Great Times

Well now, I'm aware I'm a tad late with this post, and so much has been happening I don't know where to begin and as for choosing which photographs to include..... anyway, I shall just dive in. Here you see Colin, one of the Ouse Washes Mollys musicians, and Bryan's back, one of the dancers who plays a few instruments himself. We danced out last Monday night at the Ship Inn  at Brandon Creek, with the Coton Morris side. We danced outside the pub....

I gave my camera to a Coton Morris man at this point and he did warn me he was pants at taking pictures...... anyway, here's one of us musicians as we always get left out!!

You can just make out my hat and coat of many colours. Well, coat of a few stray bits of fabric!

And we danced inside the pub, then we had a bit of a session which was lovely. I packed my fiddle and my melodeon - I'll need a bigger car soon, or get myself a Roadie!

                                                                      Step Dancer

             
                                                                   Nicky on clarinet

                                      Bryan on mandolin and Elin on fiddle.

Last Wednesday - second in the month - was Stitch and Bitch which was lovely as some of us haven't seen others of us (!) for a while what with the holidays and such. I finally finished my wool/felt Bird and Flowers cushion cover.

And yes, they are pins which you see at the bottom, simply because this photo was taken before it was completed and I forgot to do one after I finished! But it is, honestly!

 And in the evening it was the Very First Kitchen Table Session round at our house. Nine of us sat round our table with a mixture of instruments and a brilliant time was had. It was a tight squeeze at times, so Jim has sorted out a space for us round the corner at our local pub. Next month, however, as I'm in Wales, the session will be at Rob and Marj's. We've been talking about this for quite a while and finally just got on and DID it. This Wednesday saw me zipping up the A47 - again - to Dereham for Folk Club at the King's Head, which is always a good night.

Today has been a REALLY lovely one. Jim took mum's shopping and did all the Saturday Morning stuff for me so that I could go to Norwich  - that A47 again! - to visit this :

 I went principally to see Amanda - Amanda Colville of Mangle Prints who you will have read about here before. I bought one of her beautiful prints but it's for a gift so I won't show it yet. And of course I bought too many cards! Then I went for coffee at a lovely little place called The Bicycle Shop, all old wood, pews and saggy cushions and great coffee. The sun shone in and Vivaldi was playing, a gentle whiff of incense and peace - it was wonderful.

After which I popped across the road to a very interesting little place which called to me:

Go on, you'd have crossed the road too, wouldn't you? And don't worry about the Closing Down bit....

             Gorgeous things to buy, and fabric, and oil-cloth, and cards, and prints, and..........

a big room at the back where the Proprietor, Kay Spalding, holds all kinds of workshops: printing, felt-making, knitting and crochet, sewing and textiles, silver jewellery-making....... what an amazing place!

Kay specialises in locally sourced vintage ad hand-crafted gifts and jewellery as well as running the workshops. Next month she closes the shop HOWEVER, after a short break she will be re-opening at new premises nearer to home, in Park Lane, in January. Nearer the time I will let you know the full address and you can pop along yourselves!

And hey, Go Me! I have finished another pincushion! Just so you don't think I have gone Off The Boil!

I'm quite chuffed with it actually. What d'you think? Soooo quick and easy peasy and fun to do.

So here are the three of them in all their glory - on a tray with Morning Glory! Ha! Set up or what! (It wasn't actually, it's only just struck me, but there you are, serendipity strikes again. I'm rambling.)

Definitely time for me to pack in! If you have lasted this long, well done for sticking with it! I must try and write more frequent, shorter posts, but then, I said this before and it never happens. Hope you all have a happy, sunny Sunday, looks like the weather is going to be kind again. Bye for now!

Stitching in Splendour

Just to sow you that I DID accomplish some stitchery while we were at the caravan last week! The wool cushion cover is almost finished - well, bar the sewing up - just a little more outlining and I'm done I think.

I made a few more hexagons and cut out more templates. Not a lot to show, I'm afraid!

I did however, finish the pincushion! I LOVED working on this, just the right size and quite quick to make. I can see a few more being stitched over the next couple of months.

Oh, another textile thing that happened over there, was that when we visited Brecon, we popped into a flea market and there was a lovely book/textile stall combined. Two of my favourite pastimes in one place! I bought a 1927 Girl Guiding adventure book for £6 - it was a first edition (not that I collect 1st editions, by the way!) and on the other side there were some lovely hearts and small stuffed rabbits and owls made with vintage Welsh blanket.  I bought a heart and got chatting - as you do - to Sue, the proprietor of Clem's Daughter. Here is her website link: www.clemsdaughter.co.uk

We had a lovely chat about textiles, and when I mentioned that I wanted to visit Jen Jones' Welsh Quilt collection, she told me all about the museum at Lampeter so we will be making a trip there next time we go, you may be sure!

I think I must get into the habit of sitting making hexagons while the tv is on in the evenings, or that darned quilt is never going to get itself made!

We are still enjoying the last dregs I think, of summer here in West Norfolk, we have had pretty consistent sunshine and just a few showers the last three days, despite dire warnings from the Weather Man. Am I the only person who has to chuckle every time Fiona Bruce says "And over to you, Thomas Chaffaknacker" (BBC news watchers only.) I know, I know, it is base and very childish of me. I have no excuse. But I bet you have a snigger too. And on that happy note I shall leave you until next time!

Back Home Again

Blimey it's been hard getting back into 'normal life' after our trip to Wales! I think we chilled out so much, everything relating to 'home' firmly on the back burner, that it has taken a few days to re-orientate ourselves.

It was great, and we had brilliant weather. We feel we have more or less got to grips with caravan living - thanks in no small way to the kindness and advice from our close neighbours who shared their experience generously with us.

Above is the Bear Hotel in nearby Crickhowell - our caravan is on a farm in the village of Llangattock. We had a few lunches here!

          Our day out in Abergavenny included a visit to the Market Hall which was fascinating.

     At the back of the Market Hall we watched a sheep auction taking place at the Cattle Market.

Then as we sat drinking coffee in the sunshine I noticed this plaque on the opposite wall - photograph taken with full permission of the folically challenged gentleman seated below it!

Jim's fishing chum, Mark, drove us round several fishing beats in the area. This was one of them .

This lovely looking flower is the Himalayan Balsam, which, though attractive, is a real pest, as it grows prodigiously and chokes everything else.

                                                                     "I see no ships!"

                   It was all very lovely, even though I am not remotely interested in fishing.

We had a trip to Usk, a very pretty little town - more of a medium sized village actually! We made a pilgrimage to this tackle shop which is apparently a shrine for fly fishermen; still run by the daughter of the guy who started it many many decades ago.

June insisted Jim have a photo taken behind the counter. This lady is extremely knowledgable about all things fly-fishing. We were invited to tea but had just had coffee in a cafe in town.

                    And one of me, reluctantly posing on a river-side bench. It was a delightful spot.

Here are a few shots of the camp-site. It really is beautiful scenery.

                Some of the permanent plots have been made to look like Home from Home.

                                  Garden, complete with statuary and patio chairs!

              This little stream separates the main field from a smaller one with no hook-ups.

So now we know what we are doing, I expect we'll be popping across again but when it starts getting chilly I think I will leave it to Jim for his fishing trips! I did do some sewing, and reading, and journalling, but much less than I had expected, but I'll blog about that in my next post. Now I shall spend some time catching up with MY favourite blogs - I didn't exactly miss not having wi-fi but I do have some catching -up to do!