Monday, January 19, 2009

Long Eaton Visit - Cold, showery day - 35F - South Westerly at 3 mph

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We had a lovely morning over at Long Eaton. Nice coffee with David and Helen and we learnt all about the Dolls House and the pleasure it gives Sky and Brooke, not to mention their Mum and Dad by the sound of it. Although they do play with DS they prefer the Dolls House. They actually make things for it, it isn't just a matter of re-arrangeing commercially bought furniture,

As you look at the collage, the small frame, 2nd in, top row left, are some wedding gowns which seem to be Brooke's speciality. and the large frame top right, shows bread and confectionary they have made - the 50p piece is for scale. David pointed out that he had made the shelf on which the cakes are displayed. Man's work - shelf-making. Helen told us what the breads are made of, but I've forgotten. Perhaps a helpful comment might be added? The room in the bottom right corner is 'favourite room' and a 'special piece' is the display cabinet at the rear with the lady standing behind it. I hope the photo is good enough for you to see.

I really wished I had my Nikon with me. But I didn't take it and the snaps were taken with my mobile phone.

The tulips on the right have now actually gone but they were that lovely colour which it so difficult to pin a name to. Too light for purple, too dark for mauve and I can never quite decide what 'puce' is. Perhaps bishop's shirt colour.

My responses to your previous comments

Jill ..... A warm welcome back ! Figuratively warm that is because temperature-wise you have obviously been warmer on your cruise. It has been viciously cold here for a prolonged period and I bet you are delighted that your central-heating has been fixed.

Your suite on board sounds fabulous. And you both found good things to do. Were the lectures about where you were going? Or were they more wide-ranging - Art and Architecture etc. ? I know the food on cruises is excellent and I'm pleased you enjoyed it so much.

I know Y is/has e-mailed you with our news in greater detail.

Thanks for your kind thoughts about David. He really is much better but his doctor has told him not to over-tire himself and lengthy periods of inactivity are prescribed. I try to set him a good example.

Tilly (Hannah) ...... The scones sound 'yummy yummy good for your tummy' but I hope one or two lasted long enough to have their photos taken.

Our readers would enjoy a picture.

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Quotation time .......

"Here tulips bloom as they are told/
Unkempt among those hedges blows/
An unofficial English Rose"


From The Old Vicarage, Grantchester - Rupert Brooke

I've always found his poetry abit sugary and over contrived - "Stands the Church clock at ten to three? And is there honey still for tea?" and all that jazz. By they way Lord and Lady Archer now own and live in The Old Vicarage.

But I wanted a quote including 'tulips'.

"Sleep tight - catch you tomorrow"


2 comments:

Anonymous said...

The dolls house - I enlarged it to see it properly, is the lady in the kitchen knitting? - left-hand side of right-hand photo.

The lecturers were very varied - one was Michael Nicholson, BBC and ITV war reporter (remember him in the Falklands, 'I counted them out and I counted them back') - he did four talks about his experiences, most interesting and funny stories, and he is a good speaker. Another one was Vince Powell, wrote a lot of sit-coms for ITV, including'Love thy Neighbour' which will never get re-shown, even in compilations, as it is now perceived as so racist. They showed the first two episodes on the ship! - you can see why it is banned. And there was a just-retired chap who was Head of Met Fingerprint Division, talking all about taking fingerprints, etc. he got a bit technical I think for his audience sometimes, but the two I went to I did stay awake in.

We had some unusual (to me) fish on menu, Atlantic Char (grey and tasteless) Mai-mai (white and tasteless) swordfish (very filling and a bit chewy) cat fish (nice) plus whiting (we used to buy this for our cat)coley and pollock, plus the usual sole and plaice and lots of salmon, smoked and poached.

Unknown said...

Wowee, Jill. That was some cruise! A hard act to follow especially with a comment as mundane as mine but here goes:

I learned from Brian S.'s book that Notts. County was the earliest football league club in England. Naturally, I thought it would be a London club ...... probably Arsenal. (I pass the Emirates stadium on my way to Debra's - it's quite something, very impressive).

Lovely to have you back - and yes that Grandma in the doll's house was knitting!