Holiday wishes,

Well, Christmas is almost here again. Where has this last year gone, I just don't know! Hubby and I were just saying this morning that it doesn't seen like a year ago when we were walking along the canal side on last Midwinter's' day, watching the ducks and swans skating along on the frozen canal. It was a glorious day though, I hope this one is going to be just as lovely.
This year all the family will be together, which doesn't always happen. To have all the grandchildren together will be wonderful, maybe a little noisy too, but such fun!
I haven't started my Christmas baking yet, that begins on Wednesday.
I wonder if the snow will still be with us. We haven't had much this last week, but it's been so cold and frosty. The surrounding fields and trees have been a winter wonderland. Here's just a few of the pictures I took...

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......

.......

.......and not to forget our garden visitors.....

..... he's a new visitor, but he's welcome any time he likes.
This last picture is of my beautiful frozen rose....

..... from the slightest touch, the stem snapped off. I just had to take a shot of it on the snow. I think it's one of my best shots of the year.
Everyone wants a white Christmas, but when the snow arrives it just causes chaos, because we just don't seem to be able to cope with it and are never prepared. will we ever get it right, who knows. But we have to take the time to see it in all its beauty.
I hope you and yours have a wonderful holiday.....


Health, peace and happiness to you all,xx

The last one!

It's always a shame to see the end of the roses as autumn turns to winter. But there's still plenty of colour left, for now.
We have quite a few pots with autumn flowering plants and some winter pansies, which are looking really lovely even though we've had some dreadful wet and windy weather.
Hopefully, at the weekend, we shall take a walk along to the marina ( which is close by) and get a few canalside shots. it's always nice to walk along there whatever the weather or time of year.

I just managed to catch this shot of the light on a pansy in the garden,I love the way shafts of light expose the smallest thing to show off its beauty,

...

and there's always plenty of these for the compost bin...

..... I love autumn, don't you?

Time travelling (part 3) A walk in the past!

I hope you're ready for your next trip through time! We're now off to Telford in Shropshire, to beautiful Ironbridge, and our first visit is to the wonderful
Blists Hill Victorian Town
So here we are, wondering where to go first......


.... I know, we'd better go to the bank...

..... the bank clerk tells us that our finances are in order, so we won't have to see the bank manager! Thank goodness, I wouldn't want to climb those stairs! (What a smartly dressed man the clerk is!)
Hubby wants a quick look in the bicycle shop, he's looking for a new bicycle....

....... I wonder if it's this one he's looking at?????

...maybe not!
Well, I'm just popping into the grocers, next door., I want some mint tablets, Her Majesty's, of course!

.....

......let's move on to the chemists next door.....


........is there anything in here you'll need???

......look at all those shelves and drawers...

....I wonder what's in them all, look, there's more.......
......but right in the corner is where the dentist has his room, shall we take a look inside.....



....let's move on shall we, to something more pleasant.....

... we might be in here a while, I have some ribbon to buy......

..... and a pretty lace collar.....

.......and I really need some more sewing needles....

....I shall have to stay and have a chat with Mrs McClure. She has some lovely new fabric to show me!
Well we've been in here far too long, I think we should pop over the road for fish and chips, they're just about to open, (and it'll only cost us 1/6d !!!)
Let's eat and then we can carry on!

Remember this?????

Hovis 'Bike' advert 1973, voted Britain's favourite TV ad.
Well thanks to a lovely lady called Roxanne, who lives in that part of beautiful Dorset, I was set a challenge. One that hopefully is a success.
If you'd like to know what it was, you can see here

Time Travelling (part 2)

Well we've just had lunch at Betty's in York, and we have our little box of goodies to take with us on our travels, in case we want a snack.
I've made notes in my little book for more ideas. If you want to know what I mean, you can see here
Now we are off to Northumberland, to see this beautiful house.

Cragside, This amazing home ( mansion) was home to Victorian inventor and landscape genius Lord William Armstrong. The house is built on a rocky crag high above the Debdon Burn.
It was the first house to be lit by hydroelecricity. Come with me, and take a look inside some of the beautiful rooms.....
Firstly, we go into the drawing room, all set for afternoon tea...

...... I love the faux cakes on the stand.....



believe me they look good enough to eat....







The dresser is packed full of beautiful things.....

..... could you imagine yourself sitting here 100 years ago, taking afternoon tea, wouldn't it be wonderful?
...... Now we've moved into the first bedroom.....

.... the beautiful bedspread, it really is a work of art.
Another bedroom, more exquisite pieces of furniture, and beautiful bedding.



.......bedroom three....


...... we must take a closer look at that beautiful bedcover.....


.... It is difficult to get perfect pictures, flash photography is not allowed (and rightly so) but it's captured the feeling of the era.
........bedroom four....

.... there is such a warmth in this house. It was loved and cherished, of that I am sure, and so do the many thousands of visitors who visit every year.
.....This is the view from the balcony.....


....... and just look at this view....

...You need at least a full day here, and then you wouldn't see it all. There are plenty of woodland and lake walks for you to enjoy. It truly is a remarkable place.

I hope you've enjoyed your trip. You can find more about Lord Armstrong and his amazing inventions here
and here if you want to know about beautiful Cragside.
Now it's time to sit down and have light snack, ready for our next trip.

TIME TRAVELLING (part one!!)

Here we are, midsummer already. Everyone's either going or been on their holidays, from far off places to the nearest of coasts, or a favourite destination.
For me, a holiday is about visiting places, seeing and experiencing new things. I've never been one for sitting on a beach for two weeks, I can't stand being hot. Some may say it's my age (!) but I've been like it since I was a child.
I love our climate, and the changing of the seasons, it's so varied.
For this years holiday, we had planned a two week walking holiday in Northumberland.
Unfortunately it didn't happen. After a fall last year, my knee has got progressively worse and a walking holiday was out. I shall need surgery but at the moment I'm trying to carry on as normal as possible, which is difficult at times.
So I thought I would take you on a travelling expedition through my blog of some of my favourite places. But what does the "time travelling" title mean? Well hopefully you can view a vision of the past through my visits to various places.
When I was at school, history really didn't interest me. We went too far back in time. The battle of Hastings wasn't close enough to the eras that I was interested in. Modern history was more relevant to me, what the lives of the last five or six generations of my family were like. Something I could see, and try to be a part of.
So I'll begin my travels with you and our first stop is....Whitby, on the Yorkshire coast


.....
The ruins of St. Hilda's Abbey dominate the skyline.....


....
along side this is the church of St. Mary's. It was here that Bram Stoker found inspiration for his world famous novel Dracula.
and spreading below, ( after you have descended the 199 steps) you will walk along the maze of alleyways and streets with some wonderful shops....



...... which run down to the quayside....


....it's lovely to walk along here, come rain or shine.

I've often wondered what it would have been like 100 years ago, when my grandparents were small and they visited.
There are many themed weekends which happen in Whitby. On our last visit, there had just been a Gothic weekend, photographs were on display in the visitor and information centre. They were absolutely stunning, and the costumes were wonderful. A real inspiration for anyone.




.... then when you get hungry, go here for lunch.....

.... you can eat in, or take out, but i would recommend you eat in the restaurant, you won't be disappointed. They serve some of the finest fish and chips I have ever tasted!
We're going to move on now, and visit York but first stop.....
it's time for afternoon tea, and we find ourselves at Betty's in York...

we'll just take a peek in the window, (while we're waiting for a table) just to see what we shall be taking with us when we leave....


..... once we've eaten we shall continue our journey.
If you'd like to know more about Whitby, I have put a link in below, there's also one for Betty's.
Enjoy, Linda


Betty's

whitby

You are so beautiful!

You are so beautiful!
Originally uploaded by Shabby Tiger

At last, the roses are blooming. This one, I just had to pick as the colour is so vibrant.
Our garden is full of roses, along with many other plants, but roses must be my true favourite.
Mick and I will be going of to the David Austin rose centre in a couple of weeks time. it's not far from Telford, (another lovely place to visit) I'm sure that we'll come back with something special. It's truly worth a visit. They have a lovely Old English style tea room, with the most exquisite delights to tempt anyone. The gift shop is an Aladdins cave, with rose covered china teapots, to the most luxurious bathtime treats. All this and beautiful show gardens with experts on hand to help and advise. Then all you have to do is walk around the vast beds of roses for sale. Heaven! I can't wait !
My camera is already in my bag, and I'll be taking lots of pictures and no doubt bringing something else home too!

A bit of this....

A bit of this....
Originally uploaded by Shabby Tiger

When friends call to say they're coming to see us, I always ask "what cake do you fancy?" Well when my friends Tina and James rang to say they were coming over, the answer was "Oh chocolate, of course!"
So, a chocolate cake it was. I must confess, this one was filled with whipped cream. I always whip the cream and then leave it to "settle" in the fridge for a couple of hours before using to sandwich the cake together. It seems to hold much better.
How long di it last? Not long ....and hubby has requested one for his birthday next week. I'm sure I can manage that! Maybe I'll put some strawberries on it too! Watch this space!

knit one...eat one!

knit one...eat one!
Originally uploaded by Shabby Tiger

Well, the real ones were eaten. Actually the ones pictured were the last few left from a punnet which were eaten with a carton of fresh cream. I didn't eat them all myself, I did share them with hubby!
Doesn't this tell us that summer is just around the corner? I do hope so!
The knitted strawberries are sold, but I will be adding to my shop and blog shop very shortly.

Family Favourites.

I know, some of you (probably my age and older!) will be thinking of that programme which used to be on the radio, and humming along to the theme tune. Which is what I thought of myself as I typed the title to this post. What I was think of, was on the food side of family favourites.
Although both our children now have homes and children of their own, when baking day arrives somehow I still have them in mind.
I usually do a batch bake and freeze, unless I have something special to make, like when we go to visit our daughter.
I usually bake these, my daughters favourites .....


so they get packed up safely for the journey south.
My son and his family, also like cupcakes, but his favourite is this....


I always used to use butter cream or fresh cream as a filling, but family's favourite is marscapone cheese and icing sugar mix. Mmmm! When the fresh british strawberries are in season, they look lovely between the layers and taste so good!
Hubby's favourite is this.....

....Dorset apple cake, made to a traditional Dorset recipe. Served with a helping of clotted or double cream. (My favourite too, I think!). I usually end up making two of these, as one goes off to work with hubby, ( when it's his turn to take a treat in!).
But we all love this...

...rhubarb pie. I soak the rhubarb in orange juice and add fresh ginger. Serve with lashings of hot custard.
There is nothing more special than home baked food. It's so easy to pick something up from the supermarket on your weekly shopping trip. But I'd much rather do it my way.
Now, I'm sure there's some cake left...isn't there?