Where has the time gone? This week has passed by so quickly! We've had one or two outings including a walk around Shugborough (see my last post) a visit to Stoke Minster (post to follow) and a walk at Greenways Country Park (perhaps a post to follow) Here are four happy things from the week.
1. Friendly Robin - the robin came and perched near us whilst we were sitting drinking our coffee in a seating area on the boardwalk at the Staffordshire Wildlife Trust's Wolesley Centre on Wednesday (see my last post). I quickly took a photo. It wasn't until I looked at the photo on the computer that I could read the dedication on the seat - happy Threlfall family!
2. Straight from the tree -damsons and apples freshly picked from their trees at the Shugborough Estate. A volunteer gardener had just brought them in baskets to the produce sales area and was putting them into bags for people to take away - we gave a donation for a bag of damsons which made four pots of jam and an apple and damson crumble. The apples were so delicious - they brought back childhood memories of freshly picked apples from Auntie Ruth's orchard. Tart and sweet at the same time, thin skins and crunchy flesh. So unlike the thick skinned, tasteless and woolly fleshed apples that come from the supermarket. I haven't enjoyed eating an apple so much in ages.
3. Moss and Lichen - I have a thing about old stone walls covered in moss and lichen and we saw plenty on our walk on Saturday which was around the Greenways country park at Knypersley. We were there for nearly three hours and it was a wonderful morning walking under the trees, climbing up to the folly, discovering the memory tree and spotting grebes on the lake and cormorants roosting in the trees.
4. Longevity? - This memorial stone in the Minster churchyard made me smile because there amongst the Wedgwoods and Spodes were Sibil and Henry Clarke who both, according to the stonemason, lived to 112. The stone is dated 1684 - which is a date I remember from my school history books as the year the Bank of England was founded and the year before Charles II shuffled of his mortal coil. I can never remember if his last words were 'gentlemen,pardon me for being such a long time a-dying' or 'let not poor Nelly starve' but I digress. Who were Henry and Sibil Clarke? Husband and wife? Brother and sister? Father and daughter? Mother and son? Did they really both live to be 112? Did they both die in 1684? Did the stonemason make a mistake with the ages? Wouldn't it be nice to know.
Linking up with Little Birdie where '52 weeks of Happy' started. Each week you find just four things that have made you happy to share.
Some really lovely happies and yes would'nt it be nice to know about the Clarkes. Sometimes we walk to Stoke and cut through the old part of the churchyard.
ReplyDeleteIt is a very interesting churchyard isn't it? I'm going to look for more information on the Clarkes:)
DeleteGreat photo of the rather rotund robin! I know what you mean about woolly fleshed apples - yuk! I do enjoy a crisp sweet apple though. The memorial stone would fascinate me too - there are more questions than answers that come to mind when reading the inscription! x
ReplyDeleteA lot more questions than answers from that MI I think! The robin was rotund wasn't it? It had a crumb or two from my flapjack too:)
DeleteI know what you mean about time, it's quite frightening how it's flown this year. How wonderful to get those bags of fruit from Shugborough, when we were there earlier this year they had just 'sold out' of goodies from that table. Great photos. x
ReplyDeleteAs we went in I heard the volunteer ask another one if she would be ok whilst they went to pick some damsons so I was hoping there would be some left by the time we got back there:)
DeleteI can't believe that we've reached week 38! Jx
ReplyDeleteYup! It has gone so quickly hasn't it?:)
DeleteThe friendly Robin is cute; the Robin's song is so noticeable at the moment, isn't it? I love the sight of moss on old stone, too; there is something so ancient about it. And the Clarke's stone is fascinating, I wonder what the true story is. Perhaps there was a robust set of genes around in the area at that time!
ReplyDeleteI will try to find out more about the Clarkes - the robin was cute it had its eye on our flapjacks as soon as we put a crumb or two down it grabbed them and flew off:)
DeleteSuch a sweet robin!
ReplyDeleteThere is a plaque on a seat at Rosemoor garden that pays tribute to "both of my husbands". Always makes me smile!
The robin was cute. She obviously chose well! Twice:)
DeleteI love the robin photo and such a lovely little plaque. The grave stone is very intriguing and guess we'll never know the story.
ReplyDeletePatricia x
I'd seen the plaque near the robin and assumed in was an 'in memory' one but that inscription was a bit different:)
DeleteLovely photos & I suspect the Clarkes will intrigue as all for quite a while!
ReplyDeleteThanks, Lyn - I'm going to see if I can find out more about the Clarkes:)
DeleteThe sweet robin looks as if it has been feasting on the season's abundant berries. Apples and damsons straight off the tree - delicious! A walk by mossy walls and a lake must have been very pleasant. The plaque is a nice idea. I would be curious to know more about the Clarkes, too!
ReplyDeleteIt was a plump robin! The damson jam we made tastes wonderful:)
DeleteIt is really more likely that the Clarks were husband and wife but my mystery genes would be popping all over the place wanting to see the parish records to see who they were and if they might attach to my tree because I have some Clarkes from New England in America. It is rare to find a couple that lived to that age especially in the 1600s.
ReplyDeleteI have found out a little more about the Clarkes now so I'll write another post soon. They are very intriguing:)
Delete112 would be quite a record back then but wouldn't that be amazing if it were true! x
ReplyDeleteI think it may not be! I'll write another post about what I have found soon:)
DeleteI love the way you captured the Robin and the plaque - so touching. Your photos capture the season perfectly xxx
ReplyDeleteThanks, Diane - I was hoping the robin wouldn't flit away whilst I was sorting out the camera but there was no danger of it going until it had sampled a bit of my flapjack:)
DeleteI want to know Henry and Sibils story..
ReplyDeleteI've found out a bit a few more details which I will write about soon:)
DeleteWhat a lovely post, I love the little Robin picture:)
ReplyDeleteThanks Amanda, there were lots of lovely happies this week:)
DeleteOh the sight of a robin would make me happy too. They are such a cheerful sight, especially on those dull days of autumn and winter.
ReplyDeleteMarie x