Friday 11 July 2008

Down the A38; Woodpeckers... and an award !

I visited Ashburton yesterday and came home with more than I went with, as usual ;-)

A gorgeous French writing bureau. I think the paint is Farrow and Ball 'Skylight'.
It can house a few odds and ends until I decide what to do with it.


Odds and Suds also had these lovely large trugs for sale. Ideal for my Lavender.


Of course, talking of Lavender... Sarah's Lavender Box is right next door!
I couldn't resist the large terracotta pots! I do so love terracotta pots. Better still, they came with the geraniums. I didn't really need them but..they WERE the lovely large old ones after all!;-)

If you come to Devon, you must visit Ashburton!
So many treats in such a small place!

Talking of treats..my garden tonight was full of activity. I looked out from the kitchen window and saw THREE Green Woodpeckers (one was in the tree whilst this was going on).

To see the adult feeding its young, was such a treat!


And at the bottom of the garden..


I had to take these through the window so apologies for the quality!

Finally...thank you to Twiggypeasticks for this award, tonight!

I am going to pass it on to :

1. Ally Boon http://heygoodbooking.blogspot.com/

2. Leisa http://eleanorandruby.blogspot.com/

3. Bobbie Lynn http://whyilovetogarden.blogspot.com/

4. Simone http://simone-lindengrove.blogspot.com/

5. Mary http://devondesigns-mary.blogspot.com/

(OMG , do I need to get back into Mary's good books! (Since I said Torquay was a 'dump' and then made it worse by giving the impression that she lived there during Victorian times.. huge blogging apologies Mary ;-) LOL

Have a great weekend everyone ;-) Sal

Tuesday 8 July 2008

A family called Sayer


Meet Alfred Sayer.Born 1869.
Master Plumber and specialist in Artesian Wells and church lead work.
Other interests: Growing prize Chrysanths and showing them at the Cheltenham Flower Show;
Bell ringing at St Michaels church ,Gloucester.
Married to Amelia Kate (nee Sterry)
Two daughters, Elizabeth Kate (born 1894) and Hilda Frances (born 1896)
Sadly, Alfred died in 1903, after an accident at work, leaving Amelia to bring up their daughters on her own. Amelia was also a seamstress.
*****
Hilda Frances was my Grandma. She's the younger child in the photo.
Apparently, so my mother tells me, I have her eyes!
I have also inherited her love of books (she was frequently seen at the second hand book stall in Gloucester market, when she was older.)
When I was 6 or 7 years old I was allowed to spend regular holidays with her.
She would take me around the lanes near Kingskerswell, Devon, where she lived. She taught me the names of the many wild flowers growing in the hedgerow.
She also loved her garden.
And of course, she was an excellent cook, not to mention her sewing and knitting!
*****
Elizabeth Kate..now that is a different story.
Very musical,very clever,voice trained, played the piano..she eventually went on to be a teacher.
She had no children and was only married for 10 years, when her husband died.
She taught in Twerton, Bath.
She was one strict lady! I met her a couple of times and was terrified!
*****
And there you have it.
The Sayer family.
And this is the photo on my dresser, at which I occasionally glance as I pass by.
That is until a month ago..! ;-)
*****
About a month ago, before my mum was unwell, she asked me to investigate her family tree on her mother's side.
This I happily did. But of course once you start something like this...!!
I discovered that Alfred Sayer was one of 11 children!
(Imagine having to give birth 11 times!!)
And here's the lady who did it:

Thomas and Sarah Sayer - Married 1862 Gloucester.

I have managed to trace the Sayer family back to 1770..so far!

Anyway, to cut a long story short, I left a message on a message board re The Sayer family.

4 weeks passed and noone replied...until yesterday!

And the email was from the great granddaughter of Alfred's brother, Emmanuel!

So I have a newly discovered third cousin...I think that is right as we have the same great great grandparents .. Thomas and Sarah Sayer! She kindly sent me the photo of them.

Phew! It's hard to get my head around all of this.

*****
I then started to investigate the Sterry family! ;-)
I have so far traced this family back to 1660!
But that is for another time.
And that is just my mum's side!
My dad's will just have to wait!!
*****

Sunday 6 July 2008

The things I acquire!

I've shelled out on some planters for my garden.
They didn't cost me a bomb either!


The story goes that my Grandfather, on my dad's side, who fought in The Great War, brought back these brass shell cases from wherever he was fighting.
My dad has stored them for years, in his garage.
I think they went to auction at some point...and then came back again as noone wanted them .

They're flippin' heavy too!!


And now, because I always want to find out more about anything I acquire, I've discovered something called 'Trench Art'.
I found this quite interesting...

Which led me to:

Trench Art was a unique art form about which I knew little...but I know a lot more now just for acquiring these. Mine, however, have not been engraved, embossed or altered in any way...yet!

But it does seem kind of weird that something of beauty could be made out of something that helped to destroy...doesn't it?