Day 3 Inverness

Awoke to sunshine and a relatively warm day after the awful weather we have been having.

A Trip into Inverness to actually start the NC500 passport.

There are a choice of places to get the passport stamped, so we choose the Botanical Gardens... what a treat and all completely free.

Opened in 1993 by Prince Edward the well kept gardens and greenhouses ranging from Tropical rainforests to arid desert were a delight.

There were lots of really nice plants for sale but at this point of our adventure I was unable to buy any.

The arid desert greenhouse.

Well placed mirrors meant the gardens looked much bigger, could not resist a selfie!

The Rain forest

Inverness castle looking magnificent in the sunshine 

In the middle of nowhere we came across this tiny fabric shop, Chris gave me 1/2 hr to shop!

The owner was really nice and I could not resist a couple of bundles of fat quarters.

Back at Strathpeffer we walked to the Pump room to get the second of our passport stamps but it was closed for a week!

A local B&B was also on the list of places that would stamp our book so thank you Holly Lodge.

A little about our accommodation.

Strathpeffer owes its existence to the discovery of sulphurous springs found in the 18c.

The Highland Hotel was built in 1911 by the railway company to accommodate the many tourists who flocked here for the waters health benefits.

It is a most magnificent building.

The bar lounge area, which leads to two other lounges and two restaurants.

The grand staircase with lead light windows depicting thistles.

We are in Room number One!

Day 2 Strathpeffer

Great night at the Travel Lodge Musselburgh, definitely recommend it.

Set off for Strathpeffer via The Wool Shop in Dalkeith! Managed to buy another row counter and some needle ends, plus another ball of sock wool!

There were long delays on the Edinburgh by pass, managed to knit about eight or nine rows of socks while the removed a broken down lorry!

Again it is very foggy but managed to get a couple of photos of the Forth Road Bridge as we drove over it. It is always said that they never stop painting it as as soon as the finish one side they have to start again iit is so long.

We then travelled through interesting countryside, would have been nicer without the fog, and stopped at Dalwhinnie for lunch in a cute little cafe with great prices. There is also a distillery at Dalwhinnie but we didn’t stop, Scotland’s drink driving rules are more strict than England’s but apparently most distilleries now give you a sample to take home. 

Dalwhinnie Cafe

Arrived at our ‘home’ for the next two nights. Shearings Highland Hotel Strathpeffer which appears to be very grand and we have a nice room with an enclosed balcony.  197 miles. Tomorrow we really start our NC500 trip getting our passport stamped in Inverness.

Day 1 Scotland trip

We set off from home at 9am and arrived at the Edinburgh Musselburgh Travel Lodge at 8.30pm..

The Angel of the North is always such a special sight as we travel north, although the constant fog made it hard to see.

The journey was broken when we travelled to Stokesley for lunch and to meet an internet friend, Marianne.

Fish and chips for him and Whitby Scampi for me in a Diner went down a treat, followed by a short walk around town.

Love the menu!

Next stop meeting Marianne, what a treat, the chat was non stop for a couple of hours before we had to continue on our journey.

Marianne and I met through a machine embroidery on line group, so it was nice to meet in person. I feel I have a new friend.

Marianne and me

Finally Scotland appeared on a sign and we now really feel on holiday, some sunshine would be the icing on the cake.

NV500 Scotland Trip

Let the fun begin: We have been planning a trip to Scotland for some time and having discovered the NC500  [ Scotlands version of the USA's Route 66] we planned 12 nights of travel in the old Land Rover Defender. Total mileage from home back to home will be about 1700-2000 miles.

We have booked a selection of different accommodation and hope to be able to blog our journey as we travel, but WiFi is not brilliant in Scotland especially in the remote areas.

Day 1 Travel to a Travel Lodge near Edinburgh via meeting an internet friend, for the first time, who happens to live 4 miles off our route.
Day 2/3 Continue on to the start of the NC500 at Inverness. Booked into a Shearing Hotel at Strathpeffer for two nights half board.
Day 4 Torridon on the West coast and a Scottish Youth Hostel [ first time in a YH!]
Day 5 Ullapool, Caledonian a bespoke Hotel B&B
Day 6 Drumbeg, Croft 338 B&B
Day 7 Bettyhill Hotel B&B on the North coast
Day 8 John O'Groats, Bencorragh House B&B
Day 9 Brora, Balranald Shepherds Hut, Hut only!
Day 10/11 Shearing Hotel at Strathpeffer for two nights half board again
Day 12 Either another Travel Lodge or directly home.

Day of horrors!

If you do not like dentist stories do not read!

On Sunday a tooth started to wobble and the crown I had fitted a week ago was not right, so Monday in a complete state of nervousness I went back to the Dentist.
The crown turned out to be nothing more than a little of the porcelain was missing and it could be replaced whenever I feel like it as it has a years guarentee.
The wobbly tooth needed removing and if I wanted to wait 15 mins he would give me an injection and remove it. I am now a complete wreck!
All went fairly smoothly and the tooth was removed. Back at the car I took a look in my mouth to find I still had the wobbly tooth!!!!
Back to the dentist and he explained he had removed another tooth that was wobbly and said he would now remove the tooth I was having problems with since Sunday.
Another injection and wait and the tooth broke off and he had to drill the root out.
I am now nearly passing out and have no idea how I drove home.

My mouth is painful and a complete mess, but hopefully it will calm down as we go on holiday on Thursday.

Holiday socks

Another pair of socks ready for our next holiday.

Made a little longer than I normally knit, to keep my feet warm while in Scotland later this month.

St Mary the Virgin, Burton Latimer

Easter Sunday and I had wish to attend the Easter service at St Mary the Virgin, Burton Latimer. Chris agreed to accompany me. This Church has a special place in my heart, although I no longer belong to the Church of England, having converted to The Church of Latter Day Saints some years ago.

My Grandfather, John Thomas ASHBY and his family, lived opposite the church and was the Verger for many years. When it was time for my mother to marry it was just a case of walking across the road on Grandad's arm. 25th March 1940.

Holding her favourite flowers, Arum lilies, Mum walked across the road to marry.

Catherine Mary ASHBY and Stanley Douglas SIMONS
A guard of honour was created by St John Ambulance sisters,
my mother being a keen member of the brigade.

Both my parents are now buried in the church yard, together with my mother's siblings and her parents.  A visit to their graves and my father's commemorative tree made for a day of reminiscence and happy memories.

The family crab apple tree surrounded by daffodils

The many commemorative grave stones of my mother and family

St Mary the Virgin Church

65 Church Street, my Grandfather's and family home.

Grandma and Grandad's burial site in the old cemetery.

A wonderful day of remembrance.

Happy Easter

Blessings for Easter as we remember our Lord's suffering and resurrection.

My Easter display
Hand knitted eggs, two hand knitted rabbits, one wearing a dress I made her
 and one dressed fabric rabbit.
Complete with three wind-up chickens!

A big thank you for all the lovely Easter cards and chocolates we have received.

Lazy day in the Happy Room

"Hope I'm not left like this, I cannot see a thing!"

 Miss Bunny, a free pattern available on the shabbyartboutique site, made on a sewing day at Bedford. Eight of us got together for a sewing day organised by Sue, some making fabric covered boxes and the rest doing our thing! Having made a lot of fabric covered boxes lately I decided to spend the day working on Miss Bunny. This is a project way out of my comfort zone, but I loved making her.

Back home in the Happy Room complete with a face and ribbon for her dress.
Maybe she is dreaming of a visit to Paris?

aa

St Leonard's Church Charlecote

Our visit to the National Trust property Charlecote Park ended with a visit to St Leonard's Church.
The church was planned and wholly paid for in the early 19c by  Mrs Elizabeth Lucy of Charlecote Park. The church was dedicated to St Leonard the Patron Saint of Prisoners.

On entering the church the  stained glass windows are an amazing sight. Every window is adorned with stained glass including a fine circular window over the entrance.  The wooden pews and candle stick holders are the same as when it was built.

The addition of a vault added to the side of the church contains the remains and 17c tombs of three successive Sir Thomas Lucys.

St Leonard's church

On the right, Sir Thomas Lucy [d 1600] and his wife Joyce [d 1595]
Kneeling figures of their two children occupy the front panel.
The black and white Carrara marble tomb is of Sir Thomas the Third who died in 1640
and his wife Alice

The workmanship on these tombs is extremely fine.

Sir Thomas Lucy the Second died 1605 and is seen
with his second wife Constance kneeling in mourning attire.
Six sons and eight daughters are seen in Tudor dress on the front of the tomb.

Hard to photograph this wall mounted script of  an interesting version of the Ten Commandments.
Thou shalt not covet they neighbours horse.
Thou shalt not covet thy neighbours wife, nor his servant or maid, nor his ox , nor his ass.
Interesting the horse comes before the wife !!!

A fine church well worth a visit.

Charlecote Park

The first full day of Spring and the sun is shining, so we set off for the National Trust Property in Warwickshire, Charlecote Park.  Having not ventured here before we took a very scenic drive past an interesting windmill and thatched cottages in small narrow winding villages.

We decided not to visit the house but wander around the gardens enjoying the weather.

The Fallow deer were within a few yards of the path, ignoring all the cameras pointing at them!

The clash of horns could be heard from far off.

The gate house entrance to the main house

A very impressive building owned by the Lucy family for over 800 years
and still occupied by them in one wing of the house

Chris standing outside the most charming thatched play house,
all the windows were stained glass and a small fireplace was inside.

Wandering around the grounds.

We also visited St Leonard's Church Charlecote, but that will have to wait for another blog post.

46 years

We met on holiday in Jersey, August 1971.
Started dating January 1972
Engaged February 1972
Married March 1972

Now 46 years later we are still together and enjoying our retirements.
I could not wish for a better husband, we have seen each other through thick and thin, ups and downs.

Stan & Mary Simons [my parents], US, Nell & Jack Glasspool [Chris's parents]
Married at Swanspool, Wellingborough.

Mrs Bunny's new dress

While in Spain early this year I had a knitting craze and knitted a couple of rabbits. I felt one of them needed a dress, so fiddling with small pieces of fabric I made her a dress and added poppers to close the back above and below her tail!

Look what I have made, I'm ready for Easter.

This sewing is exhausting!

Wood work in the garden

Chris has been really busy coating the new wood with a preservative and building an Arbour in the garden. Cannot wait for some nice weather to sit and watch my fish, frogs, toads and newts.

He has also build a raised bed, which looked like a coffin for a while before the top soil was added.
I now need to decide what I am going to grow in it. It is in quite a shady spot which I thing may limit my choice of veg or plants.

Roll on some nice warm weather so I can start to enjoy all his hard work.

Heavy sleepers and a ton of top soil delivered to the front drive.

Preserving the wood before building the Arbour

Roll on warm weather I want to sit here with an ice cream!

The "coffin" raised bed ready for planting.

The Garden Makeover

The garden is getting a makeover.
 It is not exactly the best time to be doing this as it is SO cold but hey ho!
I needed cheering up after my dentist visit, so a morning trip to Hassett's Timber Merchant to order wood and topsoil. They said they would deliver it tomorrow, so back home to start clearing the area, all hands on deck.

Clearing an area for the new structure

This was followed in the afternoon to a couple of garden centres checking out Arbours.
I knew just what I wanted and we eventually found the perfect arbour at Billing, and the sales lady was certain it would fit in my VW Golf!! The passenger seat was moved within an inch of the dashboard and the back seats folded down, Chris crunched himself into the seat somehow and I drove carefully home.

The new Arbour ready for assembly

The Dentist

I lost part of a tooth over the weekend and had an emergency appointment with the dentist yesterday, who said I need a crown [ and I don't think he meant on my head!]
I knew this was likely to happen as I had  had a lot of trouble with this tooth. I was in such a state I asked if he could do it straight away, he said if I waited about half an hour while he saw his next patient he would do it in his lunch break... Two hours later I left the clinic!  I am such a wimp when it comes to dentists, and the over £500 cost did not help!  I go back in two weeks for the actual replacement tooth, Easter means there is a delay... just my luck.
There are no photos on this blog entry as I am sure no one wants to see inside my mouth...

March IAM meeting

The March IAM meeting was different, firstly because we had to change the date due to the snow and secondly as we had a full house of nine. Although Ann was away on holiday Pauline and Olivia joined us.  There was lots of show and tell and it was a very happy chatty day.

Pity I did not get the whole of Clare's wonderful ME quilt.
It was simply wonderful.

Shirley had completed another crochet blanket

Penny had used oddments of wool to knit this pretty cushion.

Pauline showed us Mr Fox cushion

Another show-n-tell from Pauline

Dorn had bought these Delica bead items while on her cruise.

Dorn had also completed a cushion with Colonial knots and beads.