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Tuesday 25 March 2014

City walk


This blog is out of sequence but I had to tell you about the cushion so now a jump back to last week when we joined an U3A walk around Newgate and Smithfield. Not a part of London I knew, I had worked up west. The historical aspects were interesting, we saw the first drinking fountain in London, William Wallace memorial as well as looking around St Barts' Museum, we were fortunate to see the Hogarth paintings. We spent so long going around the museum that by the time we'd had a coffee and Chelsea bun in the café we'd exceeded the time allowed for the break. Certainly the museum warranted far more than the ten minutes allocated in the schedule.

Other new places were Smithfield meat market, closed by midday when we were there, and Postman's Park, I'd heard of it but never visited so was able to view the plaques commemorating Londoners who had given their lives for others. These show local heroes so I can forward the pictures to our local archive in case they don't have them.









The final stage of the walk was a complete contrast from the history of earlier in the morning, we went to One New Change, a new development on the east of St Paul's Cathedral. The shops were nothing special, the best was the lift to the sixth floor roof terrace for brilliant views of the Cathedral and south and west London. All free, we were warned the restaurant and bars at this level are expensive and not particularly great but the views, yes!  A sign of the prosperity of  London is the great number of mobile cranes one could see, I think of London as a separate city state from the rest of the Kingdom, it is so different from the rest of the country that one could be in another country. I love it and especially as it is so much greener, cleaner and pedestrian friendly than when I started work in Town so many years ago.













After such an early start we were ready for lunch, can recommend food and service at Café Rouge on the south side of the Cathedral. On leaving caught a bus direct to Waterloo and made our way home.

Friday 21 March 2014

Crochet cushion

So excited, have this evening completed the crochet cushion I started at the end of January, used Rowan Big Wool, for each row of half trebles I changed colour so it is is a coat of many colours for the cushion pad we had. The photos don't do justice to the colours, to see them one would have to look at a shade card of Big Wool but each colour changes according to the one adjacent to it.





The last photo is more accurate as to regard the colour of the Lloyd Loom chair but the cushion is the star this evening rather than the chair.

Still working on my hexipuffs, they are more portable, have completed 360, so just 24 to go before I begin to join them up.


Monday 17 March 2014

Monday morning

Quick update first on the tooth problem, this morning I completed the amoxicillin course, I have been very conscientious about tooth cleaning and gargling but the pain has not gone away. Even strong paracetamol and lots of caffeine have failed.  However, I will be patient and give it time, the penicillin has helped to clear my sinuses so good has come from the medication.

Also, this morning, about 8am I ordered Spiriva capsules (medication for my lungs), online to Doctors' surgery with indication that medicine would be collected from the local chemist. Ian was in the chemist about 11am to collect his ordered on Saturday and was given mine as well. This is so much more efficient than taking or posting the form to the surgery, waiting two days for it to be signed and checked, collecting it and waiting at the chemist.

Even more exciting, Ian phoned to see if I  have a book called Wool 'n Magic as he had strayed into the Oxfam shop, I didn't, he kindly bought this lovely book as well as a zipped cover for this iPad. As more places have wifi my iPad is coming out and about with me.


The book uses embroidery, knitting and crochet to make wall hangings, pictures, cushions varying texture, fabric and colour. I loved the black and white drawings of the different breeds of sheep in the chapter labelled Wool 'n fleece. Such fun!

Tuesday 11 March 2014

Dentist v Doctor


My last post mentioned I was going to the dentist and mouth ulcers that I have had for some time. Now have discovered not ulcers, but gum infection under two teeth, one a wisdom that has moved closer to its neighbour. Unless mouthwashes clear the infection there is the possibility that both teeth may have to come out under local anaesthetic. General anaesthetic no good with lungs.

This morning so fed up with still painful mouth, so went to GP but he cannot prescribe antibiotics to clear infections around teeth, prescription has to be issued by the dentist. Apparently Doxycycline which I'd been taking until day before dental visit doesn't work on gums, just lungs. Phoned the dental surgery before lunch, cannot speak to dentist, all messages through the new receptionist and I have to wait for a phone call back later in the afternoon. Yes, dentist will issue a prescription, no it cannot be sent to the chemist from whom we collect our other prescriptions, and no, it cannot be put in an envelope and sent to me. So tomorrow the piece of paper, must be collected before one o'clock because they have a half day on Wednesdays.

Perhaps it is a good thing that the work on removing a fireplace, inserting a chimney liner and installing a gas fire didn't start today at Pixie Towers after all (the lead guy is ill) so we can drive to the next town to collect a chit that in any other business today would have been sent electronically. At the doctors he 'wrote' a prescription, we went to the chemists, some 10 minutes walk away, then returned to collect the medication after a very quick whizz around Waitrose.

Next time I hope to say something more cheerful, in the meantime, look out on Friday for publicity for the Blood Transfusion Service with the theme that Blood doesn't grow on Trees. I'm not involved in any way, cannot even give blood anymore, just to say there is a link with a Knitting Group I attend once a month.

Monday 3 March 2014

Morning TV

Just a very brief and silly observation.  This morning whilst having breakfast I became bored with BBC and ITV breakfast offerings so wandered down the channels and ended up watching my first ever Peppa Pig programme.

Far more interesting, the characters were playing percussion instruments and performing in a band, thought the clear speech of Peppa Pig was right for young children. Perhaps I should be looking out for Playschool and deciding which window to look through today.

Instead, laundry, ironing and the dentist beckon, dreading the last as have mouth ulcers which won't go away.

Sunday 2 March 2014

A few days ago

A few days ago I said I'd tell you about the other exhibition I attended, not an Exhibitor but a visitor, thanks to http://inspirationknits.wordpress.com  who had a competition on both the website and FB page. I was a bit puzzled as I enter quite a few competitions on here.

Went off to Farnham with a list, came away with all I wanted which was crochet hooks, blocking wires and buttons for the cushion cover I am crocheting. I wanted to come away from cold metal hooks so bought these. Love the pink cover and colour coded handles.


No pictures of red buttons or blocking pins, but tube included t-pins and a tape measure so will be washing one of the shawls I knitted earlier and practice on that.

I found the show interesting, would like to have met up with peeps who post in Ravelry, especially in British Banter but of course have no idea of their real names, what they look like and where, if anywhere,  they were gathering in the warren of rooms that is the Maltings. Maybe next time I will order a Ravelry badge, it may not guarantee an introduction. Near the end of my visit I met up with Sally of http://knitlotion.blogspot.co.uk/ , it was good to discuss the merits of different lace needles, couldn't believe how fine some were.

One of my observations at both the WDYTYA? show, at Unravel and generally when out and about where ladies gather together is how popular scarves are nowadays. As one who has about 50 scarves, including a couple of cowls, I note some  designs and shapes are not as fashionable as others. I tend to wear them for warmth, to brighten up a plain top or to hide my neck so I was most delighted last Friday when Ian presented me with a scarf he'd spotted in a shop in Kingston.

The design and colours are so right, love the yarn and needles design, also it's snuggly warm.





Now to make progress with Reading Group book, I have loaded Wilkie Collins "Woman in White" onto the Kindle App on my iPad so it's more portable. Usual decision, craft versus reading, may see if I can download an unabridged audio book so can multitask.