A walk through history and beauty

Bank holiday Sunday, has a lovely ring to it.....mostly cause you know its closely followed by Bank Holiday Monday. We woke up at mum and dad's house, and after a hearty breakfast (mum will keep feeding Paul till he goes....POP!!) we set off for the station. We got the train into London and once we arrived at Victoria headed to the underground. We traveled to Holburn so that we could do a self guided walk (#9 Mandy!), once there we decided to stop and have a coffee, Holburn is a nice area and had a nice feel to it. We enjoyed our coffee and people watching. Finally we dragged ourselves away, and off we went on our walk. We'd only got around the corner when I had to stop to take a photo of a coffee bar - it was called Philomena's, which is my mum's name. The walk took us through theatre land, past the lyceum, the Novello etc. I love going to the theatre and was totally distracted by all the shows! I couldn't help noticing that there was a matinee performance of the lion king. So I persuaded Paul to come into the box office, I just wanted to know if they had any seats left...LOL....they sure did at a ticket price of £125!! Me thinks not!! We swiftly moved on. The walk took us past the outskirts of Covent Garden, and on to Somerset House. We'd never been there, its an impressive building, with a beautiful courtyard. You can actually go into Somerset House, its full of exhibitions etc. We had a little look around, but it was very crowded, hot and stuffy. Not a winning combination, especially for Paul who was still feeling a little wobbly. We carried on with our walk which took us down on to the Embankment, past Cleopatra's Needle and into the Embankment Gardens. So many tourists, London is as popular as ever. We sat in the gardens for a little while then made our way along Villiers Street onto The Strand. We had hoped to have lunch at a little Thai restaurant we'd been too in the past but when we got there the place was closed, we were so disappointed. SO we had to wander around till we found a pub. We did find somewhere nice in the end, and it was quiet inside. It was a relief to sit down and cool off a little, and of course to enjoy a nice lunch.

After lunch we decided we wanted to get away from the crowds so we headed to Pimlico, once there we stopped at a pub on Millbank, right by the river and had a soda. Any place in London is good to sit and watch the world go by. Finally we went to the Tate, a very favourite place of mine. We spend a happy couple of hours looking at the paintings. So many beautiful pictures, truly amazing. I can now say with confidence that I much prefer Constable to Turner, but more than anything I love the Pre-raphaelites. I was sad to leave the Tate, but we finally had to but not before stopping at the gallery shop and buying a mounted copy of the Lady of Shalot. I love the painting, though I will always detest the poem! A childhood trauma that I will never forget!

We returned to Penge to have dinner and hang out with my parents. We were both shattered by then, we must have walked for miles, but all in a good cause.

high society

At last it was Friday, and our long week end, had started....lets not mention that i was nearly an hour late leaving work and came home in a terrible mood!! It was a bank holiday week end and both of us had booked a couple of days off, so for us it was a 5 days week end....yippee!! On Saturday we were up early to head south, our first stop was Polesden Lacey, a national  Trust property that we hadn't been to. Its a beautiful place, surrounded by extensive gardens and woodland. Lots of families were there enjoying the lovely day....playing, picnicking etc. We explored the house, what a beautiful place! It was home to famous Edwardian hostess Mrs Greville, who entertained royalty and the celebrities of her time. The Queen mum once remarked that it was a delicious house!! It certainly had the wow factor! e felt as though we were walking in the footsteps of a lot of famous people. We had a lovely few hours, and walked a lot...not bad considering. Paul is still not back to 100%, bless him!

On leaving Polesden Lacy we carried on around the M25 and finally arrived at my parents house at 5.30pm.....to find no one home!! Mumsy and Popsicle had apparently headed to church early, so we were left to wander the streets for an hour or so. Actually it wasn't all that bad, ha ha. We went to Sainsburys to get some stuff for a picnic, big mistake! I ended up spending a fortune. I bought a travel hairdryer and one of those fancy Douw Egberts coffee bottles, both of which I couldn't find locally. I also treated myself to the new Marian Keyes novel, I am looking forward to reading that. Once all our shopping was done, we were forced to seek refuge in the pub. A large glass of wine worked wonders. My parents joined us there at about 7pm for dinner. The meal was lovely, however the staff were dozy and pretty useless. We did eventually get the meals we wanted. By the time we got back to my parents house we were both tired, and really didn't have the energy to do much except hand over a big bag of presents to my dad. We won't see him again before Fathers Day and i wanted him to have the presents. Dad obviously had no plans to wait till June to open the presents, and I have to be honest -  I was glad, cause I had the pleasure of seeing him open everything. Apparently the fudge was a good choice! It was a lovely end to the day. After bidding everyone a good night, it was off to my childhood bedroom for a good nights sleep.

further insights from the hay bale.......

At last it was Saturday and I was free from the constraints of work, it had not been a pleasant week and I was truly glad it was over. We were up reasonably early so we could collect a parcel from the sorting office, then we were our way to Kedleston. We arrived nice and early before the crowds had even started to gather. We parked up at the National Trust car park and walked back down to the Food Festival. This time Paul was able to come with me, and I was so happy about that. We had a hot chocolate and then made our way to the big tent to look around all the stalls. There was all manner of things for sale, cakes, cheese, wine etc. I love to look around the stalls, and sample all the goodies. This time it was way less  crowded and I was able to get near the stalls!! We bought something for lunch, and we also got a few other goodies to bring home. There was also a tent full of stalls selling gifts, and I found one selling nothing but wooden pens. Yes, Paul's eyes lit up so he chose one and I got it for him for his birthday which is just around the corner. When we had done our first round of the stalls we went outside to sit on the hay bales (yes!!! there were more hay bales, aren't they the popular thing these days) and eat lunch. Nothing better than sitting in the sun, listening to live music and eating good stuff. At noon we went to a cookery demo by Denise Tollyfield, very entertaining. She made  Mediterranean picnic pie and coleslaw, she was funny and informative, I actually feel I learned something. After that, we decided to have another hot drink, listen to the music for a while longer and then head over to Kedleston Hall. We did buy a few goodies from the fair, and it was good to support local producers. The walk over to the hall involved trying to side step a lot of sheep poo.....I mean I know shit happens...but really....that much????

Kedleston Hall wasn't as busy as I thought it might be, so we were able to wonder around the house at our own pace and enjoy its splendor. The place really does take your breath away. The National Trust site has this to say about Kedleston - It was designed for lavish entertaining and displaying an extensive collection of paintings, sculpture and original furnishings, Kedleston is a stunning example of the work of architect Robert Adam. The Curzon family have lived here since the 12th-century and continue to live at the Hall. Lord Curzon's Eastern Museum is a treasure trove of fascinating objects acquired on his travels in Asia and while Viceroy of India (1899 to 1905). The Hall was used as a key location for 'The Duchess', the Hollywood blockbuster starring Keira Knightley. 

By the time we left the Hall, we were ready to come home. It was a lovely day, and even better cause I got to spend it with Mr Ivans. This evening we have been chilling out and watching films - City of Ember (ok-ish) Ice Age (an old favourite) and now the Matrix (a classic). As usual the day has just flown by too fast.....boo hiss!!!

Thanks for reading, it has been interesting to see that people from so far away are taking the time to read my blog. The internet has made the world a much smaller place, somewhere that you can easily reach out and touch someone's life.

March of the Elsa clones

At last the day had arrived, after months of waiting!! Of course, life never goes to plan and this last week has not been without its challenges. With Paul having been so poorly, it wasn't till this morning that I knew for sure that Paul would be able to come with me. Thankfully though he is still not 100%, he was just about up to it. So we left at 8.30am and headed to Nottingham. We arrived at the park and ride, left the car and caught the bus into the city centre. Once we got there we made out way to the Joseph Else to have breakfast. In case anyone was wondering  Joseph Else taught modelling and sculpture at Nottingham School of Art where he was also principal from late 1922.We both enjoyed breakfast, when we left the pub we slowly made our way to the Ice Arena, we just followed the procession of little Elsa's. It was really quite comical, like an army of clones!

We were of course on our way to Disney on ice....woo hoo!! After all these years, I finally got to go! The show started at 11am, and I think we can safely say it was a sell out. It was with much excitement we waited for the lights to dim, and the hosts to skate out on to the ice. And then it was time ...... Mickey and Minnie were on the rink and the fun began. It was amazing, they performed songs from The Little Mermaid (it was wonderful), Beauty and the Beast, Tangled and of course....Frozen. The sets and costumes are truly beautiful, so much work and effort goes into these shows. There was short interval, which gave me just enough time to go and get us an ice cream to share. Looking around the crowd was amusing, there were dozens of Elsa's in the audience. Frozen has truly become a global phenomenon! I am really glad I finally got to experience Disney on Ice, it wasn't cheap, but it was a great show and I would highly recommend it.

After the show we made our way back into town, we stopped at the Pit and Pendulum for dessert and a soda, also a good place for a rest before heading back to the bus stop. It turned out the desserts were on a 2-4-1 offer, and everything only cost us £4 - bargain! We had originally planned to spend the day in the city to look around the shops etc, but Paul was tired and definitely not up to that.But it was still a wonderful day, and one I am so glad I got to   share it with Paul. As we wondered through Nottingham, I thought how long it had been since we were last there and how much I would like to come back and spend a week end.

I did fleetingly pop into Paperchase, and can I say they have really upped their game. They have some wonderful notebooks and writing paper at the moment, and some notepads at very reasonable prices. I hope they continue to stock them. I came away with a pretty note book....what do you mean - did I need another notebook?? Er.....YES!!! 

When we got home we were both shattered, its been a long and stressful week, but at least now its ended on a high and I have some lovely memories.

 

Live from the hay bale......

As my friends will already know, the past week has not been a great one.....a poorly husband, job applications to complete, and never ending stress at work. I had looked forward to this Bank Holiday week end, an extra day off work and Paul and i had plans. Sadly things don't always turn out how you anticipate and with Paul being taken ill with labrynthitis, it was clear he wouldn't be able to go out with me at the week end. Thankfully he was feeling a bit better by Saturday, he was able to at least stand up and was eating again, but a day out at a food festival? Was never gonna happen! So after much thought, I decided to go on my own. Paul didn't want me to miss out, and in all fairness I think he wanted me to go and get sausages and cheese - he didn't want to miss out on the goodies. It turned out to be a day of reflection and quiet contemplation for me. A long drive, and a chance to think. My confidence has taken such a pounding in recent years, I needed to prove to myself I could do this on my own. And while I missed Paul so much, I truly enjoyed the day and my own company. 

It took me an hour to get there, I left really early and was there and parked up by 9.30am. So glad I went early, I was able to park in the National Trust car park, really near the entrance. The food festival started at 10am, so first I went to Hardwick Hall and had a cup of tea and some very nice shortbread. Then at about quarter past i walked back to the food festival. It was already very crowded, its certainly a very popular event. I spent a couple of hours there looking around the stalls, that's when I could get anywhere near them. Mostly I seemed to be doing battle with pushchairs, wheelchairs and killer back packs. I did however get everything I know Paul would love - HECK sausages, a variety of Lymm Farm cheeses, chutney, oatmeal biscuits, Ceylon Orange Pekoe tea (for my mum), curry spices and a large slice of red velvet cake. Not a bad haul for one so little.....there were times I wished I was a food taller, it was hard to get near some of the stalls or to see what was on them. I did also watch a cookery demonstration, where the chef made herb crusted salmon with a tomato, cream and vodka sauce (the sauce did not look visually appealing I have to say). The best part of the day was sitting on a hay bale eating a steak pie (delish!!) while listening to live music. I love people watching, and there were certainly enough people there to make it entertaining. By this time the sky was looking grey and rain looked imminent so i decided to head back to the car, drop off my shopping and then head to Hardwich Hall to explore the house. We have been before, but its a beautiful house and everytime you go there is something new to see - amazing tapestries, beautiful furniture and amazing artwork. I loved being there surrounded by such history - what a wonderful and at times tragic tale Hardwick has to tell. While Bess of Hardwick was a woman ahead of her time, and furnished a house to rival a palace, her grand daughter Arbella viewed Hardwick as a prison, albeit a beautiful one - like a bird in a gilded cage. 

 As I left Hardwick, the rain  finally started to fall, never heavy but still wet enough to be annoying. Luckily though I had missed it, and was on my way home.