The best of British.. !

Punting is a quintessentially English tradition dating from 1860 and it's only seen in Cambridge, Oxford and Durham. Apparently, according to Jack, in Oxford they punt from the short end of this flat bottomed boat whilst in Cambridge the punters stand on the larger flat end to punt. I have no idea what happens in Durham! As you can see, the quintessentially (love that word!) English scene can very quickly turn into a battle scene. I have yet to be invited to sip pimms whilst floating along the river on a punt being steered by a young Fellow! Mmm, there is still so much to look forward to in life!

The best fudge in Cambridge

If you get a chance to visit the fudge shop, opposite the entrance to King's College, you won't be able to resist buying some fudge. The smell is truly wonderful and the fudge taste pretty good too. I plumped for the butterscotch flavour with walnuts :)

Famous Alumni

Born in 1887 in Rugby, Warwickshire, Rupert Brooke had a short life. W B Yeats once described him as "The handsomest young man in England" and he is best known as a British war poet. He became a Fellow of King's College Cambridge and travelled extensively between 1912 and 1913, writing travel letters for the Westminster Gazette. He was recognised as a very promising new poet and was at the height of fame when he died aged twenty-seven. He was on his way to Gallipoli but contracted pneumonia from an infected mosquite bite. Most notable Sonnets include "The Old Vicarage", "The Soldier" and "The Great Lover". Brooke's visits to the Chilterns inspired him to write a poem of the same name and here are a couple of my favourite verses...

Your hands, my dear, adorable,
Your lips of tenderness
Oh, I've loved you faithfully and well,
Three years, or a bit less.
It wasn't a success.

And I shall find some girl perhaps,
And a better one than you,
With eyes as wise, but kindlier,
With lips as soft, but true.
And I daresay she will do.

King's College Cambridge

You can tell when you're near one of the colleges by the zillions of young Japanese and Spanish students which buzz around like bees around a honey pot. King's College Cambridge is one of the most famous colleges in the world so it was definitely worth queuing to see. Thankfully, my entrance fee also bought me one of those small but perfectly formed factual guide leaflets. I know that I just enjoy reading facts and figures, particularly when I think I might learn something. Of course, I rarely remember much afterwards but that doesn't bother me. If I can recall one small nugget of info when required, then I'll be happy :)
The sight of the amazing fan vault is breath-taking and yes, the fact that this vault is the largest vault of it's kind in the world, does impress me. Completed in 3 years between 1512 and 1515, it then took glaziers another 30 years to install the stained glass windows. That would never happen in the 21st century!

A fab day with the gee gees and razorlight...

I love a great day at the races and when it's followed by a top band like Razorlight, it's even better. I am rubbish at gambling. I know my limitations so I'll have the occasional flutter with my stake usually being around the £2 mark. Today was obviously my day because lucky me, I had 3 winners in the first 3 races. Not surprisingly, my luck went downhill after that but I was still up on the day after the last race. I don't think that's a bad result for a novice :)

Razorlight were brilliant! What more can I say..

Come swim with me..

Choosing where you live can make such a big difference to how you feel. I wake up and just love the early mornings. I would never look out of the window and think it's a horrible day today. No matter what the weather is like, the view is always spectacular and always makes me happy. This time of the year I open the curtains and the family of swans are still sleeping on the side of the lake. By the time I've showered they're usually stirring and mom is saying "Come swim with me" to her family of cygnets. It's such a joy to see them snuggling up together as a family and the other ducks are pretty smart choosing to sleep alongside them over the summer months. Must be the safest place lakeside which is quite amusing considering where it is.. :)

Hope & Social...

Saturday night was Hope & Social night in Harrogate. We stayed with the lovely Sarah & Andy and their 3 lovely children. Dinner was fab in a great restaurant which was such great value for what was top notch food. H&S 'had just left' when we rocked up at the gig so we wandered over the road for a drink in another live music bar. The bar is the size of a small cupboard and we got seats at a table where I could tap the drummer on the shoulder - way to close for my liking so we left before the band started playing! Back over the road people had started to wander up to the bar upstairs only to be told 'You can't come in yet".. by an officious bar man "There's only me on the bar right now and I'm waiting for help".. DOH! We'd all already bought drinks downstairs but he wasn't to be moved. So we waited.. and waited.. even the band thought it was amusing. I'd have to say they were well worth waiting for. Lively, funny, very loud and quite raw at times but it was live music.. ! The lead singer was very funny and made impromtu remarks as not 1, not 2 but 3 bunny girls turned up. It was a really fun evening and I still have my Kazoo to prove it! Thankfully, I was the one withe the camera.. ha ha.. ! Bizarrely, H&S don't charge for their gigs and actually do 'lounge do's and dine with us' evenings which sounds like the best fun ever! There's a brilliant video of them on youtube doing a dine with me and to mark the occasion, i now have a cd of their music. I think they were one of the best value bands I've seen for my small donation of £5.. and I got a CD for that too!

Tonight I've got NMT... !

That stands for No Meal Tonight! I was working late in the office having created 1 presentation, 1 board (bored!) report, had 1 meeting, no lunch and half a box of very nice cheddar and walnut flatbreads with a piece of very warm cheese I left under my desk yesterday afternoon.. phew! It's been that kinda day. I was proposing to go out with the girls this evening but I just didn't feel I could fit that in too. You know when you get to a certain time in the day, particularly when you've had little food, and you just don't have the energy to do anything else? I reached that at 7:30 when I left the office. I'm happy though. Dad is home with Mom.. hur-blooming-rah!

You can't fail to notice my new blog style. Blogger gave me an option and I'm a girl that likes choices so I decided to have a play. Trouble was, it then took me 15 minutes and some deep surf & search to find out how to get some of it back to how it was before! I'm pondering as to whether I like it.. or not.. ponder.. ponder.. ponder.. :)

I think I've got RMS..

That's repetitive meal syndrome to you and me! It seemed a pity to buy two chicken breasts when four were on offer so tonight I had what I'm planning to cook tomorrow :) roast chicken breast stuffed with gruyere cheese and wrapped in pancetta accompanied by small nutty portabello mushrooms, broad beans shelled with my own fair hands and juicy sugar snap peas... YUM!

Fireman Sam at the Mill...

Oh what a bore.. I'm just about to start cooking and woo hoo, not one but two fire engines roll up outside and out pour Firemen Sam with all his friends! It was apparently a drill and I had a ringside seat. It didn't take me long to work out what was going on.. one fireman goes into the water and it's the job of the others to use their long hose to get him out! What it is about firemen... ? maybe it's the fact that us girls love a hero, I don't know but even with their clunky yellow helmets and red life jackets, they looked fit.

Tap Dogs

Tap Dogs was started by a guy called Dein Perry, a choreographer, in 1994. It had a world premier in Sydney in January 1995. Tap Dogs has become a global phenomenon. The group has performed in 32 countries and seen by more than 11 million people, woo hoo +2.. me and Lisa.. who saw them in London this afternoon. Six male dancers, including Adam Garcia, in jeans and workboots fitted with taps combined tap dancing with an industrial background to create an action packed afternoon of entertainment. The six performers danced on a range of different surfaces such as scaffolding, industrial flooring and electronic drum pads to create a strong rhythmical piece. The two girls on drums also did a spectacular job particularly during the water scene.
This was a high energy performance with no let-up as they dancers move from the stage to raised construction girders and in one scene, one of the dancers taps upside down on the ceiling strapped in a harness. These dancers made the dancing look as easy and laid-back as the characters they were playing. It was a real adrenaline-pumping performance.

My family of swans...

I never stop feeling that it's a privilege to live where I do. I wake up, look out of the window and am greeting by the most gorgeous view and my family of swans. Choosing where you live does have an enormous effect on how you feel. It may be for the person, it may be for the locality or it may be just for the view. I love where I live. It's like the best garden in the world where I don't have to pull up weeds or do digging. Hurrah to that!

High carbs makes you high-energy happy

That's a fact! Low carb diets do leave you feeling hungry. You have no energy and often in a bad mood. That's why my pasta dishes make me happy! Whenever I have a lot on my mind I go into easy-cooking mode. If I cook one dish I like, I'll cook it again just because it saves making any more decisions. Last night was a classic.. I decided to cook a variation on a carbonara dish using chorizo instead of pancetta and adding some mushrooms and courgettes. You don't need any cream for the sauce, you just stir in beaten egg and some grated parmesan and voila, it's done. Tonight I decided to get back onto the pasta merry go round for one more tasty ride.This time I lightly fried a chopped red onion, some crushed garlic, chopped mushrooms and courgettes before adding some chopped cold turkey meat I'd bought from the deli to add a bit of protein. I even tried putting on a dvd like last night but thought better of it. I've spent the evening in my craft sauna making Christmas cards with lots of glitter and a keylime pie. Beat that!

Freshly cooked pasta makes even the worst day feel better :)

Some days don't you just feel the whole world is against you? I should have know the next 24 hours were going to be a roller coaster ride when I arrived home yesterday evening. There was a car parked in both spaces either side of where I should park but not enough space left for me inbetween them. I know I have a mini but that's its name, not its size! It's still a car width and I still need room to open the door and get out. I sat for about 2 minutes grrr-ing.. then I gave up, drove to the side of the lake and parked there. I've learnt that it's really not worth making a fuss about such things. Later in the evening I looked out and one of the cars had gone. I felt triumphant as I sneaked out of my flat, raced to get my car so I could park it in my own space. I do believe it's sometimes the little things that give me the most pleasure.

Little did I realise this was just the start of a disastrous day. I got up, not a problem. Okay, I admit I am a fan of morning radio 2 and am not happy that Graham Norton is spouting as I drive to work. Chris Evans is on holiday and I can't wait for him to get back in 2 weeks. I know it's silly but I like the sillyness of his morning programme. I never thought he'd do a better job than Terry Wogan but he really, really has. I love his show and when he's away, like he is right now, nothing seems quite the same. But hey, I'm a grown up so I can cope.. really, I can. I got to work, chopped a piece of watermelon into a zillion pieces and sat eating it thinking how thin I was going to be. Oh, how I wish I was thinner, but that's another story.

I am locked into more than one tricky work issue right now. I love my work. I'd go as far as to say, I am passionate about my work. I just don't love conflict and some people I work with clearly do. Maybe they're lucky and they forget their troubles when they go home at night. I bring mine home in a very big suitcase that sits in the hall staring at me as I try to go about my flat. I'm on my own right now so it's doubly difficult. No distractions, no happy chatty diversions, just stuff. Without being specific, I really do think today has been one of the worst work days ever. I have been troubled by not one, not two but a raft of issues that really don't belong in my world. Whoever said "It's the challenges that make you stronger" "Yoo hoo hoo" booming very loudly in a Santa-like voice is talking utter rubbish. I don't need challenges, I need support. I don't need nonsense, I need clear thinking. I worked out a long time ago that a lot of work issues boil down to respect. It's something that has to be earned and that's where some people get it so wrong.

Some people like to shout and scream when they're challenged. Others like to smash emails across cyberspace like little word grenades. I do neither. What I did though was write an email but as I think I've mentioned before, I would never write anything that I wouldn't want my mother to read. That's why my email was deleted before I sent it. On these occasions it pays to be sensible so I tapped a very brief and polite message to someone who I thought would be able to help. No, he doesn't wear red pants and a cape but he is someone I can rely on to be impartial when I'm being exceedingly emotional.

I was offered, chocolates, oil (not sure what he was thinking!) or just a sympathetic smiley face. I settled for the latter in the belief that if I got off my chest what was bugging me, I might feel a whole lot better. I got back to my desk to pick up an email from my mom. She was called to the hospital about dad. That's the point when I shut the lid of my laptop, packed it up and left the building. Suddenly I'm reminded what I should feel glad about today. If my mom can still be strong and feel glad then so can I. I drove home thinking that I really needed to be home where nothing else could happen. I spoke to mom then bought a dvd and something nice to cook for my supper. Freshly cooked pasta makes even the worst day feel a whole lot better :)

There's no place like Rome.. :)

And if you asked Zebedee, he'd say that Florence wasn't bad either!

More marbles than a toy shop... !

My Great Aunty Non is one of Britain's great treasures and I only hope I will be like her when I'm 90! It's a massive achievement to get to the age of 90 and still have most of your marbles. Great Aunty Noreen can be forgiven for getting a bit confused over faces and places - I do that all the time.
Lunch was fun with us changing tables inbetween courses (that's the bar Greg, not a table!) it was all carefully engineered by my second cousin David. His draughtsman skills were put to good use creating a table plan and it was then left to the family to move around as instructed. It meant I got to meet family I didn't know existed. Not close ones but related in some distant way or another.
Following lunch we sat in the sun in David's garden. He lives in a cottage nestled inbetween some cliffs :)

What £250 buys you..

Today, I'm worth £40 an hour, woo hoo because that's what I'd have to had paid to have the flat professionally cleaned. Six hours of solid cleaning with only an egg custard and a few tiny shortbread biscuits to keep me going. I had help though thank goodness. I scrubbed the bathroom from top to bottom with the aid of my electric toothbrush! It was a godsend for getting into all those little crevices and yes, before you ask, I did replace the head before I used it again.
Best bit of the day was looking through Alastair Sawday's book to find somewhere to eat on the way home. Who would have thought that there would be any gems within 1 mile of the motorway, let alone near Slough! We were running late so I chose the closest pub to the London end of the M4. Somewhere that served tasty food but not too posh to welcome two rather unkempt and not so sweet smelling guests. I'd managed to remember to bring another teeshirt to change into. Nick didn't. I can thoroughly recommend The Ostrich at Colnbrook. It's the 3rd oldest inn in England (allegedly!) and it's fab. The menu was more exciting than the usual and the food delicious and beautifully presented. It did get a bit hot in the bar but it had been a hot day and I'd been beavering away at dirt and grime for most of it.
A wander up to the loos and I came face to face with an oversized Ostrich at the top of the stairs. It's behind glass thankfully and very stuffed!


Here's a quote from wiki about Colnbrook and the Ostrich Inn... relieved we didn't stay the night now!

Mentioned in William the Conqueror's Domesday Book, Colnbrook is on the Colne Brook, a tributary to the river Colne, hence Colnbrook.[1] Coaching inns were the village's main industry. In 1106 the first one was founded by Milo Crispin, named The Hospice (now the Ostrich Inn). By 1577 Colnbrook had no fewer than ten coaching inns. Colnbrook's High Street was on the main London to Bath road and turn off point for Windsor and was used as a resting point for travellers.

One 17th century landlord, Jarman of the Ostrich Inn, installed a large trap door under the bed in the best bedroom located immediately above the inn's kitchen. The bed was fixed to the trap door and the mattress securely attached to the bedstead, so that when two retaining iron pins were removed from below in the small hours of the morning, the sleeping guest was neatly decanted into a boiling cauldron. In this way more than 60 of his richer guests were murdered silently and with no bloodshed. Their bodies were then disposed of in the Colne River. The murder of a wealthy clothier, Olde Cole, or Thomas of Reading, proved to be Jarman's undoing, in that they failed to get rid of Cole's horse, leading to their confessing. Jarman and his wife were hanged for robbery and murder.[2][3][4]The inn is reportedly haunted and has been subject to investigations by the Sussex Paranormal Research Group and Most Haunted.[5]

When in Rome...

Naturally, do what the Romans do! Eat, drink and be merry ;) It's just after 8pm here and we're basking in glorious Italian sunshine. We left Cortona early morning and caught the train to Rome. An uneventful trip. We dumped our bags at the hotel very close to the station and set out to explore Rome. I've had an amazing day. We had lunch, a delicious antipasti meal with Prosecco then got on the tour bus. We've been to every important momument in this beautiful city. The plan was to get off at Vatican City and have a wander around St Peter's. Nothing can prepare you for the sheer scale of St Peter's. It's a magnificent sight inside. It really did take my breath away. I just wish I'd not forgotton my camera charger on this trip! I sat on the bus as we drove away from Vatican City and realised how much I've missed flying out of the country this year. I hadn't realised until this moment. I have vowed to read up more about this beautiful city and of course, return.
ps hello to everyone who knows me :) love you all xx

Our day in Florence!

"Where's Florence?' said Zebedee!
"It's less than an hour and a half away from Cortona" said the conductor on the train."
At last the sun is shining. We've dressed for a day's wandering around a city that I've always wanted to visit. We began our journey in Camicia where we caught the 10:35 train to Firenze. Not forgetting to get our tickets punched on the platform. Its a 50euro fine if you don't! Italian trains are far more comfortable than British ones. We had our own little glass compartment with 6 seats as we travelled through glorious Italian scenery to the wonderful city of Firenze known as Florence to us.
It's a 10 minute walk through the busy streets to get to the Duomo, Florences magnificent cathedral. The view will take your breath away! Every inch is decorated with murals & statues and the surrounding area is of course buzzing with tourists from every country in the world.
We could only stand & marvel at the sheer size & detail on every surface. We decided not to Q but return later.
Our walk took us to one of the most famous sights in Florence., Ponte Vecchio bridge. It spans the gently flowing river like a giant street. The bridge itself is packed with jewellers waiting to sell rings & pretty trinkets to romantics. Who wouldn't want a piece of Italian jewellery from such a stunningly gorgeous world famous landmark?!
We wandered the markets & quieter side streets in search of a place to eat lunch & found a gem of a restaurant, again! Yesterday we found one in wet Cortona which served a wonderful Caprese salad. Today I had homemade lasagne & a fresh insalata mista. On the way there me & Ginger fell in love with the same shoes! The boutique had only 2 pairs of White Dorothy shoes, one in Ginger's size & the other in mine! She may pinch my clothes from time to time, well quite often actually, but we can't swop shoes. So we had to buy them & are now the proud owners of new White Dorothy shoes :) 
Our aftenoon was shorter having spent far too long enjoying lunch the Italian way but we did make it into the. Duomo. I lit a candle for the good health of my family & friends & was left wondering why the inside was so empty & a little uninteresting. The inside of the beautiful dome was hidden from view behind barriers. And the booming voice calling time & time again for silence wasn't very welcoming! I know every individual will experience something unique to them. Myself, I can marvel at the architecture, the brlliance of the designers & enjoy the beauty of the building. Spiritually, it lacked anything to move me.
We're back on the train now heading for Campuccia. Our heads are full of wonder, our feet are a little tired & our tummies are full of ice-cream! 

Italy

Girls on Tour!
Have you ever been to Rome? Have you wandered the streets, walked around a corner & discovered the magnificent Trevi fountain? It's an amazing sight! It feels as if someone decided they wanted something a little more exciting than a balcony or a patio on the front of their Roman villa & when someone suggested a fountain, they thought, Yeah, but lets not mess about, i dont want no ordinary Tom, Dick or Harry fountain! I want the fountain of all fountains!! Nothing can prepare you for the imense size of this amazing piece of architecture. As a statue, it would be incredible. As a fountain, it's unbelievable!
I'm away on an adventure in Italy. Flying into Rome then taking the Firenze train down to Cortona. It's a 3hr journey & you are in no doubt that you're in Italy. The trees, the hillside towns, the red roofs, the blue sky mean we're in Tuscany.
We left Rome in glorious sunshine & althogh it was sunny when we arrived, the clouds gathered & it wasn't long before the heavens opened & it began to rain. No matter though because some of us bought crafting goodies to play with! I'm cutting pretty letters from patterned paper, Ginger is making felt flower cards & Gwyneth is doing a card kit.

We're staying in part of an enormous old farmhouse. It's set in gorgeous Italian countryside overlooking the hillside town of Cortona. I'm the lucky one with the double bed all to myself! It's very homely, typically Italian & makes a great base for us girls on tour.
Last night we went to the supermarket to purchase local fare & dined on fresh pasta carbonara, fresh fruit custard tart & peach bellinnis! Oh how we suffer!!

Today is Father's Day, I'm in Italy, moms at home & dads in hospital. Did your geography teacher ever teach you about love? Me thinks not & you know why? Because Love has nothing to do with geography. Before I left for Italy I made my wonderful dad a card to let him know I'm thinking about him today & remind him how much I love him every day.

"Get well soon dad & I'll see you when I get home :)"

Me & Ginger are crafting whilst the other 3 are watching a film. It's pouring down outsidec so we cancelled our trip this afternoon to Cortona. It will still be there tomorrow when the sun has returned!