A day in the Cotswolds

Today was crisp, cold and bright so we went for a drive out into the Costwolds. We saw some lovely examples of tudor buildings, and visited the folly on top of the hill at Broadway. The tower is surrounded by dear parks and on a clear day like this, visitors can see 9 counties from the top. We have to confess we didn't walk far - the wind coming across the top of the hill was icy cold!

Merry Christmas!

And finally Christmas was here, a lovely quiet family dinner with a fresh Cockerel and Turkey, homemade cranberry sauce and all the trimmings...

Thank you to everyone for their lovely gifts, here's a picture of Emma on her new beanbag in her new dressing gown & slippers reading her new book (heaven!)...

German Markets!

Well, what an excellent Christmas holiday! We started our fortnight off in Manchester with tickets to the matinee of The Wizard of Oz at the Lowry Theatre, followed by a trip around the Lowry art gallery and dinner by Salford Quayside. The following day we took the tram into Manchester and went to the one of the largest German markets outside Germany, it was all very festive and smelt delicious!!! Here's a picture of the barbecue round where they cook fresh Bratwurst, yum! There were gingerbread men, reindeer antlers, giant santas and as much gluhwein as you could drink....we came away full of festive cheer - hic!

Holly and berries

For our lovely friends and family in the southern hemisphere, and for our other friends who live in sunny and warm places, here's another snapshot of our preparations for Christmas...

For those of you for whom cold feet is a distant memory, and dark mornings a thing of the past, spare a thought for us scraping ice off the car in the morning and trudging through sludge to get to our neighbours. We feel your heartfelt condolences for us shivering at bedtime, and for braving frost and ice to get to work in the morning. And for those of you who can't keep your chocolate solid or your ice creams unmelted - here in return is our heartfelt BAH-HUMBUG! ;0)

(we're only jealous!)...

Farm Park

As is traditional at this time of year, we paid a visit to a delightful little farm park near my mum's house. There are animals to cuddle and feed, hot roast chestnuts and the Salvation Army Band, all so very effective at distracting us from the cold, wet and mud! As always there is a life-size Nativity scene, complete with sheep and donkey. This donkey was a bit too interested in our friend's little girl, but she didn't seem to mind!

Flowers...very spoiled!

I was given two lots of flowers this week and feel very spoiled. One as a thank you from a friend for doing her a favour, and another from my mum for our anniversary. They have combined beautifully into a single vase and hey presto, another excuse to get the camera out! I'm experimenting with indoor lighting at the moment, some more successful than others!! I thought the Christmas tree pictures looked quite Dickensian on the 'candle' setting!

Our anniversary!

This weekend marked the 15th anniversary of our wedding...

To celebrate we went for a lovely meal at our favourite Indian restaurant in Stony Stratford (the Bekash) which is just a few doors away from the hotel where we had our wedding reception. It was so beautiful having our wedding in December as all the Christmas lights were on in the High Street, just like this. It was a really clear, frosty night, you can just make out the moon in this picture.

This time 15 years ago we were packing ready for our honeymoon - on 6th January we set off from Southampton for the first third of the round-the-world cruise. I've suggested that for our next big anniversary (25!) we should go back and do the other two thirds!!! That means we need to start saving now though ;0)

Put a log on the fire...

Last week Lucy found the hottest place in the house. On top of the lizard's cage next to the radiator. Then we put the Christmas tree up and thought we'd better have a real fire, just to get into the spirit of the thing. As if by magic, Lucy appeared. She abandoned the lizard hotspot in favour of a place in front of the fire, forgot she was middle aged and became a cute and playful kitten again, and as soon as the fire went out, as if by magic she disappeared again.

When I depart this mortal world I want to come back as a cat! :0)

The tree's up!

Our little friend Kitty helped decorate the Christmas Tree this weekend, and everyone who pitched in did a great job. We thought we'd go for "understated chic" this year (not!)... After growing up with a white and silver artificial tree (you must forgive, it wasn't my choice and it WAS the 1970's!), and Tim a more tasteful green but still artificial tree, we both insist on a real tree, always. It smells divine. Looks the business. And, well, it's Christmas isn't it?

But hang on a minute, who's that in the picture trying to steal the tree's golden moment? It's Lucy the cat, more about her in a minute...well, after this weekend we are really in the festive spirit. We baked our first batch of mince pies and had home warmed (that's no ordinary mulled wine, it's M&S mulled wine!) okay so we cheated but only on that bit. Ten more days at work then that's it, off for a full fortnight, phew! After 6 months off this has been a long haul! Bring it on...

The iron viaduct

This weekend our friends came to visit from Leicester and we got out for a walk along the river and canal. We wish we had more days like this in the Autumn - a really deep frost, a lovely dry cold and the most glorious sunshine. We took a circular walk that meanders first along the river and then to where the canal crosses it about 10 metres above across an iron viaduct.

Preparations for Christmas...

Here we go, then, Christmas 2008 approaches!

The exams are now over (YIPPEE!) so we can go full throttle into preparing for the festive season. This weekend we'll be finding a spot for the Christmas tree, and Em is already 3 days into her traditional chocolate advent calendar - the old favourites are the best aren't they???

Here are some pretty Christmas pictures to get you in the mood...

If proof were needed...

If proof were needed that we are in the grips of a Russian cold front, I present unequivocable evidence. Our cat, Lucy, who is the thermometer of the household, has dispensed with the radiator in the hall. She has abandoned Emma's bed (the nearest bed to a radiator in the whole house). She has even foregone the spot between the living room radiator and the coffee table (a trap for hot air to dwell)...

Instead, she has installed herself on top of Emma's lizard's tank (vivarium for the educated amongst us). Not only is the tank heated to 97 degrees, but it also sits in front of a radiator, and the radiator has a small shelf above it, thereby creating a perfect recreation of conditions in the Australian outback from whence he originated.

I keep you waiting no longer, here is the proof - in Lucy language "it's blooming cold outside and I've found the hottest spot in the house!" Purr......

Exams are nearly here!

Am very jealous about the big fat chocolate cheesecake the girls are having to celebrate the end of their exams - mine start tomorrow!! ARGH!!!

It's not that I haven't studied, you understand, I have been for weeks and months. The three assignments have all gone well, the revision has all been fine. My biggest worry is not having sat an examination for 17 years! I'm sure all that stuff has gone in, but given 3 hours to write, will it all come back out again??!! And will my arm be up to writing for 9 hours in 3 days when all I'm used to writing these days is a signature on a cheque??!!

Right, time to relax, lovely hubby is cooking what smells like a delicious sausage casserole, here's looking forward to chocolate cake on Wednesday night - or maybe even indulge in a mid-week appointment with Messrs Wolf and Blass!!

I promise once they're over to get out more and do some more interesting Brit stuff for the blog site. My poor camera thinks it's been made redundant ;0(

Waddesdon Manor

This week we visited Waddesdon Manor for the first time since last year. We have lovely fond memories of November birthday celebrations at the Floodlit Openings and dinner in the Dairy. One year, 2 of our guests didn't show but we'd pre-ordered the wine - needless to say it was a very merry evening ;0)

This time of year they protect the stone statues and fountains from the winter frost by covering them - they look like ghosts wandering around the gardens!

This weekend the house was "dressed for Christmas"! No photography in the house, sadly, but a beautiful Christmas tree at the front of the house. Each room in the East Wing was dressed with a colour co-ordinated and specially themed tree, all truly spectacular.

And we rounded off our bracing walk around the gardens with a scrumptious glass of hot mulled wine and mince pies in the restaurant. We came away quite in the mood for our Christmas holidays (only 4 weeks to go...)

We raised a toast - "to absent friends"! xxx

Winter's coming!

For all of our friends outside the UK, we had a stiff easterly wind last week and all those beautiful autumn colours were gone overnight. Instead, bare naked trees and piles of leaves everywhere.

We even had a flurry of snow on Sunday morning, just as Tim was about to take our friends to Gatwick airport for 2 weeks in the lovely warmth of Florida! Sadly by the time the rest of the house stirred, the snow had been replaced by rain and all evidence was gone!

What a shame we have no hot volcanic springs to go and soak in to warm ourselves through - we'll have to be content for now with a deep hot bath! Brrr......

London Science Museum

We took a trip to the London Science Museum this weekend. The halls on space and satellites, and the one on electricity and forces were all very interesting, but the most fascinating place for Tim and I is the "Secret Life of Household Objects" exhibit, showing technology through recent history. The picture above, believe or not, was a hair drying device, all the rage in the early '70s. Note the really scary head it's being modelled on - the eyes actually move...scary!!!

Xanthe, this one is just for you. The smokeless fuel called Hard Coke. And the bite size pieces of coalite called Nuts. We were thinking of you and the pile of logs for your lovely stove - couldn't you just imagine ordering Hard Coke or Nuts instead?? Hee....

The Pudding Club

This week I had my very first experience of the Women's Institute! A friend invited a group of us to the fund-raising 'Pudding Club' organised by the ladies of the village. For a modest cover charge, we were served with a pudding of our choice, and seconds, and thirds! It was absolutely fabulous! I have to confess to having had the Sticky Toffee Pudding with custard; the Chocolate and Raspberry Trifle; and to top it off, cheeseboard with Port. We rolled out of the village hall and round to the pub for a nightcap.
Only to say that we have all put our names down for the next Pudding Club event. Bring it on! :0)

The Cotswolds Wildlife Park

On recommendation from Karen at work, we took a trip to the Cotswold Wildlife Park this weekend. It's all built around a country house with the most exquisite gardens.

We spent ages watching the Meerkats - they'd been given some raw eggs to eat and spent so much time trying to bury them, then squabbling over them that much of the broken eggs ended up in the sand. But when they did crack and eat one, it was with complete relish!

Our first view of a native of New Zealand since leaving - a Pukeko or Purple Swamp Hen!!! We could have been back down under just for a minute there...

Hallowe'en

This week we woke up to the first frost of the year. The garden looked like it had been dusted with icing sugar, but as soon as the sun came up it was gone.

Our friends Amanda and Tim had a Hallowe'en Party at their house, and we had a firework display courtesy of the two Tims. Here's Emma's pumpkin....

Wallace & Gromit

Bradgate Park on an autumnal afternoon for a walk, stopping at the old stables in the middle for a cup of tea and piece of homemade cake. This is the landmark I grew up with, Old John and the Bradgate memorial...

There was a travelling exhibition of Wallace and Gromit showing sets and models at the New Walk Museum in Leicester. The detail was absolutely mindblowing, and all the tiny models so skilled. Sadly we weren't permitted to take pictures inside so you'll have to take our word for it...

Medieval Day

This weekend marked the annual Living History Day in Leighton Buzzard and this year's theme was Medieval history. The school playing field was turned over to tents and arrow makers, knights and ladies in waiting. The jester did a terrific turn in trying to free himself from locks and chains! And the children got up close to some really beautiful birds of prey.

Honey?

We thought this would make a lovely picture - a little cluster of beehives down the lane! We had a fabulous talk about bees and pollination when we were at Kiwi 360! How many thousands of beehives did they have to commission each year to pollinate the kiwi fruit? This is in much more modest style...

Walking the Canals

Just half a mile down the lane is the Grand Union Canal. In its heyday it ran all the way from London to Manchester, delivering coal, wool and raw materials for the milling and manufacturing industries. The milestones are calculated from the nearest marina at Braunston.

These days it's the tranquil location for a boating holiday, and for the few who live on the waterways. In glorious evidence, the colours of autumn! And a couple of picturesque pubs on the way. We walked the 4 miles down into Leighton Buzzard town from home, just right for a nice stretch-out at the weekend...