There was a Christmas Food and Craft Fayre at Middleton Hall last weekend so on Sunday morning we popped along to have a look.
The Hall and grounds had been decorated for Christmas.
As you can see it was very busy there and there was a good range of stalls - I did make a couple of small purchases for Christmas :)
Before leaving we walked over to the Courtyard where there are several independent little shops including a Cheese and Ale Barn which sells the most delicious cheeses.
Timothy came too - you will notice I have knitted a brightly coloured scarf to keep him warm. It didn't match his jumper so I knitted him a new one!
Part of the courtyard had a lovely section with Christmas decorations including lots of "fairy garden" type items.
Some of you may know that there has been an influx of Hawfinches into the country. This is yet another of my "bogey" birds - the nearest I have ever come to seeing one was many years ago at RSPB Nagshead when we walked into a hide overlooking a pool only to be greeted with those dreaded words " You should have been here five minutes ago there was a Hawfinch drinking in the pond"! I'd spotted on a local bird blog that a couple of Hawfinches had been feeding in yew trees in Berkswell churchyard the day before. Berkswell is not far away so on Sunday afternoon I went along to see if I could see any - it seemed too good an opportunity to miss.
St John the Baptist Berkswell
The birds had been spotted in these yew trees near the church. I stood in the freezing cold for an hour and managed to "dip" yet again on this species although it was good to watch dozens of Blackbirds and Redwings feeding on the berries along with a few Fieldfare, Mistle and Song Thrush so it wasn't a wasted journey.
Just a few photos of the church as I have done so many posts on St John's in the past.
Back at home and, despite the cold weather, calendula and cosmos are still flowering.
B over-watered my Christmas Cactus in the summer and it really did look on its last legs - he pruned it right back and it seems to have recovered well as it is now covered in blooms as is the cyclamen.
A few books read recently......
I loved this book and, although it is a bit long, I couldn't put it down. If you love nature and were born in the 1950's I think you would particularly enjoy it - I laughed out loud so many times when reading this book.
Sadly, I have now read all the Vera Stanhope books in this series. I loved every one of them and hope it isn't too long before Ann Cleeves brings out another.
