It had completely slipped my mind that on Sunday, we were due to go on a Mansfield Chapter National Trust outing, the last of the season. The location was to be Attingham Park in Shropshire with a couple of hours at Iron Bridge before lunch. We got up to this super misty morning. The trees and hedge on the other side of the football pitch looked so romantic I was tempted to burst into a version of the Elvis song. But Y told me many years ago that she couldn't cope with the singing and dancing first thing in the morning.
The coach-driver was Chris again, which added to our enjoyment of the trip as, not only is he an excellent driver but his 'chat' and 'information' is first rate. This time he was accompanied by Hannah, a sort of courier, who kept us all well supplied with tea etc., and everything from chilled wine and lager to hot soup. It was obvious by 10am that, as the sun strengthened, the mist would vanish. And it did. By the time we arrived at Iron Bridge the weather was glorious. Many years since we had visited and we were struck by how pleasant and interesting it is. Now a World Heritage site, which it thoroughly deserves as the birthplace of the Industrial Revolution; there are ten museums of which we only had time to briefly visit one. It goes without saying that we found time for a delicious coffee and a cake before reboarding the coach. 
Attingham Park from the outside was a normal Regency stately home and a picture of the frontage would hold little interest, so I thought that this of one side of the entrance steps would give a flavour of the whole. The interior was fascinating. Lord Berwick had liked a painter Sir John Philip Hackert who specialised in Claude type landscapes. Unfortunately Hackert was not 'of the first rank' and we could not share his lordship's enthusiasm. Two Angelica Kaufman's almost rescued the situation. Angelica Kaufman was the first lady member of the Royal Academy and thoroughly justified her elevation. There were however, almost hidden away, some drawings and water-colours by the architect John Nash which were quite outstanding. The restaurant was good and we both enjoyed our meals.
The journey home was uneventful and Chris stopped in a quiet lay-by so that Y could deal with the raffle and I had my usual stub-folding duty - helped by two ladies whose results were much neater than mine. Perhaps raffle-ticket folding is a lady-thing. By the time we reached Mansfield I was suffering and done-for, hence the mini-blog. Had a blood-test this morning and the clinic have just rung. 2.8 and don't need another test till Tuesday 19th. Great !! Nothing clashes with the Sculpture Park visit.................
Ref your brief Sunday’s blog, it should be ‘ce soir’ (not 'soire')
ReplyDeleteLooking at your atmospheric picture, I can think of ‘Misty’ and ‘Oh, What a Beautiful Morning’ but not an Elvis song. ? I did my National Service at the time Elvis was doing his. Not a lot of people know that but it is a gap in their knowledge that I shall endeavour to remedy. No. I didn’t meet him because he was in Germany and I was in Libya.
I have to confess that I have never visited Ironbridge. But one of my ancestors was a cast iron certainty, viz, William Strutt who built the mills at Derby and Belper in the late 18C. I think it was the former which was the first fully cast iron framed building in the world (ie, the external walls were non-load-bearing ) and, therefore, may be regarded as the forerunner of all skyscrapers.
I like the staircase balustrade and the bases of the columns (Doric?). Could it do with a smidge of verticalisation?
Perhaps you should practice ticket stub folding in your spare moments?
Pleased to hear the good health news.
On spelling/diction (nothing to do with the blog): today a friend showed me a compliment slip from his solicitor apologizing for an ‘ommittance’ (sic).