very friendly. More and more old ladies arrived for perms ..... it was like a perm conveyor belt ..... I did think it would have made for a brilliant sit com or play ! 

Well ..... here is the result .....

I am SO pleased with it ..... she got rid of the brassiness and, I've been telling my last hairdresser it looked a bit ginger on the ends which he said was how my hair took the colour ..... she got rid of that. It's a bit darker around the front but she said she will add a little more blond next time. I think when you stay with the same hairdresser they get in a rut. It just goes to show that all the frills and frippery of a posh salon doesn't always mean it's better ..... oh, and the other thing was that it was about half the price .....

RESULT !!!

XXXX