Down Time

Just a quick post to apologise for not replying to your comments on my last post or for visiting your blogs.  We lost our internet connection during the awful thunder and lightening on Saturday and we are still waiting for a new modem.  I’m writing this in the local garden centre cafe. Fingers crossed I’ll be back soon.

Down Memory Lane

A couple of weeks ago we travelled to the town of Mansfield in Nottinghamshire to attend the funeral of Paul's Aunt Peggy.  Paul was able to catch up with some of his cousins who are now spread across the country in different places like the Isle of Wight, York and Colchester. We also spent some time in the town visiting old haunts one of which was the Museum.  

When I worked at the Museum in the 1970s and early 80s the entrance was off the street down a large passage way between the Library and the Theatre.

The older entrance is still there under the glass canopy or atrium which now houses exhibits and photographs of manufacturing in the town.  Many factories including Metal Box, Mansfield Shoe Company, Mansfield Brewery and Mansfield Hosiery Mills to name just a few.

Paul hoped to see the Dinosaur exhibition and we managed to catch it before it closes in early October.

Dinosaurs, Weird and Wonderful by Bespoke Scientific features replicas or casts of some of the most unusual dinosaurs.

The layout of the museum has changed so much over the years which is good.  Some of the Victorian Whitaker collection of birds is still there, as is the Buxton collection of watercolours of Old Mansfield but the ceramics have gone, perhaps they are temporarily in store.  There were quite a few pieces, purchased whilst I was there,  decorated by Derby born ceramic artist William Billingsley from his days at the Derby Pottery, Pinxton Pottery, Mansfield, Torksey, Nantgarw and Coalport.  Here is a - link - to more about William Billingsley.  I find him fascinating.

We had a wander around the town before we left.  Lots of memories as it was one of our main shopping towns when I was a child.  The village we lived in was midway between Mansfield and Chesterfield so we shopped at both.  Mansfield was slightly closer by bus and I caught that regularly when I worked in the town.  There was a bus every hour to Mansfield through the village and a bus every two hours to Chesterfield.  Those were the days, when every outing was worked out by bus times. Making sure you were in time for the last bus home after evening classes, theatre or cinema.  Only heavy snow would make them late or stop them running.

Below are a few photos of the town.

The viaduct which is so prominent in the town is now used by the Robin Hood line which runs between Nottingham and Worksop.

 

St Peter's Church.  Scene of one or two family weddings and that of a friend.

This statue by sculptor David A Annand is called Ampitheatre.

Below the Market Place in front of the Town Hall and the Moot Hall.  When I was a child this was always very busy and full from side to side with rows of stalls selling anything and everything.

The Bentinck Memorial was built in 1849 in memory of Lord George Bentinck who was MP for the area for many years.  It was never finished, due to lack of funds.

We've been enjoying the warmer weather for the last few days getting out and about, walking, gardening, enjoying the sunsets and this week the Harvest moon which has been beautiful.

Spotted

Such a beautiful last day of August.  We popped out this morning to take two boxes of bits and bobs to a charity shop where we could park near the donation point as they were quite heavy.  Back home work has been done in the garden followed by the treat of an ice cream eaten in the shade at the top of the garden. 

The sun has encouraged butterflies and dragonflies to visit the garden.  Including the ubiquitous white butterflies, two small brown ones flitting around each other plus a Red Admiral and a Peacock butterfly. 

Peacock

Red Admiral

We were also visited by a Common or Red Darter dragonfly.

It seemed to enjoy lazing in the sun on top of the bean sticks.

Paul's photo (above) is far better than mine, he identified the dragon fly.

Earlier this year we saw the Bug Snugs at Trentham, I think I mentioned them in a post at the time.

We decided to build our own bug snug in the garden using the cuttings from the meadow area at the top of the garden now it has been cleared.

 It has been inspected by the foxes and badgers and also some of the local cats but it is still standing.  It will be a nice warm habitat for insects over winter.

 

The sweetpeas have been wonderful but unfortunately they are infested with greenfly.  The lupins have also been affected.  I've never known that happen before.  Does this mean that whatever predates the greenfly isn't around this year?  We've seen a few hoverflies around the garden but no ladybirds or lace wings.  I can't think when I last saw a ladybird.  That and the dearth of butterflies is quite worrying.

 

I've added a collage of some of the flowers in the garden at the moment.  Echinacea, Cosmos, Helenium, Poppy and Japanese Anemone.

 

All for now, see you in September, I hope.
 

Mount Pleasant Gardens

On our way to Mount Pleasant Garden and Sculpture Trail we passed Paddington Bear on his hill at Snugburys Ice Cream farm just outside Nantwich.  We waved to him as we passed by on the way to Tarporley and stopped in a layby opposite to take a photo on the way back.

Nearly every year Snugburys make a huge sculpture for the hill which can be seen for quite a distance around.   He stands fifty feet high and is made from metal, straw and woven willow.  Here is a - link - to more about the sculpture.

 

 

We'd never visited Mount Pleasant Gardens before so didn't know what to expect but we spent a delightful couple of hours there finding all the different areas of the garden and following the sculpture trail.  The garden is ten acres in size and has both garden and woodland, some areas are steeply terraced with views over the Cheshire countryside.  There are specimen trees, four ponds, a Japanese garden, bog garden, vegetable garden and a stumpery with tree ferns.  There is also a sculpture workshop, tea room and plant sales.

Above is the chariot and horses placed in the centre of the wildflower meadow.

You can stand on the chariot to have a photo taken if you want.

It look wonderful in the bright sunshine.

I took many photos so below are just some of them. Apologies in advance for the photo overload.

 

We stopped for a cup of tea and piece of cake.  The courgette and avocado cake was delicious and such a huge piece that I had to take half of it home for later.

All for now.

In the Garden

 On the plum tree at the top of the garden the yellow plums are ripening and turning golden in colour.  There are so many fruits that the branch has bent over toward the ground.  Straining under the weight. They will be harvested soon.  They have a sweet and delicate taste, very different to the plums we used to pick from the old Victoria plum tree .

We are getting more produce now from the garden, French beans, potatoes, courgettes and onions.  From the greenhouse both red and yellow tomatoes.

There are still five fox cubs visiting the garden, often in twos or threes.  The parents have left them to cope in their new world. They look very healthy.  Curious bright eyes and soft bushy tails.

I took this photo about 9pm. last evening through the kitchen window.  The light was fast disappearing as he and his siblings made their nightly inspection of the garden.  Rolling on the grass and disappearing behind flowers and shrubs and following the paths around the raised beds.

Other visitors to the garden include the Herring Gull which our neighbours over the fence call Stephen, we call him Bobby.  Could be a female of course.  I guess he or she smells the barbeques in neighbouring gardens now the weather is warm and dry.

Since mid-May we've had a pair of birds regularly visiting the bird feeders.  It's taken ages to find out what they are, recently Paul heard bird song and checked it out with the RSPB website and they are Linnets. How unsual to have them here in such an urban area. They are red listed so quite rare.  I've put a link over 'RSPB' above.

The Chamomile I thought was lost has suddenly appeared all over in one of the raised beds.

Above - more flowers in the garden.  Dahlia, Echinacea, Water lily, Rose and Helenium.

Wild flowers and exhibitions

August is just flying along isn't it? Where do the days go?  We have got gardening done and made some visits locally.  We also visited a lovely exhibition at the Burslem School of Art with friends who came over from Beeston for lunch. There were some wonderful works of art in the Three Counties Exhibition.  The three counties being Staffordshire, Shropshire and Cheshire. 

 I've been struggling health wise and after the bone marrow biopsy I had in April I have been diagnosed with a rare blood disorder caused by a faulty gene so have, over the next few weeks, to start treatment for that.  I had a venesection on Thursday which is the start of the ongoing process. This now explains the blood clot in my leg and the two PEs I had in 2022 and 2023.  I'll try to keep blogging here and there.  I've just noticed that this is my first post for this month. It reminds me of some school reports, usually for maths, when there was always a comment of 'could do better'.

Anyway at the moment I'm looking for things colourful and cheerful and found them at Trentham Gardens where the wild flower meadows are looking wonderful.

I'll let the photos speak for themselves, although they don't do justice to the wonderful sesnsation of being amongst them.

All for now.