Relaxation And Disappointment

 We had a really lovely few days at the caravan, we arrived in glorious sunshine and left in glorious sunshine. A few of the bits in the middle were a bit wet but we've adapted now to managing so it's not really a problem. The traffic was so clear on Friday we got there in no time and after setting up ate our lunch outside with just the sounds of the birds and the sheep in a nearby field. I think the hens were thrilled to see us back and actually ran across to greet us!

We took the dogs to a local park in Lamberhurst for a walk in the afternoon. We had seen it as we had driven by on previous stays and it always looks so nice and peaceful. It was a really nice walk, not to arduous, just a few circles round and the dogs had burned off so much energy, they were tired for the whole evening.

There is an airfield near where we are staying and we have become really used to the sound of the light aircraft going over. I think it is a lovely sound, a bit nostalgic like the sound of a steam train. While we were walking one flew over and did a perfect loop the loop in the air. I was disappointed I didn't manage to catch it on my phone as it added a really exciting moment to our walk.

It was so warm and sunny we sat and ate our evening meal outside. Tom and I commented how in tune with nature you quickly become when all the modern noises and devices are taken away. I start to recognise the sounds of different birds and even notice the smell of different flowers in the hedge People talk about sensory overload and I'm sure when you live a modern life in a town you suffer from it without realising. Even though we had a lot of rain on Saturday, to just sit and enjoy the sounds with the windows slightly open was so relaxing. It makes me realise how normally we are always in a rush, it is very sad.

Yesterday morning we walked to Bewl Water, even though it was busier on a Sunday than other visits we had a wonderful walk. There were lots of people out in boats fishing or just enjoying the water, the dogs love it there. Layla of course was filthy, I don't know why it is if she sees a muddy puddle she has to run right through it, the other two dogs look on in horror!

We drove home after lunch full of so much excitement for the evening. Well of course we all know how that ended. All I will say is that England have been fantastic this tournament, they should be so proud of how well they have done and I'm sure next year the country will be going into the World Cup with such high hopes again. It will be the Queen's Platinum Jubilee and we have been promised so many celebrations and holidays for that, can you imagine if England won the World Cup too. What a summer that could be. 

This morning poor Tom was up waiting for the staff bus to pick him up in the pouring rain at 4am. He looked about as miserable standing there as next door's England flags sadly flapping in the wet. Their children had put them up so excitedly I felt ever so sorry thinking how disappointed they must be. Oh well there's always next time! I have so much to catch up with today and it's raining, I think I'll just put the music on and get on with it, nothing like a trip back to the 1970s to lift my spirits. Have a lovely day everyone what ever you are doing. xx

Mud, Mud And More Mud

 It's a lovely sunny start to the day here today, not quite what we had while we were at the caravan. We drove in dreadful traffic on Tuesday morning, or rather didn't drive. It was one of those awful jams on the M25 when you just sit with your engine off, stationary trying to accept just being stuck and thanking God you're not the cause of the traffic jam. "Vehicle stranded" had been flashing at us on the bridges as the traffic gradually slowed down to a stop. We had to sit for half an hour listening to Cassie whining but at least we weren't the poor people in the van with the blown tyre which had caused all four lanes to be closed. We arrived at the caravan site later than we hoped and in the rain but we didn't care we were just glad to be there. It was such a relief to sit enjoying a cup of coffee.

Then of course that afternoon there was the time spent trying to get reception on our little television for the England match. It's incredible how much time Tom was willing to spend out in the pouring rain adjusting the aerial to make sure there was a good picture. His perseverance paid off and someone must have been looking down on us, as somehow the game was the only two hours we managed to get a picture on the TV in the whole two days. The picture did depend on us not moving and a dog not scratching but let's just say that added to the tension of the game! In the end it was all worth it of course and we drove off after it to look for a takeaway two very happy people. It was a lovely evening looking out at the rain, eating our extra large pizzas, but the problem of mud was mounting!

By the morning there was so much mud in our corner of the field Cassie nearly sank when she went outside. Each dog had to wiped down with baby wipes before they could come back into the caravan! Tom had been assessing and decided we should move up to the top corner of the field. I did warn that in my experience it may not be quite as easy as it sounded but anyway he asked the owner and with Tess and Layla safely in the car and me carrying Cassie the caravan was hitched back on to the car and off we went. About two feet then we were totally stuck in the mud! "We need cardboard under the wheels." I said remembering similar instances from my childhood rather unhelpfully as of course we didn't think to pack any. The owner trudged across the field and said "Don't worry I'll go and get the mule to get you out." While we stood waiting for an oversized donkey to come to our rescue (only joking) Tom and I stood in the rain with only Cassie looking more miserable than us. In the end over came "the mule" which was actually a sort of buggy with big fat wheels and a tow bar on the back. He hitched up our caravan and dragged it to the dry spot at the top of the hill and then unceremoniously dragged our poor car out of the mud too. Once we were all set up at the top of the hill, we were exhausted. The whole morning had passed and our plans for going for a nice long walk in the afternoon were replaced by a nice long sit in the caravan reading and admiring our new view. We set up a lovely picnic table that came with this pitch and the sun finally came out. As we sat eating our lunch outside we couldn't help but laugh. "It took me right back to childhood holidays in our caravan." I said. So other than me going round the whole caravan cleaning off splatters of mud with baby wipes, we just relaxed until the drive home in the evening. 

Scarlett isn't coming today as she has a half day at her new school. How exciting I can't wait to hear from her how she gets on. I've got loads of mud splattered washing to sort out today, so all I can say is thank goodness for our new washing machine. Have a lovely day everyone what ever you are doing. xx

We're Still Here

 We're still  here. Tom spent so much of yesterday afternoon trying to get the washing machine sorted out he was really tired by the evening when I got back from my Dad's house, we decided it was best for him not to drive drive anymore. Brand new water pipe now in situ, the new (second hand) washing machine is working well. It looks lovely, has managed four loads of washing back to back and it's nice to know I can now put the washing machine on overnight without risking waking up everyone within a two mile radius! 

My sister and I did my Dad's shopping yesterday and incredibly by the time we arrived our wonderful roofer friend had fixed all my Dad's tiles that had slipped and even cleaned out all my Dad's gutters while he was up there. He charged literally a fraction of the price my Dad had been quoted by another company which goes to show you certainly shouldn't go with a first quote.

We're off now for a few days in the caravan. I didn't have time to do much shopping for us yesterday so we're going to explore the local takeaways for tonight's meal which will be fun in a different area. This is tonight's plan. Good Luck England, we may not be able to watch you but we will be with you in spirit. Have a lovely day everyone what ever you are doing. xx

Wildlife In The Rain And Thinking Of Fathers

 We came back yesterday from another lovely few days in the caravan. The weather was dreadful, heavy rain, and the caravan and field were shrouded in a low mist that was really eerie. With only one other campervan in the field we walked our dogs around the field and adjacent lane and then sat inside watching the wild birds. We had taken all our food as we had seen the weather forecast and I cooked some lovely meals on the little gas cooker, which rivals our own cooker at home for how well it works. I'm sure we would have got fed up with the rain if it had been so heavy for all our holiday but for a few days it felt cosy and warm, sitting inside listening to it battering on our caravan roof. There were so many swallows in the field we were convinced one would hit our van they were flying so low but they seemed to be too skilled at flying to do this.

We had flocks of starlings descending on the quiet field as well as a resident woodpecker. It was a real pleasure to sit and watch them. 

You can just see George the horse on the left in the top photo. We were getting really attached to him by the end of the two weeks and although Tom's holiday is finished and he is back at work tomorrow we are hoping to go back there when he has days off again in 10 days time. It was lovely to come home though and see youngest son and daughter and catch up with all the chat again.

 I spoke to eldest daughter on the phone who was feeling totally disheartened with trying to move house. They had been looking forward to seeing a beautiful house yesterday that had only just gone on the market. The estate agent called to tell them that although the owners had already accepted an offer they wanted to carry on with people viewing it to "See how it goes". They declined the offer of viewing it as it all seems so underhand. Imagine if they had put in an offer that had been accepted then a while later as they were preparing to move in, were told it had been sold to someone with a higher offer. They have decided they will try to forget about moving for the next few months and wait and see how things go with the property market, which at the moments is definitely all going in the sellers favour.

One of the things Tom and I have talked about in the last few weeks, while we were at the caravan was trying to spend more time tracing Tom's Welsh roots on his Dad's side. Tom is really keen to find out more about his Dad's family and embrace his Welsh roots (could it be because Wales are doing well in the Euros!) as he knows nothing at all. His Dad died a few years after we got married in 1982 and all Tom knows is he settled and married in London as a young man during the Second World War. He didn't even know his grandparents names, although he knew his Dad had sisters. Tom still misses his Dad and sadly there is no one left alive to ask. With one of the most common names in Wales it has been a challenge but I have found his Dad's birth in Newport, South Wales and have ordered his birth certificate last night. Tom is really excited to find out more about relatively close family, he knows nothing about and it felt a bit like an extra Father's Day present for him.

I'm meeting my sister this morning and we are going to see my Dad for Father's Day and have lunch with him, which will be lovely. This afternoon eldest daughter and Scarlett are coming round and later we have a lovely dinner planned. I'm really looking forward to the day and I hope everyone has a lovely day too. I know there will be lots of people feeling sad today who have lost their fathers, like Tom, and I'm particularly sending them lots of love and best wishes. xx

Relaxing Off Grid And Bats

We arrived back from the caravan yesterday afternoon for a couple of days. We felt rested, tanned and ready for anything! Our enthusiasm was slightly  dampened when we arrived home to discover the foxes had ripped the lid right off our food waste bin and rubbish was strewn every where. Youngest son and daughter hadn't had time to clear it up before they left for work (or so they said!) so I had to start sweeping the path as soon as I returned. When I got inside the house though my spirits were soon lifted by a wonderful chatty letter from my lovely cousin waiting for me. What is it about letters that are so special now? Reading her chatty letter with all her news felt so exciting. Technology has taken over our lives and although there is a lot of good in technology, I have definitely realised this past week there is a lot not so good. We had virtually no internet access at the caravan. I managed to post a few photos on Instagram but just had to post them and leave my phone and they could take hours uploading. A lot of the time we had no mobile signal either, I started by feeling a bit anxious about it but then kept reminding myself that before all this technology most of us were completely uncontactable on holiday. As an older teenager, at home with my sister when my Mum and Dad started to take some holidays on their own, we heard nothing from them for two weeks, the only contact we had was a postcard that usually arrived on the day they arrived home! We survived fine so how have we become so obsessed with keeping in contact all the time. 

The day before we left yesterday we went for another long walk with the dogs to Bewl Water. We went really early just after nine as it was so warm and walked all morning. When we arrived back at the caravan and I was getting lunch ready, the dogs were all so relaxed and tired, it made me realise that everyday life takes it toll on animals too. They have loved this caravan life.

After lunch I settled my self down on the sun lounger with my book for a guilt free afternoon doing nothing! There is something about that just sitting, on holiday that I could never do at home, there always seems to be so much to catch up with. A new couple in a very smart campervan arrived at the site and Tom turned his chair round so he could watch all the shenanagans! They spent a long time setting up all their electronic devices and a satellite dish but then realised they couldn't get any internet access. The owners of the site were summoned and after much discussion the van was all packed up again and the owners of another campervan who were parked closer to the house kindly swapped with them. Apparently if you are close to the owners house you can get get access to the internet. Tom gave me a running commentary of the entire proceedings, while I lay on the sun lounger reading and feigning interest. By the time they had set up again they were practically in the toilet block but they seemed happy and they both spent the rest of the afternoon sitting looking at their mobile phones. When I walked over to the toilet that evening, they were in the middle of loudly face timing someone and showing them round their campervan. They were so jolly and friendly stopping their phone conversation to chat to me, with their large glasses of red wine, I couldn't help but warm to them, but it did seem a bit of a shame they weren't really enjoying their beautiful surroundings more.

There is a lot of good on the internet, but I can't help but think life was simpler and less stressful without it, or was it because I was younger then so of course life was less stressful. Tom and I have talked a lot about simplifying our life and our plans for the future, but I also am not going to fall into the trap of not enjoying today. Even on the busiest of days there always seems to be something to enjoy. Youngest daughter couldn't wait to tell me, that over the last few evenings, she has seen bats flying around some large trees near our garden. she said as she was looking out, with her window open around nine o'clock she spotted them. Her old school, just down the road is a listed old building and they often had bats flying around if we went to events on summer evenings so I suppose it is not to far for them to travel. We can't wait to try and film them. 

I have just about forgiven the foxes for all the mayhem they caused. Youngest son is convinced it was not our pair, as they would be too discerning after the wonderful diet they normally get to raid mouldy old food waste bins. I'm having a garden day today, youngest daughter has been religiously watering it while we have been away and left unchecked everything has got really wild, so I better have a bit of a tidy up. That's before I even start on the house! Sigh, I miss my sun lounger! Have a lovely day everyone, what ever you are doing. xx

A Family Day

 We had a wonderful day at the caravan yesterday. Eldest and youngest daughters and Scarlett came for the whole day. We had really been looking forward to it and apparently Scarlett had barely slept the night before she was so excited. We were so lucky again with the weather and when we arrived we spent the morning showing Scarlett the horses, chickens, dogs and cat at the caravan site. The owners have four dogs including a spaniel puppy, an elderly cat, a Shire horse and ten chickens and a cockerel. The chickens free range all over the caravan site and even come and look in the caravan door so for an animal loving little girl like Scarlett it was just the best day. We sat and ate our lunch outside the caravan watching them and Scarlett chose names for them all, including the cockerel who she called The King! 

After lunch we went for a walk with Cassie, we walked through the woods and down lanes to a field of horses where we stood and stroked them for a long time. It was so quiet it felt as if we were in a different world to home. Along the lane there was a field of llama's, Scarlett was disappointed they wouldn't come over like the horses had as she was longing to stroke them too. I have no idea if llamas become tame enough to be stroked, but these ones just ignored us. 

It was lovely to be together and so relaxed. Eldest daughter particularly has a really stressful job and it was wonderful to see her chatting and laughing and catching up with her sister. I'm sure Scarlett will always look back on this day happily. I tidied up the caravan before we left and I thought how quickly you can get a small space back to normal. We left it all ready for Tom and I to go back to today.

Scarlett chatted the whole way home, we thought she would fall asleep but she wanted to talk about the entire day! When we had dropped them off and we arrived home youngest daughter and I walked down to the Co-op to buy a few bits and we had to go back as youngest daughter had forgotten her mask. She normally wears her mask round her neck all the time when she goes out, to pull up when she needs it, "I completely forgot about it" she said. I did think it really summed up how we had felt all day. 

  I hope everyone who is lucky enough to be enjoying this lovely weather manages to stay cool if you are out and about or having to work in it. Have a lovely Sunday everyone. Back soon. xx

A Poor Pigeon And Back To The Caravan

 Poor Scarlett had a nasty cough and cold yesterday. We went for our walk and she was so proud of her new pink sandals but she wasn't quite herself. I knew she must be feeling ill as when we were in the garden she said she wanted to go inside and watch television. Normally she would be out in the garden until eldest daughter comes to pick her up at the end of the day. When eldest daughter arrived we spent a long time trying to work out how we are going to manage it all when Scarlett starts school in September, eldest daughter is trying to change her hours to fit around it but her partner is starting a new job, still in the police, but based at Westminster later in the year so it is all very up in the air. I just used my usual mantra I use all the time lately, we'll just take each week as it comes and make sure that is OK and then worry about the following week then. Between us as a family I'm sure we can mange it all. 

Eldest son phoned me in the evening to see how our time at the caravan had been. He has been working so hard after returning to work following coronavirus and said there was so much to catch up with after his ten days off. As has been working such long days he had been staying up near his work and yesterday was the first day back home in over a week. He had a terrible shock when he walked into his house, he said at first he thought he had been burgled. Everything in his living room and kitchen was all in disarray but then worse than that he realised there was bird poo everywhere. A poor pigeon had come down the chimney and as eldest son hadn't been home must have been trying to get out for days. It was lying on his kitchen floor dead, he was ever so upset as apart from the hours it took him to clean up he felt so sad for the pigeon who must have had a horrible death. He's so soft hearted things like that really upset him. 

Tom and I are back to the caravan this morning. We are having a long day there and coming back late this evening as tomorrow we are taking eldest and youngest daughters and Scarlett with us for the day. I'm sure the dogs will be thrilled when they realise where we are going. I just had to share a few of the photos of them at the caravan with you. As you can see they are definitely happy campers! 

Have a really wonderful day everyone. I hope you are enjoying some of this lovely sunshine. xx

At The Caravan Site And A Trip To Bewl Water

 What a beautiful part of the world it is along the Kent, East Sussex border. I have visited there lots of times but in the last few days have completely fallen in love with it. Thank you so much to everyone for wishing me well on our break away, your best wishes have obviously worked as with the sunshine and countryside it feels as if we have arrived in paradise. The area may even be overtaking Scarborough for me! We have popped home for a couple of days to catch up with a few commitments and look after Scarlett tomorrow but I'm missing it so much already.

Our little corner of the field is so peaceful. As it has been very warm we have been sleeping with the caravan windows open at night. In the morning I lie there, breathing in the fresh air coming in the window and I can hear a cockerel crowing in the distance. It is the only sound I can hear apart from the birds singing. 

All we have done is walked the dogs and sat and relaxed. We visited a place called Bewl Water which is a reservoir in The Bewl Valley which straddles the Kent, Sussex border. It was constructed in the 1970s  and supplies water to many of the towns around the area. It was so beautiful, we had one of the nicest walks we have ever had with the dogs. 

There is boating, water sports and fishing or you could hire a bike and cycle or walk the full 12 1/2 miles around the perimeter. It was a perfect way to spend a morning.

By the time we got back to the caravan we were all exhausted but a nice exhausted. The dogs are really enjoying the outside life and being with us all the time. I just wish I could replicate this life, in every day life. 

Our internet connection is terrible, I managed to post some photos on Instagram but they took about an hour to upload and pages just won't load. However very quickly I realised that was part of the benefits of being here, no TV, no internet, what coronavirus? There is also a poor little crow that can't fly very well. We have called it Master Crow and Tom drove down to the local Co-Op to buy some sausage rolls to give it. So it is just like being at home really! Have a lovely day everyone. Back soon. xx

Back To the 70s And Family Sickness

 We actually had a day yesterday without rain! It looked as if it may rain a few times but the dark clouds passed by and the sun came out again, it was lovely. Not exactly a heat wave but so much better. Tom was off work and we went to my Dad's to work on the caravan again. All exciting stuff, waste pipes and pumps, I'd rather be sewing throws and curtains but it all has to be done. We really want to take our caravan to shows when coronavirus is all over and everything we buy, we try and make sure is an original 1970s item. I couldn't believe my luck this week when I was looking for a hair dryer to keep in the caravan. I managed to find the same hair dryer I had as a teenager. Still in it's original box and only £5!

It is very strange looking at this box I could be 16 again, drying my hair while listening to Diana Ross on my record player, before going out on a Saturday night. It's strange how I had so many LPs but my Diana Ross one was new in the summer of 1976 and I always listened to it before I was going out. I only have to hear some of those songs and I am taken back to that wonderful hot summer and the fun we all had. No matter how many good times there are it is hard to ever beat those summers when you are young and carefree. 

Sadly yesterday there was some news I sort of knew was coming. Eldest son has caught the Indian variant of coronavirus. He is at home feeling really unwell and worse all on his own. I wanted to go down to help but the trouble is I can't. He is self isolating and getting food delivered so he says there is no point in us dragging all the way down. I can't help but feel angry that these drivers have all caught it while working on a government contract and giving them tests twice a day is not good enough. They should have been vaccinated before they started but where not in the right age group so couldn't be. I would be interested to know how many of the security guards working on this contract taking people flying in from India to quarantine hotels, have caught it too. It seems to me a really bad mistake and now so many people are suffering because of it.

Scarlett is coming today and with this lovely sunshine we should be able to get out and about. I hope everyone has a lovely day what ever you are doing. xx

Caravan Tales and Toys For Fox Cubs

 We had such a busy day yesterday I was exhausted by the evening. Tom and I went to B&Q first thing in the morning and bought lots of things we need for the caravan. All rather boring things like, grease and silicone spray but there is so much maintenance to do on caravans after the winter, especially this prolonged winter we have had. We arrived at the storage yard, which is an hours drive away and we got the caravan hitched up fine which was a relief as Tom has been really worried about the jockey wheel at the front as it was playing up last year. He wanted to order a new one but I persuaded him that it was nicer to keep  the original one if we could. All seemed fine through on the journey to my Dad's house and it felt so wonderful to being seeing our lovely caravan in the wing mirror again as we drove along. 

We arrived at my Dad's house at about 12.30 and my sister was already there. We parked outside next door to unhitch the caravan and that is when the problems started! The jockey wheel wouldn't raise enough to lift the caravan off the tow bar. The thread seemed to have gone on the winder and after an age of trying the bottom of the jockey wheel dropped off into the road. There was a fraught time while my sister and I held up what felt like 3 tonnes of caravan while Tom struggled to try and re assemble it. A helpful delivery driver slowed down and shouted "Do you need a hand?" "No we're fine thanks mate!" Tom shouted back as my sister and I continued to hold up the caravan like contestants from "Britain's Strongest Man" In the end we decided we would have to guide the caravan back into the drive, whilst holding up the front of it. To cut a very long story short, we finally got the caravan into place, the legs were put down and apart from aching shoulders and backs and one damaged shrub there seemed to be no harm done. We had planned to try to check all the water pipes yesterday, but after doing my Dad's shopping and all the other little jobs we have to get done while we were there it was 5 o'clock and we were too exhausted to start anything else. I couldn't resist trying out the flags on the front though. 

After we got home, fed all the animals and birds and had eaten our evening meal I ordered a new jockey wheel. Tom to his eternal credit didn't say "I told you so" once. I had been looking forward to Springwatch but fell asleep and missed most of it. Oh well, it's another day today, the sun is shining and we have to go back to my Dad's to start work on the water pipes. I'm going to write a list of all we have to do and just try and work our way through it. 

I was so tired yesterday I forgot to set up the wildlife camera but youngest son was up early at 5 o'clock and he sat by his window watching the fox club playing in the garden. He said it was having a fine old time running about and rolling on the ground. It it's a shame it doesn't seem to have any brothers and sisters to play with, I may buy it a couple of toys! Have a lovely day everyone, the weather is set to get a bit better which is really something to look forward to. xx

Out And About In The Rain

 It poured and was so windy yesterday my sister, my Dad and I abandoned our plan to search the local graveyard for our ancestors and went to the garden centre instead. The cafe opened again on Monday and we were looking forward to going back there. It felt so nice sitting with a pot of tea and a piece of cake looking out at the rain pouring down. The system seemed a bit of a muddle though and my sister and I ordered carrot cake and got toffee cake but the waiter was so lovely we just went along with it and it was still very nice. It had almost stopped raining when we came out of the cafe so we had a look round all the plants. I was going home on the train so didn't buy anything, but had a good look around the trees they were selling and decided I would keep going with my plans for a tree business. I would never charge garden centre prices but I'm hoping may be able to make a bit of extra money into retirement doing something I really enjoy.

The board I ordered for the caravan to display the old caravan club badges we used to collect in the 1960s has arrived. When I was ordering a photo for my Dad on Photobox last week I noticed they had a 40% sale of all items until the 24th May. I chose a photo of the the caravan we used to holiday in when we collected the badges to make a small canvas and I'm going to stick the badges along the bottom of it. I feel it is a part of the history of my caravanning adventure displayed on one board and I love the way my Mum is looking out of the caravan window watching my sister and I play. 

When I arrived home yesterday evening Tom was already in from work and had fed all the birds which I was grateful for as it was still raining. He told me when he went up to the end of the garden a little fox cub was looking through the gap in the fence. How exciting. I have not been setting up my wildlife camera as much as I had planned as the weather had been so dreadful but will try to from now on and see if I can catch it on film. No matter how brave the parents are I have found the cubs always are really timid so it is not easy. The weather forecast is a little better today but there is more heavy rain on the way so I better get going with my plans. I hope everyone has a lovely day and manages to enjoy a little bit of sunshine. xx

Caravan Awnings And Curtain Plans

 If I had an inkling of how difficult it would have been to set up our awning I might not have bothered. My only criticism of the company we bought them from, who were efficient and helpful throughout, were the useless instructions that came with the poles. We stood and pondered for ages, my Dad and I couldn't stop laughing which is typical for us in these sort of situations while poor Tom struggled holding up poles. In the end I resorted to a YouTube video on my phone which gave us one very useful bit of advice. Lie the poles flat on the ground when you assemble them. We had spent an hour trying to do it upright! When they were all assembled and lying on the ground. I went round with six different colours of electrical tape and put corresponding colours on the ends of the assembled poles so we would know how they went for next time. Hopefully we won't look like total idiots when we arrive at the caravan site now. It was so much easier folding up the awning on my Dad's large back lawn and Tom and I got it nice and neatly into the canvas bag. We had only just finished, after two and a half hours, and everything put back in the car, when the heavens opened and there was a heavy hailstorm so someone had been on our side to let us get it all finished! I can start on the curtains now. I didn't want to waste my time if we couldn't manage to get the awning sorted in time for going away. I've been really looking forward to starting them, so that is definitely a job for later on today. I have been looking through the old online brochures from the awning company Isabella and have found this photo of an awning very similar to ours. That will be Tom and I in a couple of months, except maybe without the camel!

I'm going to walk into Sutton first thing to try and miss the queues outside Wilkinson as I need some new cotton to get going on my sewing. I'll see what plants they have there too and may pop into Morrisons. There is always room for something new in the garden! Tom's back at work after two days off and is starting on a new route today so I won't be able to wave to him as I'm going along anymore which is a shame. I hope everyone has a lovely Saturday what ever you are doing. xx

Dancing And Poles

 Scarlett wasn't too well yesterday, she had a cold and a cough and was feeling a bit sorry for herself. Luckily I had found something to really brighten her up. She loves our oil painting of a ballerina and often says "I wish I was a ballerina." When my eldest daughter, her Mum, was just a little bit older than her she used to say exactly the same thing too so we enrolled her in little ones ballet classes. After about a year she lost interest and didn't want to go any more but it an enjoyable time she remembers fondly, even though the old lady who taught them was rather "old school". I often remember her and her massive old Victorian house with part of the downstairs converted into a dance studio as I walk by where it was. It was as if you had stepped back in time when you went in and is still firmly retained in my mind, even the smell of the polish. Sadly the whole house has gone now and a block of flats has replaced it and even though I remember the place I can't remember the old ladies name. That is going to irritate me until I do, I hate it when I forget names.

This week I searched out eldest daughters old ballet shoes and gave them to her. She was so excited. They just about fit, maybe a little big but they still have the pink elastic I sewed on to keep them on. She danced and pirouetted about the place all day. We weren't allowed to call her Scarlett we had to call her ballerina! It made her completely forget her cold. While she as practicing her ballet positions the fox came down and looked in at her. I said "Look even the fox is so impressed with your dancing he's coming down to watch!" I'm sure she believed it was true.

Tom is off work today and we are going over to my Dad's house to set up our caravan awning in the garden as the new poles have arrived. We bought the old 1970s awning without poles and thought it would be easy to find replacements but it has been a real struggle. We have searched and searched. Youngest daughter says for the last two months our main topic of conversation has been poles. Tom has even been texting me from work saying "Any news on the poles!" I think everyone is bored to death with the subject. Well the much anticipated poles have finally arrived and we have now got to double check they fit. We have decided the best place to do this is in my Dad's garden, where there is much more space than in ours, not to struggle in full view of other caravaners when we are away. If they don't fit after all this I give up!

It looks quite bright this morning but apparently showers may be coming later, hopefully they will hold off until after the great awning assessment! I hope everyone has a lovely day what ever your plans. xx 

Clearing Out And Snoopy Pennants

 It was a cold, rather miserable day yesterday. We had rain but the only really substantial rain we had was when I went out into the garden to feed the birds and change the ducks water! I had a few jobs planned but the main job was clearing out all the drawers in the living room. It took much longer than I had imagined it would and I threw out a bag full of items. The trouble is with clearing out drawers after all that work there isn't much to show for it. I did find a few interesting things though. These old Caravan Club badges from the 1960s I had put a way a while ago after my Dad found them and gave them to me. We used to collect them and they were all displayed in our caravan on a board. He is still looking for more we had. I want to put them up again in our caravan now but I'm struggling to find the best way to do this. I'm trying to find a retro looking board, something a bit 70s but not too large. I remember when I lived in the nurses home in the late 1970s we all had cork boards with photos pinned on them, I'm really looking forward to Car Boot Sales starting up and maybe I will be able to find something suitable. 

The other items I have put aside for the caravan is something I bought on ebay for just a few pounds. I am trying to make another flag for the flag holders and wanted something to reflect what I would have had in the 1970s. Everyone who knows me knows how much I have always loved Snoopy! My old school friends laugh at me as they say I used to have Snoopy all over my books at school and now I'm still sharing Snoopy post on facebook  50 years later. It has been pointed out to me I've never grown up! I looked at old Snoopy pennants but the cheapest I could find was for £35 and I'm not going to pay that! Instead I bought these old 1970s Snoopy patches, do you remember when we had patches on our clothes like this! I'm going to make a flag using the old Caravan Club pennant as a template and sew one on each side. My sewing pile is growing!

It looks like a nice bright day today and Scarlett will be here soon so I better start getting her breakfast ready. I hope everyone has a lovely day what ever you are doing. xx

Cheap Upcycling And Growing

 What a lovely sunny day it was yesterday. Youngest daughter finally got to sunbathe on the sun lounger. It was really cold first thing though and I stayed inside finishing off the step for the caravan. It looks much nicer now and I won't be embarrassed to have it at the caravan door any more. After I had sanded it down I painted it with black metal polish and covered the step with a piece of oil cloth that was for a tablecloth. The whole large piece only cost £4 and I have lots left over to replace if it gets tatty and the black metal paint was in the shed from when I painted the garden railings so it was a really cheap upcycle.

I planted some Cosmos seeds in the greenhouse after lunch and repotted all my little echinops plants that I have grown from seeds I collected in my Dad's garden. I love growing things from seeds I have collected and am already planning what to collect and try later this year. I love the fact it is totally free and it almost seems like magic when they grow from just little seeds collected. It also saves a fortune! More sun like this will bring everything on very quickly. 

I still have several trays of collected seeds that have done nothing yet. I check them every day and today I was really pleased to see that one of my Tree Peony seeds has started to grow. We have a beautiful yellow Tree Peony that was in place when we moved into the house, it never flowers very well though. I have tried to take cuttings from it but that hasn't worked and last year I saved some seeds. I would love to plant one somewhere in the garden a bit sunnier so it would do a bit better. I'm hoping it does well and I may even get a few more. I've run out of compost now so until Tom is off and we get some more on Tuesday or Wednesday there will be no more planting for a day or two. 

 

Now the weather has improved Cleo our cat has changed her busy day time schedule from sleeping on our bed or youngest daughter's bed to sleeping in the garden. I can always tell when spring is finally here! Yesterday I could see her all day stretched out by the aviary in a little piece of sunlight. When I was in the kitchen I looked out and the male fox walked next to her and stood having a drink from one of the bird baths. They were inches apart and he stood and drank and drank. Cleo just watched him, then stretched and yawned in a very relaxed way. He finished drinking and carried on his journey into next door's garden. So many people worry about foxes attacking cats, but over the years it has not been our experience at all. If anything the foxes are more wary of the cats and it is only because our foxes have worked out Cleo is too lazy to move they are relaxed with her. Even our old male cat Archie who loved a good punch up when ever possible would sleep on the shed roof next to them as they slept in the sun too. I find it fascinating watching the interaction between all the animals. I'm going to set up my wildlife camera and see if I can catch some of it. This however is my usual kind of photo of Cleo!

It's another sunny day today and youngest son and daughter are both back at work. Tom is on his final late shift before his days off and I am going to see my Dad to do his shopping. I have got to get on with some work before I go but it will be nice to be out and about on such a sunny day. Dad has been working hard in his garden in this nice weather and my sister is coming too so we will be able to sit in the garden and admire it all. I hope everyone has a lovely day what ever you plans. xx

Recycling, Upcycling And Turf Wars

 I've realised I get much less done when Tom is on a late shift. For seven days he is leaving for work just after an early lunch and getting back in at 11pm. I don't seem to get much started in the morning on these days, especially as youngest son and daughter are both still home from work for the Easter holidays. By the time I had tidied up and had a chat over a cup of coffee, most of the morning had gone and I had missed the sunshine as it went in and became quite cold again. One thing Tom and I were chatting about was something we saw on Breakfast Television about charity shops. Apparently they have been inundated with donations that they can barely cope with. They haven't the space for all the stuff people have been clearing out during lockdown and as was our experience, they have been turning people away. On Monday, so many people visited them across the country they took more money than any other day in their history. A reporter visited a massive charity shop in Bristol that even had a cafe on it's premises, it looked like my idea of a good afternoon out and I usually hate going to shops! Shame Bristol is so far away.

I love buying second hand. I love the feeling something has a history and while there are perfectly good second hand items I can't bring myself to buy new.  It's not just buying second hand, I'm an obsessional fixer. I really enjoy making old things work again. I get much more pleasure from fixing an old broken item than I ever could from spending lots of money on a new one. The lampshade I ordered arrived today for the 1970s lamp I rewired a while ago. Handmade from 1970s material I thought it would be perfect for it. All totally recycled.

Another item I started repairing today was a step for the caravan. I feel embarrassed to admit we put this tatty old thing outside our caravan door last year. Tom wanted to throw it out and buy a new one but I am determined to do it up. It's an original old feature of the caravan, probably from when the caravan was new, and because of that I want to try and keep it. I'm hoping in a few days no one will recognise it, I have big plans!

A strange thing that happened yesterday was some sort of territorial fox war is going on. Everything has been so calm in the garden for months, with our foxes plodding about, that it all came as a bit of a shock.  I was standing in the kitchen at about eight o'clock, just as it was starting to go dark, when I saw something moving in the flower bed, one of our foxes ran down the garden so fast it frightened me. I never see them run like that. There was the sound of crashing into fences and loud fox howling that went on and on. I ran out to see what was happening and the male fox was standing in next doors garden looking ruffled to say the least. There is definitely some sort of turf war going on. I'm not sure if an outsider is trying to move in on the territory or if the vixen is getting close to giving birth and the balance is upset. I'm going to keep a very close eye on them to see if I can work it out but it seems rather strange to be watching events in the garden that we have no way of influencing. It makes you realise nature is so much bigger than we are.

Scarlett is coming today and I'm sure will be delighted with our new dove, who is much more vocal than Dottie to put it mildly! Tom is here this morning so she will be thrilled to spend some time with her Grandad. I hope everyone has a lovely day what ever you are doing. xx

Fondues And Family Bonding

 It only snowed for about an hour yesterday morning and then graually cleared away. Tom came back from his hair cut very cheerfully and we packed our five boxes of items I have managed to clear out in the last three months into the back of the car. When we arrived at the charity salesroom we were told they had too much stock and could we come back tomrrow morning! Tom was all set to drive off but there was no way I was leaving without a quick look round! I managed to find a few items and Tom was very quick to point out that after all my clearing we were coming home with more items than we left with.

I found the most wonderful 1970s bathroom set. I have thought a lot that our little shower room, toilet at the caravan is very dark and drab and needs brightening up. I couldn't believe my luck when I found this set for £2. It certainly won't be drab now! They were still sealed in their original packaging from somewhere called Rodmill of Liverpool. All these years waiting for a daring person who loves colour!

Another item I couldn't resist was a 1970s Swiss (home of the fondue!) fondue set. It was all in it's original box and I wondered if it had come from the same home as the bathroom set. I was over the moon, Tom less so, this is how the conversation went. "Look at this wonderful 1970s fondue set!" "Very nice." I think we should get it" "What would we do with it?" We could have fondue evenings when we are sitting out in our caravan awning." Long silence. I kept trying "Didn't you have fondue evenings in the 1970s?" "In Brixton!" "I'll set it all up when we are away, I'm sure you will love them!" Another long silence. As you can see from the photo, I managed to get my own way and it was only £6 but I know I still have a lot of work to do to win Tom round. 

I remember so clearly the fondue craze in the 1970s. My Mum would set it all up, with methylated spirits in the little burner and we would sit around it at the dining room table with our fondue forks and little pieces of food to dip in and cook. It was a lot of fun for a while but like all crazes very quickly it passed and fondue sets all over the country were put away in boxes. I should imagine my Mum's one is away in a box somewhere. I can't wait to give it another go, just for the fun and the nostalgia. Tom I fear will need a lot of convincing!

By the afternoon the sun had come out and it made dog walking much better than I had imagined in the morning. The only other excitement of the day was enlisting youngest son's help for the family bonding session of us getting out the caravan awning in the dining room to measure the dimensions and the windows so I can order the poles and start making the curtains. It was the hardest of jobs and no matter how hard we tried we couldn't get it back in the bag the same way as it was before. We left it in the end, it's still in their hanging out of the bag, too much family bonding for one day is probably not a good thing! We're going to have to have another go today.

I'm going to see my Dad today and to do his shopping so I hope this bright start lasts all day. I hope everyone has a lovely day what ever you plan to do. I'm off to have a quick look on ebay before I go out to see if I can find a fondue cookery book! xx

Working At Aintree

 The Grand National holds a very special place in my heart. From a Liverpool family, when I was little we lived at Aintree, it wasn't just my link living close to the racecourse that makes it so special though. My Grandad worked on the racecourse for years. I grew up with so many tales of it and he loved it. Becuase of his work he would always stand at Becher's Brook during the race but alway said that jump was cruel. Horses always fell and even though it has been altered in modern times, still do. Many of these horses over the years died and in my Grandad's day Shire horses were then sent out to drag the dead horses away. These were the horses he worked with and loved. Among my most treasured possessions are some of the horse brasses my Grandad collected from these Shire horses at Aintree racecourse. As a little girl I would polish them at the table with newspapers all laid out. This was my job on a Saturday morning and when I polish them now with Scarlett I can't believe it has come right round in a big circle. Yesterday there was an enormous milestone in the history of the race, a woman jockey won! I doubt my Grandad would ever have believed such a thing would have happened, and all, because of the pandemic, with not a single spectator there, but what a breakthrough for women. This photo was taken of my Grandad working at the racecourse around 1930. He is on the far right of the photo looking very big and strong I always think. These are one of the sets of horse brasses from the Shire horses I have.

Coincidentally one of the items I saved from the boxes I brought down from the loft was another item it had been my job to polish on a Saturday morning. It was this brass planter. All through my teenage years I remember it in our house with a plant in it. My Mum had plants everywhere, all beautifully tended, she kept plants for years and they always did so well. We don't have window sills in our house now, so growing house plants is much harder but I love my plants too. I've polished up this planter and I may even keep it at the caravan during the summer so we have a bit of greenery there.It would mean I would be transporting plants back and forwards which I'm sure would make Tom despair of all the "paraphernalia" as he puts it I insist on taking, but I love it to look nice while we are there. He says everyone else on the caravan site is sitting sunbathing and I'm polishing!

Talking of polishing eldest son phoned yesterday evening and he is taking his old Routemaster bus out today and he has spent all week polishing it and getting it ready as it has not been used for months. He took it for a short drive round and everyone was waving to him as he drove past. He said it hasn't felt so normal for such a long time. I hardly dare to believe when so much of the world are still having such a terrible time that we may get back to some sort of normal life. I was telling him about the new wheel arch for the caravan I had ordered and he said he would get it resprayed for me the same colour as the caravan and then take off the old one and fit the new one. I'm ever so pleased as it looked like a very tricky job to me!

Tom is off today and we are going to a place near Heathrow to buy a white dove as a friend for Dottie. Then after a week or two, when they have got used to each other and if the weather has warmed up, we will put them out in the aviary together. Dottie is so adorably sweet I can't bear to think of her having a life on her own in a cage so I hope it all works out OK. I hope everyone has a lovely Sunday what ever your plans. xx

Cold Days And Clear Nights

 It was really cold when we set off to the yard where our caravan is stored yesterday morning. We took our old 1970s awning with us to check it fit on the awning rail. It was so nice to see our lovely little caravan again after the winter and just being inside it, even though we left the cover over three sides, so it was quite dark inside I could atlready imagine those summer evenings sitting inside it with the stable door open listening to our 1970s record player. Unfortunately yesterday while we were sitting looking out it was snowing! The caravan was all safe and fine except where the cover had been pressing on the fibre glass wheel arch, the small crack had got much worse so we are going to have to replace that now, but we have plenty of time before we go away. I bought the 1970s portable record player back with us as I had thought often over the winter I wish I had and on youngest daughter's request, our lovely orange sun lounger. She says she wants to build up her tan before the summer, well she's not going to manage that this week!

We had a couple more showers of snow around lunch time when we got back from the caravan. I had intended to clean out the aviary but decided against is as even though the sun had come out it was still very cold. We spent a lazy afternoon together and it was very nice all being at home. I did manage to source a new wheel arch for the caravan though as I know a man on facebook who is a bit of an expert with these old caravans and he is going to get someone to make us a replacement from the original factory moulds. Aren't some people clever! 

In the evening there was a really clear sky and when I was out walking, one of the most beautiful sunsets I have seen. Worrying about frost I dashed around the garden putting little cloches I had made from cut down plastic bottles over young plants. The fox looked on in amazement!

It is ever so cold this morning. -1C when I got up but it is nice and bright. I'm off to my Dad's today to do his shopping and try and sort out a problem with his tablet delivery which appears to have been affected by the long weekend. I hope everyone has a lovely day and gets to enjoy a little bit of  sunshine. xx