Day Off

It was our intention today to head over to Somerset House where the Origin Craft Fair was ending its first week.  Mark drove up and met me in Muswell Hill bright and early and the walk from the car park to Aldwych was glorious.  London was looking fantastic in clear sunshine - not a cloud in the sky.  We walked through Trafalgar Square, thinking that we'd sit a while and enjoy the view but sadly all the paraphernalia with an event in the square prevented that.  Admiral Lord Nelson had a better vantage point as you'll see from my photo of the day yesterday. 

Though we've both walked past Somerset House many times, this was the first time either of us had been inside and I have to say, I was amazed at what I saw.  A trip to the loo revealed all kinds of walkways and passageways beneath street level - on the Aldwych side at least, for the other side is high above the Embankment.  Mark explained this was all reclaimed land - something I didn't know/hadn't really thought about before.

We loved many of the exhibits in the craft show - some extravagant silver candle holders by Brett Payne and some fine woodwork and furniture.  We both loved Michael Berger's Kinetic rings too. Had a short chat with Jane Adam, whose jewellery I wear and which always provokes comment and admired the beautiful felted shawls of Maggie Scott whose technique of incorporating fine digitally printed chiffon with very thin layers of more woolly fibres intrigued us both.  But budgets being budgets, we settled for smaller "souvenirs" in the form of a gorgeous merino woven scarf by Keskusta, a woven silky one by Margo Selby and a frilly knitted merino wool creation by Florrie - a longer and more drapey version of the neck ruff shown on their website.  I have to wait for that one to be made.

After a short break sitting in the sunshine on the terrace overlooking the river, we returned to explore a little more of this amazing building, starting with Nelsons staircase.

The Nelson staircase rises elegantly from the corridor where the Deli/Cafe is to be found, and the Navy staircase at the opposite end.  Here we found a great description of what might have greeted us in earlier days:

"In these damp, black and comfortless recesses, the clerks of the nation grope about like moles, immersed in Tartarean gloom, where they stamp, sign, examine, indite, doze, and swear..."

Looking down at those dark and gloomy places below, it's wasn't hard to imagine such scenes.

We agreed that we need another visit to this interesting place and added it to our list for another day before heading back across town on an errand or two.  Finished the day with a delicious supper with Edward at Ottolenghi having spent ten minutes or more deciding which nine flavours of chocolates we'd include in our box of chocolates - Marmite and Port and Stilton were Mark's choices, whilst I went for more conventional Cinnamon and Cider - sadly the Yorkshire Tea ones were sold out!

Headed home late last night and intend to have a quiet day today.  The fun begins tomorrow.

To "Brideshead" and beyond

The rain finally came overnight and we woke to leaden skies and wet pavements.  Time to go home.  Our journey took us via Byland Abbey, however; one of those places you stumble upon as you turn a corner, suddenly finding a magnificent structure immediately in front.  Wow.

It had been our intention to drive along the ridge past Ampleforth towards Hovingham, stopping for a short time by the Mouseman workshop.  You can read about Robert  "Mousey" Thompson here.

The furniture is beautifully crafted and perfect in a large country house or parish church setting.  Since we have to furnish neither, we admired and moved on.  Not before I'd taken a photograph of their raw material in the form of stacks of English Oak, gently weathering outside the workshop.

On then, to our intended destination. Castle Howard.

We arrived with the morning rush, but that was fine - this place was large enough to cope.  We loved wandering around the house at our own pace and appreciated the fact that we could take photographs.

Though undoubtedly grand, Castle Howard is most certainly a real family home too.

The views were magnificent, both outside and in

We really enjoyed an exhibition of Nick Howard's photographs and found the inevitable exhibition to both the recent filming and the 1980's TV series interesting, for after all, many will always think of Castle Howard as Brideshead.

We drove to Hull mid afternoon, intending to spend the night there and drive home tomorrow morning.  Mummy's bungalow stands empty and with no buyers forthcoming, we tend to put it to the back of our minds.  But having satisfied ourselves that all was well, we decided to drive on back to Gloucestershire tonight.

After Strictly Come Dancing and Hull Haddock and Chips, of course.  We have our priorities!

A different kind of circus

After the circus that took place at home yesterday afternoon, we got ourselves together and headed off with good friends Lyn and Chris to Minchinhampton Common, for we had tickets for Giffords Circus. We have heard only good things about this show but since we're usually on holiday during August, we've not managed to get ourselves to see for ourselves till now.

Lyn and Chris supplied the pre-show Pimms and the rain held off long enough for us to sit on the common and pretend it was a warm Summer's evening. We admired their nifty Pimms kit!

When we were on holiday recently, we saw the Barnum and Bailey Circus train passing through...hmmmm...New Mexico somewhere?

I joked and said how disappointed I was that there was no giraffe's head popping up above the carriages, nor could I see an elephant looking out like in a Richard Scarry book! But really, to see a circus train at all was a first for me and I was rather surprised to find that there are such things.

We were delighted to see these grand wagons parked up on the common, which, even though they didn't look quite like the story book either, did have an old world elegance about them and a genuine feel of the circus.

We took our seats in the Big Top - smaller than I'd imagined, even though Lyn had told me it was an intimate affair - and enjoyed the pre-show with some fun with Tweedy the clown who was simply fantastic. Totally daft, very very clever - with none of that vaguely sinister feeling a more traditional clown usually provokes. We loved him.

Whilst he spent fifteen minutes being silly, the musicians and a few others were playing cards in the ring - with a rabbit or two here and there.

Their costumes were beautiful - traditional and elegant rather than wacky.

No photographs during the show, understandably, so you will have to imagine the delightful and incredibly skilful performances we enjoyed. (There is a great slide show, with music here) We saw tightrope walking, acrobatics, a kind of trapeze act, a series of beautiful horses parading in the ring - one dancing, circus-horse-style, another large heavy horse walking gently around followed by a duck! All accompanied by the most gloriously mad music played by a band from Hungary (I think). The energy, spirit and total commitment of everyone defies description - we loved every minute! These are such skilled people and they perfom with such incredible style and good humour.

After the show, we enjoyed a delicious meal cooked in one of the circus wagons by Sauce, all served on Bridgewater china - the spotty and starry plates being so appropriate to the circus. On the table in the centre of the dining tent was a single word - EFFORTLESS.

I don't think so.

If you haven't seen Giffords Circus and you have the chance, don't wait any longer! I can't wait to see them again. Another review here if you need further persuasion.

Artists at work

Today we went to Weston-Super-Mare, where this part of the beach was full of children building sandcastles. It was great to see so much enthusiastic activity on the beach, for it wasnt the warmest of days.

Perhaps the inspiration for their work was happening a little further along, where the International Sand Sculpture Association was having a competition with a theme of the continents of the world.

They were still working on Asia.

North America was pretty impressive

Antarctica was simply amazing, what with the perspective and all that.

Look at the detail! And the flag is made of sand too. How?

We spent a happy hour wandering about taking photographs and marvelling at the work

trying to decide which we liked best

before going into the tea rooms just along the way for hot chocolate and a bacon sandwich!

Clouds

We've been in London overnight, at an awards do at the Dorchester (which explains yesterday's photo of the day). As we drove home earlier this evening, we heard that Fairford Air Tattoo had been cancelled due to the weather, which surprised us, for it's not been too bad up there in the capital. Seems as though the car parks were waterlogged though, and I imagine that would have caused a huge problem.

Mind you, so might have this...

As we approached Swindon, I could see this huge thundercloud looming in front of us. Maggie, it looks like it's coming from your house - hope it's not Robin's frustration!!

It started to rain heavily for a very shrot time indeed - probably less than five minutes, and then the sun came out as we drove through and out the other side.

By the time we reached Cirencester, the sky was blue and you'd never have imagined it had been any different.

Whilst we were in London, I dropped into the Nokia shop to ask for help sending photographs to my blog from my N95 phone. You wouldn't believe how helpful and patient the response was - I was in there over an hour and am so nearly there. I think what remains is a Vodafone problem, but those guys in the Nokia store in Regent Street deserve huge praise for their tenacity and determination. At one point there were five phones and three pairs of hands on the problem - I sat back and let them get on with it - you know how fast those thumbs and fingers can fly around those little keypads!!