A Celebration of Winter...

                           Kicking off this ‘Celebration of Winter,’ 

                             I’ve chosen a beautiful picture by Emily Sutton

                           If anything sums me up, then this does!

                           It could well be me, sitting there in my greenhouse,

                           contemplating. But contemplating what?

( From ‘Out and About’ by Shirley Hughes)

I think that if someone asked me what I’d loved the most

about my time on this earth, my reply to them

would be: 

The seasons.

I take joy and pleasure in each and as you say goodbye to

one season, another comes along to knock if from its perch

and you know full well that it’s not really goodbye at all.

And thus, at this very moment, I am celebrating:

❄️Winter ❄️ 

And yes, it’s  bitter cold right now...

as Shirley Hughes reminds us:

But what’s to stop you from wrapping up warm

and venturing outside. For instance...

  Mackenzie Thorpe highlights the delights of a snowy

day in his lovely paintings....

                                       

                                    Of course, the weather can bring its irritations...as

                                        Mal Burton so aptly depicts...

                                                  

                                  

                                   But there is a certain charm too...

                               

                            ...as well as a touch of romance..and we could all do 

                               with some of that!

                      Naturally, if you are going to celebrate ‘Winter’, then you need

                      look no further than Thomas Kinkade; his paintings cry out

                      to you, ‘ Come, embrace the season!’

                      This one is pure magic!

          

            I think I would always include  ‘The Holly Fairy’ by Mary Cicely Barker

            simply because the red berries always add such a wonderful contrast to

            a wintry day:

O, I am green in Winter-time,
When other trees are brown;
Of all the trees (So saith the rhyme)
The holly bears the crown.
December days are drawing near
When I shall come to town,
And carol-boys go singing clear
Of all the trees (O hush and hear!)
The holly bears the crown!

For who so well-beloved and merry
As the scarlet Holly Berry?

❄️ 

Delightful!

❄️ 

And talking of delightful...

...here is Monet’s Magpie

          

      Claude Monet painted many snowy scenes..apparently around 140!

           One of my other favourites of his is ‘Snow in Argenteuil’

            Brrrrrrrrrrrrr!

           Of course the season of winter isn’t exclusive to the countryside.

           Here is,’From the Royal Exchange’ by Ken Howard.

      And ‘Winter in Broughton’ by L.S. Lowry...

      ...as well as ‘The Pond’...

         To end this celebration, a Christmas card that caught 

        my eye this year.. I sent this to one or two on my Christmas card list!

                  ‘Between Snow Showers’ by Martin Truefitt Baker.

           And that is my celebration of wonderful Winter...

           What would yours be?

 

The great and mighty Gulls!

 

                        Yesterday,  I was following the fortunes of my beloved football 

                        club - the great and mighty, Torquay United! The Gulls.

                        Off we went to play Weymouth. They didn’t make it easy for us

                        but we’ve been becoming rather good at scoring winners near the end

                        so I was pretty confident that all would be fine! And it was. 

                        My ‘partner in crime’ and the person who has accompanied

                        me to many matches since he was about 7 years old, Nich,

                        pinged me a, ‘We’re going to lose this’ message.

                        ‘NOOOO’, I responded! 😁  

                      (  Keep the faith! Ah, but this is Torquay, remember!)

                        It is rare that we top the league let alone ‘romp ahead’ 

                        at New Year. So, excuse me whilst I delight in this pleasure. 

                        One has to grab moments such as this as one has had 

                        so few uplifting moments over the years!         

                     

                       I reckon that someone was having a sense of humour 

                      when I was born! Out I popped and I was immediately branded 

                      ( for life)!

                                    ‘ Torquay United for you, little missy!’

                      And thus began over 50 years of joy, fun...and heartache! 😂🤣😂

                     I was, however, lucky enough to start this lifelong affection

                    when a certain Frank O’Farrell  ( above on the rhs) was in charge.

                   ‘Top bloke’  as they say in the game! Robin Stubbs ( the young 

                    man in  the white shirt, in the above photo) was regularly 

                    ‘knocking them in’ for The Gulls. He was our ‘Shearer’ of the day..

                    tough, strong and lethal... with both head and foot! 

                    And as my mum taught in the school directly opposite the 

                    football ground at Torquay - Plainmoor- 

                   ( it’s far from plain, believe me!), I was more than a willing 

                    helper when she embarked on a  ‘Football project’ with her 

                    class of 7 year olds. It must’ve been ‘66, as football fever 

                    gripped the country at this time. 

                    So there I was, armed with a trundle wheel and my best 

                   maths brain, as Frank allowed us access to the ground for all sorts

                   of activities ...in the days when there were no constraints on teachers

                   who were able to teach project style...the good old days! 😁👍

                   You take a subject like football and you can cover just 

                  about every subject on the curriculum, believe me!

                  And so it continued...this lifelong attachment...

                

                 There have been many ‘highlights’; many hearts beating madly; 

                 many moments full of angst and tension; many tears!

                  One such match was in 1987, when we were in danger of

                  losing our football league status.  We were at the bottom of the then

                 4th division and it was the final match of the season. We needed a draw

                  in order to avoid relegation. We were 1-2 down against Crewe. 

                 We were doomed! BUT...( this is just like in the old football comics 

                  of way back and I’m giggling as I type!)...what no one could 

                  have predicted was that the hero would be a dog! 

                  A police dog to be more precise! Bryn!

                  Somehow, near the touch line, opposite to where I was standing,

                  Bryn managed to bite the thigh of our full back, Jim McNicol!

                 The resulting four minutes of injury time, gave our lads just 

                 enough time to compose themselves..and act! There was ‘Dobbo’

                 ( Paul Dobson) scoring the equaliser! The crowd went wild!

                 Looking around me I saw so many tears! It was madness, mayhem,

                 joy, delight, relief..and the final whistle blew. Off we all charged

                on to the pitch and there was the manager, Stuart Morgan, being held on 

                someone’s shoulders as if he had worked wonders! Hilarious really...

                 It had been such a rubbish season....and there he was being 

                 celebrated and cheered!  It was somewhat amusing.

                 I felt sorry for Lincoln, who were relegated.

                 I’ll never forget that day...ever.

               Memories...I have so many.

I remember watching Mark Loram kick a football quite 

some distance and place it to perfection very close to 

where I was standing... but even closer to the player

for whom it was meant...he could have kicked a 

football to land on a silver sixpence, he was that good.

( He was so good that he missed a penalty in 

the 1991 play off final..but we’ll forgive him

for that! 😂🤣😂)

And talking of that match...

A fine win ( I was there) saw us beat Blackpool 

after extra time and pens.

I do believe that our goalie, Gareth Howells, was the first goalie 

to ever score a pen in a play off final. I need to check that fact!

And then there was THAT trip to Barnet...

                       This was another nerve wracking match....

                     ‘ We will lose our football league status if we lose’

                     ( Been there, done that...any police dogs around?🤣😂🤣)

                      You can read about that Here

                     

                      And so it goes on...the ups and downs will no doubt

                     continue but we are prepared for whatever this little club

                     throws at us. We’ve been there...done it...lived to tell the tales!

                     And most of all, we are still smiling....

                      Especially this season! ( At the moment!)

                       Up The Gulls! 👍

⚽️⚽️⚽️⚽️⚽️⚽️⚽️⚽️⚽️⚽️⚽️⚽️⚽️⚽️⚽️⚽️⚽️⚽️⚽️⚽️⚽️⚽️⚽️⚽️⚽️ ⚽️⚽️⚽️⚽️⚽️

Seeing a Christmas hare!

I’ve admired the work of Vanessa Bowman for quite some time 

and have been waiting for the right moment to do a blog post..

Well, the moment has arrived! 

Today, an early morning visit to Wolborough cemetery, 

with Nich, brought quite a surprise!

                         

We disturbed a hare...which bounded off down the path 

before we could think ‘photo opportunity’! 

I’ve not seen a hare in years! Such a fine sight! 

Made my day! 

I think that the above picture has a ‘Wolborough’ touch to it.

Here are some other lovely pieces of art by the same artist:

 

Today...

I started the day by trekking around the garden!

‘Why not make a wreath?’ I thought!

              It’s amazing what you can do with what’s growing around you.....

              and I have this delightful, delicate, winter Clematis in the garden;

             Nich gave this to me, a couple of years ago.

              It’s come into its own, this winter, and has rambled all over the place!

 

             That done, we waited for a delivery as well as visits from various family 

              members to do some ‘doorstep present swapping’,

             before taking the usual walk.....

                        

                         This Beech is such a stunning colour.

                         

                         In contrast, the delicate, pale green leaves of the spindle 

                         are highlighted against the dark, tree trunks.

The country churchyard is looking lovely, with

many graves adorned with pretty Christmas offerings.

This stunning, shuttlecock fern has become 

quite a landmark...just one of many on our walk.

And as we reach home...wow!

The Pyracantha hedge is a real beauty this year! 

Who needs baubles?!

                                              What a lovely day! 😁

Little things that delight

                       

                        As we draw near to Christmas Day, it’s always good to get away 

                        from the shops, the spending, the worry about ‘room in the freezer’, 

                        the Christmas card writing and the constant making of lists...

                        ....and venture outside!

                        The little things delight, whether it is a mossy wall, the flash of red 

                        from the Gaultheria, an ivy covered milk churn, dried flower heads 

                        of the Hydrangea or a dainty, white, winter Clematis.

                        Each is beautiful in its own unique way!

                         I treasure these things; they cost nothing to enjoy and

                         they return year after year. 

                         For me, 2020 has been different, yet at the same time, refreshing.

                         The daily walk has made me open my eyes and appreciate

                         the wonders of nature, its seasons and all that these offer. I’ve 

                         always been a nature lover anyway but this year has brought 

                         more time to really savour the flavour.           

                                        

T’is the season to be jolly.....😁🎄😁🎄😁🎄😁🎄😁

      Tra la la la la la la la la! 😁🎄😁🎄😁🎄😁🎄😁

SNOB! 😂🤣😂

 My squeals of delight can be heard for miles when Sally and Neville Oscar Blakeley’s wonderful Christmas letter arrives..which it has! I do treasure the moment when it drops on to the mat..I know I’m in for a real treat ...kettle on first, of course! Here goes...

Dear Friends,

Well, what can I say about this year?! With four cancelled holidays, due to that dratted COVID, it means that I cannot relate our fabulous holiday news...we were due to take a skiing trip in St Moritz, a month in the famous wine tasting region of Bordeaux, a six week cruise on the Rhine... and finally, a trip ‘down under’ to visit a plethora of famous places. Talk about a ruined year...at least we did get most of our money returned to us but that’s not really the point, is it? 

Nevertheless, as we were somewhat bored, we managed to squeeze in a house move! Thus, as you can see from our address, we now reside in the very exclusive area of Virginia Water...a palatial residence...security is top notch, as you can imagine. And so we have spent lockdown completely refurbishing the interior...although all new, it wasn’t to our taste and the way that I look at it is that it keeps someone in work. I sent the best Axminster to a charity shop, where it was snapped up by our next door neighbours! I always knew that they would have an eye to the main chance..they look the sort! Shame about our dog piddling on it, daily, but a touch of Fabreze and hey presto...I doubt they will ever notice! 

Our new garden is acres..and some more. Neville was keen to get stuck in a build a pond...but I said that only prize idiots do that themselves so why not employ someone, as let’s face it, we want a lake, not a pond! We have boats to consider, so to save any mooring fees, we will be keeping them on our ‘rather grand’ lake, which by the way is almost finished. 

Next to the lake, we have a pool, which was already here when we bought the house and so the idea is to have regular pool parties so that we can get to know (and impress) the neighbours. One needs to be ‘in’ with the ‘in’ crowd, I do believe. In fact that is vital!

Neville was awfully generous when it was my birthday. He bought me a new diamond necklace and matching bracelet...from a jeweller in Mayfair, no less.  I can’t wait to show it off! I’m so glad that I met him ( Selina always did say that he was generous) as I like to be lavished upon no end! I was at a loss as to what to buy him as he is a man with everything. So, I decided to surprise him and buy him a water bed! (A bit old hat, I know...but he’s never owned one and did mention to me a while ago, that it could be a ‘thrilling experience’.) He was delighted...until the wretched thing split!  Thrilling... not! We only noticed it when water came pouring through the ceiling one morning at breakfast. Believe me, soggy Weetabix is not nice! And Neville’s very expensive slippers, bought in Paris, were ruined! The water bed manufacturer said that they had never had anything happen like this before and they were most apologetic. They immediately sent a replacement. Good job too! I’d have hated to ruin their reputation. They are after all, ‘By Royal Appointment’! Although the mind boggles ....

Luckily, we have not been affected by COVID as we have our money invested in the right places! So, I’ve bought the very best hampers ( including caviar)  from Fortnum and Mason, to give to my very best and wealthiest friends. If you don’t receive one, then please don’t think that we don’t like you...we graded our friends by their wealth, you see. As I’ve already said, one has to impress. 

I move on to a little sad news...someone shot our dog! I’ve a damn good idea who it is as he spends his time shooting squirrels ..if I catch him in the act, I shall personally stick his gun right up his...and then pull the trigger....( I can, however, report that, luckily, our poor little pooch survived but is still very traumatised and receiving help from a pet counselling service. )

We sold our four holiday homes ( one in Spain, one in The Algarve, one in The Lake District and one in North Cornwall)  at the end of last year and thank goodness we did! Neville has wisely invested the proceeds in U.K. property...three of these we will rent out and the other one we will keep for our own use when we fancy a weekend break. 

And with that, my dear friends, I wish you a very happy  Christmas as well as a very prosperous new year.

From your ( rich) friends, Sally and Neville Oscar Blakeley.

🎄 🎄 🎄 🎄 🎄 🎄 🎄 🎄 🎄 🎄 🎄 🎄 🎄 🎄 🎄 🎄 🎄 🎄 🎄 🎄 🎄 🎄 🎄 🎄 🎄  

Astonishing!

                             I’ve never known a November like this! 😂🤣😁

Greenhouse goings ons.. and more!

          There’s nothing like a fine sight in the greenhouse...to get one’s

          gardening enthusiasm stirred up a little.

             Generally, this occurs around February, for me.....until now!

I put all of my Fuchsias and Geraniums into the 

greenhouse in October, when they seemed well

past their best. But they’ve now gone mad in the

flowering dept....we’ve had a relatively warm autumn here

in South Devon.

So it’s all looking lush and healthy.

Foxgloves are doing well along with some

Cowslips which I grew from saved seed.

I’ve also sown some Sweet Peas and will sow more in 

Feb/March.

I’ve Sedum, grown from cuttings, Wallflowers, Penstemons 

and also some pots with radish in them

                     It’s been a strange old autumn, indeed it has! 😁

I have roses in bloom!

It’s November!

         This particular rose, above, is called ‘ For Your Eyes Only...

         It’s in its ninth month of flowering!  Isn’t that incredible?

                         And yesterday...a treat... as I walked out to find 

                          this lovely Hebe, in bloom again.

                         A very fine autumn, indeed !