Visiting the Harpur Crewes......"

Well, Calke Abbey anyway.
An amazing Grade 1 listed house acquired by the National Trust in 1981, in lieu of Inheritance Tax.
It was bought by Henry Harpur in 1722 and passed down through the family since then, the family becoming more and more reclusive as the years went by.
They were all passionate collectors of natural history specimens until the house was pretty well full and nothing touched since 1880!
No electricity until 1961!
The NT have conserved it, just as it stood - pretty shabby looking but preserved.
Amazing, vast array of outbuildings, all red brick (from the estate brickyard), including a longs tunnel from the house to the brewery.

I did visit some years ago, today was more relaxed - another visit planned in May.

Hansons' viewed this morning - so many lots of mixed China and glass to peruse.
I've left bids on a few lots so live in hope.

A tiring day so relaxing before bed.

A nice little Rioja........

Down my dressing gown - White and just laundered.
The moral is....don't nod off with a glass of wine in your hand.
I didn't really even want a glass of wine, but it was open and I thought it may complement my omelet and salad.
My dressing gown is drying on a radiator and the settee well scrubbed.

A glorious sunny day, spent mainly in the garden - four loads of leaves and detritus from the side border taken up the field and four wheelbarrow loads of lovely soil excavated by the Badgers, brought down and put on the border.
Another three barrow loads off the front borders, under the windows, then in to collapse in a hot bath, before dinner.

I ironed early this morning, then vacuumed through downstairs, in readiness for a few days off - Hansons viewing day at Etwall tomorrow followed by a sortie to Llandridod Wells for a five course taster menu.
Talking of food, I have been very good for three days, Paleo, I think, and have lost 2lb of unsightly fat from somewhere.
Wherever it was, I didn't want it.

Up the Villa!

Fantastic match - I've learnt everything I know about football from Th, aged 8.9yr.
He is ecstatic!

To get back to reality, summer has arrived!
Forget the temperatures, the swallows arrived on Friday and have been swooping above the top lawn and checking out the nest in the stable.
Time to move the bikes moved to the outside walls and put some paper on the floor.
I thought I heard the cuckoo today, but not sure

A busy few days, an indulgent day on Friday, pottering around Solihull for a few hours before picking up J and Th from school, tea etc.
Saturday was spent in the garden, which is looking quite good, plenty of work still to do on the borders. A suggested trip to the cinema with a friend was put off due to tiredness and aching limbs - I should have had a hot bath  to ward off the latter!
Sunday, walked to church then aimed to walk to Furnace End, to the car boot sale, but gave up and just enjoyed the walk home across the fields.
An afternoon in the garden then friends for a scrummy dinner of roast chicken followed by lemon sponge pudding - the one that separates into a lemon curd base and sponge above.
Today, I delivered mini sponge cakes to friends around about before picking J and Th from school....
I had to shop at JS on the way home, having a "Spend £20 save £3" voucher -salad for dinner and some bottles of "Taste the Difference" wine - always a good bet.

Hot again tomorrow, a day in the garden.
Brill!

Political Shouting Match..........

Started as a debate but getting nasty.
Fiasco time.
It was headlined as a "get at Ed" event, but More of a "needle Nige"
He's easily needled!
Ed has spurned Nicola's advances - how ungallant.
He has thrown down the gauntlet to "call me Dave" to have a one to one debate!
Wow!,

Heavy stuff.

This is relaxing after a few hours of hard work in the garden - I'm not very fit after nine weeks of limited activity and my leg muscles are feeling the strain of bending  and pulling.
However, the garden is not looking too bad as long as you overlook the untended beds.
I'll get there eventually!

A brown bath this morning due to a pump just down the road to make up for a leak in the village.
All well now.
Vacuuming done and Jan round for coffee and a natter, all before lunch.
Bed and Melvyn Bragg beckon.

Manifestos galore

By some failure in routine, the chicks were left in the laying box all day yesterday until I arrived home at 7.00pm. The y dashed out for food, not water, to my surprise.
To make up for this, I let them out as soon as it was light today, before 6.00am.
I hung out the washing and took a cup of tea back to bed and read - I'm re-reading "Bring up the Bodies" by Hilary Mantel, the sequel to "Wolf Hall".
Two of the most gripping, well-written books I've ever read.
Unfortunately, I lost track of time and wasn't up until nearly 11.00am - not a good start to an intended gardening day.
E mails, e bay and meter reading took up the rest of the morning, then lunch, phone calls............
By the time I'd ironed and put the lovely fresh linen back on the bed, it was 8.00pm and time for supper.
A culinary revelation - scrambled eggs on toast buttered with proper Yeo organic butter, bought by W in Wales.
It was delicious.
Forget the spreadable Lurpak - it's not in the same league and only has the benefit of spreading straight from the fridge or in a cold kitchen in the winter.
I opened a large pack of smoked salmon two days ago and have been eating it for every meal since.
Not complaining.

Only Nick Clegg made any sense today.
What is the point of a manifesto of a party unlikely to get more than a handful of seats.
Anything can be included as it will never come to pass.
What is the name of the UKIP party leader in waiting as Nige may not win Thanet South?

Tomorrow I will garden - I should be in bed finishing my book but "The Last Days of Ann Boleyn" is on "Yesterday" with HM, David Starkey and a ll other TV historians.
Gripping!

Retail therapy......

The first day out and about without a chauffeur.

Brilliant.

I took Kris to college for an exam at 8.00am and picked him up at 4.00pm, as Jan is ill.

It seemed a shame to drive home in between, with all those shops to explore - I was in Pret heving a cappuccino by 8.40am, then did the shops for a couple of hours, when my free parking ran out at Morrisons.

I went to Knowle and had a potter around the charity shops (bought a lovely, new Black Radley handbag for £15), then back to Solihull to meet Barbara for lunch.......at Pret - salads and coffee, excellent as usual.

We had a potter in MandS then went our separate ways.

I food shopped in JS (£6.47 cheaper today than the same branded products at Asda), cakes from 

MandS for Jan then picked up Kris and discussed the election/Ukip all the way home.

 Had coffee and tried the cakes with Jan, who was feeling much better but hungry as she had only fancied soup, and couldn't remember how to use the can opener.

Well, we've all been there - worse when it's the bottle opener!!

Home by 7.00pm for smoked salmon and salad and some TV.

Who could think of voting for boiled suet pudding Farage's party - rumour has it that he won't even get in as he 's neglecting the voters of S Thanet in favour of celebs.

If "call me Dave" doesn't get a majority the Two Ed's will coalesce with the SNP, who will then rule this country.
What a prospect.

I think that we shall have all heard more than enough arguments long before polling day.

Coleshill was the hottest place in the country today - that's what leaving the light on does!

Eye bubble has divided so I now have a black penny farthing in my right eye!

One Starling.......q

Makes a heck of a mess when resident in church.
We found this out when we visited church on Wednesday - bird droppings everywhere, on everything.
Their removal took us nearly three hours on Saturday morning, with several buckets of soapy water and the vacuum.
Some flowers on the altar and all set to go again.
The bird is still there, in the bell tower, I guess, and visited the vestry, briefly.

On Sunday K and I did a car boot sale at Furnace End - on the field by 5.30am, finished by 1.30pm, largely due to a cold, vicious wind, having taken about £200.
K did most of the work as I had to leave to take the services at Sh and OW.
Parking at OW was limited/ on the field as it was "the Cavy Club"Meeting in the Parish Hall, next door.

We went to the Bull at Meriden for Sunday lunch - a little disappointing and very slow.
Home by 2.00pm to light a fire and sleep until tea time, then again for an hour before bed.

Walked to church this morning to vacuum crumbs, visited Jan on the way home who has been ill all week, then off to Solihull to collect J and Th from school, tea....
Home in time for a quick tea then up to The Griffin for the monthly quiz.
Didn't know the answers to any of the music questions!