So, Where Shall We Go On Our Journey Today?... Thaxted, Essex

As I write this post in my study, the warm creamy light from the desk lamp fills the corner of my work area while outside the heavy clouds have blocked the sun and the rain heavily makes an appearance.  I love this cosy weather, it reminds me of autumn days and evenings where a warm home is a very happy place to be.  After last week's warm bank holiday weekend, I was really pleased to see the weather forecast to say that it was time to take out your umbrellas and boots once again.  Quite happily I was more settled to stay in and carry out a big tidy up of the house and then play around with my blog a little (only to revert it back!).  While looking through my camera card, I had forgotten about the little stop off we had made to a little town called Thaxted while we were returning home from our darling Sweetbriar Cottage trip (in case you missed it the post is here).

Thaxted was a town that myself and hubby used to drive through on the way home to Essex from work in London.  Full of history and beautiful buildings, however this little break before we set off home back to Lincolnshire was very brief and only a few photos were taken while we frequented our favourite fish and chip shop (my, how much I miss Essex chips!!).

So let's just have a little break before the week starts.  Have you got your cup of tea and a Bourbon biscuit? (yes, a treat for me who is dieting and putting on 1lb last week... grrrrr!!).

Isn't this a fantastic building?  This is the Guildhall and built c1400's.  I love the way this beautiful structure has stood proud in the Town Street for about 600 years.  Amazing!  I have put a link here for some facts about this interesting place.  Believe me, if I would have had more time on this day I would have captured more closer shots, but as I said earlier, this was a fleeting visit to replenish some hungry teenage stomachs!  

Looking down the Town Street you can see all the colourful painted buildings.  It is quite idyllic.

Along this street, next to a striking cerise gift shop, there stands a grand house with a comforting lavender blue door.  The colour of the house is plain to those that surround it, but notice the blue plaque by the door?...

The composer Gustav Holst lived in Thaxted from 1917 to 1925 in what was known as as 'The Steps' in his day but now the house is known as 'The Manse' (I have put a link here for more information on this fabulous composer).  However, I was mesmerized by this wonderful door with its brass door knocker and intrigued about what the house would look like inside.

Connected to this house was the colourful Gift shop.  Again, I would have loved to browse around the products inside but a more detailed visit would have to be in order at at later date.  So, to wet your appetite until the next time I visit there, here is a link to their website... Gifted

Across the road from here was this gorgeous shop.  It reminded me very much of my 'Old Curiosity Shop' (I really must get on with this!).  I imagined that this shop would be full to the brim with all sorts of essentials.  I was going to put a link to the shop but, as predicted, it is a 'jack of all trades', with basic links to it being a book shop, newsagents etc etc.  An essential role to this town.

 And so, after our delicious fish and chips and suitably refuelled bellies, we walked back towards the car in this tiny corner of the town.  The typical English countryside town with old beams on show, boot scrapers, door knockers, a church steeple, a coat of arms and yes, the wonderful red telephone box (working!).

No doubt I will be back at some stage and will have more time to have a proper look around, but I hope you have enjoyed this quick stop off from what was a very busy day!  The sun was shining that day... no, still raining outside and I am still cosy!

Wishing all of you a very Happy Mother's Day.  We had ours last month, so I hope you have all been spoiled, or are spoiling those special ladies in your lives.

Take care.

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A Patchwork Ta Dah!

What lovely, lovely people you are!  Mumsy was so happy when she read my blog and saw all of your messages.  Your comments were so thoughtful and humbling.  You are amazing!  I have replied to most of your comments via email but there were so many that were 'no reply bloggers' (there is a tutorial in my 'How Did I?' tab above if you want to rectify this).  So to those of you that I have not been able to reply personally, a message from Mumsy... 

"Thank you.  How very kind of you.  I have birthday wishes from all over the world.  I am very touched.  Loads of love.  Mumsy xxx"

Now, to this week's post.  This week I would like to share with you a little journey I have been on for the last few months... an attempt at PATCHWORK. 

 I saw this lovely little bundle of my favourite colour combination at The Fent Shop in Kings Lynn.  A treasure trove of the best fabrics and haberdashery (with a Royal Warrant you know you have a great shop!).  The fat quarters were lovingly cut into rectangles with my new rotary cutter - what fun to have a quick result.  Colourful pages to be put together like the binding of a book.

Gradually the pieces started to fit together and the pattern was taking shape.  The corners were not perfect by any means but hey, this is my first time and I will learn from the mistakes I made, but I was having so much fun.

The backing fabric of a brilliant white was purchased and the safety pins were placed randomly around the project.

My new flower pins were placed around the sides and then - the beginning of the end.  A simple border.

And then some simple lines along the fabric just to hold together.  I love these colours, so clean and fresh, exactly what I had in mind for the garden.

My first patchwork project, so simple and so quick.

So, here it is on the table under the pergola.  I'm one proud little bunny!  Like I said before, there are some mistakes but I'll remember these for next time.

So that's another project done and dusted.  What projects do you have on the go at the moment?

Now, back to planning my next London trip in a couple of weeks.

Have a great weekend.

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A Birthday for Mumsy

Those of you who have been kind and read my blog for a little while will know that I very often go on my little excursions with my Mumsy.  We love disappearing for a while and walking around old towns and buildings, as well as the obvious craft fair or two.  I am very lucky to have a mum who is more of a sister to me.  This wonderful lady has brought me and my brothers up with such patience, love and understanding but still kept her distance when she knew we needed space, enough for us to make our own decisions in life and never to interfere.  Yes, there are some things that she didn't agree with, but she kept her opinions close to her chest to make us learn from our own mistakes.  Both her and my Dad now live a small distance away (no more travelling down to London to see them!) and our trips are always excitingly planned and thoroughly enjoyed, both with cameras clicking away.

Today she is of an age that the Beatles sang all those years ago... "When I'm ??"  I won't actually write the age!

She is patient, generous, caring and funny... oh so funny!  We laugh until we cry, and then laugh again later when it is even more funnier.  When we go out there is always some sort of drama and to have someone to laugh along to make things better is always such bonus.

Now, can I be cheeky and ask a favour of you all?  It's her birthday, and she reads my blog and comments so please give her a Happy Birthday message.  She is such a special lady and this would swell her heart so much!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY MUMSY!!

I love you with all my heart.

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My April in Pictures

April has gone in a blink of an eye.  All the days seem to have merged into one cloudy, colourful soup so it was lovely to go back through the camera to see how different each day was this month.  This was part of the 'Show Us Your April' link up by the great Amy at Ms Toody Goo Shoes.  So, let's start looking through my camera card for April.

1. A colleague was retiring and I was tasked with trying to capture a photo which included the Palace arch along with Peterborough Cathedral as one of his leaving gifts.  Task successful!

2. On our ivy, which was beginning to show signs of life, we noticed a little bit of movement right at the top by Mr Teen's bedroom.  A nest! but I wondered if anything would survive up there.

3. Other colours were beginning to paint the garden.

4. Poor Coco!  She needed a rest after her latest groom.  However she wasn't cut so short like the previous groomer so still has her Cavalier gorgeousness in her curly ears.  We will be using this lovely lady again.

5. Over the last month we have seen the scaffolding poles and planks gradually rise at the side of the Cathedral for some restoration work.  The orders from the workmen on each level as steadily they lift the meccano set were noisy and direct, but they are thankfully at the top now and the work can safely begin.

6. The gorgeous garden mirror that I bought and teased you with after seeing it at Sandringham's craft fair has now been hung in its place under the pergola by the fig tree.  I love the metal work, it reminds me of a peacock's plumage.

7. Oh yes, the 7th was a HAPPY day in my lovely London town, visiting Selfridges.  What an entrance!

8. I needed a rest from walking around the City, so a spot of growing on in the greenhouse was my therapy.

9. What a day!  A car crash, a funeral, a visit to our old Sweetbriar cottage, and then a quick spot of lunch here in Thaxted.  A post will follow with our little stop off on the way home.

10. A lovely package from a sweet friend, Karen at Beatrice Euphemie.  Tonic indeed while nursing bad necks from the accident.

11. A day in the garden and protecting these little lovelies from the lawnmower!

12. Noticing the increasing colours that were growing around me.  A lazy day at home.

13. Time for more work around the garden, after all, I had to keep Mr Teen busy and what perfect way than to power wash the patio from all the winter blackness.

14. Taking advantage of the sunshine, the washing was being hung out and I noticed these little beauties bowing their heads in honour of the warm sunshine.  

15. A mixed bag of a weather day, but another surprise was awaiting me with this rose which I bought a few years ago.  This was in memory of an ancestor who died in WWI, and it blooms at the time he was killed in action in 1914.  His name was Ernest, just like the rose.

16. Maundy Thursday.  An incredibly busy day at work, so it was a blessing that I could have a quiet walk after everything was done.

17 and 18.  Time to rest my weary feet and put together my weekly flowers for the various vases around the house.

19. Apple blossom!!  I love it when this makes an appearance.

20. Easter!  I wanted to hide these around the garden to embarrass my two teens but it was pouring down!!

21. A spot of crafting.  My first real attempt at patchwork.

22. The sky was a beautiful dark blue today.  I loved watching the white clouds contrast with the sky.

23. So, so, so many photos of this tulip were taken.  With some re-decoration going on in the utility room, I wanted a piece of my photography to go on the wall.  I think this one was my favourite and I will send this off to be framed.

24. A colourful car in the precincts.  This did make me smile!

25. Time for a drink in work... chai latte with my name on it!!

26. Bluebells surrounding the Cathedral.  They are everywhere at the moment.

27. Remember the nest at the beginning of the month?... look! new life nestling next to its mother!!

28. A postcard from overseas!  The lovely Bronwyn at Queen B sent me this all the way from her 'neck of the woods'.

29. The weather is getting a little cooler.  Still not ready to plant out the nursery plants.

30. Mother is off getting food.  There are two little ones in the nest, or should I say perched on top.  I hope May isn't windy!

It's been eventful, a little painful, but a very colourful month.  So, as the May bank holiday begins, I think back to the beginning of the year when I said this was the year of change (this was a little gift from my lovely friend Vicky at Life on Willie Mae Lane) at the beginning of the year - so sorry Vicky to have taken so long to say a public thank you!).

There have been little changes here and there, but just subtle at the moment due to Mr Teen getting ready for his GCSE's and I don't want to disrupt things too much.  However, I feel like freshening up the blog a little in May, so you may start nothing little bits here and there.  Nothing like a spring clean!

Have a wonderful weekend, especially those with a Bank Holiday weekend!!

p.s. Another 2lbs lost!!

Take care.

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