GOD BLESS US, EVERYONE !!! ..........

 I think Father Christmas has left the North Pole !!!

To all of my blog readers, thank you so much for being there  

Enjoy the magic of Christmas.

XXXX

SOMETHING OLD, SOMETHING NEW ..........

We had to go up to The City yesterday to do some ' financey ' things and got blown all the way up Bishopsgate and into the Eastcheap offices of our financial advisor.

Even though Storm Diana was knocking me sideways, I still managed a few photographs, even though they are a bit wonky ! I am always taken with the massive new modern buildings which seem to be getting higher and higher, and the way the old buildings nestle against the new ..... 

..... I love this little church ... I think this is the one that got damaged by an IRA bomb, along with many other buildings, in 1993 ..... with The Gherkin towering above it.

Part of St Botolph's, also damaged in 1993 ..... with a new building next to it.

The Monument to The Great Fire of London 1666 .....

Look at the size of this one ....... when you look up at it, you nearly fall over .... well, I do !!!

We had a wonderful lunch in Giorgio, Ristorante Italiano in Leadenhall Market ..... I love Leadenhall Market and it looked even lovelier, dressed up for Christmas  ..... Christmas starts here.

Are you starting your Christmas preparations yet ?

XXXX 

All photographs via me

SOUP ANYONE ?!!! ..........

Every couple of weeks, I take a 90 year old lady shopping at the supermarket. She is as bright as a button but has arthritis, so moving is a bit of a problem so I rush around the supermarket and bring her shopping to the trolley.

On one of the shelves was this ... 

... fancy a bowl ? 

XXXX

image 1: via fashionista, image 2: via me, image 3: via design scene

ARGGGGGGHHHHHHH ..........

I had an email from my blogging friend Elizabeth over at The Vintage Contessa telling me that she couldn't comment on my blog !!!

Although things aren't what they were in the blogging world { I used to get 100 comments in the old days but many have left blogging and gone on to other social media sites } but I did think that four comments was a bit low on my last couple of posts !!!!

I even started to think that I might give up my blog .....

..... atychiphobia was starting to set in !!!

I have checked everything on Blogger and all is as it should be, so I think it's Blogger's fault. 

There have been times that I haven't been able to comment and, when that happens to me, I either sign into Blogger again or I look for the blog that I want to comment on on Firefox, as it's usually with Safari that I have the problem. Firefox always seems to be fine. 

One of the nicest parts about blogging and the main reason that I blog and prefer it to any of the other social media sites, is the fact that we interact with such lovely people and can have a ' chat ' ... it is the modern way of having penfriends from all over the world ..... I like to think of my blogging commenter's as friends and it's always a little bit disappointing when we don't get any comments ..... I really have missed you guys over the last few posts but I'm pleased that it's only Blogger and not the fact that you have gone off  of me !!!

I've also noticed that it says  UNFOLLOW under my followers and not FOLLOW and I'm not sure how to fix that either !! 

Anyone who knows how to fix any of these problems, please let me know ... 

Perhaps anyone who reads this could just comment so I know that you can ... by the way, this isn't a way of getting lots of comments !!! haha !!!

LOOK ..... even Shakespeare likes my blog !!!

 Shame that he can't comment !!!

XXXX

image 1: via the libertine, image 2: via bonnard3, image 3: via diabolique, image 4, 5 & 7: via envers du decor, image 6: via pinterest, image 8: via the gifts of life

HUGO ..........

Have any of you seen the film HUGO ? It was made in 2011 so it's not new, won Academy Awards and Baftas  and I'm obviously late to the party but I loved it ..... an historical adventure drama film directed and produced by Martin Scorsese. I won't go into a long review but it involves Georges Mélies'  A Trip To The Moon and a boy who lives and winds the clocks at Paris train station.

It is a charming film and the music is great as well.

XXXX

video via youtube, image via google

1918 - 2018 ..........

 video from YouTube

NOVEMBER COLOUR ..........

This post is a bit boring if you don't like gardening but I cannot believe how much colour we have in our garden at the moment and its November !!!

I planted these cyclamens about 25 years ago ..... I think that I bought a couple over the years as indoor plants and planted them out in the garden when they finished flowering indoors .....

..... a final bloom on our Hydrangea Annabelle .....

..... Hydrangea Smowball in it's Autumn coat ..... it's pure white in the Summer and changes to this deep red .....

..... Hydrangea Vanille Fraise ..... fading .....

..... Verbena .....

..... this is Parahebe ' Snow Clouds ' ...... it flowers from May pretty much into December ..... you really get your money's worth ! Just cut back after it's first flush is finished and back it comes .....

..... geranium ' Rozanne ' .....

..... Salvia ' Black and Bloom ' .....

..... and this euonymus was here when we moved in thirty odd years ago and this is the first year that I have seen these berries/fruits !!! .....

..... and this Blush Noisette rose is still flowering .....

..... and, finally { non gardeners will be pleased to know ! } my St. Swithun rose that flowers from May until December .....  That is the same rose .... it produces slightly different colours and forms of flowers ..... I really do like to get my moneys worth !!!

XXXX

LONDON MUSEUM .....

A while ago ..... actually, a long while ago ..... July it was, that's how long it takes me to do a post !!! ..... we went to a photography exhibition at the London Museum called London Nights ..... 200 works by 60 photographers, ranging from the 19th century to the present day. 

You weren't allowed to take photograph but the above was one of my favourites ..... St Paul's Cathedral, floodlit for the 1946 Victory celebrations after the Second World War, putting an end to the blackout after nearly six years.

The London Museum also had another exhibition called ' Expanding City ' with Pleasure Gardens and streets of London shops .... it was like walking through a Harry Potter film set in the Victorian era !

..... and look Tom .....

..... dozens of beautiful vintage glasses !

After the exhibition, we walked through St Katherine Docks .....

..... passed The Dickens Inn and back to .....

..... The Grapes pub ..... remember ? ..... the pub we went to earlier in the year, owned by  Sir Ian McKellen.  

..... and, Christopher Biggins { English actor } was in there having dinner !!!

..... and finally, an arty photograph of The Shard, taken by me from the balcony at The Grapes  ..... maybe they would like it for the London Nights exhibition ?!!!

XXXX

All photographs taken by me apart from image 1: via london museum & image 2: via daily mail