HAPPY EASTER

HappyEaster.The sun is shining and we are having a quiet day.We have never made a big thing of Easter as our daughter was diagnosed with Type 1 Diabetes when she was four and from then on Easter eggs were off limits for her.
I am sure lots of you will be having big family get togethers in this glorious weather.Enjoy.

Thank you

Sarah-thank you for my Easter card and gift.It really brightened my day.I must say I am enjoying this wonderful weather.Our son and his family are on holiday in Devon for a week.How lucky they are with the weather.
We have spent quite a lot of time in the garden and it looks better than it has done for a while.we have put golden gravel on the patio and today treated ourselves to two huge pots and a cordyline and a phormium to go in them.
We went to see the film Black Swan last Friday.How depressing.We wished we hadn't bothered.yesterday was a gallery visit for Art Appreciation,tomorrow is Reading Group-The Long Song by Andrea Levy,Friday is a theatre visit-Journey's End and then a quiet Easter weekend.Here in North Wales we stay off the roads when it is a holiday weekend!!
P.S.Just have to mention I had two of my reviews published in Newbooksmag this month.It feels quite good to see your name in print.I don't get paid,just keep the book.

Mystery Kal

I have signed up for the Spriteling Mystery KAL.I must be mad because I am already in two blanket clubs.BUT I need distracting at the moment.My step mother had a malignant tumour removed from her bladder two weeks ago.She is 84 but has never been ill in her life,never taken antibiotics and is very acive.She was told yesterday that they hav'nt got it all and she can opt either for 6-8 hour op to remove the bladder and then she would be catheterised for ever or four weeks /5 days per week of radiotherapy.She has opted for this. Our son in law had a CT scan on his brain last Monday to finally decide what they are going to do about his brain tumour,whether to operate or not.He is Daddy to a 3 yr old and a 5 yr old.The results will be with his consultant on Monday and then we just have to wait until the multidisciplinary team meets and discusses it. So you can see why I need distracting and keeping busy.Off to the cinema tonight to see Black Swan. So you can see why I need distracting!

Cambridge again

We were back in Cambridge again last week.Ella finished school a week before her brothers so we were asked could we go and look after her(and it turned out a friend too!!).We visited Trinity College(above) and were persuaded by the porter to visit the Wren Library which is open to the public and we were so glad we did.It was completed in 1695 to the design of Christopher Wren.Famous past pupils include Isaac Newton.Most of his library is here,plus his writings and diagrams,his walking stick and even a lock of his hair.A.A.Milne attended Trinity and his manuscripts for Winnie the Pooh,House at Pooh Corner and others can be seen.There were medieval manuscripts to see.It was really interesting.A hidden gem.

Across from Trinity St Johns can be seen and of course,people punting.

This is Christs College.

On our last morning we decided to take Ella to the Orchard tea Rooms at Grantchester.A group of students asked Mrs Stevenson of Orchard House(pictured above in 1910). whether she would serve them tea in the orchard.This was in 1897 and that started a great Cambridge tradition and it became a popular venue.You could punt there from Cambridge.In order to supplement income the Stevensons took in lodgers and in 1910 it was Rupert Brooke.Friends came to visit and became known as the Grantchester Group and spent much of their time here.

From l to r-E.M.Forster,Rupert Brooke,Wittgenstein,Bertrand Russell,Augustus John,Keynes and Virginia Woolf.

The Stevensons' publicity card.1910.

Ella sat enjoying the sun(and scones,clotted cream and jam).You sit in the orchard in deckchairs.Bliss!

This is the original tearoom.As you can see ,nothing grand at all but alive with tradtion.

Do visit if you are in the Cambridge area.

A trip to York

We decided to have a couplpe of days in York Oh dear!!Typical!York Minster on its side.Just turn your head to one side.I suppose this is the most famous building in York.We only went into the entrance because they wanted £9 a head to go in.I would make a donation but not pay that much.

From there we went to the Treasurer's house.Frank Green owned this house from 1897 and created 13 different rooms from four centuries of history.He gave the house to the National Trust in 1930.He cared about it so much that he threatened to return and haunt it if any of the furniture was moved. This what we really went to York for.To see David Hockney's Bigger Trees Near Warter.It is huge-the size of a side of a house.it is the biggest painting hockney has ever produced.Measuring 12 x 4 metres it is made up of 50 different canvases which show a scene near the east Yorkshire villafe of Warter.he painted each canvas,photographed it and put it on a grid on the computer.it really is amazing and so audacious to attempt such a progress.We could see faults but overall it is very impressive and well worth a visit.

This is only a postcard.photos were not allowed.

This is where we stayed.Lady Anne Middleton's Hotel.It is a collection of six listed buildings including Skeldergate House which a hospital in the 17th C.It was originally built as a refuge for 20 widows of the Freemen of York.There is also an old organ factory,Cromwell Hous

e,Chaplin House,two Joseph terry cottage and 56,Skeldergate which is an old town house built in the18thC.There is accomodation in all those buildings and it just yards south of the river right in the centre.We just parked the car and walked everywhere. On the way to York we decided to visit Fountains Abbey.We had never been before and were duly impressed.It is magnificent and we were so glad we visited.

The Cloisters.

We just had two nights in York.We are home until Sunday when we are off to Cambridge to look after our 11 yr old granddaughter who finishes school a week before her brothers.

Anglesey Abbey and Prince Charles

On Saturday evening we had a phone call from our son in Cambridge asking if we could go down for a couple of days to help out.His wife works in HR part time and they were having to make people redundant.It was all going to be very stressful and involve long hours.They have three children all in different schools in different locations in Cambridge so off we went.
Having delivered the children we then had the day free and decided to go to see the Winter Garden at Anglesey Abbey.It was featured on Gardeners World last Friday.

We have seen it before but wanted to go again.We thought it was busy in the car park but put it down to it having been on tv.We walked through the silver birches(above) which are spectacular and then the cornus,again amazing.We saw loads of hellebores,snowdrops,scillas etc The lovely bark on this silver birch and then we saw two policemen.We had also seen in the ticket offfice lots of photographers.We got chatting to the police and asked what was going on.They seemed very surprised that we didn't know Prince Charles was visiting(opening British tourist week or something).At this moment we could hear a helicopter and see it landing in an adjacent field.

We strolled but were stopped by garden staff and told to wait a minute and through a side access to the garden appeared Prince Charles(see bottom photo).There were about a dozen of us and he shouted across "so good of you to come and see me" !!!!Most people were by the Abbey waiting to see him.He then went to the mill and finally to the Abbey and we could get on with our walk.

Our second day in Cambridge we visited the Fitzwilliam Museum and Art gallery and walked in some college grounds.

Back home on Wednesday lunchtime and then two hours later off to our daughter's as it was her birthday and we were invited to the party tea.Dancing and games followed.Book group this morning and off to see Ballet Rambert at Theatr Clwyd this evening.Whoever said retirement was dull!!!

I thought Spring was here...

but it has been very cold here in North Wales today.Isn't this Hellebore gorgeous?I love the colour.I have a clump of them in the front garden.

I planted this pot up months ago.Every time we had a severe frost they drooped and wilted and I thought that was it and they were gone.But no ,each time they bounced back and are still going.

These are very pretty anemone blanda.They are quite a deep blue,much bluer than the camera has shown them.I was told years ago that they get paler every year and eventually end up white but mine havn't and they have spread.

So there are some signs of spring but not in the temperature today!