A Day at Chatsworth

I was looking forward to visiting Chatswoth again after so many years. We picked the best day for weather, only intermittent showers. We had a beautiful drive through the Peaks and got to Chatsworth late morning. Between showers we were able to visit the beautiful house and gardens. I was only disappointed that I missed a photograph of a herd of deer as we drove in and they were not there as we drove out later in the day. I learned once again to always have my camera handy.  I was pleasantly shocked that we were able to take photos AND flash photos inside the house, after years of being told off in New York, including one mortifying incident when my flash accidently went off in The Met right in front of a guard, it was very refreshing to be able to snap away to my hearts content in such a historic house.  (And yes Xenia it WAS that time when I didn't actually know how to turn the flash off and you had to do it for me!)  We had a very late lunch in nearby Bakewell at a great place called 'Bygones' then headed back to the cottage stopping for photo's and dodging the rain showers. I am now enjoying watching the BBC series about Chatsworth as I feel it is virtually my home!

Beautiful Chatsworth in the Courtyard

The Painted Hall

Looking up from one of the galleries

One of the guest bedrooms

Books in the Library

The Great Dining Hall laid for a state banquet with Victoria and Albert

Xenia, Anastasia and Chris in the sun.

The entrance to the famous maze.

A very comfortable yet beautiful bench.

Detail of the bench.

Chris, Xenia and Anastasia finding shelter wherever!

The 'Squirty Tree' or Willow Tree Fountain.

Anastasia and Xenia

The Cascade

It was getting colder and colder.

Lunch in Bakewell but didn't have a Bakewell Tart!

Changable weather meant amazing skies.

I love England!

A stunning rainbow as the rain chased us home!

We brave the Trafford Centre!

Call us crazy but as Bank holiday Monday was wet and we were looking for something to do that was indoors we decided to brave the Trafford Centre in Manchester. On the way we saw signs for Lyme Park (Mr Darcy's Pemberley in the BBC adaptation of 'Pride and Prejudice') so popped in for a quick photo in the torrential rain. Once in the area of the Trafford Centre navigating the car parks were enough to disorientate me but actually, once we got a map and our bearings it was easy to find the places that we wanted to check out. We had a nice lunch at TGI Friday's then back to the car via some of the homeware shops.

Love these signs for my kitchen from BHS

One of the signs in situ

I KNOW it's not the Trafford Centre! Lyme Park in the rain

Part of the Trafford Centre

Can you guess it was raining?

Lovely window display

A Trip to The Peak District

We hadn't been to the Peak District for about 14 years so we were really looking forward to a break in a cottage up there over Easter. We found the cottage easily it was in a place called Waterhouse, The weather wasn't great but the cottage was comfortable and warm. We visited friends who live locally after church on Easter Sunday it was lovely catching up wth them after about 14 years.

Arriving at the cottage

Testing the sofa

Unusual plant holders!

Very unusual!

Catching up......

 January and February have flown by and March seems to be doing much the same. I have been busy but only doing the same old same old, nothing terribly exciting or photo worthy. For the last 5 weeks we have been rehearsing our Ward Roadshow which Chris and I wrote about 15 years ago and re-vamped as it fit the theme of 'The Rings'. We always have such fun writing them, my husband is hilarious. I direct them and Chris usually performs in them. It was quite hard to do it on my own last year as Chris went to Australia for business on the day of the performance so couldn't join in as he usually does. Anyway we were back to normal this year and Chris, James and Xenia were all involved in performing and the competition was on Saturday. It was such enormous fun and although we were first on so had to warm up the audience they soon did and it was fabulous. We did a great performance and won the competition. I am so pleased for everyone and all their hard work. We had a bit of a panic when we found some of the props had been left at the chapel but there was an emergency run back to Southampton and we found everything. Thanks to those who did that for us. Saturday was the first time that everyone was at rehearsal at the same time and our pianist was ill so a new pianist took over on Thursday so she had only played twice with us and was magnificent.

Some of the cast at our dress rehearsal

Emily, Xenia and Kirsty

Kirsty, James and Emily

Christmas makes.....

I made our advent calendar many years ago, then lost it for a few years so made another better one, which meant of course that I then found the original as you always do. The early days of the month of December I always put the more secular decorations, then the items representing the Shepherds and Kings. The Donkey, Bethlehem, the Star and Baby Jesus in the manger are always the last four to be put on the Tree.

After 25 days

Close up of velcro backed felt decorations

More close up's

More secular decorations

Representing the Kings and Shepherds

Church Christmas Tree Project

I volunteered earlier in the year to take charge of decorating our Ward Christmas Trees and I really enjoyed making the decorations for them. On the main tree I wanted a red and white theme so several women from the Ward helped sew red and white felt hearts which we will add to by embroidering them next year. I found a dry couple of hours one Saturday to use my band saw to cut tree shapes from some MDF I already had. Later I drilled holes in them, sanded them painted half red and half white, varnished and decorated them. I decorated the tree at the end of November so it has been looking great all month. I was very pleased with the result and it went well with the red and white embroidered tree skirt that we made a couple of years ago together. The other tree was decorated in a 'Country' style with felt hearts and bird houses and gingham baubles. Soon be time to take them all down again!!!!

The final effect

Some of the decorations

MDF shapes

Two coats of white paint

Starting to decorate

Nice but still needs something....

Add ribbon and ric rac

Red and White

Easy to make gingham baubles

For the rustic tree

Made these a couple of years ago with friends

Ready to make baubles

Two coats of red paint

I love gingham

This will only blog sideways, it's upright on the computer

Fun with Natasha at the Christmas Fair

I love going with Natasha to help her at Craft Fair's. We did a Christmas one on Saturday morning over at Romsey and will do another one early in the new year.

The Raffle prize contribution