Classic

Tuesday was Teddy Bear Picnic Day.

Now you know that I don't need much of an excuse for a picnic, especially as we've been having perfect picnic weather.

As there wasn't time on Tuesday to go out somewhere and eat we ate our picnic indoors instead.

The reason we couldn't have a lazy picnic in the park was because we were going to our last therapy appointment.

As a family we have gained so much from these sessions and S in particular has learned a great deal.

It's been a very enriching experience and I'm heartily glad we did it together.

Wednesday 11th 1960 was the date To Kill A Mickingbird was first published.

G has read the book and it's sat on our bookshelves for a couple of years waiting for me to pick it up and read it too.

So yesterday I made a start, when I just couldn't bear watching anymore of the England football semi final.

Back in the early 1990s I worked for the china specialists Wedgwood. I loved selling such beautiful items, although I didn't enjoy constantly dusting the shelf displays.

I can't quite remember what the occasion was but the company gave each member of staff a piece of Jasper jewellery as a thank you gift.

The firm's founder Josiah Wedgwood  was born on 12th July and so today I wore the necklace I had been given.

However there is another occasion on 12th July which is closer to home and much more important, our 21st wedding anniversary.

20 Years

Today marks our 20th wedding anniversary.

Golly.

Two decades of married bliss!

To celebrate we met in town after work and went to watch the tennis.

A huge screen has been erected and rows of deck chairs set out.

The whole area has been covered in fake grass as well which is a great touch and I like the sign they have up.

As to a glass of cooling refreshment, well it just had to be a Pimms didn't it. 
I could quite get used to this after work.

We watched the final set of the Federer/Raonic match and then G suggested we made a little detour on the way to hopping on the bus back home and in doing so we wandered past this little seating area. I think they are supposed to look like old travelling cases because of our City's links to the sea, G thought they looked like hay bales.

Our destination was the registry office where we said I do. We weren't expecting to be able to get in as we were certain it would all have been locked up by then but as luck would have it there was access to the area next to the registry office where thousands of people must have stood over the years to have their wedding photos taken, us included. Today we made do with a quick selfie.
Happy days.

9 Years and One Week Later

Some weeks just fly by.

When you look back you're not exactly sure what you did or why the time has flown by the way, it just has.

It's been a week like that around here.

Mind you where have the last 9 years gone?

See that serious little girl on the see saw.

That's a photo taken of a 3 year old S during our introduction week with her.

It was 9 years ago last Friday that the four of us travelled home together from her foster parents.

The serious look stayed for some time!

We did have a little treat planned but things didn't quite pan out so hopefully we'll be doing it soon instead.

Saturday morning G and I wandered along to a book sale at a local church, we didn't stay long as there wasn't much on offer

and so we made our way to a cafe for ice cream. Caramel fudge clotted cream ice cream in fact. And yes it was delicious.

We went to our first car boot of the year Sunday morning, lots of finds which I'll put together in a post at the end of the month.
Our weekend was rounded off with a wonderful evening going to see Sara Pascoe. It's the first time we've seen her live and we would definitely go again, Sara had us chortling away the whole time.

Monday was my second trip to the dentist for the rest of the root canal treatment.
The dentist was pleased with how things looked.
There has been a small amount of discomfort this week which is only to be expected. Just hoping it all settles and that's the end of it.  

Tuesday was a late start at work after dropping S of at a day of dance.
6 teachers were coming in for the day to teach 6 new styles of dance. 
Vogueing, Krumping and Afrobeats were among those on offer. I'd only heard of one of those and am still none the wiser about what some of they actually are, but S enjoyed it which is what it's all about.

               (loving the lobster shoes featured in the new CK catalogue I received this week)

S has been out and about each day of the school hols this week.
As well as her dance day she has seen different friends each day which I'm pleased about. T has had two driving lessons, worked an extra shift and spent time with friends.

Little things always make me happy, like wearing my bunny ear ear-rings a couple of times this week, aren't they cute.

A few tentative plans have been made this sky pink evening for the Easter weekend.
G will be working on Saturday and Sunday and off Friday and  Monday so we need to make the most of the time off together.
I'll let you know how we get on.
Happy Easter to you all. xx

18 years

Today is our 18th wedding anniversary.

Time flies.

It's been a fairly quiet day today, so different to the one all those years ago!

We had a lovely long day out yesterday and then a lovely long lay in this morning to recover. Our day was spent in Romsey for the beggars fair. A day of musical entertainment at various different venues across the town.
I only managed a couple of photos before the battery in my camera went (and I found I didn't have a spare with me) and this is by far my favourite. 
Red white and blue.

We spent a very entertaining half hour watching the Chequered Flag Appalachian clog dancers. Morris dancers were also performing but we didn't manage to catch any of them.

The venue for our picnic lunch this week was the grounds of Romsey Abbey. In all the times we've been to Romsey we've never been to the Abbey and another first visit was made to the Memorial park. Both need further investigation. With a fully charged camera.

Lacock (part two)

The final instalment of our trip.

Saturday morning we went to visit Lacock Abbey. 

As well as access to the grounds and abbey cloisters and the Fox Talbot museum you can also upgrade your entrance ticket to gain access to the abbey rooms. On this occasion we chose not to do that and in the end we didn't make it to looking around the museum either because by then we were flagging from the heat.

Just to the left as you look at this is a huge gated entrance to the front of the abbey. In my mind I could see guests arriving with the staff lined up by these steps, too many episodes of Downton Abbey!

Who doesn't like doors painted in National Trust shades?

It was beautifully cool inside the abbey. This is part of the sacristy. Precious items were washed here on the left and then taken through (the now bricked up) entrance to the church for use in services.

This staircase tucked away in one corner of the cloister was for use by the abbess 

from where through this window called a 'squint; she would be able to spy of the nuns and make sure they weren't doing anything they shouldn't!

Lacock abbey has been used for film locations such as The Other Boleyn Girl and two Harry Potter movies. I haven't seen them myself by apparently this cauldron appears in one of them.

The cauldron and this bath(!) are housed in the warming room.

The botanical gardens were my favourite part of the grounds.
There was an information board in the greenhouse which said that the family enjoyed a the fruit and vegetables produced by the gardeners all year round, even when they went on holiday to Scotland wicker hampers of produce were sent up to them.

This is one of my favourite photos ever, so cottage garden.

When I saw the steps cut into this tree trunk I wished that T and S were with us as I knew they would have liked to have walked up them. I could just imagine the chants of 'I'm the King of the Castle'.

G took the opportunity for a quick knock of croquet, I sat in the shade and watched.

An unusual tree in the orchard

which grew bubble filled glass paperweights and turned the world upside down within them.

This umbrella could be spun round and whilst the glitter ball reflected tiny droplets of light against the wall of the building opposite

the canopy was set with little prisms which cast miniature rainbows on the ground. 

16 years

In mid June G took a trip to Chippenham with his brother, niece and mum. The destination was this building below as it was the venue for an art exhibition of work by carers from all across Wiltshire and G's mum was one of them.

After looking around the exhibition and Chippenham itself they went onto Lacock for lunch.

If you watched the wonderful TV series Cranford a few years ago then you would recognise Lacock as the BBC filmed it in this most bea-u-ti-ful of unspolit locations. G said he was wandering around thinking 'Lisa would love this so much, I should be here enjoying this with her.' 
So after asking my mum if she would stay and look after T and S he booked us a night away to celebrate our 16th anniversary.
How totally fabulous is he!!!! 

Friday we took the train to Bath Spa, love the benches, then took the train to Chippenham

 where we wandered around the small town centre for an hour and had lunch by the river. G relaxed in the shade

and I pulled silly faces.

I didn't take too many photos but the blogger in me couldn't resist snapping a few things which caught my eye.

Like this building

the town's emblem 'unity and loyalty'

fabulously pretty doors and letterboxes

a sign for the Bear Hotel, his face looks a bit mean, but he has his arms out like he wants a hug, or maybe that's just the way I saw him?!

and I love the night bell by the front door of the hotel.

Should you ever find yourself in Chippenham I urge you to visit Magpie. It is a treasure trove of really reasonably priced collectables and it was the one place G was really looking forward to going back to as half of the shop is given over to LP's. He didn't leave empty handed.

After we finished our shopping we took the bus to Lacock. Oh my Oh my. It was jaw droppingly picturesque. I will save the photos of the village for a separate post as there are (ahem) a few.......

By now it was mid afternoon and so we went to book into our B&B. To get to it we had to walk across a field populated with sheep, most of which had taken shelter under this tree.

Next we had to cross a little bridge and this was the view to the left

and this to the right.

This pair of thatched cottages face the bridge and I wanted to get a better photo than this but one of the owners was working in their garden and so I had to take it at a distance, but I'm sure you get the idea of just how gorgeous they are.

This has to be one of the prettiest settings for a post box I have ever seen.

Just a stone's throw away is Damson Cottage where we were to spend the night. 

We were shown to our room, which was very comfortable and homely, by Dilly who runs the B&B. Whilst we sorted out our overnight things (and various purchases) Dilly made us tea and coffee. This was taken in the garden, under the shade of the apple tree whilst we listened to the Test Match. Words can not describe how totally and utterly relaxed we felt. It was completely wonderful. 

I did start off reading my new book club book but in the end I couldn't resist the lure of stretching out on the bench and I fell asleep for a while. Bliss.

We wouldn't hesitate recommending Damson Cottage to anyone who was looking for somewhere to stay in Wiltshire. G had a full English for breakfast which he said was delicious and I had the best scrambled eggs I have ever eaten. Dilly is very friendly and welcoming and the location is perfection. 
We are both hoping a return visit sometime in the future is on the cards.