Even more catch-up

I think the quickest way of catching up on what I can tell you of the Pixie family activities is to use pictures to embellish my ramblings.

Anyway, Wednesday last week we went to the RHS Hampton Court Flower Show, courtesy of Compostwoman, who has the most amazing and useful blog here ....     http://www.the-compostbin.com/  . when you read back on her blog you will see that she ran a competition aided by Ecover, your blogger was a fortunate recipient of tickets - Exhibitor tickets no less. We drove part of the way to the show, then caught a local bus to Hampton Court Green. Although the traffic was light, it would have been quicker to walk, a long wait for the bus, a lost missing driver's key, service halted after two stops. Let us just say there has been correspondence between us and TfL.

First surprise were the scarecrows as we saw the exhibit for the primary school Martha and Adam attended, we hadn't known their entry had been chosen. Why no publicity in local papers or media?

Another personal incident, cheered by my success in this competition I entered as many as I could at the show, needless to say haven't won anything, but I wouldn't have noticed another competitor doing the same. It was our daughter in law's mother, neither of us had known the others were going so it was a pleasant surprise to see her, her husband, sister and niece. We had time for a brief chat, we'll be meeting up next month to celebrate DiL's birthday anyway.

So what did  I think of the show? An improvement on previous years with the concept of three zones. Of course we didn't see everything, but was mighty impressed with Ecover, not because of the tickets, but because their prize winning garden gave out a sustainability message without being heavy handed. Would love our attempts at a bee friendly garden to look like this.

There were famous people around Ecover garden, it was interesting to see the filming although didn't spot this when we watched the TV programmes later in the week,

More catching up

The other week dear Ian and I were in our local High Street, walked passed the TV/white goods/electricals/gas shop, known to all as Jones's and spotted a cream colour gas cooker. Neither of said anything, we had chosen our gas cooker, a Cannon Carrick, for all its safety features, the finish was poor, the enamel wore away very quickly, the ignition was slow to spark and the grey colour looked wrong in our cream kitchen.

About a week later the top oven ignition stopped working, one could get a flame but it immediately went out so we trundled off to Jones's to ask about repair costs. These would amount to at least £100.00 so we decided to buy the cream cooker, although similar to our unloved one, was apparently a much higher spec. Installation was delayed till after the East Anglian adventures. The old cooker will be recycled into lots of other useful products, it would have gone on Freecycle if not.

The gas engineer told us he was installing large range cookers in households where the children had moved out, the family had managed with the standard 60cm size cooker for over 20 years and now wanted larger cookers. We don't have the space for a range cooker, unless we removed our original dresser and completely rearranged a kitchen design that works so well.

We are very pleased with it, I've made cakes, we've cooked meals but so far, and this will be the big test, no one has baked bread in it. By the way, the green scales to the left of the cooker were my mother's, I suspect they are older than me, one has to give them a little encourage to balance so nowadays not good if one has to extremely accurate in measuring ingredients but we do have electronic scales hidden in a cupboard.

Our son didn't notice the cooker when he visited, his sister who came a couple of days later was quicker off the mark, both approved of our instant decision.

Catching up

Well, we have been very busy in the last ten days, hence the delay in blogging about a blog party, a mini-holiday in East Anglia, a new cooker, strawberries and raspberries. Was going to start this earlier but the aforementioned soft fruit needed watering, and so did the front garden, especially where we emptied out flower seeds from packets with a long gone use by date.

So chronologically, we left the big smoke and spent a couple of days, well an afternoon, evening, whole day and morning with my second cousins in Suffolk. This visit coincided with cold and wet weather, so a day trip to Southwold concluded at lunch time but not before we had ventured onto the 21st century pier and watched the water clock at noon.

Saturday was Blog party day, others have written more eloquently than I can about this social event that must not be missed. There was much laughter concerning a tortoise, a motor bike pillion rider and meeting Ben, who I had forecast would be at the party and was bigger than his owner.

All I will say is a big thanks to Z, the Sage, their family and to all who attended, provided food, chat, laughter and for Ian a possible introduction to the art of thatching from a fellow mathematician.

The above was written on Saturday, because of sunshine and a certain tennis match I am coming late to the laptop to continue. This may turn into bite sized entries instead of one long post of what we did last weekend.

After staying with the relations we spent two nights here in Wingfield or Room 2 at http://www.thecastleinn.net The Castle Inn in Bungay.Cannot praise the accommodation, cleanliness, food and great service enough. Very stylish decor, cushion envy, good free wifi too, I tried to add an entry on Trip Advisor but it hasn't appeared. Here's a corner of the room ....

As Sunday was the first day of warmth we decided against a trip to the north Norfolk coast but found an historic house and garden instead at Somerleyton Hall. http://www.somerleyton.co.uk  will give a better idea than my efforts. Although the house wasn't open it didn't matter, it was lovely to be outside, ambling around the different gardens, sitting and contemplating, enjoying an excellent light lunch in the Tea Rooms. Needless to say we spent much time in the maze, a very good one with really thick hedges and seats in the centre for a rest.

The above photos were taken using my iPad, an experiment that seems to have worked, so now can use my camera, phone and iPad for pictures, bring them together in one album on my laptop for editing. Love learning new skills.

Just noticed I have a photo of our Sunday evening meal at The Castle Inn, we shared a carafe of the house red, (not sure where the second glass is) to accompany the pizzas, made with local ingredients.

We pottered around the shops in Bungay before we left, in Wightman's, a very old fashioned shop I found buttons I needed for a cardigan, and some very reasonable sock yarn, may use it for hexipuffs rather than socks though. Did you think there would be a blog that didn't mention knitting? Managed to make three hexipuffs whilst away.

On our way home for we diverted towards the Huntington area to visit one of Ian's cousins who has moved from London to the country so spent the afternoon admiring her new home and large garden, providing adult company as she has pre-schoolers catching up on family news, especially of her 101 year old grandmother.

As I have 81 emails from our local recycling group to read I am going to end here, after may even take our coffee in the garden before turning in. Thereby hangs a tale, one day may talk about the effect this mini holiday has had on our thinking.

Pictures at an exhibition

Well, the shawl is finished, am pleased with it, there maybe an opportunity to wear it soon, but have just photographed it across the banister over some tablecloths.

One picture had flash on, one didn't, so one shows stitches and one shows yarn. In the end it hadn't mattered that the shawl wasn't finished for Sunday, weather was too chilly for the dress so wore a much warmer one with the first shawl I ever made, a Forest Canopy Shawl, the colour of which is Atlantic.

In case anyone can be in London before the Kaffe Fassett exhibition closes on 29th June here are a few random pictures from inside the museum where visitors were encouraged to take pictures as long as the flash was switched off.

When we came out, walked along Bermondsey Street towards London Bridge station and it was fascinating to see the old buildings with the Shard lurking overhead behind in the first photo below.

I marvel at cleaned up London, at the regeneration of some areas like this one, whilst feeling a little overwhelmed at how crowded and busy it is at times. Such a difference from when I worked in London in my late teens and twenties. Notwithstanding, I cannot imagine living anywhere else, but I wonder how many others residing here can trace family living here for over two hundred years.

Shawl's progress

Yesterday much knitting was done whilst travelling by SW Trains and the Underground so the shawl has grown to this .....

Am having doubts whether the dress will be warm enough to wear on Sunday, the wind chill factor has brought the temperatures down. As requested here's a couple of views of the dress, worn in June 2010 for son's wedding, but with big hat and purple jacket.

Although it doesn't seem apparent in the picture the shawl and dress colours are very similar. I have another dress with purple as its main colour so the shawl will go with that too.

Reason for much train travel was that I went and met Ian after his exam ordeal, we lunched at Café Rouge in Whiteleys before going to the Kaffe Fasssett A life in colour: 50 years of textile art exhibition at the Fashion and Textile Museum in Bermondsey Street, about half a mile from London Bridge. Closes on 29th June so not much time to view.

Will show my photographs and give my thoughts another day, my knitting calls. Would like to knit outside but it is just too gusty.

Ambleside shawl

When we went to HMS Wildfire parade I wore the outfit I had bought for Adam's wedding, have to admit I had forgotten the details of the dress. The jacket made for a rather formal outfit, but the dress could be worn without the jacket for a daytime event. Given the very chilly weather we are not enjoying I decided the dress needed a shawl, I had a pattern from a supplement from Knit Now from a year ago, needed to purchase the wool recommended in the pattern and the circular needles. I have quite a few pairs of Knit-Pro circulars but it is very difficult to identify the size so a decision was made to purchase a pair with the wool.

On Sunday evening I ordered purple Manos del Uruguay Silk blend and needles from Addicted2knitting, an online store in Oxfordshire, maybe online but the friendly and personal emails were a virtual chat over the counter of a shop. The luxury yarns come in old fashioned hanks so dear Ian left his revision to assist, I had forgotten how much time it takes to wind into a ball.

So, at close of play, this is my progress with this unfamiliar pattern.

The question is, can I complete it, including blocking to wear this Sunday, our wedding anniversary?

Proud parents

Well, I haven't said much lately have I? Reason is that there hasn't been much to say till now as I don't want to moan about the first cold I have had this winter for bad cold means antibiotics so have to recover from them too. Life is revolving around planning for "after the exam", now just five days away, not good for Ian as he has had terrible toothache, kind dentist saw him yesterday and identified gum infection so it is Ian's turn for antibiotics.

Not sure whether I have mentioned here that our son, Adam, belongs to the Royal Naval Reserve, today HMS Wildfire paraded on the tennis courts and we were very proud to see him awarded with a cup and plaque for Top Achiever 2013.

It was interesting to see our son's world, he was officer in charge of the guard so used his sword during the ceremony, later we saw how he cared for those in his Division, spoke with their families as well as looking after his wife and parents. Like us and his sister, he worries that all will not go well but it did. After all, he practised beforehand, it didn't spoil the fun.

I was impressed with the smart, young cadets, speaking with one of their leaders he spoke of how the organisation gives these youngsters an extra beyond school and home, many apparently open up to the leaders where they wouldn't to a teacher or parent.  All the Reserves hold down civilian employment whilst giving of their time to the Reserves, also many, like our son, are mobilised and undertake full duties with the regular services.

Just before I turn in, in under three weeks from submitting her CV to an agency Martha has obtained a new position in Dorset so is on the move from the Sussex coast to a beach further west nearer family and friends.