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.

A Monday Miscellany

 This and that from the last few days mostly in photos as I don't have words, they seem to have left me for the moment. 

 Below - a few photos from a visit to the Staffordshire Wildlife Trust's headquarters at Wolseley Bridge.

At the Garden Centre next door there were pumpkins galore.

A couple of days later we popped up to the Emma Bridgewater factory for morning coffee.  There were lots of pumpkins there too in the courtyard and garden.

Meanwhile back home in the garden.  Winter violas and berries are adding colour here and there.

Also spotted in the garden

 

Mushrooms

Some knocked over by foxes or badgers as they were growing in what we call the fox run at the back of the raised beds.

 

The huge bite out of the red cabbage is definitely down to a badger.  We've now harvested all the cabbages and distributed them to neighbours.  We will pickle some later too.
 

All for now.  Take care everyone.