under house arrest due to inclement weather!

Well hello there, well things are not as drastic as the title may lead you to believe, but we have had to put off plans to go out this morning due to heavy rain, strong winds and doomsday skies. All plans to visit a newly discovered garden/antique centre have had to be forgotten (another week end I hope!) but i still need to venture out in search of supplies and postal services! As i gaze out the window I fear i only dreamed that such a thing as a blue sky ever existed! For here in Gresley (like most places in the UK) all it has done for weeks is rain. Having said that i know we have gotten off very likely, so please view this as a comment not a complaint!

I am having a think about whether to carry on writing this blog, i worry i am boring people but i could consider this an  on line journal for my own benefit. At my age, it helps to write things down so i remember them! After this week end i probably won't get too much of a chance to come back here for a while, so i guess that will give me a chance to ponder.....to blog or not to blog!

I can honestly say that this is one of the most uneventful week ends ever! Mostly due to bad weather, lack of finances and sheer exhaustion! However, yesterday was a very pleasant day with a trip to Swad and a little shopping spree for 'pay it forward' goodies. So all was not lost! We enjoyed a coffee at the Pottery centre and chatted excitedly about an upcoming little trip we're taking! To say i was excited, would be like saying the ocean is wet!!

Yesterday we evening we watched the DVD i got for new year, Beautiful Creatures. An unexpectedly good film which we both enjoyed. Some great visual effects, and definitely a film that is crying out for a sequel. Having watched it i am all the more desperate for someone to turn the Iron Fey series into a film franchise. I live in hope!!! You have to ask the question....who would play all the main characters tho! On the subject of books, i'm currently reading 'Everneath' by Brodi Ashon, looks like it is going to be an interesting story. I have taken to buying new books by choosing ones with eye catching covers....so far this is working for me.

Well good people of internet land, i bid you a farewell. Parting is such a sweet sorrow......

the Ivans Quiet week end

A busy week end, even though we haven't been far. Saturday started early with a visit to the hospital as Paul had an appointment at the eye clinic. unfortunately Paul had no idea what time the appointment was and we ended up getting there very early. Luckily they saw Paul pretty much straight away and we didn't have to wait too long. Next stop was town to collect our e-tickets from Thomas Cooks. Gone are the days when you excitedly received a package containing plane tickets, a schedule, luggage tags etc!! Now you receive a sheet of paper with your flight details and hotel address on! Oh well, as long as we can get on the plane.....who cares! Last stop of the day was Lichfield to visit the hairdressers. 

Sunday saw us up fairly early again as i wanted to head into Derby before the traffic started to build up. The company I am now working for are moving to new offices at the end of the month and i wanted to check out where they were. The offices are on Friarsgate on the outskirts of Derby city centre if any of you know the area. We'll be the ground floor offices in a large Georgian building. It looks pretty nice!! I could only see it from outside, but at least i have a better idea of where it is. Not sure what the traffic is gonna be like on a week day morning tho!!! After leaving Friarsgate we headed to Westfield to have a wonder around the shops, i was surprised at how quiet it was, i guess everyone is broke as we approach Black Monday.  The only place i could afford to shop at was Primark, and the boots i got had been reduced! But i was delighted as they were exactly what i wanted. You know they are never going to be water proof but they are warm and cosy!

Alas, my week end is over.....again, and One is decidedly grumpy.....mostly cause i don't want to get up at 6.15am tomorrow and go out in the cold! Anyway lovely peeps.....thank you for coming here for a visit  x x

Walking in Robin's footsteps

The weathermen  had forecasted a nice day and i was determined to make the most of it. So at 8.30am Paul 

and I were on our way to Nottingham. We haven't actually been there in ages, so i was really looking forward to going. We left our car at the Queens Drive Park and Ride and took the bus into the city centre. At a cost of £3, its WAY cheaper than parking in the city. We got off near the Victoria centre, and went for an amble around the mall. I really hadn't gone with the intention of buying anything (yes really!) but we discovered that Books 4 Less were closing down and were having  a 'Fill a carrier bag for a fiver' clearance. Would have been so rude not too. It was great, and we managed to pack a huge amount into quite a small bag - 7 paperbacks, a desk calendar, dvd's, audio books, bracelets, greeting cards, notebooks etc. It was like doing a trolley dash with no time limit. The shop was very busy and for once when kids asked 'can I have this', they were being told....'yes, just squeeze it in the bag!'. We needed a coffee to recover from all the excitement.

We left the Victoria centre and walked into the city centre, i have to make a detour to the bank. When did banks start getting so fancy?? Once i had sorted out my mobile banking app, we decided to have lunch at Chopstix Noodle Bar. Ooh, it was fabulous!! After lunch we walked to Nottingham castle. We had never been there before and i am so glad we made the effort to go as it was the best part of the day. The views from the castle were beautiful, and the castle was full of interesting things - an art exhibition, a museum etc. We loved looking around. The best bit was Hood in the Wood, down in the basement. It was like taking a stroll thru Robin's camp in Sherwood Forest. It was probably meant for kids, but was full of information about Robin, as well as  information about artwork displayed. we really enjoyed our time at the castle, even the gift shop was a joy. I couldn't believe my luck when we went there to have a look around and found they stocked Robert Opie merchandise and had loads of vintage postcards, several of which i didn't have. I was delighted and ended up spending a fortune. i couldn't resist the nostalgia pack too which was full of interesting replica's of war time letters, and documents, they will be great for my scrap booking. We left the castle just after 3pm, and decided to go and find Ye Olde Trip to Jerusalem, which is supposed to be the oldest Inn in England. I know that others might contest this, but its still worth a visit. Its tiny, and built into the side of the rocks under the castle. Once you pass thru the brick built entrance, you find yourself in what can best be described as a cave!! The place is tiny with a few different rooms. The ceilings are low, and seating is limited and the place was packed. We found a little corner and enjoyed a drink, never have i enjoyed a Guinness so much. The place is full of atmosphere. In case anyone is interested I found the following information on the pub's website - 

The answer to this lies in the date painted on the exterior walls of the Inn, that of 1189AD. This was the year of ascension to the throne of King Richard the First, known as Richard the Lionheart, and one of his first acts as King was to crusade against the Saracens who at that time occupied the Holy Land of Christian Religion. Nottingham Castle was a stronghold favoured by the King and legend has it that the brave Knights and men at arms who rallied to his call to fight in this Third Crusade, gathered at the Castle to rest before journeying to Jerusalem.

Legend also has it that these Crusaders stopped off at the Inn at the foot of the Castle for welcome refreshments – or perhaps more accurately, for ‘one for the road’. Given that in the Middle Ages, a ‘Trip’ was not a journey as such but rather a resting place where such a journey could be broken, it is understandable how the Inn came to be called ‘Ye Olde Trip To Jerusalem’. 

 

After leaving the pub it was sadly time to head back to the bus stop. Both of us had a wonderful day, and have decided to go back to Nottingham in the spring, but next time for a week end. There is a lot to explore and i don't feel we did it justice in a day. Even tho we have been there so many times in the past, we have never really strayed to far from the city centre and its shops and theatres. I would like to explore its historic side more. Fab day out? Definitely!!!