tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-61205270016869895382024-03-13T17:56:08.285+00:00Down to Earth With a BumpThe trials and tribulations of life as a wife, mum, coffee-drinker, cake-eater, biscuit-dunker, chicken-keeper, book-reader, magazine-browser and tv-watcher.Justinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17888014986650598361noreply@blogger.comBlogger542125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6120527001686989538.post-65776880114451504472016-08-05T15:21:00.000+01:002016-08-05T15:21:01.620+01:002016 Reading So FarIn 2015 I read 24 books, and being the competitive soul that I am, I'd like to beat that figure in 2016. So far things aren't going too badly; it's the start of August and I've just finished book no.19.<br />
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Here's a list of the books I've read so far this year:<br />
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Not the Killing Type - Lorna Barrett<br />
See Delphi and Die - Lindsey Davis<br />
Tulip Fever - Deborah Moggach<br />
Buttons and Bones - Monica Ferris<br />
The Case of the Murdered Muckracker - Carola Dunn<br />
Thread Reckoning - Amanda Lee<br />
V is for Vengeance - Sue Grafton<br />
Stitch Me Deadly - Amanda Lee<br />
The Miniaturist - Jessie Burton<br />
Dropped Dead Stitch - Maggie Sefton<br />
By Hook or By Crook - Betty Hechtman<br />
Death of a Cad -MC Beaton<br />
Threadbare - Monica Ferris<br />
The Girl on the Train - Paula Hawkins<br />
Last Days of the Bus Club - Chris Stewart<br />
A Night on the Orient Express - Veronica Henry<br />
And Then You Dye - Monica Ferris<br />
The Limpopo Academy of Private Detection - Alexander McCall Smith<br />
Dark Fire - CJ Sansom<br />
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No real surprise that lots of them are cozy crime books, all from series that I've read several of already. My favourite cozy series is still that by Monica Ferris, set in a needlework shop.<br />
Non-cozy, but still crime/mystery and also a series, is Dark Fire by CJ Sansom (the second in the series), set during the reign of Henry VIII. I was introduced to the series by my book club and I really enjoyed the first book; this second one took me a while to read (it's over 500 pages), but I know I enjoyed it as I found myself looking forward to going up to bed each night so I could get a few pages read.<br />
A couple of disappointing reads - The Minaturist and The Girl on the Train, both of which I'd heard really good things about but both of which I found rather lacking.Justinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17888014986650598361noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6120527001686989538.post-90753193277668851142016-05-27T13:00:00.000+01:002016-05-27T13:00:39.226+01:00Let's Play Catch-Up: Travels in 2015 - IsraelWe certainly got about a bit in 2015! After Sri Lanka and Dubai in August, we headed off to Israel during the October half term holiday. Hubby had to go for work, so DC,George Bear and I tagged along.<br />
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I must admit to being a bit nervous about travelling to Israel; hubby had been twice before for work and said it was absolutely fine, but taking DC along added to my worries - no-one willing puts their child in danger, do they? My worries were totally unfounded and we had a great few days in Tel Aviv. Our hotel was right on the beach, and this was the view from our room - not too bad, eh? I had no idea what to expect from Tel Aviv, but I certainly hadn't expected it to be so 'beach-y', if you get what I mean?!?<br />
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We arrived late on the Sunday evening so these photos were taken on Monday morning when DC and I headed out for a walk along the promenade that stretched all the way from our hotel down to the old port of Jaffa.<br />
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We managed to avoid the rain all along the way<br />
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right until we got to Jaffa, when the heavens opened and we had to take shelter under a porch<br />
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Luckily it was a passing shower and we were able to carry on exploring.<br />
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<span style="text-align: start;">When hubby finished work that evening we went out for a delicious dinner at a very good Italian restaurant</span></div>
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and afterwards we had some freshly squeezed juice from this fabulous stall.<br />
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The following day, DC and I spent the day in Tel Aviv and around the beach.<br />
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And the day after that was road trip time! Hubby didn't have to work so we hired a car and headed south east. We had wanted to visit Jerusalem but hubby's work colleagues had advised against it, which was a pity, but it meant we were a bit more adventurous!<br />
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Can you see the Sea?<br />
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First stop when we reached our destination was the cafe, where they served bagels bigger than your head!<br />
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Next stop - the cable car.<br />
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Up, up and away....<br />
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This is Masada, the rock fortress where King Herod built palaces and fortifications between 37-31BC. The Roman historian Josephus tells us that in 73AD the Romans laid siege to the fortress and the 960 inhabitants chose to commit suicide rather than be captured. Archaeological finds don't (yet) confirm this, but who knows.<br />
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You can see the outline of one of the Roman camps really clearly here.<br />
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And another one here. Having studied Ancient History at university, I found this all fascinating. And, even better, hubby and DC were really interested too.<br />
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The bath house<br />
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with remains of the ancient version of underfloor heating!<br />
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After our educational visit, it was time to relax at the beach...<br />
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and float our cares away<br />
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Yes, you really do float in the Dead Sea<br />
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but no one tells you how difficult it is to get out with any of your dignity in tact! It's almost impossible to get your feet on the ground to walk out, so you end up bobbing around, turning over and generally looking like a right wally. Oh, and you really do not want to get any of the water in your mouth - bluuurggh.<br />
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The next day was our last. We spent the morning and lunch time in the centre of Tel Aviv, enjoying lovely food again. Then it was time for a last couple of shots of the beach before heading home.<br />
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We had a great time and I'd definitely recommend a visit if you get the chance.</div>
Justinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17888014986650598361noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6120527001686989538.post-80535761665079643742016-05-24T09:16:00.000+01:002016-05-24T09:16:30.575+01:00Let's Play Catch-Up: 2015 Travels - Dubai<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
A four-hour flight from Sri Lanka and we were in Dubai. I must say it's somewhere I've always wanted to visit, but hubby wasn't too keen, so when we saw that our flights to Sri Lanka had stop-overs in Dubai both ways we thought we should take the opportunity to spend a few nights there rather than making a special trip. We were able to book a fantastic hotel for a really good price, and I must say, we were VERY impressed with it; so much so that I fear no other hotel will ever live up to the standards of the <a href="http://waldorfastoria3.hilton.com/en/hotels/uae/waldorf-astoria-dubai-palm-jumeirah-DXBPDWA/index.html">Waldorf Astoria</a>!</div>
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<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-n52q0ljuusc/Vt1z_bP-uVI/AAAAAAAASgo/GJY2axwt624/s1600/holiday%2B503.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-n52q0ljuusc/Vt1z_bP-uVI/AAAAAAAASgo/GJY2axwt624/s400/holiday%2B503.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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Our room was lovely - spacious, luxurious, a super comfy bed and lots of little extra touches like a personal concierge, a bag to take your bits and bobs down to the pool, robes and slippers, complimentary bottled water, a coffee machine, great turn down service where they left the radio playing on a special station designed to help you drift off to sleep and probably lots more I've forgotten.</div>
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The bathroom was very plush, with Salvatore Ferragamo toiletries and a tv at the end of the bath.<br />
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The view wasn't the best, but then this was one of the cheapest rooms so we weren't too bothered.<br />
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Best of all was the air conditioning, which was VERY welcome...<br />
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The grounds of the hotel were just as luxurious<br />
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although the pool was a lot more crowded than any we had been used to in Sri Lanka!<br />
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We ventured out on our first evening to The Dubai Mall which was immense, pretty much every shop you could think of, plus restaurants, cafes, an aquarium, an ice skating rink and so much more. There was even a Cheesecake Factory so we were in heaven!<br />
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Right outside the mall is the Burj Khalifa, which is the tallest structure in the world - so tall that it needed two photos to get the whole thing in!<br />
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Plus the amazing Dubai Fountain which puts on a show set to music every 30 minutes in the evening.</div>
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The next morning we spent more time by the pool<br />
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and in the sea - look how clear it was!</div>
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And then back in the room to cool off - a view of the famous Burj al Arab luxury hotel from our balcony.<br />
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You can see why we needed to make the most of the air-con in our room!</div>
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Later in the afternoon we went to visit another mall (in an effort to keep cool, you understand!); and we found M&S!<br />
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Plus our favourite US fast food eatery</div>
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and best of all<br />
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which did takeaway!<br />
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The following morning was spent by the pool again, before it all got too hot to handle<br />
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at which point we went inside for afternoon tea<br />
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so very civilized!<br />
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before setting off for our last evening in Dubai. What else to do when you're in the country that boasts the tallest building in the world<br />
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We went up at about 4.30pm so we could see the city in the light and the dark, but unfortunately we got a bit bored after about an hour so we only saw the start of sunset and then gave up in favour of...<br />
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...food!<br />
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And a spot of shopping - Mummy's favourite supermarket!<br />
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And that was our last night in Dubai. The following morning was spent relaxing on the balcony<br />
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and making the most of the sunshine and pool<br />
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and who could resist a dip in the bath with the TV on!<br />
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Then it was time to say 'bye bye, Dubai'.<br />
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We weren't overly impressed with Dubai (or what we saw of it); it was VERY expensive and there are plenty more interesting and attractive places in the world that we would rather go, but I'm glad we got the chance to experience it and tick it off the list. I wouldn't say no if someone offered me a free trip there (especially for the hotels), but we won't be rushing back otherwise!Justinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17888014986650598361noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6120527001686989538.post-89024817189724844882016-05-14T19:40:00.000+01:002016-05-14T19:40:45.782+01:00Leibster AwardWell, that got me back blogging, didn't it???<br />
Janet over at <a href="http://macqueblogspot.blogspot.co.uk/">MacQue</a> nominated me for a Leibster Award and I thought it would be very rude of me not to respond.<br />
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<span style="font-family: Allerta;"><span style="line-height: 18.48px;">The Liebster Award is a great way of discovering new blogs and to take part you should:-</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Allerta;"><span style="line-height: 18.48px;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-family: Allerta;"><span style="line-height: 18.48px;">1. Thank the person who nominated you and link back to his/her blog.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Allerta;"><span style="line-height: 18.48px;">2 Copy and paste the Liebster Award badge to your post.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Allerta;"><span style="line-height: 18.48px;">3. Answer the ten questions you've been asked.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Allerta;"><span style="line-height: 18.48px;">4. Create ten new questions for the bloggers you are nominating.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Allerta;"><span style="line-height: 18.48px;">5.Notify the bloggers that you have nominated.</span></span><br />
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<br />
So, here are the ten questions that Janet has asked:<br />
1. What was the last book you read?<br />
Right now I'm about half way through a cozy crime called By Hook or By Crook by Betty Hechtman; except I've read it before and I'm so annoyed that it took me about 100 pages to realise (there are only 250 pages in the book.) The trouble is, I can't remember what happened or 'whodunit', I only remember the odd little bit here and there, so I'm going to have to keep reading it. Feels like a bit of a waste, but hey ho.<br />
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<span style="font-family: Allerta;"><span style="line-height: 18.48px;">2. Favorite country to travel to or place within your own country?</span></span><br />
This is tricky!! I love travelling so I'm going to choose a few, if that's ok? Favourite country would probably be Cambodia; favourite overseas city is New York and favourite UK city is Edinburgh.<br />
<br style="background-color: whitesmoke;" /><span style="font-family: Allerta;"><span style="line-height: 18.48px;">3. What talent(s) do you have?</span></span><br />
Erm, umm, not many! Not any?? Well, I can bake. I have a little cake-baking business (shameless plugging - you can find me on FaceBook at <a href="https://www.facebook.com/Can-I-Bake-You-a-Cake-438810189658901/?pnref=lhc">Can I Bake You a Cake?</a> - and if you have a moment I'd be so grateful if you could click on the 'like' button near the top, thank you!!)<br />
<br style="background-color: whitesmoke;" /><span style="font-family: Allerta;"><span style="line-height: 18.48px;">4. Who does the cooking at your house?</span></span><br />
OK, so I'm happy baking but I really don't enjoy cooking - I can't cope with the pressure of trying to bring everything together at the end. I can throw a few things together like lasagne or something in the slow cooker, but I'd much rather not. So, hubby does the cooking if we want something 'proper' like a roast, but I can manage the more simple stuff!<br />
<br style="background-color: whitesmoke;" /><span style="font-family: Allerta;"><span style="line-height: 18.48px;">5. Would you rather travel by airplane, train, boat or car?</span></span><br />
I don't enjoy flying at all, but it's a means to an end. If travelling by train could get me to overseas destinations as quickly as flying, I'd choose train every time.<br />
<br style="background-color: whitesmoke;" />
<span style="font-family: Allerta;"><span style="line-height: 18.48px;">6. Do you speak more than one language?</span></span>un peu. I can manage a bit of school-girl French and Italian. I'm much better at comprehension that I am at speaking or writing either language, so I can get around as long as I don't have to speak to anyone!<br />
<br style="background-color: whitesmoke;" /><span style="font-family: Allerta;"><span style="line-height: 18.48px;">7. Do you have a favorite tv show?</span></span><br />
Coronation Street is the all-time favourite. I also really enjoy Sherlock and I love Gogglebox!<br />
<br style="background-color: whitesmoke;" /><span style="font-family: Allerta;"><span style="line-height: 18.48px;">8. What jobs have you had?</span></span><br />
When I was at school I worked Saturdays in a greengrocers; I'm so glad I did because at least I know the difference between a turnip and a swede and I'm pretty good at judging the weight of fruits and veg! After that I worked in a local shop while still at school. My first job when I graduated from university was with a publishing company - I started as an indexer and progressed to being an Editor and I worked there for about 15 years on and off. I also worked in a clothes shop and at a university library.<br />
<br style="background-color: whitesmoke;" /><span style="font-family: Allerta;"><span style="line-height: 18.48px;">9. Favorite flower?</span></span><br />
Gerberas or tulips<br />
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<span style="font-family: Allerta;"><span style="line-height: 18.48px;">10. Would you rather be a cat or a dog?</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Allerta;"><span style="line-height: 18.48px;">Although I don't really like cats I think I'd rather be one than be a dog as I would appreciate the independence and aloofness of cat-ness!</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Allerta;"><span style="line-height: 18.48px;">Phew, there we go. Now to think up 10 interesting questions and find five bloggers to tag - that's the tricky part!</span></span><br />
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<a name='more'></a>Justinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17888014986650598361noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6120527001686989538.post-36067773010266291172016-03-07T12:25:00.002+00:002016-03-07T12:25:27.582+00:00Let's Play Catch-Up: 2015 Travels: Sri Lanka in August<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
Our big summer holiday trip last year was to Sri Lanka (with a stop-over in Dubai on the way home); we were away for 18 nights, so it was a lovely long break. </div>
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DC is quite the well-travelled young man; he settled in as soon as we boarded and we barely heard a peep out of him for the entire flight. It was quite a treat flying on the Emirates A380, a huge plane with very roomy seats (even in Economy) and such spacious toilets! The other great thing about flying in a monster plane is that you barely feel the turbulence.</div>
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And you get to watch where you're going; in fact you could watch via the camera on the tail, or the one on the undercarriage. Despite the fact that I don't particularly like flying, I kept being drawn back to these cameras, as if to taunt myself. Weird.<br />
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After a 6-ish hour flight we had a short stop-off in Dubai airport before changing planes and flying onwards for another 4 hours to Colombo. Although our flights were both absolutely fine, it was still great to arrive!<br />
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We stayed in the Hilton Residences and had a huge suite with three bedrooms, two bathrooms, a kitchen and lounge-dining room - way too big for the three of us, but we weren't going to complain as it was a bargain when we booked it several months earlier. This was the view from the balcony. Not exactly picturesque in the foreground but certainly interesting and expansive, and with the sea in the distance.<br />
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There was a great pool at the hotel which the boys took advantage of almost as soon as we got there</div>
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and which we all enjoyed for a good part of the following day.</div>
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We had two nights in Colombo; we didn't really do any sight-seeing as hubby and I have been there before and, to be honest, there aren't masses of 'sights' to speak of. Instead we spent time recovering from the flight in and around the pool and we visited our favourite restaurants, cafes and shops - if you ever find yourself in Colombo I would absolutely recommend a meal at the Paradise Road Gallery Cafe; the food is absolutely fantastic. We ate there three times in total during our visit to Sri Lanka and each time the food was superb. They also have a lovely little shop on site which sells some gorgeous bits and bobs.</div>
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After our two nights in Colombo it was time to hop on the train down the coast to Galle. Did I mention we were 'backpacking'? We're not fans of package holidays, we'd much rather travel around and find different places to stay under our own steam, thus giving us the option to move on if we don't like somewhere, or stay on if we like it.</div>
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The hotel we chose in Galle was fab. A little boutique-y place called The Fort Printers (http://www.thefortprinters.com/), an 18thC mansion with just 13 rooms. The room we had was very simple but extremely clean and had everything we needed; we were in a part of the hotel with just one other guest room which shared a lovely lounge area; and then there was this sweet little pool - small but perfect in the warm weather. The food was wonderful, as was the service. The manager (owner, perhaps?) was so kind to DC, telling him about the TV in one of the lounges, setting cushions out for him on the floor and generally indulging him.<br />
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Galle itself is lovely, a UNESCO World Heritage town, with lots of beautiful architecture and interesting streets to explore, as well as the old town walls, plus lighthouse which make a great walk (although not so much in the heat of the midday sun...)<br />
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After three nights in Galle it was time to move a little further around the coast to a lovely hotel just outside Mirissa. This was the view from the balcony outside our room. Yup.<br />
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And this was the beach at the bottom of the garden.<br />
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We spent three very lazy days at this lovely place, alternately swimming in the pool, exploring the beach, eating, reading and sleeping. And repeat.<br />
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Then it was back to Colombo for a night as a stopover on the way inland.<br />
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We headed off to Sigirya, and along the way we stopped at the Pinnewalla Elephant Orphanage where DC got to feed a bottle of milk to one of the little babies.</div>
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And feed some fruit to one of the larger inhabitants.<br />
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And then we watched them all walk down to the river for a bath.<br />
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We stayed at two different hotels while we were in Sigirya. This was the first, where we stayed for two nights.<br />
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The local wildlife was up close and personal - this lizard had dragged a fish out of the lake for its lunch.<br />
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And this monkey stole a bottle of Fanta from our table. Cheeky.<br />
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This is Sigirya, known as the Lion Fortress. And yes, we walked, climbed and generally sweated our way all the way to the top!<br />
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But it's worth it when you get there for the views and the sense of achievement. Hubby and I had been there before so we knew that it would be quite a trek, but DC did an absolutely fantastic job, only getting worried once on those metal steps which you can see above.<br />
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And after all that leg-wobble inducing climbing, it was rather nice to come back to the second of our hotels in the area, with this pool<br />
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You can see Sigirya in the centre of the photo below - not a bad view from the end of a swimming pool.</div>
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After four nights inland we travelled back to Colombo for one last night<br />
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before flying to Dubai early the next morning.</div>
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Sri Lanka is a beautiful country; the food is great, the people are friendly, the scenery is stunning, the beaches are great and I would absolutely recommend it for a holiday!Justinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17888014986650598361noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6120527001686989538.post-54423595094475033462015-11-10T13:47:00.001+00:002015-11-10T13:47:53.645+00:00Let's Play Catch Up. 2015 Travels: London in July<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Luckily I've already blogged about our April week in Cornwall and our May week in Spain, so we can skip straight on to London in July. This was just an overnight stop, so not too many photos to dull your senses.<br />
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We decided to drive to the Big Smoke, since travelling by train would have cost rather a lot of money; we toddled off early on a Sunday morning which was handy because it meant we were able to take advantage of free on-street parking when we got to our hotel (the Hilton London Hyde Park). Here's a terrible photo of the room, which was perfectly fine for the night that we were there although I guess it would have felt a bit squished if we'd been there longer.<br />
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The hotel was in a great location, bang opposite the Diana, Princess of Wales' Memorial Playground (more on that later) and just around the corner from Bayswater tube station.<br />
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After a quick unpack we headed straight out to make the most of our time. We asked DC whether he would like to go to the London Aquarium, to the Tower of London or to HMS Belfast. He chose the aquarium so we hopped on the tube and headed that-a-way.<br />
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It was DC's first time in London and, obviously therefore, his first ever time on the Tube. He seemed to take it all in his stride, although he does look a bit worried in the photo below!<br />
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A quick pit stop on Westminster Bridge to admire the Thames and the London Eye<br />
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and, of course, Big Ben and the Houses of Parliament (beneath cloudy skies, even though it was really rather warm that day.)<br />
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And then it was all about the underwater world. The glass floor that greets you as you enter is a winner, especially if there happens to be a shark gliding underneath!<br />
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We didn't find Nemo, but we did see Dory. We spent a good couple of hours in the aquarium and thoroughly enjoyed it. We even managed to get through the gift shop with just one small purchase, which was a result.</div>
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After a spot of lunch we decided a black cab back to the hotel was in order.<br />
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Then we headed over to the Memorial Playground in Hyde Park, which is absolutely fantastic (if you've got children!) There are lot of different zones, all centred round a huge wooden pirate ship. DC had a whale of a time climbing, sliding, swinging, etc. There's a small stream for paddling, lots of sand for digging and building, there are teepees for hiding in, treasure chests for discovering, all in all it's a wonderful place for children (and there are plenty of seats for the grown ups too.) It's extremely safe as there is a fence all the way round with only one entrance/exit (as far as I could tell), which is manned by a security guard and children are only allowed in/out with an adult. (And adults are only allowed in if accompanying children.) There's also a cafe right by the gate, although we didn't try it out. So, if you are in the area and have children that need entertaining I would absolutely recommend a visit here - and it's free, which is a bonus!<br />
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On Monday we had planned a re-visit to the playground but, surprise, we awoke to rain so had a change of plan. We decided to head to Westfield shopping centre for a spot of retail therapy, plus a tea/coffee/Lego stop.<br />
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And then we headed for the Natural History Museum. We got a couple of hours of on-street parking and headed to the entrance. Where there was an ENORMOUS queue. We asked a member of staff how long the wait might be and she said it could be 20+ minutes, Yuck. So, using our non-tourist brains, we simply headed round the corner to the other entrance and, voila, no queue at all. Honestly, not a single person, we just walked straight in. So there's a tip for you if you're heading here, carry on walking past the front of the museum towards the Victoria and Albert. Take a left on Exhibition Road and you'll find the entrance not far along. Admittedly you won't be greeted by the dinosaur skeleton (as seen below), but you can admire that on the way round and as you head out.<br />
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We had a lovely time at the museum, DC was especially taken with the earthquake simulator and the insect displays, as well as the fossils which came from Lyme Regis. And we had a great time in the shop...<br />
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And then we decided to head home. Back to the quiet of the countryside. First adventure of the summer holidays done, and more still to come!Justinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17888014986650598361noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6120527001686989538.post-87204732632407045802015-11-01T13:07:00.000+00:002015-11-01T13:07:18.358+00:00Let's Play Catch-Up. 2015 Travels: USA in JanuaryI know I've been absolutely appalling at keeping my blog up to date this year; I had the excuse of being busy running the tea room, but that finished at the end of June, so that's no longer the case. And yet since then I still feel as if I've been busy. Busy doing nothing probably. Procrastination is quite time consuming, don't you know??<br />
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And then I thought I really should do a post about where we've been on our travels this year; in fact, it's going to take more than one post to cover all the destinations as we've been here, there and everywhere!<br />
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We have to go right back to the beginning of the year for the first stop: if it's January then it must be the good old US of A. Hubby had to go on a work trip and I managed to hitch a ride while DC stayed at home with Grandma and Grandad. We flew to NYC, arrived in the evening, then hired a car and drove to a little place called North Wales, Pennsylvania.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">view from hotel room the morning after we arrived</td></tr>
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Hubby had a couple of days of meetings so I drove myself around a bit and then we headed back up to NYC for a night before flying home. You may remember hearing on the news about the 'historic' storm that was due to hit the USA in January? Well, that historic storm hit at the exact time that we were there. Cue mass panic! Would we be stranded in Small Town Pennsylvania? We would be able to get back to NYC to get our flight home? Would poor old DC have to wait longer to get his hands on the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles toys we'd bought for him? Most importantly, would I be able to get to the shops?? We had flown in to the US on Saturday evening and had spent Sunday visiting some antiques stores and a heeee-ooooge mall, before hearing about the storm that was set to bring the eastern seaboard to a standstill. The mayor of NYC declared a state of emergency, airports closed, the NYC subway closed, cars were banned from the roads, and there was a general sense of panic in the bread aisles. And there we were in our hotel room watching it all unfold on the TV - and boy, do US weather channels like to make a BIG deal out of things! Monday dawned a little snowy, but everything was normal. Hubby went off to his meeting and I drove to the heee-ooooge mall (yes, again) and various other shopping establishments.<br />
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We'd been warned that the storm was due to reach our area in the afternoon, so I headed back to the hotel about 4pm. Admittedly by then the snow was falling fairly thick and fast and the roads were getting covered so it wasn't the most fun drive I've ever had. Hubby arrived back at the hotel not long after with his meeting having been curtailed and in fact cancelled for the following day in anticipation of the snow so we headed out to some very local shops to stock up on a few odds and ends (books, food, and other necessities!) and have some dinner. When we left the restaurant at about 8pm it was properly snowing and we were starting to get a bit worried - historic Winter Storm Juno was well and truly upon us.<br />
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Imagine our fears the next morning as we woke and pulled back the curtains, only to find that the historic storm had pretty much passed us by.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Not that different from the day we'd arrived</td></tr>
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But, result!, hubby's meeting was still cancelled so we had an unexpected day together and, I won't lie, we spent most of the time shopping - hubby and I are BIG shoppers when it comes to the USA.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">It's fair to say we did some shopping...</td></tr>
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The only slight hitch was that due to hubby's meeting being cancelled on the Tuesday, he had to have a meeting on Wednesday morning which meant we set off on the drive to NYC a bit later than planned. But soon it was time for us to make our way to our favourite city - assuming it wasn't buried under 3 feet of snow, as the weather channels had predicted...<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">first peek at the Manhattan skyline</td></tr>
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Well, our luck was in. Yes, there was snow in NYC, but not nearly as much as had been feared and certainly not enough to bring the city to a standstill.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">view from our hotel room on the Upper West</td></tr>
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We were up and about early the next morning to make the most of our last day of the trip. </div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">early morning view from the hotel</td></tr>
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We headed for Central Park and a snowy wonderland awaited.</div>
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We were pleased to find that Tavern on the Green has reopened after a refurbishment. This was where hubby and I were married nearly ten years ago, and there was nearly this much snow on that day too.</div>
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Just a take-out coffee this time, but we'll be back!</div>
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Out of the park and in to the shops at Columbus Circle to warm up - cake anyone??</div>
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And that was the last photo I took. Not sure why as there were plenty more photo ops as we headed across town, and down town and back up town before making our way to the airport for an early evening flight home.</div>
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So, there you have trip number one of 2015. More to follow (if you haven't slumped into a boredom-induced coma??)</div>
Justinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17888014986650598361noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6120527001686989538.post-8406136811267162322015-10-07T20:36:00.001+01:002015-10-07T20:36:28.797+01:00Book Update: Cosy Crime + Holiday Reads<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
We've been on our summer holidays! That will have to wait for another post, because right now I'm all ready to talk about the books I've managed to get under my belt in the ongoing quest to meet the target I set myself of 25 for the year. Things hadn't been going too well in the first part of the year, mostly due to the cross-stitch that took up a lot of my time, but in the two-and-a-bit weeks that we were away on holiday (plus the few days that we've been back), I've managed to add a whopping five to the total, bringing me up to 17 for the year so far. Just eight to go to meet my target...</div>
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Let's kick off with back-to-back cosies. <strong>Secrets on Saturday </strong>by Ann Purser is the sixth in the Lois Meade mystery series, featuring (of course) Lois Meade who solves crimes while running a cleaning business. I generally enjoy the books in this series which are a little grittier than the average cozy, but this one was pretty dire. The story didn't make much sense, the subplots were odd and pointless, it wasn't engaging, the subject matter was unpleasant (badger baiting), the characters were also mostly unpleasant and not very well drawn. All in all a rather disappointing read considering how much I have enjoyed the previous books in the series; I'll still read the next one, but I really hope it's better!</div>
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Thank goodness the next book (the first of my holiday reads) was a better choice. <b>Blackwork </b>by Monica Ferris, the 13th in the needlecraft series set in small-town Minnesota. Again, this is a series that I very much enjoy, it's had the odd duff moment, but generally my reviews would be positive. This was the series that started my love of cozy crime so I tend to feel like I'm treating myself when I read another tome featuring Betsy Devonshire, Godwin et al. Sad but true. This book has a Halloween theme, but it's not scary, gruesome or spooky (not that cozies ever are.) The method of killing was mostly easy to figure out (it must have been, if I managed it!) and I even had an inkling of 'whodunnit', so the massive suspending of disbelief that the police never seem to figure out the mystery before the amateur sleuth is necessary once more. But I can usually forgive the author of this series most things as long as the story is well written and in this case it was an enjoyable read that trotted along at a good pace, the usual characters made an appearance and were fleshed out and new characters were introduced. All in all, another thumbs up.</div>
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Now, on to the 'holiday reading'; as I've said many times before, I tend to take books on holiday that I think I won't mind leaving behind. First on the list was <b>Remember Me? </b>by Sophie Kinsella (probably best know for her Shopaholic series); as a holiday read it was just right. Yes, it was chick-lit, yes it was ridiculous, but it was still enjoyable and I looked forward to getting on with reading it at every opportunity (and there were plenty since we were on holiday). I'd certainly recommend this as a holiday book, or if you're looking for a light and easy read. It features Lexi (can't remember her surname) who wakes after a car accident to find she is successful, beautiful and married - none of which she was pre-accident, as far as she can remember. The book follows her struggle to fit in with the new life she doesn't know at all - new house, new husband, new career, new friends; will she manage, will she remember anything? </div>
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Holiday read number two: <b>The Secrets Between Us </b>by Louise Douglas. This was a stonker of a read for the first 450 pages, but I felt that the last 100 or so pages really let it down. It was a gripping psychological-ish thriller, quite creepy in parts and not what I was expecting at all from the cover or the blurb on the back, and actually that was a pleasant surprise as it wasn't a chick-lit, rom-com kind of read. Apparently, the book has been likened to Daphne du Maurier's <i>Rebecca, </i>but I must shamefully admit I've never read it so I can't say whether or not it's true.</div>
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Sarah meets Alex while on holiday in Italy and agrees to become his housekeeper and nanny to his son. When she moves in to his home she discovers his beautiful, talented (of course) wife has recently disappeared without trace. And so begins the mix of romance (ish), suspense, mystery, possible ghostliness which kept me guessing and second guessing as to what was actually going on and who-dunnit, if indeed anyone had done anything. As I said, I really was gripped for the majority of the book but I felt the end let it down very badly; that said, I would definitely read another book by this author and I would still recommend this as an interesting read.</div>
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The last book I fully finished on holiday was <b>The Real Katie Lavender </b>by Erica James. This had echoes of Remember Me? in that it was about a girl whose identity isn't quite what she thought it was - Katie receives a letter from beyond the grave from her mother to say that the man she thought was her father, actually wasn't. And so begins the task of tracking down her real father and getting to know him and her new family. It's not a bad read, but I'm not sure it would make me rush to get hold of anything else by this author, except perhaps as another holiday read. Possibly my least favourite of the books in this bunch, not terrible, but underwhelming.</div>
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I started this book while we were away and finished it when we got home. It's another cozy, the fifth in the Knitting Mystery series set in Colorado. I keep on with this series because I do quite like it, even though I'm expecting (and discovering) each offering to be quite poor; in a sad-but-true way, I feel at home when I start reading anything in this series probably because I like the characters and the location. Only for fans of cozies, and even that might be stretching it a bit, so I won't bother going in to detail. It's only a 5/10 but I know I'll read the next in the series!</div>
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I must try and knuckle down to blogging more often, but I just don't know where the time goes at the moment. At least I've managed to finish this post!</div>
<br />Justinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17888014986650598361noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6120527001686989538.post-21261011485021101672015-08-12T14:46:00.000+01:002015-08-12T14:46:00.927+01:00Village Fete and ShowYou may not know this, but I'm rather competitive. I even find it hard not to do my best to beat DC at Snakes & Ladders. Last year there was a Village Show at the village fete and I entered a few categories. I was lucky enough to win the photograph category (for which I received a silver cup), and I came second in the 'handmade item for the home' category with a cross stitch. The combined points from these two successes meant I also won a silver rose bowl. I was pretty chuffed, to say the least.<br />
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So, this year I needed to pull out all the stops to try and retain that silverware! I decided another cross stitch was in order for the handmade category, and I worked on this particular item for months. I'm not kidding, it took for eeeeever. I started it in March...</div>
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Worked on it through April</div>
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May</div>
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Took it to Spain in June</div>
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Realised I was never going to get the entire thing finished in time for the fete<br />
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So decided to work on the left side, and finally got it done at about 1.30am the night before the fete - arrrggghhh! Apologies for the awful photo, but it was late and my eyes had pretty much crossed themselves by then.</div>
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There were lots of entries for the baked categories.<br />
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And quite a few for the floral exhibits.<br />
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And, I'm pleased to say, I actually managed to be placed in a few categories; here's a third place<br />
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And another</div>
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Second place for my Coconut and Lime Slice (in the 'Cake for Afternoon Tea' category)<br />
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Second prize in the 'Knitted item' category</div>
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Third prize in the 'Somerset Life' photo category</div>
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And.....FIRST PRIZE for the cross stitch! All those hours were worth it!<br />
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The points I accrued in the photo, knitted and handmade categories meant I won the rose bowl for the second year in a row - and I was rather pleased!<br />
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The weather did it's best to put a dampener on the day of the fete, but we battled on nonetheless and a jolly time was had by all.<br />
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Drumming workshops<br />
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Pimm's Tent<br />
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Sumo wrestling<br />
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Teddies zip-wiring from the church tower<br />
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All in all, a lovely day. Now, I need to get stitching ready for next year...</div>
Justinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17888014986650598361noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6120527001686989538.post-37046800744480410362015-08-08T14:06:00.001+01:002015-08-08T14:06:53.911+01:00Can I Bake You a Cake?I'm not running the tearoom anymore. I didn't talk about it much on here when I was running it, in fact I didn't blog very much at all, as it took up so much of my time. But now I have my life back and can spend time doing other things. Except those other things seem to involve a lot of baking (and eating), so no change there. Although, at the moment I'm at least baking to my own schedule and baking what I want to, rather than having to bake for the tearoom.<br />
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But, that could all change as I've now decided to start a little business (in the loosest sense of the word; if there's anything that running the tearoom taught me, it's that I'm not a natural businesswoman.) The business is called Can I Bake You a Cake?, and you can probably work out what that involves. I have a FaceBook page, if you'd like to search for it and give a 'like' that would be fabulous, although that's about as far as I've got in terms of advertising. I have plans for fliers and posters, but those plans are just in my head at the moment; one day I'll get round to printing them. In the meantime, would you like to have a look at some of the yumminess I can bake? Probably best not to look if you're hungry though...<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Dotty Cake - choc sponge, choc buttercream and giant choc buttons</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">All-butter shortbread</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Bakewell Tart</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Millionaire's Shortbread</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Choc Chip Shortbread Cookies</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Chelsea Buns</td></tr>
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Just a few of the scrumptious things on offer!Justinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17888014986650598361noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6120527001686989538.post-67751809725491812262015-08-01T18:42:00.001+01:002015-08-01T18:44:30.946+01:00Stonehenge; yes or no?<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
As we drove along the A303 to the London a couple of weekends ago, we pointed Stonehenge out to DC. We've driven past plenty of times, but on this occasion something must have made his brain cells touch together and he actually took an interest and asked whether we could visit. Well, it's the summer holidays and we're always looking for things to keep the dear child occupied, so what better than to go somewhere he actually wants to go. And so I give you</div>
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Since hubby and I last visited (2012), a road has been blocked off, a swanky new visitor centre (of which I completely forgot to take any photos) has been constructed, and buses now take you to the stone circle. DC was pleased to be there, although slightly disappointed to find that you can't get up close and personal to the stones.</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">DC with Granny and George Bear</td></tr>
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We were lucky enough to visit on a dry day (there have been few enough of those so far this 'summer'), but it was still a bit chilly and fairly blustery. It's quite an exposed spot in the middle of the plain, and the sky and clouds seemed mighty big.<br />
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DC asked if he could take some photos with my phone and I think it's fair to say he did a good job (much better than my mum who managed to chop our heads off and not get any of Stonehenge in the background, so I deleted her efforts...)<br />
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There's a glimpse of the visitor centre in the background of this shot. DC is testing his strength trying to move a sarcen stone. There's also a small group of reconstructed houses from the time that Stonehenge was built, each containing a few items such as pots, skins, tools, etc, but with absolutely no information on what anything was, who might have lived in the houses, how the space would have been used, etc. The visitor centre contains an exhibition space with a display of items found at Stonehenge - bones, pots, weapons - plus information on how the stone circle was built, how it was used, etc, a very nice cafe and a large shop. We probably spent more time in there than up at the stones, but then we are rather partial to a nice cafe.<br />
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Luckily we are National Trust members which means we can visit for free. English Heritage members get the same privileges; the stones are managed by EH while the NT manages the surrounding land. Otherwise it costs £15.50 for an adult and £9.30 for a child, which strikes me as being quite pricey. On top of that there's an extra charge of £2 for an audio tour and more again for a guide book. I'm pretty sure the audio tour used to be included in the ticket price. You can, however, download the audio tour for free via an app onto your mobile photo (although it's quite awkward to use if you also want to take photos with your phone as you have to keep coming out of the app and then going back into it - I gave up listening to it quite quickly because of this.) I'm glad we didn't have to pay the entrance fee as I do feel it is quite high, especially when you consider that really all you're looking at is a bunch of old stones (call me a heathen); comparing the entrance fee to say, Hampton Court where for £16.50 (£8.25 child) you get to see the palace, maze and gardens plus the audio guide is included, there are costumed historical re-enactments, children's activities and more. Stonehenge could do with offering more interactive 'stuff', alongside the sarcen stone and the reconstructed houses and perhaps a few members of staff around and about who could answer questions or demonstrate things. And the other thing to consider is the timing of your visit; in the summer Stonehenge is open from 9am til 8pm (last entry is at 6pm) and you have to book tickets in advance for a timed slot, although some walk-up tickets are also available. We got there just after 10am and there were no queues AT ALL (our timed tickets were actually for 10.30am but we were allowed through early with no issues). When we got back to the visitor centre at about 11.30am after visiting the stones, the queues were VERY LONG - I would estimate at least 100 people/groups in each queue, and they stayed that way right up until we left at 2pm.<br />
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Don't let me put you off visiting Stonehenge as it probably is one of those 'Bucket List' kind of places, but it's definitely worth considering the cost, the timing of your visit, and also the weather!Justinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17888014986650598361noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6120527001686989538.post-60314741997473384442015-07-28T20:54:00.002+01:002015-07-28T20:54:43.218+01:002015: Books So Far (Warning - They're Mostly Cozy!)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Here we are more than half way through the year and I'm somewhat behind on my reading target for 2015. I put it down to the hours, and hours, and hours, that I spent completing a cross-stitch to enter into the Village Show which took place a couple of weekends ago. All those valuable hours that would have been given over to reading were spent going cross-eyed over the cross-stitch.<br />
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Still, looking on the bright side, at least I've read 11 books so far and have made a start on no.12. If I can get back in to the reading groove and make the most of our upcoming holiday, perhaps I can get back on track. I read 24 books in 2014 and I'd love to beat that figure for 2015, but that does mean really getting a reading wiggle on for the remainder of the year. In 2013 I read 27 books, could I possibly beat that total? Last year's numbers were down because of my eye operation which rendered me incapable of seeing the (quite large) TV let alone focusing on teeny tiny print in a book. And this year's numbers are down because of the cross-stitch; however, now that I'm no longer running the tea room (more on that another time), I do have a lot more time to myself so perhaps I can get back on it.<br />
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So, these are the books I've read so far, along with a VERY brief review for each one.<br />
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1) Styx and Stones - Carola Dunn. British cozy series featuring Daisy Dalrymple and set in the 1920s; I really enjoyed this, the seventh in the series, it was quite possibly my favourite so far, involving poison pen letters and a gruesome death by falling statue in graveyard scenario.<br />
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2) The Shop on Blossom Street - Debbie Macomber. The first in a series about a yarn shop and the women who own and frequent it. Very light, fairly predictable, but sometimes you just need a bit of fluff to read.<br />
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3) Rattle His Bones - Carola Dunn. Nearly went back-to-back on the Daisy Dalrymple series after enjoying Styx and Stones so much. This one was very enjoyable too, although more an 8/10 than a 9/10. I'd definitely recommend this series if you're looking for a UK-based, historical cozy series.<br />
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4) Agath Raisin: Something Borrowed, Someone Dead - MC Beaton. It's like a terrible addiction - you know it's bad for you, but you keep doing it. That's how I feel about the Agatha Raisin books; I loved them so much in the beginning, but now they're just awful and yet I still keep reading them. Go figure.<br />
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5) The Christie Curse - Victoria Abbott. First in a series about a lady who tracks down tomes for an avid book collector. I can barely remember anything about the story, which isn't exactly a glowing recommendation. I didn't dislike the book, but I probably won't rush out and get the next in the series.<br />
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6) The Shooting in the Shop - Simon Brett. Number 11 in the Fethering series. I love this series; a slightly darker modern-day English cozy. Actually, probably edging more towards murder mystery than cozy, but definitely on the light side. Perfect for an easy read.<br />
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7) A Killer Plot - Ellery Adams. First in the Books by the Bay series. Not sure I liked the main character very much, but I will give the next book a try because I already own it...<br />
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8) Murder on the Half Shelf - Lorna Barrett. Booktown Mystery number 6. Yet another series that I really enjoy; it seems I'm quite easy to please when it comes to cozy crime books. I'd recommend this series if you are a cozy fan and you haven't yet given it a try.<br />
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9) The Mummy Case - Elizabeth Peters. Third in the Amelia Peabody series. This series, set in the 1920s and 30s, follows the archaeological adventures and mishaps of Amelia Peabody, her husband and son, mostly in Egypt. I remember very much enjoying the first book in this series and then being rather disappointed by the second. This third book also finds me in the disappointed camp; the story was confusing and I'm not sure there was a plot. Will I bother with the fourth? Probably since lots of people do rave about this series so perhaps it will get better again.<br />
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10) Espresso Shot - Cleo Coyle. Coffeehouse Mystery number 7. Possibly my favourite cozy series: set in New York and based around a coffee shop - what's not to love? Another good read.<br />
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11) The Gallery of Vanished Husbands - Natasha Solomons. Moving away from the cozy crime and on to my 'non-cozy unread' bookcase, I decided to give this one a try. It's about a Jewish woman whose husband leaves her and her life thereafter as she becomes a successful art gallery owner. I didn't love it, it took quite a while to get through - like swimming through treacle - but at the same time I didn't dislike it, it was just *shrugs shoulders*, if you know what I mean.<br />
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So, there we have it, my books so far for 2015. Very heavy on the cozy, but that's what I enjoy and what's the point of reading books you don't enjoy? Especially when you've got as many unread books to get through as I have!Justinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17888014986650598361noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6120527001686989538.post-30506087609974030872015-07-22T13:47:00.003+01:002015-07-22T13:47:46.685+01:00Sunny Spain, May/June 2015<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
Changes have been afoot around these parts, changes in a good way though which hopefully mean I will now have lots more time to get back into the blogging swing of things. Although it is now the school holidays so time may not be on my side quite so much until September. Still, while the small boy watches TV (bad mother...), I can get a little back-blogging done.</div>
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During the Spring half term holiday we made our usual excursion to Spain - San Feliu de Guixols on the Costa Brava, to be precise. We are very fortunate that hubby's parents own an apartment there, so it's an easy and relatively cost-effective break. And we can fly from Bristol airport which is only an hour away, which is a definite bonus.</div>
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We headed to the nearby beach at San Pol on our first full day; the sea is such a glorious colour along this coast.</div>
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And every evening we would head in to the town of San Feliu for an ice lolly.</div>
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We made our annual trip to Girona. Such a beautiful old town to explore, especially walking along the old ramparts.<br />
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For the last four years hubby and DS have stood on the same spot during this same week to have their photo taken. It's a great way to see how much DS has grown.<br />
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This is our favourite spot along the coast - the picturesque town of Calella de Palafrugell; glorious coastal views, a sweet little beach and a wonderful <a href="http://www.tragamar.com/">restaurant</a>. We can easily while away several hours at a time here.<br />
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We enjoyed it so much that we decided to come back the next day; this time I took my cross-stitch...<br />
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All too soon it was time to head home; but we'll be back again next year!<br />
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<br />Justinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17888014986650598361noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6120527001686989538.post-26394072977257482052015-05-12T15:46:00.001+01:002015-05-12T15:46:08.351+01:00Easter Holidays in Cornwall: beware there are lots of photos!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
For the second week of the Easter break we rented a 'cabin' type affair near Bodmin in Cornwall. What a glorious week we had, the sun shone and we were blessed with blue skies and beautifully warm days all bar the Friday, which was our last day anyway so we couldn't complain. We had decided that we would make the most of our National Trust membership on this holiday and made a good start with a visit to Castle Drogo on the journey from Somerset, through Devon and on into Cornwall (sorry, no photos.)</div>
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The next day (Easter Sunday) we headed for Lanhydrock, which was just about 3 miles from where we were staying so we got there just as it was opening up. There was an Easter Egg hunt (again, as we'd also done one at Castle Drogo) which kept DC occupied while hubby, Granny and I were able to enjoy the house and gardens. </div>
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How's about this contraption for cooking the roast chicken?<br />
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There were about ten rooms dedicated to all sorts of different food prep, alongside the main kitchen; there was a dairy room (below), a meat room, a fish room to name but a few.<br />
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I've told hubby that I really want to move to a Victorian (or Edwardian) house again, so we can have rooms just like this:<br />
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And perhaps a corridor like this.<br />
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<span style="text-align: start;">Unfortunately after this my battery ran out so that was the end of the photos, but believe me when I say it is a stunning house, chock-full of interesting historical artefacts, books, furniture, decor, and surrounded by a wonderful garden. I think Lanhydrock is at the top of the list for favourite NT places visited and I would absolutely encourage everyone to go there; I really hope hubby and I can make a return visit sometime soon. </span></div>
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<span style="text-align: start;">Day three and we ventured to Fowey so that DC could partake of his favourite holiday past-time - crabbing. Here he is with his brand new bucket, ready and raring to go.</span></div>
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We found the pontoon was the best place for crabbing and also for enjoying the view.<br />
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That's Polruan, on the opposite side of the estuary<br />
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As well as crabs, we were amazed to catch a starfish!<br />
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And some of us spent time catching the rays.<br />
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In the afternoon we took the ferry over to Polruan for a little wander round, although we weren't as taken with it as Fowey so we didn't stay all that long. I would heartily recommend a visit to Fowey if you are after a little town with fabulous views, a small selection of interesting shops to look round and some very nice places to eat.<br />
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Day Four and it was time to use that NT card once again with a trip to St Michael's Mount.<br />
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Our timing meant that we were able to get the boat over to the island and then walk back along the causeway after our visit<br /><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-LR2lCElEoPw/VVIFKr7AkvI/AAAAAAAAR7I/BHtg67oMcuE/s1600/307.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-LR2lCElEoPw/VVIFKr7AkvI/AAAAAAAAR7I/BHtg67oMcuE/s400/307.JPG" width="300" /></a></div>
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This is the Giant's Heart; it's hidden among the cobbles in the path that leads up to the castle</div>
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Master of all he surveys<br />
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Here's the causeway that you could see partially submerged a few photos back<br />
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After St Michael's Mount, we headed a little further along the coast to the sweet little village of Mousehole (pronounced Mau-zel in case you were wondering!) The tide was well and truly out when we first arrived.<br />
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I managed to take a photo of DC looking about 12 years old. Old before his time, poor chap.<br />
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Hubby and I had a competition to see who could take the best 'photo that could be turned in to a jigsaw'; this was my entry. If it weren't for the shadow, bottom left, I think it could be a contender.<br />
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We stayed so long that the tide came back in; the weather was absolutely glorious and we ended up having fish and chips for tea on the edge of the harbour, basking in the sunshine at 6pm - quite a rarity for April in England!<br />
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The next day it was back to Fowey for more crabbing!</div>
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Not exactly a hardship though, with views like these.<br />
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Thursday we decided to take a trip to St Ives, a place that has been on my bucket list for quite some time. Unfortunately I was rather disappointed. I know lots of people who absolutely rave about this town, but I just couldn't warm to it; perhaps my expectations were too high? It was very, very busy and crowded which put me off straightaway, there were touts along the main sea front road trying to persuade people to go on boat trips which I thought was rather tacky, and really there was just too much going on for my liking. Perhaps a visit out of season is called for so I can appreciate the place a bit more; I could see that the beaches were lovely, but we're not really a beach family so it was a bit lost on us. Plus poor old DC couldn't find a great spot for crabbing.<br />
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On the way back from St Ives we called in at yet another NT property - Trerice. A very pretty Elizabethan manor house which was very pleasant to wander around, and is really quite compact so very easy to do if you only have a little time to spare. I think we'd have been disappointed if we'd made a special trip, but as we were 'just passing' it was a perfect stopping-off point.<br />
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And the opportunity to buy and wear armour couldn't be passed up.<br />
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And then it was Friday, the final full day of our holiday. And guess where we went?<br />
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This little chap was absolutely in his element here - packed lunch, sword, bucket of crabs, he couldn't have been happier!<br />
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And a dinner of jacket potato with cheese and beans certainly put even more of a smile on his face!<br />
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And that was it for our trip to Cornwall. On the journey home we stopped at yet another NT property - Killerton in Devon<br />
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We had such a lovely break, the weather was wonderful and it was so nice to spend time together relaxing and having fun. Here's to the next trip away in just a few short weeks!<br />
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<br />Justinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17888014986650598361noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6120527001686989538.post-53128685631789244542015-03-25T09:35:00.002+00:002015-03-25T09:35:32.655+00:00Still Here!Yes, I'm still here but life definitely seems to be getting in the way of blogging. Things are set to change though as the tea room I run has been sold and so, from the end of June, I shall have more time on my hands (unless I get myself another job, which I suppose would be a good thing financially, but otherwise isn't something I'm overly keen on...)<br />
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One blog post I had in mind was a book review round-up; I love reading and I love to share what I've read but I know I'm not particularly good at writing reviews with my opinions usually stretching to 'it was good' or 'I didn't enjoy it very much'. So, rather than doing a review for each book I thought I would lump them all together in one post every now and again.<br />
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Here is the pile of books that need to be 'discussed', teetering away on the edge of my desk just waiting for the day when I have a few spare minutes to get to the computer and start blogging. The two at the bottom were actually read in 2014 and can be ignored, but those from Styx and Stones upwards have been read this year. Perhaps I'll do a 'First Quarter Review' post. Yes, that will be just perfect, especially if I can finish off the book I'm currently reading before the end of the month, giving me another tome to add to the list of books to review badly. Bet you can hardly wait!Justinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17888014986650598361noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6120527001686989538.post-90211311293460898552015-01-23T20:32:00.002+00:002015-01-23T20:34:41.583+00:00Dining Area Switcheroo<div class="" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="text-align: left;">Way back in April 2013 we painted a couple of the walls of the living/dining room area in a lovely green (Vert de Terre by Farrow & Ball); then at some point last year we decided to go the whole hog and have the entire living/dining/kitchen space painted the same colour; we'd been a bit nervous of it overwhelming the space and making it feel dark, but we grew accustomed to it very quickly and now really like it. Here's a photo of the largest wall in the living room area with the colour added.</span></div>
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<span style="text-align: left;">However, there was one wall which was left out when the rest were painted because we had a couple of large/heavy pieces of furniture in the way, and we just couldn't be bothered to move them. So we lived with a single white wall in the open plan area, until last weekend.</span></div>
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This is the wall in question in some of its various guises since we moved in:</div>
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The photo above shows pretty much how that wall has been for quite a while now, well right up until the weekend.<br />
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And what caused this turnaround? Well, just before Christmas hubby and I were at our local auction room (Lawrences in Crewkerne) and we spotted these cabinets. And we both fell in love with them.<br />
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Hubby was off work at the time having had an operation on his neck, so he went along to the auction to see what sort of price they were likely to achieve and to put in a bid if the price was right. Well, you've guessed it, the price was right and we ended up with the gorgeous cabinets (plus another one that we couldn't leave without.) Then there was the issue of where the cabinets would go. And really, there was only one place they could work. So we put an advert in our village shop offering these two cabinets for sale and within a couple of days they were sold.</div>
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That left us with a lovely blank wall to paint.</div>
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And we all know that the family that paints together...<br />
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Two coats later and it was time to move the auction cabinets in from their temporary home in the garage.<br />
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And here there are in all their glory. The one on the left a cabinet of curiosities, the one on the right housing our collection of travel books and a few other odds and ends.<br />
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<br />Justinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17888014986650598361noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6120527001686989538.post-69001005333424404212015-01-15T19:58:00.000+00:002015-01-15T19:58:07.260+00:00A Stroll Along the Coronation Street CobblesOn New Year's Day hubby, my Mum and I were up and at 'em early (what luck none of us had bothered staying up til midnight to ring in the New Year...) as we headed to Granada Studios in Manchester to visit the old Coronation Street set. We are all big fans of the show so were probably a little over-excited, to say the least and our 'fan-dom' was evident when between us we managed to answer nearly all of the questions that the tour guide asked on our way round the sets (we were actually starting to feel a bit embarrassed of ourselves come the end.) The tour starts with a short film looking back over the highlights of the past several decades of Corrie, followed by a look round some of the inside sets (no photos allowed, unfortunately) including Carla's flat, Gayle's house, the Duckworth's back room and then, the highlight of the inside part of the tour, The Rovers Return. Clearly this is only going to mean something to you if you actually watch the programme, so apologies to anyone who isn't quite such a fan as I am (and if you're not, why not?!?) After the sets we had a chance to look at some props including Hayley's cardboard coffin, Hilda Ogden's curlers, Vera Duckworth's hairnet, Deirdre's glasses and lots more (I know, it really doesn't sound very interesting unless you are a Corrie fan, does it?!) And then, finally, the moment we'd all been waiting for, a short countdown and the doors of Nick's Bistro were thrown open giving us our first view of The Street, cue the music and action:<br />
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With the chance to wander up and down those famous cobbles<br />
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And pretend to go into a few of the famous properties; here's hubby paying Gayle, David, Kylie, etc a visit<br />
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Before stopping for a pint of Newton and Ridley's finest<br />
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I'm holding my bag like that in homage to Roy Cropper and his infamous shopping bag, in case you were wondering why I look even more of a wally than usual...<br />
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Here's a view down the ginnel behind the terrace houses<br />
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Time to pick up a quarter of sherbert lemons and a copy of the Weatherfield Gazette<br />
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Not forgetting a pint of milk and a loaf<br />
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Before jumping on the bus and heading for Eccles...</div>
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What a great morning we had and I would thoroughly recommend it to any Corrie fan; there is talk that this old set is going to be demolished to make way for apartments, shops and office buildings. I can't say I'm surprised since it's a prime area of real estate right in the middle of Manchester, but it will certainly be a pity that a piece of television history will be lost for good (although if you're not a big fan you probably won't feel too fussed!)</div>
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Justinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17888014986650598361noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6120527001686989538.post-31071948623366496552015-01-05T19:45:00.000+00:002015-01-05T19:45:26.086+00:00Happy New Year! And some book talk.How are we already five days in to the new year? It's a good thing that my resolution to blog more regularly wasn't an actual real life resolution. I've realised that making resolutions is pointless since I rarely manage to keep them and, let's face it, if something was that important I wouldn't wait until the new year to put it in to practice. The only thing I try to do year on year, is read more books than the year before. In 2013 I managed 28 (and a half), 2014 was a rather disappointing 24 (and a half) - sad face. I blame the laser eye surgery which rendered me practically unable to see for a couple of weeks let along read the small print in a book (and audio books definitely don't count towards the annual total.)<br />
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If you have the fortitude to plough through this blog from time to time, you may have noticed that I review the books that I read. I review them badly; that's not to say that I give the books bad reviews (such as nil points) but that I write poor reviews. It is certainly not among my (few) talents and it doesn't help that my memory is poor and I can barely remember what a book was about once I've finished it (or sometimes even while I'm still reading it.) Yet still I persist. Sorry. But at this point, as a fresh year of reading begins and I realise I only managed to write reviews for 13 of the 24 (and a half) books I read last year, I've decided to spare you those 11 reviews and simply list the books with a sentence or two to say whether, in my most humble opinion, they were worth the paper they're printed on.</div>
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<b>Death by Darjeeling - Laura Child</b>s. The first in a cozy crime series set in a tea room (seemed kind of perfect really considering my current profession!) Enjoyed this one.</div>
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<b>The Sisterhood - Emily Barr</b>. Jury's out on this one. I enjoyed it; expected it to be predictable, which it was in places, but there were also a few twists. Psycho-thriller-lite.</div>
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<b>Mini Shopaholic - Sophie Kinsella</b>. Oh dear. Once upon a time I loved reading the books in this series, but that was a while ago. Picking one up after such a long time has made me wonder were they always this dreadful/predictable/badly written/cliche-ridden, or is it just this particular book? I don't think I'll read any more to find out.</div>
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<b>The Hundred-Year-Old Man Who Climbed Out of the Window and Disappeared - Jonas Jonasson</b>. LOVED it. A bit odd to start with, but once it got going the constantly twisting-turning plot that went full-circle was a joy. Thoroughly recommend.</div>
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<b>Sentenced to Death - Lorna Barrett</b>. From the Booktown series which I consistently enjoy, and this one was no exception.</div>
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<b>Gunpowder Green - Laura Childs</b>. Gave the second in the Tea Shop mystery series a go and enjoyed it as much as the first; happy to keep going with these.</div>
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<b>The Saturday Big Tent Wedding Party - Alexander McCall Smith</b>. Ahh, Mma Ramotswe, how do I love thee?! This series never fails to disappoint, instantly transporting me to another place where all is comfortable and good (in the end.) I would thoroughly recommend the No.1 Ladies Detective Agency series to anyone who wants to read a gentle, comforting, happy book.</div>
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<b>The Vintage Tea Cup Club - Vanessa Greene.</b> Oh dear. Trite, predictable, disappointing. Steer clear.</div>
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<b>Thai Die - Monica Ferris</b>. From another cozy crime series which I consistently enjoy. Again, it didn't disappoint.</div>
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<b>Coming Home for Christmas - Julia Williams</b>. So, I thought I'd read this to get me in the mood for the festive season. Humph. It's not even set at Christmas! What a con. Again, trite and predictable so don't be fooled by the title if you're looking for a seasonal read.</div>
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<b>Fear on Friday - Ann Purser</b>. UK cozy crime, so slightly (but only very slightly) darker and grittier than any US cozy; I very much enjoy this series and would recommend it to anyone who enjoys a gentle 'whodunnit' without wanting the twee-ness that some cozies bring.</div>
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And the book I started in 2014 but didn't finish until 2015: <b>Styx and Stones - Carola Dunn</b> (which will be reviewed 'properly' soon.)<br />
And there you have it, my book list for non-reviewed titles of 2014. Did you read any fantastic books or fantastically disappointing ones last year?</div>
Justinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17888014986650598361noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6120527001686989538.post-8655532090383600542014-12-23T20:35:00.001+00:002014-12-23T20:35:19.738+00:00Have Yourself a Merry Little ChristmasI do hope you all have a lovely Christmas (and a Happy New Year, in case I don't get back here before 2014 slips into 2015.) We've had a lovely festive time so far in December with tree-buying, decorating, DC's school Nativity play, a night away for our wedding anniversary, mulled wine, Snowballs, lots of chocolates, neighbourhood parties, carol services, present wrapping, tropical fish-buying, shopping, cooking, jigsaw-ing and it's still two sleeps til the big day!<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Our main Christmas tree</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Home-made decoration</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Tree no. 2: sponsored by Starbucks...</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Festive drinking vessels and teapot</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">DC decorates the Christmas cake</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Treat Trolley - an annual tradition!</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Decorated mantle</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My little Nativity sheep</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Elf brought this present a little bit early as Santa couldn't carry it on the sleigh</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Fish - as requested by DC</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The annual Christmas jigsaw gets under way!</td></tr>
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Justinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17888014986650598361noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6120527001686989538.post-75799669084438053842014-12-21T20:07:00.001+00:002014-12-21T20:07:52.863+00:00Book Review No 13: A Crafty Killing by Lorraine Bartlett (cozy time!)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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I've read several books by this author under the name Lorna Barrett and her Booktown Mystery series is one I have consistently enjoyed, so I thought it was time to give this other series, 'Victoria Square', a try.<br />
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Here's the blurb from the back:<br />
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<i>Murder is right up her alley... The last thing Katie Bonner wanted was to become the manager of Artisans Alley. But when her business partner, Ezra Hilton, is found lying at the bottom of a staircase, bludgeoned to death, she has no other choice. A collection of booths for artisans and craft sellers in a renovated apple warehouse, Artisans Alley is the main attraction in the quaint Victoria Square shopping area. But business under Ezra had been faltering - enough to provoke someone to murder?</i><br />
<i>Katie has had more than her fair share of death - her late husband (and Ezra's former partner), Chad, died in a car accident six months ago. But as she digs deeper into Ezra's murder, her husband's death starts to look suspicious. While the cops are proceeding by the book, Katie is investigating by the booths - for the answer to the killer's identity lies in the hidden secrets of Artisans Alley itself.</i><br />
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First things first, the name Artisans Alley really doesn't trip off the tongue. And when it's used in conjunction with the possessive (ie Artisans Alley's), it becomes even more of a tongue-twister. Well, it does for me; perhaps the author could have the new manager rename her business venture, just to make me happy. So, that's my first complaint. Secondly, I'm not sure I really liked the characters; however, I already own the next book in the series so I'm willing to reserve judgement for now and give them one more try (kind, aren't I?!)<br />
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But, on the plus side, the story is strong. It's not a light-hearted cutesy cozy, having its dark moments and that certainly helps it stand out from the crowd a little. The characters, although possibly not to my immediate liking, are strong and certainly look like they have plenty of room to develop as the series continues. The setting is interesting too, even if the name is awkward.<br />
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So, it's probably a 6.5 out of 10 for this one, with some judgement reserved til I read the next one in the series, which will probably be some time in 2015!<br />
<br />Justinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17888014986650598361noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6120527001686989538.post-71079360335391252652014-12-17T20:13:00.003+00:002014-12-18T19:54:09.145+00:00Late to the Party!I'm so behind with blogging these days; there just doesn't seem to be the time to get to the computer any more. And then, when I am at the computer, I'm either busy doing other things (compiling an allergen list for the tea room menu, for example - gaaah) or I'm tired or I have no inspiration.<br />
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Anyhoo, it was my birthday at the end of November, so here's a little round up of what I did: The day before my birthday I took myself off to the mall at Cribbs Causeway in Bristol (my fave 'high street' shopping destination); I managed to spend 7 hours there, and could quite easily have managed another one or two, but I wanted to get home to see DC before he went to bed. I did a fair bit of shopping, picked up a few Christmas presents and a couple of things for myself, so all was good.<br />
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My actual birthday was somewhat hijacked by the school Christmas fete; hubby, DC, my Mum & I had volunteered to run the Home Produce/Cake stall for the morning, which wasn't so bad as it gave us first dibs on the lovely cakes!<br />
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Father Christmas and his helper arrived by helicopter, like you do!<br />
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And best of all, when it was all over we went back home and indulged in this fantastic giant Peanut Butter Cup that hubby had made me for my birthday cake. And once again (see last year's Red Velvet cake), it was really only me who liked it so not too much sharing to be done; several weeks on and I'm still making my way through it...<br />
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In the evening DC went for a sleepover at Granny's while hubby and I enjoyed dinner at our village pub. Hubby's wearing a neck brace because he had an operation for a slipped disc at the beginning of November.<br />
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Fish and chips for me, belly of pork for hubby. YUM!<br />
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The birthday celebrations continued apace as the next day we went to the Mount Somerset hotel for afternoon tea.<br />
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DC took the photo below, which helps to explain the angle.<br />
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And I forgot to take a photo of the food until we'd pretty much finished - so here's a delightful photo of the detritus. You can see there really wasn't much left, which clearly suggests we enjoyed it very much!<br />
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As per tradition, I took some photos of my birthday gifts for posterity.</div>
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Quite a eclectic mix this year, including a hot glue gun ('does it shoot glue?' asked DC), some antlers, a Christmas jigsaw tree decoration, a vintage tin featuring the name of my old school, a Streamline pot and a Starbucks Christmas mug to add to the collections<br />
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money, vouchers, coffee, chocolate and a cheese-making kit which my dear friend Liz believes will add another facet to my 'country wife' lifestyle<br />
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and lots of smellies (is someone trying to tell me something?!)<br />
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And that was the end of my birthday weekend!Justinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17888014986650598361noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6120527001686989538.post-24427407926196342042014-12-03T20:26:00.001+00:002014-12-03T20:26:24.569+00:00The Poppies at The Tower of London - finally<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
Everyone knows about the wonderful poppies at the Tower of London; yours truly really wanted to see them and, indeed, to buy one, but I was late to the game on both counts. London is a bit of a trek from where we live (2.5hrs on the train to Waterloo and at least that in the car, not including congestion...), not to mention a pricey trip whichever way you choose to travel, but when dearest hubby said he had to go to the Big Smoke for work one day and suggested I tag along, I decided to go for it. Granny was brought in to collect DC from school and put him to bed, so we didn't have to rush back (a 5-hour round-trip on the train doesn't make a quick trip to London particularly feasible.)</div>
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So, off we jolly well went. Hubby and I parted ways at Waterloo and I caught the tube along to London Bridge station. Popped out, crossed the road and there I was besides the mighty Thames. It was a lovely day, bright, sunny and crisp; perfect for wandering and taking in the sights.</div>
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I felt quite the tourist taking all these snaps.<br />
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Up over Tower Bridge<br />
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And finally, what I'd come to see.<br />
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These were all the poppies that were left in the main moat (the one that was most shown on TV/in photos) as the volunteers had made a cracking job of clearing them. And it was very difficult to take a decent photo due to the height of the wall that runs along the pavement on this side.<br />
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But it was a different matter around the other side of the Tower; this is the moat on the side facing the river.<br />
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Here's the 'wave' section<br />
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I'm so glad that I finally made the effort to see the poppies before they were all removed. It was a wonderful sight, very poignant and actually incredibly hard to comprehend when you actually stopped to think that every poppy represented a life lost - poppies as far as the eye could see, too many to count.<br />
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And then I came back down to earth with a trip to Oxford Street. It's almost as if they knew I was coming!<br />
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<br />Justinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17888014986650598361noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6120527001686989538.post-73408318585894229882014-11-11T14:28:00.000+00:002014-11-11T14:28:37.813+00:00Clinique Dark Spot Corrector UpdateDo you remember way back in July when I told you about the fabulous raffle prize I won? It was a whole host of Clinique goodies, make-up and skincare products.<br />
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As I said then, I'm not much of a one for wearing make-up, but I do follow a skincare 'regime' (which makes it sound much more fancy than it actually is.) I decided to incorporate one of the products I'd won into this regime, and thus the 'Even Better Clinical Dark Spot Corrector' found a place between the Boots No7 Protect and Perfect Eye Cream and the Boots Time Delay Wrinkle Reduce Daily Serum (I'm ever hopeful that these products will do as they promise!) As well as applying the Dark Spot Corrector to my face I rubbed in on the back of my right hand as I thought this would be an easy way of comparing whether it had worked. So, back in July I took a photo of my hand</div>
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and every day since then (except for three weeks when we were on holiday) I've applied the Dark Spot Corrector to my face and hand. The bottle has just run out, so it's the perfect time for a comparison photo.</div>
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Sorry that my hand isn't in exactly the same position, but it's fairly close. So, what do you think? Personally I can't see that much of a difference, or at least not enough to encourage me to spend £58 a bottle on this stuff. Also, the first photo was taken during the summer so my skin had a little more colour to it from the sun, whereas now we're heading into winter and pale-ness has set in, which could account for the slight variation in the dark spots.<br />
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Has anyone else used this product? Has it worked?Justinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17888014986650598361noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6120527001686989538.post-22288446059945296802014-11-06T20:00:00.000+00:002014-11-06T20:00:02.204+00:00Is It Just Me...or does anyone else get that warm, fuzzy feeling and a slightly elevated heart rate coupled with the urge to shout 'reeeeeesult' and add in a subtle but meaningful fist pump when you go in to a charity shop and pick up not just the next book in a series you love (and happen to be currently reading), but also the one after that as well.<br />
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And for the princely sum of £2.49 each.<br />
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Please tell me I'm not alone?? Please? Someone??<br />
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And does anyone else love the No.1 Ladies Detective series like I do, or have you tired of it, or perhaps never even read any of the books?Justinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17888014986650598361noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6120527001686989538.post-44475234222572827482014-11-04T19:23:00.000+00:002014-11-04T19:23:00.035+00:00Blowing Away the CobwebsA couple of weekends ago we decided to take a jaunt down to our favourite seaside resort, lovely Lyme Regis. On the way we may have made a very tiny detour into Axminster to partake of some lovely breakfast at the River Cottage Canteen. A bacon butty is a very necessary start to the weekend.<br />
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Unfortunately, when we arrived in Lyme it was raining. We sat in the car for a few minutes debating whether to just turn around and go home but then we decided we needed to be British about things and not let a little inclement weather spoil our visit to the seaside. </div>
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As luck would have it, after about 20 minutes the rain clouds toddled off and left us with some lovely blue skies and autumn sunshine. Perfect weather for crabbing; although if you're DC any weather is perfect weather for crabbing.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This was the only critter we caught</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Slightly wind-swept selfie</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Lovely view from the end of the Cobb with Jurassic Coast cliffs in the distance</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Oh, Lyme Regis, you are so pretty </td></tr>
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After all that crabbing, it was time for a pit stop in the amusement arcade; hours of fun to be had bashing rubber sharks.</div>
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Before a little stroll along the prom prom prom (alas there was no brass band playing tiddly om pom pom).<br />
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It looks positively tropical, don't you think?!?<br />
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Justinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17888014986650598361noreply@blogger.com1