Thursday, July 27, 2023

A Little Oasis

Just a short post with a few photos.  Work is progressing at home.  The living room ceiling was finished over a week ago and has dried out and been painted.  The two old radiators under the windows have been removed and a new one installed on a side wall.  Plastering has been done under the windows and is gradually drying out. The walls can now be painted and wallpaper put on the the fireplace wall. The next job is new flooring.  It all takes time but the two builders and plasterers John and Greg have been very efficient, as has Brad the plumber.  We are pleased with all the work so far.

At the end of last week we decided to take a quick break away from the chaos at home.


 We popped up to the Emma Bridgewater factory and shop.  It's always a treat to have coffee and toasted teacakes there and also a peep in the little walled garden behind the factory shop.  This time our coffee was served in 'God save the King' mugs.

The garden is a little oasis close to the city centre.  









 Photos were taken by Paul as I didn't think to take a camera.

There is a lovely book about the making of the garden. Written by Arthur Parkinson with a foreward by Emma Bridgewater, it is a delightful account of how the author was inspired to become a gardener and how he created the garden at the Bridgewater factory.  There are some lovely photographs in the book.  The gardens looked slightly more colourful and dramatic during his time there but they are still very pretty and a joy to visit.

All for now.


24 comments:

  1. It is on my list of places to visit one day! thank you for sharing xx

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    1. Well worth a visit if ever you are passing by. Middleport Pottery too and the Gladstone Museum. All Victorian Potteries offering different things:)

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  2. Glad the work is progressing well Rosie but it must be a bit of a strain for you but the room will look lovely when its done.
    That is a delightful little garden at the Emma Bridgwater factory. I do love her work and have about four of her mugs. It must be a very relaxing place to take a break away from the work at home.
    ps I don't think you can beat toasted teacakes with lashings of butter!

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    1. Work coming on now although I'm really fed up with the mess. We should really have done this years ago. I have a few EB items, four odd dinner plates, a jug, bowl and preserve jar with damsons on and four cat mugs which we bought when we first came here. Always love a toasted teacake when out and about:)

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  3. Nice to have a little time away from the "mess" and I'd not realised that pottery had a cafe, garden & could even be visited. I'd have loved to know that when we've been in Uk for holidays. Have a great weekend, take care & hugs.

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    1. It's good to have a break, I think it's having all the living room furniture in odd places around the house that is getting on my nerves the most, I'm not good with clutter. Lots of the potteries here have visitor facilities like cafes, factory shops, historic displays etc. Mostly Wedgwood, Middleport. for Burleigh wares also Spode and Moorcroft:)

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  4. Lovely! I’m very envious that you live so close to be able to visit E.B.! I did, however, place a small order online recently. I have collected the E.B. Pottery for years! 😄 And I did give the Arthur Parkinson book to a family member last Christmas. It’s such a lovely book. I hope that your work at home will be completed soon ? Even when the workmen are friendly and work hard, it’s still an intrusion; we’ve had months of it and I’m very glad that we’ve now completed most of the work. Sal 😀

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    1. So many lovely things to see in both shops and their seasonal displays are always very pretty. There is a sale at the moment in both the seconds shop and the main shop. The book is so colourful and interesting too. Workmen have been okay, we leave them to get on and just provide a warm drink now and then We have a bedroom retreat upstairs with a sofa and spare tv when needed. I'll be so glad to get back to normal though:)

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  5. You remind me of the reasons why I haven't had any work done on my house lately! Good to be able to get out to such a peaceful space occasionally.

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    1. Yes, exactly the reason why we have put off having things sorted for so long but it's needed if we want to sell and downsize in a year or so. I'm glad we have a few quiet places nearby to take a break in, it was going to be the garden but the rain said no to that:)

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  6. I'm pleased to hear how well your decorating is going, it will be wonderful when it's all finished,not long by the sounds of it. Nice to get out away from the noise and just having other people in the house and the Pottery looks the ideal place with the café and a garden to enjoy. 😊

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    1. I'm looking forward to all the work being completed, not too much longer I hope. As soon as the new floor covering is down we can think about moving back in. Always enjoy visiting the cafe and garden there as well as the shops too:)

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  7. That garden is just lovely. I empathize with you escaping! I hate it when we have to work on our house, but sometimes there is just no avoiding it.

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    1. We were going to use the garden as a retreat but the wind was so strong we had to take the gazebo down and the rain was just too much, we do have an upstairs retreat for the evenings. Plus going out for walks too:)

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  8. Glad your renovations are going well. Always a bonus. Love the look of that garden. I bet it was a very welcome visit. B x

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    1. Nearly there, still painting this weekend. The garden was lovely, a nice short break and a bit of a treat away from the chaos:)

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  9. Nice garden - I like it - and above all a coffee served in a nice cup.
    Many greetings to you and good luck with the painting work.
    Hug of Viola

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    1. Thank you for visiting and leaving a comment, it is nice to have coffee in a lovely cup or mug:)

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  10. The garden behind the factory reminds me of the garden behind the Bluecoat Chambers in Liverpool. They have been tarted up now (still attractive) but in my youth they were rather wild and woody. I used to love taking my sandwiches there if I was having a day shopping, or working in the Picton library.

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    1. Thank you for visiting and leaving a comment. The garden behnd the Bluecoat Chambers sounds lovely and just right for eating lunchtime sandwiches in:)

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  11. Nice to be able to get away from the chaos for a bit. I remember seeing Arthur some years ago on TV. I wonder who has replaced him at the gardens now? Have a lovely weekend Rosie. x

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    1. I think Arthur has been on Gardner's World a few times. No idea who does the garden now but it is well looked after. You too have a lovely weekend, Simone:)

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