Lest we forget...

...and still the wars go on and on... fuelled either by, greed, illusions of superiority or misguided religious fervour...

Bagaholic?

They say that when you have to start storing bags inside bags, then you have a problem - Oh dear.....

These aren't even all of my bags, but they are the ones I like most and use most. I photographed them after I had to get them out to look for something I'd lost... and then decided to put my 'addiction' on record!

First I had to get bags out of bags ; out of bags! Inside them I found packets of tissues, appointment cards, coins, spare inhalers, sweet wrappers - but NOT what I was looking for...

Really it's only been the last 20 years since I have indulged my bag attraction (and believe me, if I hadn't given loads away over the years I would have even less space). Interestingly, prior to that I think I only owned one or two bags at a time - and they would last years.

In fact, when I left school and started work I didn't even own a bag and had to borrow one from a friend.

Perhaps that's where it all started really... liking things; wanting them, but sensibly making do with what I had. However, getting older and realising that 'time' wasn't infinite, I began to treat myself.

Do I regret it? - No! - but I do wish I had more storage space!

Victorian Fire Guard

This fire surround/guard was recently given to us by a relative. Since their last house move they no longer owned a coal fire and it had been languishing in their shed.

We loved it on sight and J, on finding it came apart, started its renovation - cleaning the brass and metal painting the black mesh which would have originally been japanned.

The guard had been given to our relatives by their next door neighbour in the mid 1970's. He was then nearing retirement and it had originally belonged to his grandmother. This seems to take it back to either the early or mid part of the Victorian period.

With an open coal fire, a tightly meshed spark guard is still required - but we believe that it probably originally guarded around a black, coal fired kitchen range (even all the houses in our Edwardian terrace originally had one of these too)

They were used both for heat and for cooking and got very hot, so something was necessary to put distance between the heat and childish inquisitive fingers. I daresay a few items of clothing were balanced over its sides too!

I wonder what trials and tribulations, joys and happiness, that it has been a silent witness to over the last 150 years?

Crayford Kent - procession, mid 1950's

Looking through some old photos of my home town I wonder whether this procession was a Remembrance day parade? I'm not certain, but I believe it possibly was.

The lady in the white hat and gold chain in the bottom left hand corner is my husband's grandmother who was the Mayor at that time (she was a prominent Councillor for many years who worked hard to try and improve the conditions for the working classes)

Fish - Bananas & Ornamental Gourds - not to eat!

I took these photos today at the Council run nursery in HALL PLACE

Aren't they fun! - click to enlarge and you will see that the staff have added eyes to some of the Gourds.

Hall Place is midway between Crayford and Bexley - and I have many memories of it when I was young and even have some items from there from when it belonged to the Countess of May (Lady Limerick) I will write about these soon...

Below is a tree we were parked under when we were out today. If you enlarge the photos you will see a Parakeet - one of a flock which had a lovely time reducing visibility on our front windscreen - too awful to photograph!!!

Our Little Sweet Chestnut Tree

All it needed was a little bit of LOVE

Silk Textile - Aurora Borealis - The Northern Lights

The camera flash has caught everything that sparkles - lightening the overall effect; so the actual textile is slightly less bright than these photos show. The hills are slightly padded to give dimension)

Dyed silk pieces were used and then decorated with...well.. look closely...

Needlefelting - Autumn woodland floor

I made this over the last couple of days - to ease the boredom of finishing older textile pieces which I have long lost interest with (I am plodding on though).

I don't think it shows well on the photos, but the felt background (which takes me ages to make) is very dimensional.

Whitstable -Ultimate Recycling

I took this photo at Whitstable, Kent, on Thursday. The empty Oyster shells are used to help re-establish the oyster reefs.

St Paulinus Church, Crayford, Kent

CLICK THE PHOTOS TO ENLARGE


Yesterday it was the open day at the Parish Church - in the town that my husband and I grew up in.

I was christened there, we were married there, and have attended countless marriages and funerals within its walls - and I also have more relatives in the churchyard than I still have alive!

The church is open each morning, but yesterday was an opportunity to go up the bell tower.

We all had a go at bell ringing. I didn't like to film up there but I have found a video of the bell ringers on YouTube at the open day last year (there are 8 ringers, but the video made last year only showed 4)

The church itself has a great history and was always a very important place. We did take lots more photos, but here are just a few.

Only my husband managed to go all the way to the top of the bell tower. Our son got half way but at that point the upward climb became a vertical metal ladder and then up through a hole in the masonry.

On the top collage you will see a photo of people waving - that was me, our son and a relative of mine whom we met up with by chance.


The sound of the Church bells was what we grew up with...

Craft postings by end of next week - hopefully!

My crafting has had to take a back seat throughout this year, both due to my own ill health and and that of our son's.

I have been doing bits and pieces, but never seem to get around to finishing anything... but I am currently trying harder!

Apart from general ill health, unfortunately, since 1997, I have been losing my sight through a whole series of incidents (caused by my renal failure) which have damaged the back of both my eyes.My 'good' eye has been damaged by 2 retinal bleeds and now has a steroid induced cataract. However the other eye is in an even sorrier state, as it too has had retinal bleeds, a semi thickness macula hole and a detached vitreous with debris in my central vision.

Therefore I now have very limited vision. I saw the retinal surgeon last week and when I saw the laser scan of the back of my eye I was quite shocked at the state of things and the deterioration since last time. (although I had realised my sight was deteriorating).

A surgical procedure is possible, but it could also cause me to completely lose my sight in that eye and even if 'successful' could make it worse - and will cause a cataract to form afterwards anyway.

So... you can now understand why I have become slower in completing work - I still create - but it is harder to do so.

Ercol studio couch

Yes, I confess that we do love Ercol furniture - and readily confess that most - but not all - of what we own wasn't bought new...

These pictures show an item which seems of late to have become quite coveted. I don't believe it has been re-issued (and would be a frightening price if it was) although some of the early classic designs have been.

The wood frame is in Beech whilst the back is in a solid piece of Elm. The top photo shows the darker colour (what the company called 'traditional') whilst the bottom photo shows the couch frame in light colour wood. (we have dark Ercol items in one downstairs room and light Ercol in the other)

The cost of new foam and covers is quite expensive, but still well worth buying. The bottom sofa actually has dusky pink covers - which are in the wash at the moment - being the trigger for me to decide to do the photographs.

Now... I shall say this very quietly... back in the early eighties we owned a light colour one... and although he kept the back, J eventually cut the frame up - big mistake!

We then had 2 brand new sofas - one being a rather expensive one from Marks and Spencers - but they just weren't suitable for a family with 2 people with disabilities.

These are lovely to lie on..Zzzzzzzz

Ercol has some great photos on Flickr

And I had to show you this!

(Look in the centre of the photo to see the Squash)

Our next door neighbour gave us some Squash seeds in the spring which someone had brought her from Jamaica. We sowed them; putting some in her garden and some in ours. Not really suited to our climate we both had some fruits which grew and then dropped off.

However, whilst hers ran along the ground, one of ours decided to climb the Plum tree!!!

Yesterday I climbed - balanced precariously - up a ladder, to take this photo before J climbed up higher to pick it.

Dwarf Sunflowers

Photos of flowers are probably not of much interest to people really (I took many, many photos in the garden yesterday because the autumn colours are developing) but I thought some of you might like seeing a few of this years Sunflowers...

We grow them for the seeds for the finches, but this year we decided not to grow the giant ones as their heads bend over so much. Instead we sowed the dwarf , multi headed variety but - as you can see - they still grew quite tall!

More of my cousin Marilyn's son's music

Listen HERE to hear more of Gary's music...

Oh to be that young again - all those years ahead...

Autumn colour - and so many berries

What a bumper crop of berries this year! The wildlife have such an abundance that hopefully many more will survive the winter.

This is even the first year that we have reached October and the birds haven't stripped the berries off our Rowan tree .

London Bus Stop

Like most people of my age, I've lived through the days of trams, trolleybuses and Routemaster buses. As we never even owned a car until 20 years ago, over the years I've spent much time waiting at bus stops!

So... it seems quite fitting to have a bus stop in our back garden! (there is a seat beside it - but I took this photo from another viewpoint).

As it's a Request stop, I daresay we could have a long wait for a bus to turn up!

Last Friday

I took this last Friday - and yes, the sea (the North Sea!) really was this blue! usually it is more brownish or grey but, on Friday the air was very still and the light was wonderful. I'm not sure this weather will be repeated this year...

Angels and Devils

We were up at my parents grave yesterday planting flowers for the Spring. Unfortunately, altering the usual peace of the place, were a group of youths on community service - ostensibly paying back some of their debts to society for various criminal actions.

We couldn't see who - if anyone - was in charge, but the noise and general mayhem they caused was really quite inappropriate - especially as there were several groups of us attending graves.

They were shouting and laughing and doing very little work at all - unless you count hacking at tree branches, which they just allowed to fall here and there, with seemingly no intention of picking them up.

The grass had been strimmed - and in the process they had scattered urns and other decorative pieces everywhere.
They seemed to think it was a huge joke - whilst we all marvelled at their lack of respect...

Cookery books

I have a good collection of modern day cookery books but, like many of us, I still have my favourite old copies - which are changing colour and gain extra stains each time I use them!

Autumn Solstice and Harvest

It would be easy - and predictable - for me to post harvest photos which I have taken in the country side - so instead I thought I would show you some of the harvest from the hedgerow in our back alley (which adjoins a school field)

Also... bear in mind that we have a London postal address!

Cards - and friendship

(the cards are dimensional and very sparkly - would you expect anything less from me!)

I wouldn't usually put any of the cards I make on my blog - after all, the recipients might think that lessened the meaning behind them.

However, M doesn't go on the Internet - and more importantly I felt that it was time I publicly acknowledged just how important friends are - to all of us...

I have a number of friends, however 3 of them have been there through all the ups and downs of life... Pat for 49 years, Lesley for 39 and Margaret for 30...

A small number in 'facebook terms' - but it is the quality, not the quantity which counts.

It's a cover up!

We have a perfectly good shoe rack but, tired of seeing all the shoes on display, I did what what we used to do years ago - made a curtain!

First we bought a cheap, but solid, wooden bookcase (cheaper than buying the wood for Jon to make one up), painted it white and then I made the little curtain to cover the front.
The fabric is very pretty and reminiscent of the 1950's.

Summer music at Broadstairs

I have just uploaded some videos to Youtube, taken by our son at various times at the Broadstairs Folk Festival, as he wanted to put them on his Blog.

If you would like to sample a lovely taste of Kentish fun please link to our son's site HERE

It takes him time and a lot of concentration for him to produce his blog, so if you felt able to leave him some comments I know how happy he would be...

Bathing by the sea

OK... I misled you... it's in our bathroom! A lot warmer at this time of year though...

Bottom left is a ceramic collage I made - using my normal technique of making it up as I went along. It was quite hard though, as not only is it large, but breaking the pieces with nipping pliers made shapes which I often didn't intend!

A room with a view

You can feel the changes in the air as Autumn approaches.. looking out through the door of our utility room you can see the foliage begining to change colour.

The 1950's tall unit is not in the best place at all - but unless we take all our shelving down it has to stay where it is! Our kitchen window faces sideways and not into the garden - so we have always liked to have a cheerful display to look at.

Last night of the proms 2009

I hope that some of you managed to see this last night! You would be surprised to know how many of us watch at home waving our flags!

Go to the BBC website HERE to see and hear more

I am English/Scottish - and proud to be part of Great Britain.

Pretty china - to use every day!

I don't save things 'for best' so this is just part of my everyday china. Most of these photos show Royal Albert and Doulton, but I have a lot more. My American blogging friends would have arranged everything far more tastefully - on shelves and with bunches of flowers - but I felt quite weary simply getting them out.
After I took the first 2 photos of the 'Petit point' and 'Blossom time' sets - and put them away again! I found other parts of the sets in another cupboard...

After that I lost heart a bit and just picked odd pieces out from other patterns to photograph.



Too many nice things just get kept 'for best' - use them and enjoy!

An old friend

Just to point you in the direction of a blog worth reading.

After several years of trying to get our friend Dave to write a Blog, I finally decided that I would have to start one for him!

So... I set it up - and now post for him at regular intervals. Go on, have a look- enjoy his travels and his days 'in the print'

Read him HERENow I could post some current photos - but I think you would rather like to see this one of him and my husband back in 1967 (Dave to the left; my husband Jon on the right)

This was the evening of the day J & I got engaged. The three of us went for a drink prior to the party.

What looks like a glass of milk on the table must have been mine - A Snowball!!!! Well, it was 1967...

Playing aeroplanes

Earlier yesterday (before the 'fly incident' - see video below) M and I played aeroplanes. Afterwards we realised we must have been captured on the Inn's security camera!

(the quality of these photographs isn't brilliant as they are video stills)

No flies on me!

Yesterday evening J said "look at all those flies dancing in the sunshine" The sun was blinding me and I couldn't actually see them, but I turned the mini video cam on...

He never said that there were thousands - or that he would be driving through them! and he didn't realise I had the window down.

What you can't see - as I was panicking - was that the car was absolutely filled with them.

Frugal style

I have to confess that I love eBay! I have never sold on it but I have bought some brilliant things from it over the years. You have to be careful of course, but I have been very fortunate.

I bought this Ercol chair last week (I forgot to do a 'before' photo) and as the seller was reasonably local we were able to go and pick it up, thus saving freight charges. It had been through the wars a bit but - and this is not for purists! - my husband took it apart and stripped it down, even wood turning new covers for 2 screws and re-did the webbing.
I was then extremely fortunate to buy the new Laura Ashley cushions from a seller who had managed to get hold of some of their photographic stock.

The base and back cushions are quality feather, filled and extremely comfortable.
We are very pleased with our purchases - at a grand total of only £76

Time to remember

Last Monday was both our son’s birthday and the same day that my kidney donor died - events which have affected my life to a massive degree. It obviously isn’t the only day of the year which I reflect on these things, but is a day when I quietly remember...

However, since my transplant there is someone else who always comes into my thoughts...

My husband used to work with C in our local woods. They were just a small group of men who worked together doing wood management and gardening. Initially I wasn’t over keen on C - he seemed to think a lot of himself; particularly pleased that he had a second, younger and prettier wife and had the arrogance of someone who had always been sure of his success with women. As I knew him longer though, I realised that his past life had been quite complex and I understood him more.

All things change though... The little team were made redundant to make way for mobile Park Rangers - Rangers that are rarely seen! Gardeners were subcontracted in and wood management was non existent for years until a group of volunteers set themselves to the task.

My husband missed working in the woods - but they are very close to us anyway - however, he got a better job in a similar line. The others fared less well, one developed cancer soon after and C’s life got more problematic. He couldn’t find a permanent job, his marriage broke down and he took to drinking.

We would see him sometimes when were in our old home town and he seemed a shadow of his former self... He would speak profusely and reminisce.

On the day before I was called into hospital it was a glorious day - as it had been all summer. I was feeling better than I had for ages as I’d finally had 3 dialysis sessions that week through the fistula in my arm (the 4th and only successful one - prior to that it had been through necklines)

Driving down the high street I caught sight of C at a bus stop and told my husband to pull over. C seemed so glad to see us... We laughed and joked and I repeatedly told him to get in the car and we would take him wherever he wanted. He kept refusing though... He was interested in all we had to say and was happy that our son had managed to get through his latest brain surgery.

After my transplant I was ill for months, but eventually my husband felt it was time he told me something. When I had been trying to persuade C to get into the car my husband had heard him say he didn’t want to get us involved. He thought it was odd - but it made sense later.

After we left him C made his pre-planned journey over to the marshes - where he committed suicide...

He had made his decision - and the only consolation one can feel is that prior to his journey he saw old familiar faces and recalled the friendship he’d had with my husband....

Oh dear...poor bunny... we ate you!

Cardoons

Although extremely attractive in the flower border, this is one edible plant I have never been tempted to try!

The variety was imported into the country around about the 17th Century - and was popular amongst the gentry.

It is very, very prickly - it seems far worse than even a globe artichoke!

Serendipity moment

Ok… I know this photo above looks like one of the most boring photographs in the world… but I’ll explain.

I’ve mentioned before that as a family we always went to Reculver for our summer holiday. My Grandad had a caravan there; then my dad, my brother - and up until 4 years ago we did too.

Originally I went with my parents and then after my mother died my dad’s best friend and son came with us.

When dad remarried, it all expanded and our numbers just grew. When I was teenager Aunt Vera and her family would be there at the same time and I’d spend a lot of time with my cousin Christine.

Anyway, whilst there on a day trip on Saturday, all sorts of memories were evoked and as we walked around the side of the Towers where Aunt Vera always rented their caravan I thought about all the happy times we’d had together - and took a photo of - an empty plot!

I intended to send it to Aunt Vera’s son and daughter in law, along with some of my memories - but before I got round to it, they sent a photo to me that had been uncovered the same weekend by another sister!

I am on the far left (looking a bit like Helen Shapiro!) - and me and Aunt Vera don’t look very happy - unusual as we were both merry souls! Oddly, I don’t have any memory of the photo being taken.


A Serendipity moment… I’d love to think that Aunt Vera and all those other long dead relatives were smiling down and reminding me that as long as something or someone is still alive within your memory, then there is still a link which binds you…

Arachnophobics don't look!

I love spiders and find them fascinating to watch as they spin their webs. They are with us all year round but, as the weather slightly changes, their webs become more evident in our garden.

Beach at dusk

I took this photo last Wednesday evening. We spent the day at my dad's favourite seaside place as it would have been his 96th birthday (ten years since his death)

Beach huts

I took these photos this morning - I just love the bright colours of the beach huts.

Retro style

We just loved the sixties! Mods and Rockers, bright colours, music, pop concerts (including seeing the Beatles) flower power - we were part of it all.

When we married we first had a flat in the top of a rather grand Victorian house - not the ideal surroundings for us to express ourselves - but we did our best!
I remember that we bought the lobster pot pouffe from the Ideal Home Show - and the lamp base - dare I say it! - was Troika - and we later gave it to a church jumble sale!
We chose everything so carefully and it was great fun... when I look at the photos I recall just how amazing everything seemed then - and what high hopes we had for the future...

Click to enlarge the photos