Recent Reading
Thanks to Bovey Belle who made me aware of this book. Hopefully I can visit some of the places connected to Francis Kilvert mentioned in the book starting with the ones closest!
E bought me this book as a gift as she remembers when there were Golden Eagles at Haweswater in the Lake District we used to visit to see them. It is written by the RSPB Warden in the Haweswater area on how they are trying to improve the land they farm and manage for wildlife not without facing obstacles from local farmers. A brilliant read.
I noticed there was a new Brighton Mysteries book out by Elly Griffiths. I really enjoyed this book.
The new Merrily book is out. I enjoyed this immensely always good to return to Merrily's "world" although it is set at the beginning of the first lockdown and does bring back some of the horrors and uncertainty we all felt at that time. In a few months I will go back to re-reading some of the earlier books in the series.
Baking
I made a Dorset Apple Cake for D's birthday as it is his favourite and
I was really pleased with the dragon pop up card I found for him.
Solihull has a project called Wildlife Ways to make Solihull greener and to create nature places that are good for people, birds and insects. Funding has come from the EU Regional Development Fund and other sources. One of the projects has involved the planting of 8000 square metres with wildflowers seeds to help biodiversity especially pollinating insects.
This is just one of the lovely verges in Castle Bromwich.
Good to see they are using native species too.
Garden
Small posy picked from plants flowering at the moment.
D planted these "cut and come again" salad leaves and they are so useful.
Chilli peppers and tomatoes are forming.
Trip to Coleshill
D and I spent an hour or so in the market town of Coleshill which is close to home.
Seen on a lamp post.
I did venture briefly into the super charity second hand bookshop. Books Revisited. I didn't buy anything although they did have a full copy of the Flora Brittannica by Richard Mabey and I only have the concise version so I now regret not buying it!
Colehaven almshouses by H W Weedon for Sir John Sumner. There are two blocks built in 1931/32 and 1934 in a Tudor style.
The Town Hall by S H Wigham 1925/6.
I spotted this sign on our way back to the car so we detoured towards the church.
The fayre was held on a green by the churchyard. We had a quick look round and I did buy a beeswax candle with a sunflower on it.
Portaloos? disguised as phone boxes.
St Peter and St Paul Coleshill Parish church dates back to the 14th/15th centuries. It is occasionally open and I have been inside several times it is a fascinating church.
The Georgian Old Bank House.
All photos taken by me with the Panasonic Lumix FZ330 bridge camera. (If anyone ever wishes to use any of my photos (or my son's) I would be grateful if you could email me first please. Thanks.
14 comments:
What a lovely long post. I think I need to re-read The Fever of the World so I can savour it a bit more - I did think the ending a bit abrupt, but perhaps because I didn't settle down for long periods to read the book - just a few pages an evening.
Lovely to see Coleshill. A "cousin" of mine (about 4th? We share g.g. grandmothers) lives there and I heard from her only today. What a happy coincidence.
If I were you, I would go back and buy the full-on Richard Mabey! I think you deserve it. I love mine.
Loved the wild flowers onthe verges - gosh, the Yarrow has done well in the mix.
Bovey Belle - thanks so much. Yes I do tend to agree it did end a bit abruptly. I have certainly enjoyed others in the series more but I think delay over publishing was because he had a stroke?????? Not sure though.
Oh gosh that is interesting re: Coleshill. What a coincidence! Lovely little market town. OH would like to live there! We tend to go a lot as so local.
Don't tempt me re: the book!!!! Hopefully it will still be there when I go again - my first visit since first lockdown and before that we used to go very often.
Yes it is a good mix on the verges and as you say the yarrow is doing well. I picked the best border to take photos but they have wild flowers everywhere. On verges and roundabouts throughout Solihull.
What is it with Kivert I just thought him a pervert, Seems he visited a church over our way in Oxfordshire that I visited. I have to presume Coleshill is not the same as the one I visited in Oxfordshire.
https://thechurchexporer.blogspot.com/2020/05/the-clerics-trail.html
https://thechurchexporer.blogspot.com/2022/02/all-saints-coleshill.html
Billy Blue Eyes - Thanks so much. I love Kilvert's diaries I really do especially as much is set in the Borders an area I love. Unfortunately he did have a way of describing young girls that could be misinterpreted today but I've always believed this was totally innocent.
The Coleshill I visited is in North Warwickshire so yes a different one. Thanks for the links. I will check those out later.
Well, I had to smile at those portaloos! I don't know much about Kilvert, but I do enjoy books that take us where others have trod and see things through different sets of eyes. My Twr Y Felin Guide to St Davids is one such book. I must make that Dorset Apple Cake one day, looks delicious. D's birthday card {Happy Birthday} is really something else. Thank you for all the lovely photos, I can't get out and about now like I used to and it means a lot to see so many really lovely places you visit.
What a lovely post. I've recently read the latest Merrily Watkins book too and also enjoyed the Midnight Hour. The Apple Cake and the Dragon are super for a birthday treat. The local verges look wonderful and I always think that Coleshill looks so interesting, I like the sound of the bookshop:)
Yes! I was about to say I'm glad they are native wildflowers for a change! Makes a change from Californian Poppies. They look so beautiful too.
Glad you are venturing into some shops, although Covid is on the increase again - can't win! We had just started daring to not wear a mask indoors but am planning to again if I go into a supermarket (K does the shopping whilst I'm at the physio. He said he was amongst 4 people wearing a mask last week).
The book wedding dress is amazing! Lovely town buildings at Coleshill. :-)
Rustic Pumpkin - Thank you so much for your very kind comment. I am so glad the places and photos bring you so much pleasure. When someone says something like that it makes blogging so worthwhile.
The guide to St Davids sounds good :) Yes do make the apple cake it is delicious and I was really chuffed to spot that card!
Rosie - Thanks so much. I am a bit lost now I have finished those two brilliant books but I am reading on the kindle Miss Austen by Jill Hornby (think I spotted it on your blog) and I am enjoying it immensely. Good to have a change from crime and mystery books. If you are in the aera Coleshill and bookshop worth a visit :)
Millymollymandy - Thanks so much. Solihull do use a few other mixes which have the cornflowers and californian poppies but I was so pleased to see so many native species in this place. They are just as pretty as other flowers and so good for pollinators.
Just taking small steps as you say Covid very much on the increase and so many people don't wear masks now indoors especially bad when they don't wear them in places like GP surgeries and hospitals. Half the time the staff don't wear them properly either! I still haven't braved a supermarket - A weekly shop or rather the thought of it is a step too far for me so we still have it delivered. I do wear a mask indoors and I still miss many places like going to the theatre or to a museum but not ready for that yet. Once or twice I haven't worn one eg in an empty church and in a empty loo.
My goodness I’m amazed you don’t have to wear a mask in a hospital! Here in France all health places still require a mask worn, and I’m very glad about it. Except I do gym at the physio once a week and have to wear a mask, which gets a bit hot! I went to the pharmacy recently and the ladies there were unmasked for the first time, I asked and they said it was no longer necessary. Next time I went in and the lady was in a mask again with a sign saying mask wearing is preferred. I wasn’t wearing one this time! :-) With so much else on the news right now there’s hardly anything about covid any more.
MillymollyMandy - I think you can blame the present Govt for the daft idea they are no longer essential hospitals over here. I had an appt yesterday and half people waiting area not wearing them and two nurses without them or rather wearing on their chin. OH and I stood in the corridor by the waiting area! Not much on news over here about it either. Yet cases still so high and hospitaliation up and people are still dying from it. Really quite terrifying.
i am now 2 books behind on Rickman EEK
The Quacks of Life - EEK! Indeed. Buy them and read them :) I am now resorting to re-reading!!!
Coleshill looks like a lovely place to visit, so much to see :-)
It is interesting that you have observed people not wearing facemasks in a medical environment.
My observations (where I live) is that in hospitals for appointments, in A&E, in GP surgeries and other medical environments almost everyone wears a facemask. They are available on entry to hospitals and also available in waiting areas. In the A&E department a nurse came round telling the few people who weren't wearing one that they must wear a facemask.
I only know this because I have accompanied my mum on many medical appointments in the last few weeks.
CherryPie - Thank you. Compliance round by us is awful re: wearing masks. Even when it was mandatory. Ifyou go anywhere wearing one very few others are although hospitals are a bit better in that respec.
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