frayed at the edge

Curtains!

When we went to Ikea to buy the bed for the guest bedroom in the flat, we also bought curtains for the lounge.  Because we needed to buy three pairs, we bought their plain cotton twill ones, which are very reasonably priced.   But there is one drawback - they only come in one length, which is extra, extra long!  So when we came over to the flat this morning, I brought the sewing machine with me

 

I always have to consult my instruction manual, to remind me how to do blind hemming

 

there was a lot of crawling about on the floor, measuring and cutting off the excess fabric, ready for the new hems

 

the first pair done

 

then the second pair

 

the third pair are split, with one on each of the side windows.  As you can see, by the time I finished it was dark!

 

I have a nice pile of leftover pieces, which will be used for cushion making

 

it has been a horrible wet day here, with the lighthouse barely visible through the gloom

 

no seal, no swans, just one soggy seagull, looking miserable on an old, sagging roof

 

so to finish, lets have some colour!  Here are just a few of the beautiful orchids in the Botanic Gardens in Singapore

 

and a colourful little lizard

 

 

 

Blue skies!

It was so good yesterday to see blue skies, after the dreary, grey, damp weather we have had recently.  We decided to go the Mayfield Garden Centre in Kelso, as Anne S had mentioned on Friday afternoon that the major revamp/expansion was complete.  

 

we were glad to see that "Julian's Veg" had survived the upheavals, as they sell exceedingly good stuff

 

the new coffee shop is much larger, and much, much smarter than the old one

 

with a large outdoor seating area, which will no doubt be well used in the summer

 

we had vouchers for a cuppa and a slice of Christmas cake for £1.49 (a bargain!), and we also shared a delicious cheese scone (I was delighted that there was no marzipan on the cake!)

 

we then went for a very enjoyable walk round Kelso

a bright splash of red berries

 

boats on the riverbank

 

more red berries, this time on a holly tree

 

stylish new seating in the square

 

the summer floral displays in the hotel windowboxes are all gone

 

a lovely etched window in the hotel

 

an old chimney ....... and beautiful blue sky!

 

we liked this sign (but we don't like tattoos!)

 

I want this tractor (it's a wine bottle holder!)

 

more blue sky!

 

the Abbey

 

a peaceful scene at the river

 

and to finish - there were one or two sparrows waiting for the bird feeders to be filled this morning!

Another Sunday, another castle!

On Sunday we headed down the coast to the village of Craster.  We had to park just outside the village, as it is so small only residents' cars are allowed in.  The tide was out ......

 

....... in the harbour, which had been built as a memorial to

 

whenever I see a pile of lobster pots, I am tempted to acquire one to put in the garden

 

we had a spot of bother getting through this gate, as it was guarded by these cows - I turned back to take the photo once we had got past them

 

then, there in the distance was our destination, Dunstanburgh Castle

 

it might look as if there weren't many other people out and about ...... but that's because they were all coming up behind us!

 

well, the cases are packed, everything that can be turned off has been turned off, and our lovely neighbours as ever have the keys to look after the house for us.  I am taking my Hudl with me, and hopefully I will be able to do some posts along the way, so do pop in now and then to catch up with our travels.  But before I go, I have one last thing to share with you.  Starting on the 7th of October,    Borderland Fabrics will be hosting a silent auction of some of Margaret's work.  I have shown you Margaret's beautiful applique work on Fridays, when she has brought them to patch'n'chat, and there are two of her applique quilt tops in the auction, as well as some of her fabulous hand pieced quilts

 

Margaret is parting with her beautiful quilt tops to raise funds for her grandson Harry, who has been picked to play for England in the Boccia games in Poland.  He is an extraordinary young man who has overcome his disability to become a top player.  So please put it in your diary to either visit Borderland Fabrics' website, or even better, call into the shop and see the wonderful quilts, then enter a bid to win one.  And if you need some more persuasion, here is a detail of the amazing clown quilt

 

 

Art?

I set off for Kelso this afternoon, as I had an appointment at the hairdresser.  From the salon window - the one above "Dorothy"

 

I had a good view of the new piece of street art ....... I think perhaps these men were as puzzled as me as to what part of a great lump of stone, which looks as if it has been scribbled on, is art?

 

it looks completely out of place in front of the town hall

 

and this beautifully presented hotel

 

I was tempted to flag down this JCB and ask the driver to lend it to me so I could shift the lump somewhere else ........ I think it would look better in a park

 

oh dear - did that sound a bit grumpy?!  It's just not my idea of art.  If only I could show you some of the beautiful pieces in this shop

 

and some of the cakes in this shop window could just about qualify as works of art as well!!

 

we were entertained last night by the robin in the birdbath

 

then this morning I watched this little sparrow jumping into the water

 

then out again, not quite brave enough to have a bath

 

in again

 

out again

 

a blue tit arrived to give him some encouragement

 

come on, don't be scared, just jump in and get on with it

 

ah well, maybe next time!

 

you might wonder why I am including this photo of a Tesco delivery van?

 

because I thought it amusing that it was parked in the Sainsbury's carpark.  Did the driver not believe his employers' adverts that they are better/cheaper, and had popped in on his lunch break to do his shopping?!

Blowing away the cobwebs

We went for a long walk on the beach at Bamburgh yesterday.  It was rather windy, and the walk helped clear our heads, as we both have a nasty cold.  Someone else making good use of the wind was this kite surfer

 

LS Lowry regularly visited Berwick on holiday ....... perhaps he had a trip to Bamburgh one day and was inspired by the little figures in the distance on the beach

 

when we turned round to walk back, the castle was only just visible above the dunes, which made me think that if you were a Viking who had arrived to attack the castle, you would think it wasn't that big

 

until you walked further along and saw it in all its glory!

 

it was a hazy day, with the Farne Islands just visible on the horizon

 

this shell caught my eye, sitting in a little depression in the sand

 

this jellyfish was somewhat larger

 

I had just taken this photo of the remains of a butterfly when a large dog ran up and stood on it, spoiling it

 

when I was taking photos of the castle from the beach, I cut off the right hand side

 

as the vehicles parked there were rather out of keeping with the grand structure

 

if you don't like snails, skip past the next few photos!

 

and you might want to avoid this hairy caterpillar too!

 

of course after such a bracing walk, we needed some excellent sconnage for lunch, and headed to Sunnyhills

 

where we tucked into a cheese scone

 

and a fruit scone

 

before going out to see the llamas

 

I'll be back tomorrow with more photos from the weekend, and some sewing.  But to finish ......... I think it may be some time before we start producing wine from our grapes!

 

Cast your mind back ........

........ to Friday, when the robin sneaked in at the end of the post.  Well, I had hardly hit the publish button when the scruffy robin turned up and had a bath as well!

 

In a comment on Friday's post, Julia mentioned that if we were going to Berwick at the weekend, we should take a walk along the pier, as dolphins had been sighted.  So as soon as we arrived and got organised, off we set, pausing along the way as always to take photos.  As we walked across the old bridge, the seal popped up to say hello

 

then Malcolm suggested this street scene

 

this scene was my choice

 

we didn't see any dolphins, but we did see several boats

 

having failed to see any dolphins, we went for a walk on the beach, where as always there were all sorts of things to snap

 

on Sunday morning we went for a walk - and instead of walking along the top of the town walls, as we usually do, we walked round the bottom

 

and look what we found - a garden celebrating the Queen's Jubilee

 

the garden bench shows just how big the walls are

 

by the time we had walked down all these steps .....

 

........ we were ready for a cuppa and some excellent sconnage

 

I still have lots more photos to share with you - but I have a big pot of chutney wimmering on the stove, and I need to go and bottle it, so do come back tomorrow, as I even have a photo of a cake that I baked (a rare occurence!!).  To finish - we were bemused yesterday by this car, sitting in the middle of a large grass area which seems to be used for parking when the carpark is full.  As you can see, the grass has been cut round it .............

 

 

Birthday boy!

Happy birthday to Malcolm, who despite having been "retired" for nine years, still thinks he is 29 (same as me!).  It's very difficult to get a good photo of him - he always manages to pull a face or blink at the wrong moment ....... I took this one this morning when we were out for a walk, and he looks as if he is half-asleep

 

I gave him a gift voucher for a two day stained glass course, which I got from here.  I hope he enjoys it as much as he enjoyed his dry stone walling course.  I am also taking him out for dinner tonight to the tapas restaurant in Berwick, which we are looking forward to.  We will be able to walk to and from the restaurant, which is a pleasant change from going out in Hawick, when either one of us can't have wine with dinner, or we have to get a taxi.  We have walked off the calories in advance, going for a walk along the other side of the river.  First, we had to stop and admire some ducks

 

and a robin, who was a bit shy

 

then the walk began in earnest, with yet another view of the new and old road bridges

 

and the railway bridge

 

we had a good view across the river to Berwick Castle

 

and a rather grand house, half hidden in the trees

 

I let Malcolm hold this dead crab for the photo!

 

this little boat is often tied up in the dock - I think it takes people on sightseeing trips up the river

 

there were several herons on the river

 

as we walked up a path to take us back to the road, we passed an old weathered fence post with rusty wire.  But does it look better from this side

 

or this one?

 

I have been getting on with as much sewing as possible, to keep up with Meredithe and her stitching contest ....... I'll tell you more tomorrow, as right now I am off to titivate for our night out!!

Bamburgh Castle

We had been meaning to visit the castle for some time, but we finally made the effort as we had a BOGOF entry voucher which was about to expire!  You can read about the castle here, here and here.  There is so much to see, it is somewhat overwhelming, and at times I simply forgot to take photos, as I looked round in awe!

the imposing entrance

 

a tribute to Lord Armstrong

 

looking up at the Keep

 

old defences

 

the  State Apartments

 

I liked this sign!

 

just one of the many exquisite treasures

 

the magnificent teak ceiling in the Great Hall

 

a detail of the ceiling

 

grand living

 

delicate furniture

 

not so delicate armour

 

an amazing wooden model

 

made on the other side of the country

 

this is a very special curtain ....

 

...... from many, many years ago

 

a detail of the curtain

 

so what is this contraption?

 

I think it would make the job harder, not easier!

 

we escaped before the portcullis came down!

 

as we went round the castle, we kept getting glimpses of the beach below

so of course we went for a long walk (along with lots and lots of other people, as it was the Bank Holiday weekend).  There are excellent views of the castle from the beach

 

we could also see the Farne Islands

 

and Holy Island

 

I was about to take an arty photo of this seaweed when a wave came much further up the beach than the proceeding ones - I got wet feet and my shot was spoiled!

 

I had better luck with the next one

 

just a few of the many people on the beach

 

I liked this row of old fence posts we passed, as we walked back up from the beach

 

to finish, another shot that went wrong - just as I took a photo of a surfer, he fell off and a little girl ran into the photo!

This and that ......

........ sometimes I just can't think of a title, and despite seeking Malcolm's help, that's the best I could come up with for today's post!

On Saturday morning, we walked to the local DIY shop, to buy, amongst other things, a hook to hold back the new bedroom curtain.  On the way, we had a detour to the local church

 

it was hard to take photos of the church itself, as it is surrounded by very large trees

 

the church is surrounded by a large graveyard, with some very old headstones

 

 

 

if you can't read this one, do click on it to enlarge it, as it has a lovely sentiment

 

 

a lot of the headstones are well preserved, although sadly some of them can no longer be read

 

 

back at the flat with the new hook, we spent some time trying out various options for the new curtain - should it go to the left or the right, should it be fixed right across the top, or pulled to the side?  This is what we finally decided on

 

when I saw this man coming into the dock in a small rowing boat, of course I reached for the camera.  I didn't expect a bonus in the photo - the seal popped its head out of the water just as I snapped!

 

we went to Bamburgh Castle yesterday, but I have so many photos, that I will keep them for a separate post tomorrow ......... but I will show you what we had for lunch.  As we had tucked into kippers and soda bread for breakfast, we shared a sandwich ........ delicious brie and onion chutney

 

late on Saturday afternoon, we saw a ship anchor offshore, waiting for high tide to come into the dock.  They obviously had decided not to use the high tide in the middle of the night, so when we got back yesterday, we were just in time to see the ship coming round the final bend of the deep water channel ........

 

....... while the pilot boat waited to usher it in through the opening to the dock

 

this ship was nowhere as big as the previous ones we have seen, and it had room to spare as it came in

 

this photo of it passing a lorry parked on the dockside shows the size of the ship (as an aside, Stuart was at school with, I think, three of the Stevenson famiy, owners of the haulage firm)

 

as usual the swans went off in a huff

 

supervised by that cheeky seal!

 

later on, there were two more arrivals

 

the swans didn't like that one either - off in another huff!

 

to finish, a little taste of tomorrow's post

A high score at Scrabble

Yes, I had an appointment with my Polish dentist this morning, the one whose name I can't spell, but I'm sure would give me a winning score at Scrabble!  It was just for my routine annual checkup - you have to imagine his saying in his James Bond film Villain's voice ...... is good, no cavities, no decay, just need scrape and polish.  That was soon done, with only slight discomfort ....... I was very brave and didn't cry!  There was no patch'n'chat today, as there was a group visiting the shop, so Malcolm had come to the dentist with me, and as soon as I had paid the bill (that's the biggest ouch!) we headed for Berwick.  We stopped just over the border for lunch at Cornhill Village shop

 

it just looks like a little place from the outside, but inside there is a food shop, a gift shop and a small coffee shop

 

the lady who took our order was delightful, and soon we were tucking into a delicious lunch.  Malcolm had a haggis, beans and tatties pie (the tomato is from my salad, you know that I don't like it) 

 

I had a roll stuffed full with chicken tikka

 

when we got to the flat, as soon as we had unpacked, we headed out for a walk to the lighthouse, but got sidetracked by this ship being loaded in the dock

 

then as we walked across the old bridge there was another pause as we saw the seal in the river.  As Stuart still has my long lens, you will just have to trust me that the little dark blob is indeed the seal

 

finally, the lighthouse was in sight

 

but there were still distractions.  This Edward VII postbox is from the early 1900s (he was Queen Victoria's son)

 

in the distance we coud see (just) Bamburgh Castle

 

and Holy Island

 

and of course I had to stop to admire some swans

 

but at last we reached the lighthouse.  Would you like it on the left of the photo

 

or on the right

 

the clouds started to build up, giving us dramatic skies

 

it would never do if I had to do without my Friday cake, so on our way back to the flat we bought two slices of a rather delicious lemon cheesecake

 

the ship was still being loaded

 

with a constant  stream of large lorries

 

there was a scary moment when these two got a bit close to each other

 

I haven't forgotten about the sewing - the cloth is on the table

 

the cushion is on the bed

 

and the curtain is up, with Malcolm acting as a temporary hook to hold the tieback in place!

 

we plan to be out and about over the weekend - whether you are at home or away, I hope you have a good weekend, love Anne