Looking forward to....

 One of my favourite 'dip-into' books from our  bookshelves is Dorothy Hartley's 'Food in England'.  I bought this copy quite some time ago and am always fascinated by the snippets I pick up from it.  It is a social history of  English food through the ages; its uses, its preservation. preparation and presentation.

I know very little about Dorothy Hartley's life except that she was born in Skipton, Yorkshire, that for several years she lived in the vicarage at Rempstone in Nottinghamshire, where her father was the Rector, a village we pass through a couple of times a year on our way into Lincolnshire.   She spent most of her later life in the village of Froncysyllte near Llangollen in Wales, somewhere else we pass through quite often on our way to Porthmadog, where she died  in 1985 aged ninety two.

Consequently I'm very much looking forward to one of the programmes which is part of the 'Food, Glorious Food' season on BBC TV this week.  Historian Lucy Worsley is presenting a television programme about this renowned and well-respected author and illustrator called  'The Lost World of Dorothy Hartley' on Tuesday at 9p.m. on BBC4.  I just know I'm going to find it fascinating.

 I'm also looking forward to putting these pretty Christmas trees on our tree!

I was so lucky recently to come second in Suzy's giveaway at Rustic Vintage Country and when my lovely parcel  arrived as I opened it the smell of lavender was so wonderful.  Your handmade goodies are beautiful  Thank you Suzy.

In the Hat

It's time to announce the winners of my 'five years and five hundred posts giveaway'. I typed all the numbers and printed them out, cut them into strips, folded them and put them into my old gardening hat.

Who to ask to make the draw? My neighbours had visitors and I didn't like to disturb them so Chloe can you help? 'Er, no I'll just play with the hat and chew the pieces of paper'. So, perhaps Paul can do the honours? 'OK, I can do that'.

Here goes - first out number 10, second number 4, third number 6. I had numbered the comments as they came in first comment No 1 etc - so who were these three?

This is exciting!

Comment 10 was - Lyn from Everyday Life - the Emma Bridgewater tulip mug is yours

Comment 4 was - Simone from Linden Grove - the Cath Kidston Strawberry mug is yours

Comment 6 was - Helen from A Life Worth Living - the Cath Kidston Spotty mug is yours

Congratulations ladies - please let me know where to send your prizes. Thank you to everyone for participating and helping to make my blog anniversary so special!

Five Years, Five hundred posts and a Giveaway!

I wrote my first post on this blog on 14th March 2005 - it was about seeing Dab Chicks on Cromford Canal. When I first started I had no idea keeping a blog would be so interesting and rewarding. I felt so nervous as I clicked the publish button on my first post. When I first started I didn't add any photographs to my posts - I didn't know how - but I've learned so much since that first tentative step. Most of all I've appreciated all the people who visit and read my blog, all the followers, some of whom don't have blogs themselves and all the people who leave such lovely comments. Thank you so much!

This is also my 500th post so I'm having a double celebration. To show my appreciation to you all I'm having a giveaway. I've never done it before so I'm learning something new again. As I'm living in Stoke-on-Trent at the moment I decided to go shopping in some lovely factory shops where I found some things you might like.

First up was Emma Bridgewater's shop and I've bought a lovely bright and cheerful tulip mug for you. Made using designs from Matthew Rice's watercolours this mug supports the National Garden Scheme.

My next stop was the Churchill china shop where I found the two mugs below. They are 'crush' mugs designed by Cath Kidston. There were so many designs it was hard to choose but finally I decided on a spotty one and a strawberry one.

So that is three gifts for you! I hope you will leave a comment and enter my giveaway. First name out of the hat will receive the tulip mug, second the strawberry mug and third the spotty one.

I'll leave the giveaway open for a week and announce the winners next Sunday - good luck!