Wood hall Spa 1940's weekend .. .. .. ..

. 

Well having not been back in the UK for long but having caught up with the family and celebrated Joe's birthday we've travelled to Lincolnshire for a 1940's weekend.    We are staying on a CL  not far from Woodhall with an IPA rally.   We have been coming to Woodhall on and off for over 20 years with the children when they were younger as they used to used the open air pool in Jubilee park. 

Yesterday we went to Conningsby followed by Tattershall as I'd been told there was a craft shop there!  Well you can miss an opportunity of having a look round and I did purchase a few items!!

It's a lovely warm day today, so after a cooked breakfast SW style we've popped into Woodhall  to have a wander about & to buy a gas kettle as we've no electrics and can't find our very expensive gas kettle anywhere.  Woodhall is a hive of activity today with everyone getting ready for Saturday and Sunday's events.  There are even a few people walking round decked out in 1940's clothes. 

In Woodhall there is one may be the old reel to reel cinema (Kinema in the Woods) left in the UK that still is open to all to watch films! Near the Kinema

Is a quaint little tea room, in fact there are several tea rooms around and about. 

 

We've been several times before but we've popped into the Petwood House Hotel to sit on the terrace to have a coffee.  For those of you who aren't history buffs, the Petwood was used as the officers mess by the  (Dambusters) 613 Squadron during WW II.  There is  a room there with lost of memorabilia in it of the squadron.  Well worth a visit if your in the area!!

 

 

Lesley X 

Back to reality with a bump!!

 

Well Joe and I returned from our relaxing holiday last Sunday and then it was back to reality with a bang.  I was back at work Monday and then life it back into full swing!!

relaxing shortly after arriving at Presqu’ile de Rhuys

Can’t believe that 3 weeks ago we were just setting out for the Ferry – why does life move so fast these days.  We did however have 14 lovely days relaxing, cycling, walking meeting up with family and of course eating delicious French cuisine and wine and cidre More holiday photo’s in future posts

 

6oth Birthday card made recently for a friend who loves cruising!!

 

well off to craft this afternoon after completing some house hold task this morning

Have a lovely day

Lesley x

Sutton on Sea

I was lucky enough to have a lovely long weekend in Sutton early May BH .   It was a very sunny but windy weekend.   Joe and I spent a great few days there.  We met up with friends on the Saturday at Anderby Creek where we sat quietly in garden have a few beers, soft drinks and lots of chat.  In the evening we joined Lyn & Tony in Skegness for an Italian meal. 

 

Beach Huts on the sea front at Sutton on Sea where we had many a good summer holiday when Samantha and Matthew were growing up as my mum always used to hire one as her base.

The Beach Huts at Sutton on Sea are featured in this book by Kathryn Ferry. ’Behind the enduring popularity of beach huts lies a story of classic British eccentricity. Immensely photogenic and appealing, these colourful seaside buildings are direct successors of the Georgian bathing machine, which first appeared in the 1730s as a peculiar device to protect the modesty of rich and fashionable bathe.

On the Sunday Sam and Ash came for the day and we spent a few hours in Skegness as Ash had never been to this coast before.

 

 

I’ve not been blogging recently as I’ve had the most horrendous episode of tonsillitis that has lasted for what seems like forever!!! It’s been so physically debilitating.  I’m slowly on the mend now but it has left me feeling tired all the time by 2 in the afternoon I’m ready for a sleep!!!

Hope everyone else is well?

thanks for stopping by to read my blog & leaving comments

TTFN

Lesley x

I am back

I’ve just returned from 9 days in France but sadly it was not long enough and when we left yesterday the weather was superb – but hey ho good things can’t last for ever.  It’s back to work tomorrow.  Work is definitely interfering with my leisure time!!! lol 

We stayed at a campsite not far from Rue at La Ferme des Aulnes.  Here are a small selecton of pictures I took

 

Chateau Rambures	Windmill at the underground city at Naours
Me!!!  on the windmill steps	Entrance La Cité Souterraine de Naours(underground city at Naours)

 

I went to a workshop a several weeks ago now at Tracey's where I made this lovely card & I thought I would like to share this with you all.

	we used the baby blossom stamp set, the new  label punch, DSP Spring time vintage, the embossing folder Square lattice & seam binding ribbon all these items feature in the new SU Mini Catalogue

well thank you for stopping by my blog and leaving a comment

TTFN

Lesley x

New Forest

Joe and I had a wonderful 9 days away in the caravan.  For the most part we staying in the New Forest and then moved up to Blaidon Chains Oxfordshire very close to Bleinham Palace.  In the main we had wonderful weather and time to relax.

 

	Memorial just outside the Caravan Club site
Lymington
	Lymington
Puttles Bridge in the New Forest – Ober Walk

 

I did have to do a bit of studying as I am doing GCSE French and my 2 hour written exam was Thursday night just gone.   I feel it went pretty well although afterwards you always think of things you wished you’d written.  I had to write 300-400 word for each paper which is quite hard when it’s not your native tongue and you’d wished you paid more attention when you were 16.  I positively hated French as a teenager at school!!!  Oh how much easier it is to learn when you are young compared with middle age!!!

 

	New Forest Pony
Ober Walk
	Christchurch
The Boathouse Christchurch

 

Blenheim Palace was brilliant again and the weather was really warm.  We  visited it this time last year over a BH & it was really busy but as we converted out ticket to a year long one for no extra cost we decided to go back again.

 

	Blenheim Palace http://www.blenheimpalace.com/thepalace.html
The local beer!!!!
	and Joe just had to try it.

Thanks for dropping by and having a look at my pictures and please leave a comment

will be back soon

Lesley x

Getting to grips with a new camera

Well just over a week ago my trusty camera of 6 years started to make a lot of clanking and wirring noises and then refused to work!!  This is quite something for some one that uses it nearly every day.  Joe said that it had done well as most people don’t use a camera that much.  But to cut a long story short I am now in possession of a super new one, a little more complex!!!  Below are some pictures taken with my new camera.

 

We were away in our caravan last weekend at the Caravan club site at Chatsworth.  We had a great weekend cocooned in our van!! :)  Un be known to us though it was the Christmas Market at Chatsworth so Sunday afternoon we took a walk to it.   The market was very busy and although the ambiance was wonderful as was the mulled wine,  it was expensive.  But it was great looking at all the Christmasy items, listening to  live Xmas music and people singing carols. 

It was however very cold – freezing in fact and I had to wear gloves and a scarf, which is not me at all!!

TTFN

Lesley x

Wimereaux - France

We arrived in France on the Friday June 4th and we stayed just out side Calais for a couple of days.  On the Saturday we went to a place called Wimereux in the Pas de Calais.

Joe on the sea front

Me!!!

It was a  lovely sunny day we promenaded on the seafront having lunch is a fantastic little restaurant – for those of you who regularly go to France everything stops between 12 –2pm for lunch, so we try to do the same.  Lunching in France is so relaxing.  The Cap Nord was situated on the sea front,  the sun was shining the wine was flowing!!! :)

We did however try to do a bit of shopping on the way home  - got lost several times trying to find Carrefour at Guines it was only a couple of miles from the site but could we find it The sat nav was no good on this occasion!!  We did eventually found Cite Europe on the A16 near the Euro Tunnel.  We went to Carrefour for some food wine and some lovely French cidre came out and couldn’t find the car.  We’d forgotten to remember what door we came in – after much muttering by Joe we did find the car and off we went back to our van for a quiet evening at home.

Blaidon Chains

Well we have just returned from and weekend near Oxford.  The weather when we arrived at Blaidon Chains on Friday it was very wet & cold and we set up camp in the rain!!  lol  A sense of humour is always good on such days.   It was so wet that the warden was pitching vans with his tractor so as cars and vans didn’t get bogged down & churn up the grass!!  After we set up in the rain the clouds cleared & the sun shone - typical

Saturday morning was glorious but in the afternoon the skies opened and the rain poured down.  In between rain clouds we took a look at the small market town of Woodstock just 1km down the road.  We’d thought about going to Blenheim Palace but the day was so ‘chilled’ we just never got round to it.

So on Easter Sunday we decieded that we would go to Blenheim Palace birth place of the Winston Churchill England’s Prime Minister during the World War II years :  http://www.blenheimpalace.com .    What great day out – not enough time to see it all- it’s huge.  We saw the State rooms, some of the formal gardens designed by Capability Brown and the behind the scene’s tour/exhibition.  At the beginning of the State room tour there was a Winston Churchill  exhibition which was very busy and which both of us would like to return to as it was quite busy so we didn’t see a lot of it. We took advantage of the chance to upgrade the ticket to an annual pass and no further charge so that we can return later in the year or early next to see some more of it.

Above and below pictures taken in the formal garden.

Well hope all you bloggers had a good Easter weekend too.  The grandchildren are coming round to visit a 4 so peace and quiet will no longer reign.  But I wouldn’t have it any different TTFN Lesley x

My new ‘rig’

Our caravan is a year old and we had to take it for it’s service last week to Alcaster in the West  Midlands not far from Ragdale Hall.   As you can see we had really sunny day and it was a pleasure to be out.  Sadly I couldn’t go with Joe to pick it up on the Friday as I had to go to work :(

On the way back we went for a pub lunch which was lovely.  When I got back went to see Emily and Cameron both of whom have the Chicken Pox – lucky old them although it seem quite mild.

We are away on our first weekend soon and can’t wait, it seems ages since we were last away in the caravan!!  We may visit a few pubs for lunch and possibly a drink :)  We are planning to watch the Tudors’ TV series which Joe bought me for Christmas on Matthew’s recommendation.  We have watched 4 episodes so far and it’s a brilliant series.

Have a great weekend

Lesley x

Caravanning

As anyone who knows me well  knows that Joe and I are caravanners and have been for the past 21 years - how the years mount up!!!.  Prior to that we camped before the children were born and bought a trailer tent when Samantha was 2 and Matt was 4.  But we were fortunate enough to be able to buy our first caravan when our children were small in 1990. We have had so many happy family holidays in our caravan up and down the country.  When Joe’s dad was widowed  in 1989 he used to join us at Sutton on Sea for a week in the summer to join in the fun although he used to stay in a chalet up until he died in April 1995.  When my mum became a widow in November 1994 she used to join us too although she stayed in various B & B’s.  We were fortunate enough to go away for 3 weeks at a time in those days and mum would stay for the same time.  In her 80th year when the children no longer came with us she stayed with us in our caravan and had fantastic time. We stayed on the Caravan club site at Sutton on Sea as it has superb disabled facilities .  Such happy family memories I have.  Which inspired me to make this card for a fellow caravanner’s  birthday. We used to on occasions go away with Pete and Maureen  for short breaks over Easter or May BH but alas we’ve not been away with them in a while. So was made for  Pete’s recent birthday.

This stamp was Jolly Nation one and I have to say caravan stamps are hard to come by, but Little Claire does one of a caravan and a motor home.   I have a friend who goes away in a camper van called Jane & at least 2 people from Dabblers that caravan.

I love making this card so I hope my Pete loved it too.

French collection part 2

L’Abbeye de Manoir at Matragny in Normandy about 8km from Bayeux.  Run by an elder couple,  in the morning I would wander over to reception to be greeted by Maurice with and he would present me with my warm baguette & croissants.  One morning in the bag containing my croissants were 2 eggs he’d collected that morning from his hens.  There we visited Grandcamp Maisy the port and the gun battery, we also had a lovely lunch in a bar in the village. Our ‘rig’ at L’Abbeye de Manoir in the very distance I can be seen having an afternoon nap :)

me, myself at Grand Camp Maisy a German Gun Battery only recently uncovered that pounded the troops that landed at Omaha Beach on D Day June 6th 1944.

Joe at fishing port at Grand Camp Maisy

the coast at Grand Camp Maisy has also has the highest tides for a while and all the roads which lead to the sea front has barriers in front off them to keep the sea back – this is the aftermath – we arrived just a bit too late to actually see the sea covering the promenade road – but as you can see the sea was certainly rough!!!

Last but not least the bar where we have a beautiful lunch Joe had the chicken but I have ‘colin’ (Hake) in a very tasty cream sauce with sliced potatoes it was delicious & a boulee of cidre to wash it down!!!!!!