Moving Forward

 I've been a little quiet of late.  But then my world has seemed a little more quiet as I appear to have lost some hearing in my left ear.  No quantity of ear drops seems to be changing things and despite ear syringing no longer being available on the NHS, I'm struggling to get an appointment any time soon.

Anyway, last weekend we headed over the border to the rugged coastline of Ceredigion and Aberystwyth in Wales (known locally as "Aber" and meaning mouth of the river Ystwyth).  We were there to visit the University open day, but made the most of our time there by immediately seeking out the charming Wetherspoons adjacent to the railway station on Friday evening.

The temperature on arrival was mild enough to sit outside under the canopy with a prime view of the station platform - a train spotter's dream.  We had to laugh when an elderly gent unexpectedly decided to share our table (others were available).  At this point we were nearing the end of our meal (cauliflower and spinach curry for me, chicken burgers for the boys) and as we got up to leave, Gareth noticed that he had the tell tale spotter's book in hand.  Our theory is that we had selected his regular table.

After a brief but bracing walk along the windswept seafront, boasting the oldest pier in Wales (built in 1864)...

...vibrant seafront properties....

...and this impressive war memorial depicting an angel appearing to fling a laurel wreath onto the head of a naked woman emerging from a thicket below (to spare her modesty and because the light was dying and there was by now an icy breeze, here they are in silhouette form)...

...we headed back to our car, pausing only to ogle this feline beauty, who appeared to be trapped inside the shop front of a hair salon.  We checked.  She wasn't.  There was a door open at the rear of the salon, but something had her transfixed.

Our Airbnb accommodation was warm, cosy and comfortable and the welcome pack from Karen was hugely appreciated. 

It even had a kitchen and a TV!   My first Airbnb booking back in 2021 came with unexpected challenges.  My top tip.  Double check the small print with Airbnb bookings.  Luxuries like kitchens and TVs are not a given.  We managed a few days away "self catering" with the aid of a hastily purchased sandwich toaster and an ancient laptop with audio issues to watch the few DVDs in our possession. 

Saturday was largely consumed by the University's open day activities.  Kicking off at 9 am, we were handed a welcome pack including £20.00 worth of food vouchers for the day before heading into a lecture hall for the welcome talk.  This was followed by a visit to the town's Arts Centre, a handsome building housing an accredited museum, for another subject specific talk and tour.

What an inspiring place to learn!  There was antique equipment, beautifully maintained and still in use...

...and a room - the artists' studio - I could happily have made my home.  Check out the view!

We politely refused the shuttle bus and elected to walk back up the steep hill to the campus, earning our lunch in the Arts Centre Cafe, before heading over the road to talk Medieval History.  We ended the day with a tour of the student accommodation before being released into the community.  Just before we left, I spotted a ceramics exhibition and rushed in to grab a couple of photos.

We spent the remainder of the afternoon visiting Aberystwyth's highlights, including the National Library of Wales (an amazing building and the only legal deposit library in Wales, giving it power to request a copy of everything published in the UK with thousands of new publications arriving every week).

The exhibits, including ancient manuscripts, photographs and works of art, could easily have kept us occupied for a day, but sadly we were rapidly running out of time.  I managed to snap this painting by Claudia Williams, c 1980, a highly regarded artist in both Wales where she moved in 1953 and in France where she lived for 15 years, but spent much of my time studying the photo portraits of famous Welsh people.

This gave me severe cabinet envy.

Library door patina.

Onwards to the 13th century castle built by the English to keep the Welsh out.  The castle ruins provided glimpses of Aberystwyth promenade. 

This yellow corner shop caught my eye, the dipping sun conspiring with nature to cast a perfectly proportioned shadow of a tree onto its wall.

There's a great deal more to Aberystwyth, but we were flagging and so headed back to the comfort of our digs for food and wine and the prospect of a lie in.  Ordinarily, we would have been expected to vacate by 10.30, but as the clocks had been moved on an hour overnight, Karen kindly suggested we stay until lunchtime.  We were away late morning with plenty of food for thought.

Talking of food, back at home, I've purchased some new reversible bed linen covered in gorgeous Sicilian lemons (a 70% off bargain from Ian Snow).  We always have lemons in our fruit bowl and to keep the vampires away, often knock up a simple pasta dish dressed simply with grated garlic, olive oil, salt and pepper and lemon juice.

What else have I been up to?  Well, I've had another hair cut!  I can't believe how quickly and dramatically my hair grew after the last one.  Unfortunately, my layers grew out too, so they're back in place and my love affair with seventies styling continues.

I've also read Gold Dust Woman, a well researched Stevie Nicks biography by Stephen Davis, watched the Amazon Prime series Daisy Jones & The Six, which takes inspiration from the turbulent story of Fleetwood Mac (worth it for the fashion in my opinion) and gone down a gold dust rabbit hole in my photo edits.  This is an old photo of the boy that was.  Where did the time go? 

In between seemingly incessant rain, we managed a walk from our house and discovered a secret water tower up on the hill, masked by trees and unknown to us until now.

The garden is slowly coming to life from Euphorbia to tulip bulbs.  

Figs!

Spring is the season our garden has the most colour.  Our beloved and ancient magnolia tree is also on target to bloom over the Easter weekend.  On Wednesday night, there was a chorus of six frogs croaking, their bulbous heads poking out above the surface of the pond water.  Unsurprisingly, this was the sight on Thursday morning.

Gareth's potted Gunnera Manicata are bursting into life (not to be confused with the invasive and illegal Gunnera Tinctoria).  

I've also noticed the arrival of more than one bulb in the post lately.  Gareth's informed me that said bulbs are Voodoo Lilies.  They sound evil.  Apparently they smell like rotting flesh for 2 days when they first bloom in order to attract flies to pollinate them(nice), but we're meant to overlook all of this because of their exotic beauty.  Looks like one has already claimed its first victim!

The birds are yet again losing out to not-so-secret squirrel.

The planned photoshoot didn't happen.  Here's a potted history.  

Casting call yielded two models - let's call them Jack and Jill.  

The first date in February was postponed due to sub zero temperatures.  

I purchase shoes and jeans for Jack to protect his modesty in an otherwise revealing outfit.

Jack drops out of the shoot after booking a lads' holiday.  

An alternative model, Pandora steps in.  We now have two brides.

They say lightning doesn't strike twice, but Jill pulls out three days before the shoot, citing a hospital appointment.  

Catherine, our French jewellery designer exclaims "Oh my God!" and "We should do a bride jilted at the altar shoot."

I am forced to cancel the shoot.

Pandora persuades her boyfriend (with previous modelling experience) to participate.  

We're now trying to find a date to suit all.  So, if you can be bothered to keep up, watch this space.

In the meantime, I've been tinkering and can now create a semi-realistic lightning bolt in post edit, something I think could work for this troublesome shoot.  If it ever happens.

In other news, my Mom was given the all clear last week and we went out for coffee and cake at Enville's Archie's Attic to celebrate.  I had a catch up with my namesake, the business owner, Claire.  She had been given the heads up on my last shoot (see above) by a customer who had visited that very day and announced excitedly that he had just seen a woman in a wedding dress up on the hills.  Much speculation ensued about where the couple had married - the church bells hadn't been ringing that day.  Claire had smiled and said "I bet I know who that was."  There are no secrets in an English village.

Archie's Attic was dressed for Spring....

....and Mom was looking happy and healthy.

Inspired by the prospect of better weather, the wreath on the door and cafe craft workshops on offer, I found my scarcely seen crafting mojo and made a rag wreath for spring from some old scarves.

Spring sunshine let's be having you!

December Will Be Magic Again

I'm trying to talk myself into this title.

December has not been without its stresses, so a little recap of the good bits.

We visited Bob at Much Wenlock Christmas Fayre, kickstarted by alfresco mulled wine.  Outside only because we had my Mom in tow and with one of Bob's girls feeling below par, we needed to avoid exposure to seasonal bugs.

Making the most of our park and ride facility, we walked into the village, taking a shortcut through a field.  Luckily we knew the way!

The weather was, for once, seasonably cold, with sky the colour of pewter, forewarning snow.  Christmas is often a time when absences are more keenly felt and so it was when I spotted the vicar (far right) who gave such a wonderful eulogy for my friend Caroline, only a few months prior.

We passed a very Dickensian former sweet shop - now a 3 bed holiday cottage.

The market is always well attended with plenty of local produce and  artisan stalls.  One immediately captured my attention and after coveting a certain item, I'm secretly hoping to find it under the tree on Christmas morning.

The market spilled over into the churchyard and as the light faded, the brass bands struck up and the hustle and bustle of Much Wenlock's biggest annual event increased a notch beneath the broad boughs of trees laden with twinkling lights.

The lights from within gave the Grade I listed Holy Trinity Church's stained glass an ethereal glow.  Whilst the church dates back to the 12th century, its spectacular glass mostly dates from the 19th century, set into much older frames within mainly 16th century stonework.

The churchyard, being centrally located, is flanked on one side by the Guildhall, constructed in the aftermath of the dissolution of the monasteries and completed in two phases, the south end (the court room) in 1540 and the north end (the council chamber) in 1557.  The building was converted in 1869 with the prison at the north end dismantled and arcading of the central section to allow markets to be held.  Here it is in action.  I wonder just how many people have passed through this building over the centuries?

Back in the streets, the atmosphere was magical and the smells of wood smoke and roasted chestnuts permeated the air.

This museum piece of an RSPCA donation box caught my attention.  Don't forget they need our help too now, more than ever, as careless owners continue to abandon their impulsively acquired lockdown companions.  

William Brookes, the great under-achiever, lived here.  English surgeon, magistrate, botanist and educationalist especially known for founding the Wenlock Olympian Games, inspiring the modern Olympic Games, Brookes certainly made his mark!

Heading back to our car, we passed this beautiful doorway.  A good door is always worth sharing.  

The festivities continued at NT's Wightwick Manor, the Victorian manor house furnished in stunning Arts and Crafts style.

Those of you who don't embrace Christmas might want to avert your gaze momentarily.

Once inside, the kitsch factor was absent, replaced by the Victorian Christmas splendour one would expect, including A Christmas Carol installation greeting us in the property's hallway.

We wafted through, from room to room, absorbing the origins of what we now think of as Christmas - the trees with presents beneath... 

....Christmas greetings cards and paper decorations...

....and candle lit elaborate table dressing.

I could have lingered in this room for an hour, enjoying the low light accents.  The man in the background could so easily have gone unnoticed.

More low light in the atmospheric corridors.

Naturally, the servants' quarters were devoid of decoration with domestic drudgery being the order of the day.  Yes that is an Aspidistra leaf sticking out of the sink.

Vix, have you had your crochet hooks out again?

Back outside, I took a few photos in now plummeting temperatures, including the impressive window frame carvings.

Even the birds were working the Wightwick aesthetic - a magpie in flight.

Help!  I'm trapped inside a Christmas bauble; an unintentional selfie.

 The family will eat well this Christmas.  Look at the size of the puddings!

Arriving mid afternoon has its advantages.  We saw the lamp light and the very few people.

We also managed to squeeze in the De Morgan Foundation collection of paintings and ceramics.  My favourites included these P&O commissioned panels for use in the first and second class public rooms, William's peacock blue ceramics...

....and Evelyn's mastery of the canvas was breathtaking.  Venus and Cupid, painted by Evelyn when she was in her early twenties.

Venus and Cupid, 1878

Moonbeams dipping into the sea, oil on canvas, c 1916

I found the story behind this interesting, being slightly obsessed with light myself.  Evelyn was fascinated by electrical lights and how these changed the way the world appeared.  In the above painting, she used prismatic colour over nude female forms to experiment with the effects of light on skin.  There are also theories that the women could represent new telegraph lines which were being installed under the sea at the time.

There is another version of this painting at the NT Cornish property Lanhydrock.

We had a brief look inside the shop, where De Morgan Christmas baubles were on sale at £23.00 (beautiful, but I resisted), before heading back to the relative warmth of the car.

As anticipated, although a little early for the UK, the big freeze began.  On our favourite walk from home, we discovered that the canal had frozen in parts...

....beautifully illustrating Autumn's transition into Winter, the Autumn leaves littering the icy surface layer.

We were also rewarded with some beautiful sunsets as we neared home.

Last light, as glimpsed through the wood behind our house.

But the weather hadn't finished with us yet.  Before the week was out, we had a covering of snow and this time it stuck around.  According to the old wives' tale, if snow lingers, it usually means that more is on the way.  Here it is, captured on our walk over Enville, past the cricket club...

...down to the pond....

...and up onto the hills.

In fact, the snow lingered for over a week and greeted our old friend Jon, who messaged out of the blue to say that he was over from Canada and doing a Christmas catch-up road trip from his sister's house in Yorkshire to Heathrow in order to pick up his wife and kids, who were arriving a few days later.  Jon stayed the night and as a result of  travel disruption in Dallas for Lori and the children, was able to stay a little longer than anticipated the next day, so we headed to Kinver Edge for a festive walk and showed him the delights of the Rock Houses.  Considering Canada is now Jon's adopted home (snow tyres go on in October and stay on until April), even he commented on the cold - that very particular kind of damp cold that seeps into aching joints.

So there you have it, baubles, Christmas trees, snow and ice; all very festive.   But for us, it's the unexpected delights and enduring friendships that really count.

Have a wonderful Christmas!