Whizz, Bang!

I don't know about you but I have absolutely no idea where the year is disappearing too!

It was only 5 minutes ago since we were buying new uniforms and having mild wobbles about middle schools, buses and homework but already now I'm buying Christmas cards and putting in orders.

Must be true, time definitely flies when you're having fun and since we spent that Saturday with the geese and swans there's been such fun at No. 25.

Half term whizzed by and I had a lovely time at home with my manems cutting and sticking, baking and loafing about. Hallowe'en is fairly low key here but we carved a pumkin, the boys dressed up and some kind neighbours dished up sweeties.

Bonfire Night is much more fun though I think. We have a little tradition now of inviting our good friends over for a tea of jacket potatoes, chilli, ginger cake and delicious mulled cider. The menfolk take charge of the fireworks while the ladies do our best to keep three over excited boys in check (not easy!)

We were having such a good time this year we completely missed the start of the village bonfire at the top of the hill, so we watched their amazing display from our back garden while our more modest fireworks went off too.

And then it was my birthday and I've been a very lucky girl. New Fat Face pyjamas, brilliant books, cosy slippers and my favourite toiletries - perfect. Then I headed down to London with my smashing friend for a day at the Country Living Christmas Fair.

I can get rather over excited about these sort of big events and inevitably end up disappointed but it was a total joy to find the Fair even more than I'd hoped it would be; inspiring, atmospheric and full of treasures. There was row upon row of real artisans, craftpeople and artists displaying such beautful wares it made me gasp. And most of it was pretty fairly priced considering the amount of work on display. I absolutely loved it!

P and I made a pact that we wouldn't buy anything that we could pick up at home or in a garden centre/supermarket and to be honest that didn't narrow things down all that much! I came home with a much longed for braided rug, some cermaic, hand painted tree decorations and beautiful candles. Sadly I ran out of funds for the stained glass and knitted paper chains but I might just have a go at making some of those myself.

Even the lunch was amazing; baked salmon, delicious salad and puy lentils with beetroot and for a lower price that I'd expect to pay for any main course in London. So all in all a wonderful day and a smashing few weeks. Can't wait for the next few to come - so much to pack in though!

P.S. Time is ridiculously short and working full time means I don't often get online to catch up with blogging. Thank you so very much for all your lovely comments. I read and treasure them all and I'm really sorry if you've asked me a question and I've not got back to you. Hope you'll forgive me.xxx

Spectacular

There's an autmum spectacle that I've really longed to see for years and yesterday we managed it at long last. 

 

I love wild geese but we only see a few where we live and only the very occassional pink foot or a whooper swan, so yesterday we travelled north to the reserve at Martinmere to see these lovely birds coming home for winter in their thousands.

It was truly brilliant. Just as we arrived an enormous cloud of honking, swirling pink foots circled the mere and came down to feed. Absolutely magical. The noise is tremendous and fills your entire head for ages.

Our boys were really taken by the whole spectacle and there was the bonus of ticking off some real rarities in the I Spy Birds book.

The hides along the lake shore are great, really simple but with stools just the right height, helpful field guides on the walls and some very knowledgeable wardens on hand too. On Friday night as dusk fell, apparently more than 20,000 pink foots had come in to roost! 

This amazing double heights hide looks just like a goose in flight.

As well as the geese there are huge array of all sorts of wildfowl from across the world and otters and beavers too. These serene looking Bewick swans were definitely one of my favourites.

We had a fantastic time walking around the reserve which was really accessible for families and twitchers alike. The whole site is flat and ideal for pushchairs and wheelchairs too and a rather fabulous adventure playground appealed to our boys when the lure of the geese wore off.

Magical. Thank you Martinmere for a very special day.

Walled Wonder

There's a magic about walled gardens I find endlessly fascinating. I imagine the lives of all the gardeners gone before and the house and family they worked hard for through wind and sun, frost and rain.

We spent Sunday inside the warm, red bricked walls of a garden being lovingly brought back to life.

Although this summer had been a trial with many more failures than success they said, one thing was a run away success; a magical, peaceful, reflective atmosphere.

Espaliered apple and cherry trees cloaked the walls and the veg beds were lined with deep herbaceous borders full of flowers for cutting.

Tucked against the south wall next to one of several greenhouses, was a smashing little cafe and seeing your salad picked in front of you makes for a very delicious lunch.

 

We ate squash & chilli soup and paninis on the little terrace and watched the boys enjoy the run of the garden on a crisp autumn afternoon. Pretty perfect I'd say.

A very special place x

An Autumn Blessing

A few weeks ago down in deepest Dorset, my lovely friend Lucy married her chap Nick so today was a chance for all us Peak Districtish types to wish them well. Their village means an awful lot to this smashing pair and this afternoon we all gathered at All Saints to celebrate with them.

The church was full of beautiful asters and after some thoughtful prayers and rousing hymns we ate a village-made wedding cake and drank pink fizz in the aisles.

Outside russet leaves carpeted the churchyard like the most glorious confetti,

despite a little rain.

Lucy has been the president of the village WI for a few years so a guard of honour of ribboned wooden spoons was pretty apt.

By now they should be off on their journey to the land of maple leaves. Thanks for a lovely afternoon, all our love and have fun!

Coming around....

... to grasses. I've never been very taken with them before, think I saw too much pampas grass growing up in the 70s. I'm sure I remember it dried in the house? But going to Trentham's Italian Gardens on a crisp autumn afternoon I think has changed my mind.

The borders were glorious in a sort of faded grandeur way; mounds of sedums, clouds of asters and fronds of stipa gigantica that seemed to be on fire in the low afternoon sun.

I've only got a tiny garden but maybe a little stipa in the front border might just be the thing for a bit of autumn glory.

A Totally Locally Birthday

Last Sunday we went to one of the loveliest and most unusual birthday parties around. Totally Locally Leek, the project working really bloomin' hard to encourage more people to support their town and shop closer to home, was one year old and there was plenty to celebrate.

Everyone got together at The Foxlowe, another really great project establishing a brilliant community arts centre run by local people for everyone.

There was tons to do too; crafty things, arty things, tasty things and lots of catching up with everyone.

The Foxlowe is a truly beautiful building (an 18th century merchant's house I think) that's having so much life breathed back into it now. The cafe is outstanding and a smashing place to relax with friends on Friday nights and hear some great music too.

 

Its also where we moved our comedy night too recently and the support from volunteers and local audiences has been fantastic

Outside there's a lovely walled garden with space for activities and tables if the sun ever appears.

Woody did a turn as compere drawing the raffle and presenting the Totally Locally Awards for everything from best savoury pie to best busker. Well done to everyone who was nominated or won and orgainised it too. We're really, really lucky to have you in our town.

This brilliant Totally Locally Leek Film, was shown at the event and I have to be honest and say, it made me cry! Hope you enjoy it and if you're in the area, please visit and support the people behind the best little market town in Britain.

Ahhh, September

At the beginning of September it feels like I let out a big sigh. I struggle with summer if I'm honest; the endless disappointing weather, hopes dashed, plans washed away in the floods. But September never disappoints and even surprises with balmy afternoons of golden light that floods the garden and burns away the morning's damp and chill.

Autumn is my natural season I think. There's almost nothing I like to do more than snuggle in at home with my boys around me, the fire lit, something tasty bubbling away on the hob and time for quiet, gentle pursuits.

Then there are the wild days of autumn to come that thrill me too. Days full of wind where the trees bend double, their leaves whipping across the garden, twirling and dancing as they fall. I love that mildly menacing air of winter knocking at the door. Sunday afternoon walks across the fields and into the wood are days for adventure, never knowing what autumn treasure you might bring home.

I blame Brambly Hedge and all those books I read when I was younger of woodland animals busily preparing to tuck themsleves away for the winter. I'd make a good woodmouse I think.

My garden feels like a bonus at this time of year. While the trees and fields are turning, my dahlias and asters and all types of daisies blaze away as the rest of the garden fades and they brighten up the table and the mantlepiece too.

When I leave the office at the end of the afternoon I can tell the light is fading earlier each day, I love it. I like to see the lights come on in houses on my journey home; cosy sitting rooms, families at the table, people drawing the curtains and settling into their nests for the evening.

At the weekend I love to turn on the lamps in the house when dusk falls and the football scores are coming in on the radio. On Saturdays we snuggle up together for tea by the fire with a favourite film and a tasty treat.

A new cookery book is on the kitchen shelf (Nigel Slater's latest - and it looks great!), favourite woolly jumpers, knitted tights, cabled hats and scarves have been turfed out from cupboards and replacement boots and wellies are by the door again. The freezer is bursting with pounds of stashed away blackberries and my fingers are crossed for crab apples too.

We've booked ourselves in for day trips to lovely Ludlow as ever, to Oxford and up to Richmond too. Some of our favourite places, perfect for pottering on a crisp autumn day and we've never had a wet trip yet.

 

Christmas is already on the horizon, plans and ideas are forming and I have this special treat on my birthday to look forward to with a very lovely friend...definitely the very best time of the year!