frayed at the edge

More of the white stuff!

I know a lot of you in this country are fed up with snow, but these photos are for Meredithe, Ma and the Squealers, who are wilting in the heat in and around Melbourne.  This was the birdbath yesterday morning

 

with a collar of snow round the icy water

 

I think the footprints are probably from a cat, which had carefully walked along the edging between the path and the grass

 

our neighbours' monkey puzzle tree looked good with its dusting of snow

 

while we had rather a lot on the hedge

 

this is yesterday's sunrise

 

with more spectacular colours - the little dots are birds flying past in the distance

 

then this morning we had a very pink sunrise

 

with lots of fluffy clouds

 

we came up to Berwick this morning, stopping in Belford at Sunnyhills

 

where we shared an excellent cheese scone

 

when we got to the flat, there was a ship in the dock, which was sitting very low in the water.  Was it waiting to be unloaded, or had it been loaded and was waiting for high tide to leave?  We would find out later in the afternoon

 

we had a (rather chilly) walk over to town.  When I stopped to take a photo of the Victorian pillar box, I had to include the matching Porsche!

 

these little birds are well camouflaged when they are poking about at the water's edge

 

until you spot their red legs

 

it was very clear, and we could see Bamburgh Castle in the distance

 

I would love to know why this house has two wind-speed meters on its chimney stack

 

do you remember this house, which I christened the "money pit"?  I tried to persuade Malcolm to buy it, so I could turn it into a quilting retreat, but sadly someone else bought it, and has been slowly refurbishing it

 

then there was the "very big money pit", where work has finally started to turn it into apartments

 

and now there is this old building for sale - but the drawback to this one is that there is hardly a straight line or a right angle, as it has subsided over the years!  So I don't think Malcolm will buy this one for me either, which is a disappointment, as it would be wonderful to have you all come to visit (although perhaps not all at the same time!)

 

back at the flat, there was suddenly a flurry of activity in the dock

 

with the swans escaping out into the river

 

before the pilot boat shepherded the ship out of the dock

 

we are just watching the weather forecast on tv, and it is to be dry and bright tomorrow, so we hope to get out and about. If you have weather like ours, wrap and well and stay warm, and if you are melting in the heat in Melbourne, stay cool and drink lots!!  Love, Anne

Oh I do like to be ......

...... beside Newbiggin-by-the sea!  As it was a clear bright (and somewhat chilly) morning yesterday, we headed over to Newbiggin for a walk along the seafront.  I wasn't worried by this notice, as there was no way I was going anywhere near the freezing cold sea!

 

we missed seeing the lifeboat being launched from the trailer behind the tractor

 

but we saw it out at sea bouncing over the waves

 

then later we saw it reversing on to the trailer

 

and being towed back up the beach

 

finishing with a tricky manoeuvre to reverse ........

 

up to the lifeboat station

 

this groyne shouldn't end up buried under the sand, as it is part of the landscaping, and isn't on the beach

 

this may look like a bare wall

 

but a closer look .......

 

...... shows plant growing between the bricks

 

a quick pause for an arty photo

 

from the far end of the seafront, we had a good view of the church on the point

 

then I took this photo as we walked back to the car

 

I suggested this boat would be a good "fixer-upper" project for Malcolm, but he declined to buy it! 

 

so I suggested that he could offer to repair these doors, as they are definitely in need of some tlc

 

we were going to go to this café for a cuppa, as it brings back memories for Malcolm of childhood visits and ice cream treats.  But as it was closed ......

 

...... we headed instead to the Maritime Centre

 

where we had some excellent sconnage for lunch

 

what an excellent idea, encouraging people to help keep the beach clean (I think people who drop litter on the beach should be thrown into the freezing sea as punishment - that would make them think twice before doing it again!)

The rest of our walk

On Friday, we had just reached the end of the beach.  We went up on to the promenade to walk back, where I spotted this little gate - I don't really know why it was there, as the fence was so low I could have stepped over it

 

we had a meander through the streets running behind the promenade - this old house has a fine collection of chimneys

 

there is a small park which we walked through

 

the lavender is still flowering

 

as is this pretty fuchsia

 

we were somewhat surprised to see these little points of spring bulbs peeping through the soil in a planter

 

a splendid gate in an unusual arched opening

 

we passed the old school

 

this tower would have had the school bell in it

 

walking back to the carpark with a bag full of driftwood and sea glass, the low sun gave us long legs - if only  I could have long legs for reaching the top shelves in the kitchen cupboards!

 

I took this photo early on Saturday morning.  It may look as if a meteorite is speeding to earth ........ but it is the sunrise reflected on a contrail

 

Malcolm bought this little bundle of Liberty fabrics for me on Friday

 

I shall need to design a special project for it, and not just add it to my stash!

 

I shall be back on Wednesday with a report on Malcolm's latest project in the house.

 

Out and about

On Monday, the sun was shining and the sky was blue, so after lunch we abandoned our domestic chores and went out for a walk.  I thought the heavy chain and padlock were pointless on this gate, when even I could climb over it!

 

this bit of metal fencing has seen better days

 

I do like a bit of higgledy piggledy fence

 

I wonder why they just didn't nail some struts between the two fence posts, instead of making a separate piece to fill the gap

 

a little bit of nature in the verges

 

some things are still flowering although it is November

 

although others have gone to seed

 

it's a while since I posted photos ......

 

of gubbins!

 

we saw all sorts of trees - small

 

old

 

perhaps struck by lightning?

 

a very large stump

 

stark against the skyline

 

twisted

 

and very, very tall - Malcolm provides the scale

 

and at the end of our walk ........

 

....... sheepies!

 

and not just any sheepies, but Jacob's sheepies, my favourites!

 

I won't be here on Friday, as Malcolm's brother-in-law's funeral is on Friday morning, so I will wish you a good weekend, love Anne

Worth getting up for!

I know some of my friends think I am mad getting up early, but if I had stayed in my bed this morning ........

 

....... I would have missed this wonderful sunrise

 

in the end, Storm Brian didn't reach us, so yesterday morning we headed over to Amble for a walk

 

we have never been there when the tide is out - it was strange seeing an waterless harbour

 

I think this was once a pier

 

I felt slightly seasick taking this photo - as I looked through the viewfinder, focussing on the gull, the water was  rushing past in the background

 

one of the cormorants obligingly assumed the classic pose with outstretched wings for the photo

 

not quite as impressive as the Berwick lighthouse!

 

we were concerned to see all these men in hi-viz scrambling over the rocks, but fortunately it turned out to be a Coastguard training exercise

 

you can rent these little beach huts

 

a quick pause for a couple of arty photos ....... first some rust

 

then a large, strange piece of machinery

 

this piece of landscaping has recently been weeded and tidied

 

but this stretch is still neglected

 

heading for a cuppa after our walk, we were a bit bemused by all these pigeons on the roof.  We came to the conclusion that there can't be any loft insulation in the building, so the roof is warm for them to sit on

 

we had to avoid men with long ladders, who were stringing Christmas lights across the street

 

I remembered my own advice to look up, to find unusual things for photos

 

inconsiderate motorists, parking right in front of the tea rooms and spoiling my photo!

 

just for a change, we shared a toasted teacake - delicious!

 

I think I mentioned before that Stuart and Alison gave us walking shoes for our birthdays.  Manly ones for Malcolm ......

 

and girly pink soles for me.  It must be getting colder ........ note the hand knitted socks!

 

I'll be back on Wednesday with a report on Malcolm's wine rack!

Walk this way!

Last Thursday, we set of for a stroll through the village, pausing to admire these fungi growing under a tree

 

I meant to look this tree up in my book, but I forgot, and as I am writing this at the flat, and my book is at home, perhaps one of you will know what it is!

 

a rather smart new house being built a few streets away from us

 

 

with another one being built behind it

 

the leaves are changing to their glorious autumn colours, which are my favourite

 

Malcolm shows the scale of this passing tractor and trailer

 

more fungi - as I don't know anything about them, I would never risk picking wild ones, in case they were poisonous

 

there's a surprise, our stroll has brought us to Nelson's

 

the sign on the window saves me from telling you!

 

it was quiet when we arrived (it soon filled up) so I was able to take some photos

 

where else would you hang your old tennis racquets and walking sticks!

 

and of course we all hang our bikes from the ceiling!

 

we walked round to see the rheas ........

 

which upset these geese, which were vociferous in their disapproval of our walking past!

 

it was rather hard to take photos of the rheas, as they were constantly twisting ......

 

......... and turning .........

 

.......... pulling feathers out!

 

of course we have to have a couple of arty photos.  First a cotoneaster growing out the top of an old stone wall

 

and then a fading hydrangea flower hanging over another old wall

 

as you can see, a lot of leaves have already come down

 

we regularly pass this garden, which has all sorts of quirky things in it

 

the current theme is owls

 

back home, I have been busy with the two little bits of garden that I am allowed to work on!

 

I have given the border in front of the house a thorough weed, and have planted some bulbs for spring colour

 

in the rockery, the bedding plants are still flowering, so I have left them for just now, and just had a good weed and deadhead

 

I have planted more spring bulbs in Malcolm's raised bed

 

when I was taking the photos, I spotted several different fungi

 

growing in what is supposed to be the lawn

 

I think the Head Gardener

 

will have a lot of work next spring to eliminate the weeds

 

I even discovered a late-flowering dandelion!

 

I promised you scones ....... when I went up to the counter in Nelson's to place our order, I couldn't make up my mind between the tasty cheese scones

 

and the delicious fruit ones, so we just had to share one of each ..... yum!!

 

to finish, what was happening on the quayside in Berwick this morning ........ had we slipped though a rip in the time-space continuum (or something like that!) and gone back several hundred years ........ I'll tell you on Monday!  Have a great weekend, love Anne

A very busy weekend!

On our way to Stuart and Alison's on Saturday, we called into a garden centre for lunch ........ but what was this I spotted as we headed for the entrance?  EEK ....... it's 3 months until Christmas, but the garden centre was full of all things Christmas!

 

it's quite a few years since we last had lunch at this garden centre, so we were delighted to find that they still serve their delicious old-fashioned lentil soup

 

after lunch, we had a look round the outside plant area.  We were rather taken with this tree .......

 

until we saw the price, then we decided that we didn't like it that much after all!

 

of course you have all heard of/seen the Forth Bridge and the Forth Road Bridge, but now there is a third bridge, the Queensferry Crossing, which the Queen opened at the start of the month.  It was very hazy, so the new bridge doesn't stand out against the two older bridges

 

the upright in the centre of the photo is the new bridge, with the Road Bridge behind it on the right

 

bits of all three bridges

 

the Road Bridge is dwarfed by the new bridge

 

driving on towards Grangemouth, you wouldn't think that just after passing this long row of trees ......

 

........ that this would come into view

 

if you want to know what all these things are .......

 

just ask Malcolm, as he spent the greater part of his working life here, when it was still BP Chemicals

 

it is now owned by a chap called Jim Ratcliffe, who is worth in excess of £3billion (yes, billion).  Why do I mention this?  Because Malcolm was at university with Jim!  OK, so Jim has a slightly bigger bank balance than Malcolm (!), but he still works long hours, whereas we have spent the last twelve years enjoying Malcolm's (early) retirement

 

we weren't the only visitors at Stuart and Alison's.  Stuart's stepsister Claire popped in to see us, with her two gorgeous children ........ and their new puppy, Purdey (named after the Joanna Lumley character, not the shotgun!)

 

she is a Border Terrier, and you can see here that she has the terrier instinct, as she savages her toy squirrel!

 

and she was doing her best here to bite Stuart's ears!

 

on Sunday morning we went out for breakfast with Stuart and Alison (sorry, forgot to take a photo of my delicious French toast with bacon and maple syrup).  Then it was on to the quilt show.  It was quiet when we arrived, so I was able to take some general photos

 

there were some stunning quilts

 

but I wasn't overly impressed with this miniature quilt, which had been chosen as Champion.  I think it's the scale of the different blocks that I don't like, with the anchor being as big as the house

 

however, I was delighted to see that this miniature had won a rosette, as I know the maker Mhairi (pronounced Varry, to rhyme with marry).  She was a member of the first quit group I joined, Greenpark Quilters in Polmont, way back in 1993.

 

look at all these luscious threads

 

did some of them come home with me?

 

yes they did!

 

the charming young man on the stall gave me a very helpful leaflet, with info about the thread, needle size to use etc

 

and a card with his website, should I wish to buy more

 

and of course I had to make some purchases at my favourite stall

 

some beautiful remnants of Japanese fabric, with a plain piece in the middle, to use for sashiko

 

to finish ....... look at these beauties, fresh from Stuart's garden.  I have used one already, slicing it thinly and putting it in the bottom of an oven dish, then sitting pork chops on top, then smothering the chops with finely sliced onions.  Some garlic salt and pepper, and a measure of cider, then into the oven ....... delicious!

 

A glorious sunrise!

Regular readers know that on weekdays I leap jump stumble out of bed at 6.20, to engage with the implements of torture in my efforts to get fit (which begs the question, WHEN will I actually get fit??!!).  But there are advantages to getting up that early .......

 

...... when you can see spectacular sunrises from the kitchen window!

 

but there are disadvantages, when you encounter very large spiders in the hall

 

as usual for a Wednesday morning, I headed off down the A1 to The Quilt Shop in Morpeth.  Sue was busy folding fat quarters

 

with this pile of luscious new fabrics waiting their turn

 

I spotted this one at the bottom of the pile - it is much more blue than it looks in the photo, very cute

 

this piece of fabric may look as if it has been attacked by moths, but the holes are where Ros has fussy cut hexagons

 

her hexies are tiny, about the size of a fingernail

 

Ros brought me a squash and a courgette from her garden

 

and in return I gave her a bag of plums from our garden .......

 

left over after I made plum chutney

 

and plum jam

 

I have also made rather a lot of strawberry jam, which is my all-time favourite homemade jam

 

as we were away at the start of the month, I almost forgot about sharing the calendars with you.  As a dedicated disliker (spellcheck says that isn't a word!!) of cats, of course I like this month's page on the kitchen calendar

 

and out in the attic, we have a fine specimen of a young man on the quilting calendar

 

but sorry ladies, he is already taken!!

The last instalment

As a change to visiting castles, we headed to Scolton Manor.  As we walked from the carpark up to the house, we came upon this amazing carving

 

here is a small detail

 

further on, this owl was decidedly more weathered.  I think his talons are slightly out of proportion to his body!

 

then it was into the garden, which is being restored

 

this may look like a greenhouse for very small people

 

but when you go inside, you find that the floor level is much lower than the garden outside

 

these old straw bee skeps have been inset into the wall - I would love a feature like this in our garden ...... if only we had some skeps, and an old wall! 

 

this photo is for Kelly, a lover of old gates

 

there is a very productive kitchen garden

 

these freshly picked veggies were en route to the gift shop

 

as we continued our meander to the house, we then came across this carving, which depicts the French invaders surrendering to the women of Fishguard

 

the sign claimed that this is the Holy Grail ....

 

finally, we arrived at the house

 

it's always fascinating to see how people lived years ago

 

some things don't change - you could find a similar piece of embroidery in progress in our house

 

I have no idea what was kept in a Brain Jar!

 

"upstairs" dining was rather grand

 

"downstairs" was more informal

 

down in the cellar, even posh people have  a room full of junk

 

but they also have a room full of wine!

 

Malcolm wanted to take this clock home!

 

the next stop was the café for lunch

 

I had a cheese and pickle sandwich

 

and Malcolm had cheese and tuna.  We had expected dainty sandwiches with perhaps grated cheese - not great thick  slabs of the most delicious cheese ...... it's just as well we were doing so much walking to work off the calories!

 

on the way back to the car, we found more carvings

 

this one told a sad story

 

while this one

 

is symbolic of the struggles between Wales and England

 

this chap may have been a pirate

 

but he was a well-behaved one!

 

back at the car park we discovered this old engine ......

 

and signal box, which are hopefully going to be restored to their former gallery

 

we went for one last walk on the beach - no, this isn't us!

 

pausing to admire the scenery

 

do you prefer the sharp, jagged rocks

 

or the ones worn smooth by the waves?

 

the tide was out

 

so the boats

 

were high and dry on the sand

 

except for this one, which was nowhere near the sea!

 

it's Friday, so that means we have to have something tasty!  One morning I had the rare treat of hot chocolate, complete with whipped cream and marshmallows.  And we shared a Danish pastry, as there were no scones on the menu

 

but don't worry, we popped down to Heighley Gate garden Centre on Sunday to buy some bulbs for the garden to give us a show of colour in the spring, and while we were there we shared an exceedingly good cheese and spring onion scone

 

I was up early enough on Sunday morning to see the sunrise

 

ok - I was only up that early to go to the loo!

 

then later in the day, we had some heavy rain, followed by a double rainbow

 

it was so intense we could clearly see the seven colours

 

I'll be back on Monday with some sewing, and what I did with several kilos of plums from the tree in the garden.  Have a great weekend, love Anne

Sightseeing

 The weather last Thursday was glorious, so we decided to head over to Cragside, to both go round the house, and have a walk in the glorious gardens

 

first stop was the old stable block

 

which has several displays, one of which has this sketch of the house when it was built

 

William Armstrong, who had the house built

 

this shows important events in the early years of the house (click on the photo to enlarge it)

 

there was also a long time line - for Malcolm this was the most important event!

 

I was more interested in this poster!

 

I took this photo for Stuart, as he is a mechanical engineer (Malcolm was in shock for weeks when Stuart said that he would not be following in his footsteps as a chemical engineer!)

 

this poster was actually in one of the rooms in the house, but I have included it with the other technical stuff.  This was of great interest to Malcolm, as when he started work with BP, they used Tangye engines and pumps

 

we sat out in the sun in the courtyard at the stable block to have some excellent sandwiches for lunch

 

after lunch I popped into the facilities - I think it is the first time I have seen a fireplace in a ladies loo!

 

this is the view from in front of the coach house -we both thought it looked like Canada.  I thought that from photos that I have seen, Malcolm thought that because he has been there!

 

this family walking in front of us provide the scale to show just how tall the trees are

 

this is one of the first electric lamps, mentioned in the wheel of events

 

I always enjoy seeing kitchens in old houses

 

I don't think you would be allowed to impose such strict working conditions now!

 

one of several patchwork quilts

 

the view from one of the bedroom windows

 

I got fed up waiting for this woman to stop looking at her phone and walk out of the photo - but then, she shows the size of the fireplace (and how can you walk past such magnificence and not look, finding your phone more fascinating!!)

 

out in the gardens, I wasn't entirely happy walking down the steps in the rockery

 

but it was worth it to see the view over the bridge

 

and then to see the small wooden bridge on the other side (you can see both bridges in the sketch at the start of the post)

 

this glass house is undergoing major renovation work

 

the rabbit has been back in our garden - maybe we need to get a big fence and a gate like this to keep it out?

 

some of the cottages in the grounds are available to rent for holidays - look at the stunning views this one enjoys

 

it's just as well we don't have a big tree in the garden, or Malcolm might be tempted to cut it down and carve an owl on the stump

 

beautiful water lilies

 

they almost look as if they have been carved from wax

 

in the rose garden

 

there was a riot of colour

 

and lovely old fashioned scents - so many modern roses have no scent

 

a last piece of engineering - an Archimedes screw.  Normally Archimedes screws lift water to a higher level, but this one has the water running down it, turning the screw to generate electricity (thank you to my engineering guru- aka Malcolm -  for the information)

 

and so to the Tuesday cake - we shared this delicious Palmier yesterday.  It was stuffed with jam and cream ...... delicious!