Good Morning

Good morning....certainly with a sky like this taken at 7 0 clock, sometimes its the little things that give the greatest joy, the things that are free and can't be bought.

Walk to Beacon Hill

My daughter in law and I decided to go for a walk to Beacon Hill , a little gem of a walk, which starts about five minutes from our houses. It goes through Beacon Hill farm, and is signposted as a footpath walk.

The woolly sheep were staring back as we made our way

 The colours in this tree were glowing and blowing in the wind, yet the sky was a clear blue

Just look at this lovely autumnal picture, Beacon Hill in all its glory and just on our doorstep.

This is the old farmhouse at Beacon Hill, such a typical redbrick farmhouse, it just wants to be loved back into life and made habitable again, I really adore this place.

There are two sheep near the holiday lets that are very tame and come to the fence to be stroked, they have strange glassy eyes, that do not look directly at you, oddly unnerving.

My daughter in law laura, enjoys hot chocolate and marshmallows at the top of Beacon Hill, I took a flask of hot chocolate for us to have as a treat...delicious.

 Beacon Hill from lower down the hill, on the footpath again, the crops are now short stubble, but the view is still tranquil and has a stark beauty of its own.The trees are beginning to turn colour.

This is my favourite photo, a lone tree in the fields, you can see that nearly all the leaves are off now, yet the black lace beauty of the branches begins to show that winter will have a beauty all of its own.

Bonfire Night at Jen&Jons

How lovely it is to be invited to a Fireworks night , with food included...no cooking, no hassle just sheer good family fun and food.
Jenny did us proud in the food stakes, as I had been the dentists and couldnt eat much she had done homemade celery soup which tasted delicious, here is a panful of it.

delicious celery soup

Then there were some of these..

delicious burgers or so I am told, here is little man eating his at the doorway, yummy yummy.

Then there was this....cheese for the jacket potatoes, and also sausages and onions, yeah hot dogs is the word I was looking for there, senior moment I think I was having.

But the piece de resistance goes to this wonderful pudding from a recipe by Pippa Middleton, cream, raspberries and oatyflakes, creamy and delish....well done jenny you put us on some lovely eats.

Then there was some of these
lit by firelighter in cheif Jon,

Followed by  some oohs and aaahs at  these

Ooooooooooooooooooh how pretty, we also had sparklers, and a stray rocket decided to zoom over the main road.

The usual suspects at the event were

These lot, scoffing and drinking at the door

The hosts of the evening Jenny and jon

The Stanyer clan

 Also starring are the Four Just men, thats Jon, Martin,Gary and Owen.


Book us in again for next year please it was Brilliant.

I spy ...walk with my camera

Well I walked right into a funny situation on my way to help my daughter out with her to do list this morning, busy on the road as I walked, stopping in full view of cars and lorries to take a few photos as you do , here is one or two to show you when out of the blue DA DAH DAHHHHHH,

My cover was blown I was exposed as a secret agent and Russian Spy..................when I was stopped by a police vehicle , who didnt say ello ello ello, but oh I wish thay had would have been even funnier. Who stopped me because I was taking coded and covert photos of...an empty disused MOD field

The bottom photo is theview from the path where the police car drew up.........can you tell me why you are taking photos of MOD sites they said, I should have admitted my Russian Spy fetish, but instead I muttered something like well its for me blog... capturing the redevelopment land for the new houses as it will never look like this again. Now as I took a similar photo 30 years ago when my daughter was in a pram to show the land and horses as they were before Sheringham Covert houses were built, my Russian spynessness has been going on for a long time in land redevelopment....must tell the Kremlin and that ever so nice KGB man Putin.

Going back to my moment of fame as a spy, I told the police officers it must be my mac that gave me away, yes I am a loon like that, he did think it funny, he said I have seen a few macs like that, haha must have been to Asda then !!!
Signing off Mata Haris best frien, just popping off to give Daniel Craig a call.....Mr BOND take me I'm yours....sighs ..............said he will call me back!

Walks with my camera

Walks with my camera, will enable me to get out of the house do a bit of excercise and focus on the little details of life, the things we take for granted and do not take the time to stand and stare at, as the poem goes.
 What is this life if full of care, we have no time to stand and stare wrote william henry Davies in his poem Leisure, I shall take full note of his words to see the little things in my small walks from home.
Here are some photos of the views just five minutes from home, close by the main road, that I took today.The weather was dull and gloomy, yet when you look up it is amazing the colours that can be seen, and how enjoyable the day becomes.

Joy in the little things can be a good motto to live by, seeking and looking for the good, then home again, what could be nicer on a day like this.

Exciting times

Well its been a funny few days, days and events beyond the norm, the sound of tiny feet have been heard, and its not mice!

Here is a photo to celebrate that the new arrival is in fine and full fettle, and all is well with our new grandchild.

Its a bit like a Rolf Harris the painters art at the moment, can you see what it is yet? we shall wait and see in another few weeks we should know.

Then we have heard the sound of theseits all go and full steam ahead for a wedding in December just before Christmas, HAPPY DAYS♥ So all in all much excitement in our household. I shall just go for a lie down and a cuppa tea in a darkened room.

That time of year

Autumn, that time of year when I love to do home made pickled onions and red cabbage, some to keep some to give away.

All pickles and red cabbage done and in their jars standing to attention with their hats on.

For my next trick I made lemon curd from a 1912 recipe from Womans weekly Centenary edition, as I did last year.

The recipe can be found on here under 2011 posts for Autumn, easy to follow and tastes delicious.
There , all ready for a seige, I love to see the jars done, and the colours and know I have made the effort to do them, as my family love them, so it is always worth it.

Stone food and Beer fetival

Nice Autumnal morning, leaves beginning to change colour now to russet and golds, clear blue sky, off for a jaunt with Laura Martin and Gary to Stone beer and Drink festival.

A few items from the vintage area, chairs, pottery, baskets, crates and bottles, all things shabby chic.

Our litttle gang of three, Laura with Martin and Gary, outside one of the market stalls in Stone.

This is a friend of Laura and Martins, part of the group of The Three Fairies, who make such lovely items.

Loving a bit of vintage crochet with these 1920s cloche hats

Had to take a pic just for the prettiness

Fresh Breads of all kinds

In the smokery there are fresh fish smoking steadily, the smokery is almost like a sentry box, with the fish hanging on hooks.

Played great guitar

So many things to look at and to buy, we came home with veg, Bread, Buffalo meat....craft items, stitch markers, earrings, jumper and top. There was live music to listen to as well, and a vintage fair inside The Crown Hotel. Good day out.