HAPPY CHRISTMAS

Wishing everyone a Very Happy Christmas and best wishes for a Happy and Healthy 2023.

December Visit to Herefordshire - Part 1: Leominster and the Herefordshire Oak

 

We spent 3 nights in Herefordshire at the beginning of December mainly because we wanted to visit the Tenbury Wells Mistletoe Festival on the Saturday.

The first couple of days were really foggy and cold. On the second day we popped into Leominster so a  few photos from around the town which is looking quite festive.

I always think of Jane in the Merrily Watkins books by Phil Rickman when I see this shop.

This is the Art Gallery where I spotted the little handmade glass suncatchers I was tempted by. I dropped out a strong hint to B and D that I would love one for my birthday.  Later we went back into the shop as B had seen some very good original paintings and he thought I might like one for my birthday.  

Timothy stayed in the warm.

A foggy Fairview - I think for the first two nights we were the only people there.

Herefordshire Oak in the fog!  Last photo was taken on the Saturday when the fog had finally lifted!

Hollyhock still in flower although I doubt it has survived recent heavy frosts.

A few photos from around the site.

We came back on the Sunday and then had to rush back on the Tuesday to drain down the water due to the very cold overnight temperatures forecast.  We had planned to return mid December but in the end decided to spend a day "winterising" and closing it down for the winter. So the next few photos were taken on the final trip when it was cold and frosty!

I'll do a post on the Tenbury Wells Mistletoe Festival in a few days.

I hope everyone is staying safe and well.

All photos taken by me with the Panasonic Lumix FZ330 bridge camera. ( I don't particularly rate my photos but if anyone wishes to use one I would be grateful for an email first - thanks).

Recent Reading and This and That

 

Recent Reading

This is the second book in the Matthew Venn series set in North Devon and I really enjoyed it. Ann Cleeves is a very good writer and I loved her Shetland and Vera books although I never really liked either tv series.

This is book 10 in the Inspector Banks series set in Yorkshire. This book is one that I found hard to put down - again it is another series I really enjoy.

I haven't read a Cooper and Fry book for some time. In this one Cooper is off work on sick leave but still manages to have a hand in solving the crime!  I do like Ben Cooper as a character in the story although I must admit I really do not like Diane Fry!

I enjoyed this book far more than the first in the series. Sometimes I think it takes a while to get used to new characters.

I really loved Leif Bersweden's book called "The Orchid Hunter" and therefore when his new book was published I am afraid I was a little naughty and treated myself.  This is another delightful book which I highly recommend. Leif's love of plants, trees, flowers and mosses etc just shines out of every word he writes. The book tells of a year when he travelled round the UK on train and bike in search of flowers meeting many other naturalists and botanists on his journey. When you read this book it just makes you want to get out of doors and look for plants where ever you are which is what I think the author wants you to do.

Christmas Cactus flowering in the porch.

Angela Harding Advent Calendar - it is always a joy to open the windows on this and see her lovely illustrations.

We always have an advent candle too.

The Ring Necked Parakeet pair have re-appeared in the garden visiting the feeders and eating Silver Birch catkins.

*D

We spent 3 nights in Herefordshire last week as we wanted to visit the Tenbury Wells Mistletoe Festival.  We had planned to come back next weekend or the week after but then had to dash back yesterday  as very low overnight temperatures have been forecast so we have decided to close down the caravan for the winter. We did turn the water off last week but forgot to drain the water hence the rush to return. It will only be a stop of one night just to give the place a good clean, bring home fridge and freezer food, strip the beds and vacuum bag quilts and pillows and the clothes we leave there.  So sadly we won't have time for trips out. It is going to be a long 3 months before we can return.  At the moment with the building work next door I have come to rely on trips to Herefordshire as a way of escaping and a place of refuge.

I'll write about the Herefordshire trip last week in a few days.

I hope everyone is staying safe and well.

The parakeet photo was taken by my son.

Happy Christmas

 

Wishing everyone a very Happy Christmas.

Who would have thought this time last year that Christmas 2021 would be spent still in a pandemic :(

A few Christmassy photos for the rest of the post.

Baking

D decorated the gingerbread biscuits from an English Heritage kit. We've put some on the tree.

The Christmas cake needs the addition of some Nutcracker decorations I bought last year if I could only find them!

I bought a few cheeses in Leominster a few weeks ago and ordered a few from the Wensleydale Creamery Dairy. D ordered the ones below to complete the selection.

Christmas Decorations

We use many decorations for the tree and mantelpiece that we have collected over the years.  

Please excuse dusty "coals" in the fire - I should have vacuumed and cleaned them all before putting up decorations!!! Its actually a gas fire which is very effective but we rarely use it. I don't think they make them any more as possibly not deemed safe in these health and safety ridden times!

The last few photos were taken by D - the parakeet was in the garden and the jay seen on a daily walk along a river.  The dawn photos are from a bedroom window taken a few days ago.

Photo taken in Coleshill when I braved the florists to buy a wreath.

Not many in the parsnip crop but enough for Christmas dinner.

 I hope everyone is staying safe and well and has a good a Christmas as possible.

Photos taken by me with the Panasonic Lumix FZ330 bridge camera and those taken by D with the Canon SX50HS bridge camera.