'What I did this summer' Part 2

You've seen my the pictures of my trip with my daughter to

Blackwell, the Arts & Crafts House

here are few more

It was a sublime house, with all its original features, which is very rare.

The only house of its kind in such complete in the UK.

My son and I took two trains and a tube down to Kent. Yes my friend,

Mr BS5 it was a Pendolino and only 3hrs 23 mins, Carlisle to London Euston

We stopped off and went on a must do visit to the Oxford Street Apple shop and Borders Books, but with my Mary Poppins' handbag and a large carpet bag full of travel 'must haves', I got very hot and bothered and didn;t venture any further.

We managed, just down through Regent Street to

Leicester Square,

through to Trafalgar Sqaure.

The National Gallery- one of my favourite places to visit

Tall boy had not done Londons touristy scene before

so this whistle stop tour, took in a few of the London sights for sore eyes!

a humungus pidgeon on the People's Plinth

a view through Corinthian pillars

.. a few hours later, we continued down to the Kent coast and to the Bay.

We spent a few days with my parents and were then collected

by Larry who took us to Bluewater to SHOP!!

It is the best shopping centre by far in the UK I've ever been to.

Of course I look for photo opportunities wherever I am

and completely, well almost, forgot about the shops!

the ceiling at Bluewater

I have also been pampered in the spa,

all fluffed up with a Birthday gift of a facial,

pedicured & manicured. Thank you Larry.

I have been to the cinema to see, The Ugly Truth & also The Proposal which were both funny & shallow & easy chillout entertainment. I also saw The Time Traveller's Wife, all by myself, because no one else was free and I wanted to go, so I just did! True to the book's plot line, but rejigged to best explain the premise or chance people walking out before it making any sense. In the book I was confused to the half way point until it caught up with itself. Like the adaptation of Ian McEwan's Atonement it lacks the length of a book and so lacks anticipation, excitement and so empathy with the characters wasn't entirely there for me. Although I admit it still 'got to me' twice. Read the books for the full experience!

I have managed only to read three books and I am only sorry I have not painted nor sketched. But I have taken lots of photographs and so a few are here

more at my redBubble page.

I met up with two blog pals who were passing through Cumbria on their way home from Scotland and we spent a delightful few hours in a local pub The Kings Head (the oldest pub in Carlisle) chatting and laughing a whole lot.

I can tell you a little about them; they both live in the same 'greenist' uk city, one is a keen cook, bird?watcher and train spotter/traveller who must have a head for heights and who enjoys sharing pizza and a glass of wine whilst perched upon his wall with friends or family. The other blogger I met is a brave suburban super mum by day who morphs into spiderman's gal on her rare child free days out. Her blog is raw, real, intelligent and she is often hilariously funny! Do you think you know these bloggers?

Back to the old work/school routine tomorrow.....

and here's the first part.

'What I did this summer' Part 1

Go Grannie Annie Go! A bit of a tribute actually...

I was reading David McMahon's Authorblog recent post about the oldest 'facebook' member of 100+ and it set me to thinking about my own good mother. It dawned on me that one apparently forgets what is on our own doorstep so to speak, strange isn't it?

My mother, who at 74 has recently graduated with a BA Hons in Humanties from the Open University, after several years of hard work, returning to study (quite successfully) after nearly 60 odd years. She has also 'mastered' a pc and the internet, even though l do use the term mastered loosely! Even so, she emails, scans and sends pics, and has been chatting on a web cam to her grandchildren, which can only be good thing (as we live 400 miles away).


She is a very good painter, who whilst we kids were growing up, she prolifically painted anything that moved and anything that didn't. I remember many of the paintings she did for my grandmother, who was house and wheelchair bound through severe MS. The paintings were of landscapes, family, sunsets, Amazonian Indians, Thai boats and much more from the pages of National Geographic. My Nana could no longer walk or move her arms but she could, from her room travel the world (and boy did that lovely lady have a story or ten to tell, I will blog about her dancing days here one day soon!)

Of course we were all painted often, from life and photos and I also recall Mum would receive much praise from her sand sculptures when we holidayed on the beach, she would spend hours carving mermaids and shapes from the hot sand, only to watch them wash away in moments at sunset.

She has just recently finished writing 'A Family History' which she has compiled over the past few years, following the end of her degree studies, and it is enhanced with rediscovered photographs. She is having it printed up for us for us for Christmas! I have read the drafts and I have been amazed by the adventures of my parents and their forebears' histories.


She wrote a book for us when we were younger, entitled 'Dilly', she wrote it in rhyme and she illustrated each verse on its own page. This one book became three and she later produced versions for my Dad, my siblings and last Christmas I received my very own Dilly! These are personalised stories based around events in each of our lives! What a loving gift to treasure!

An illustration from my Dilly book!

Some 30+ years ago these Dilly books were considered too expensive by childrens publishers to produce in all their colours and were probably considered too clever or sophisticated! Her historical romance novels were praised but rejected, although one agent told her it was almost publishable and needed another edit. But I believe the rejections and the trials and tribulations of juggling a young family and running their own business' wrought upon her to miss her moment.

I recently told my mother l thought she should have another go at getting them published or that l would try for her. So in the short term we compromised and we have put the first chapter of 'MEG:Book one' online on her own blog.

When l recently reread the manuscripts, they was so much more than I remembered, perhaps it has something to do we me being 35 years older and bringing more contextually to the book!

I would be grateful if you would pop by sometime and read it, I may be able to persuade her to post another chapter or even pursue the adventure of trying to get it read again. If she gets some positive feedback. I also think that Dilly deserves to be read by children, it is magical!

Of course l know I am biased, but missed moments appear more than once and I believe she deserves hers! My mother is currently editing one of her manuscripts. She doesn't yet know l have posted this, no doubt an email will be waiting for me in the morning!!

Thanks and any comments or advice will be much appreciated!!

Read My mothers views on her blog THE VIEW FROM THIS END