Christmas 2007

Granny and Grandad prepare for Christmas (told you you'd see them again, Joan)!!

Father Christmas has called as Elliott is here with us - it's quite a few years since he stopped at this chimney and there's never been a baby within living memory at this house.

The star of the day herself, aged 5 weeks 4 days, length 56 cms.

Nina and Brigit discuss how much Elliott has grown.

Darran manfully ploughing through a selection of nibbles ... time for a refill of chocolate, nuts and raisins by the look of things.

Daddy, Mummy and Leela crash out!

And another beauty - Amaryllis Red Lion - 2 flowers and another to come.

15th December 2007

Grandad sings "Bye Baby Bunting" to Elliott ...

.. now it's Elliott's turn.... he sent Amy off to sleep anyway!

Lulled.

Mummy, I'm going to eat you all up!

November 2007

And definitely not forgetting her very proud and happy (albeit slightly tired) Mum and Dad - that's their wedding photo from 2004 in the background with Elliott's Cousin Clara as bridesmaid.

And Aunty Brigit ....

And Granny, chuffed to bits!

Here's proud Grandad with Elliott aged 2 days.

And moving on from the last posting, obviously not down to the doughnuts because here is the happy result! Welcome to the world our granddaughter, Elliott Anna, born at East Surrey Hospital on Friday 16th November, 2.30pm, weighing 7lbs 11 ozs.

2nd September 2007

Richard, Nina and "Mini". Nina swears this has nothing to do with the doughnuts mentioned below .....

Great Dorset Steam Fair 2007

To the Great Dorset Steam Fair:

(see http://www.gdsf.co.uk) - largest in the world - where for a few days in August/ September some fields become a temporary city full of weird and quirky wonders such as jam doughnuts stuffed with clotted cream - mmmmmm!!! But first of all, some of the traction engines as they prove they can make it up the hill - albeit very slowly ....

... so someone has a good sense of humour!!

Nothing is too big for the Steam Fair - however this did travel around the arena on its lowloader - see second photo above - brought over from the Mid Hants railway (the Watercress Line).

A very smart showman's wagon. The display stand next to it surrounds an enormous keyless organ - thank goodness this blog does not have sound!! This year the organs all seemed to be playing music from the shows and it was annoying to find ourselves singing along!

For sale on one of the junk stalls - a paraffin fired Rippingille's cooker with oven and 2 hotplates, as used and loved by Mike's mum for her family of 5 in the 1950s.

I'm cheating and including my cousin Celia from the 2004 Woodcraft display tent. Sadly not at the 2007 show - her designs are fantastic and each carved from one piece of wood.

And this is the quirky - some proud person's collection of blowlamps .... the collections were mindblowing - tractor seats; rat traps; spanners; milk bottles (what did the stuffed toy rabbit on the stand have to do with the display?) and policeman's helmets "No I haven't got Gloucester here but I've got it at home"! I wanted to get the collection of picnic hampers but I was seen by the collector having such a fit of the giggles that I think taking a photo would have been the last straw!! A sandwich short of a picnic hamper I think ....

12th August 2007

Front seasonal bed almost one month on (see 16th July). It's been a struggle but we've got there! Good mix of colour now and the antirrhinums really add height to the border (that was just sheer luck!).

2nd August 2007

Old Downtonian Cherie was over from Oz for a visit and treated us to a meal in the pub. Two other old Downtonians are her brother Bim and his wife, Sandra, here with their daughter Lisa.

Mike and Cherie were in the same class together at Downton school and their memories of old faces and names when we get the photos out is phenomenal!

Cherie, hope you had a good trip back and the next banana custard's on us!

28th July 2007

The Milton Abbas 18th Century Street Fair is held biennially so we went along this year as the weather forecast was good for a change and guess what - the sun shone until it was all over and then it poured again!! What a lovely day out and everyone was so happy and cheerful to have some sun - we all, total strangers, chatted to each other and a jolly good time was had by all. The climb up the hill to the car park on Hoggen Down was a bit of a killer but the second time I caught the Milton Abbey school bus - Mike of course walked up both times but then he hadn't had two slices of cake from the church stall .... one slice was actually his but I couldn't be bothered to carry it up the hill.

Each of the cottages held 4 families, 2 up, 2 down. One of the ground floor living rooms of one of the cottages is now open for viewing - and we met the gentleman who lives in the other side - 93 and the only one to come back from the war in France.

These photos are on the www.bbc.co.uk/dorset/in_pictures under Events.

This was a very strange pair - they spoke rather than sang their rhymes and we weren't quite sure how seriously (or not!) to take them but giggled anyway as they seemed away with the fairies - I'm sure they would have been top of the hit parade in the 18th century! Good use of the old curtains .....

There were a variety of costumes - not sure the hat goes with the smock on the Bearded One but hasn't the dandy got a lovely head of hair!

Just as I clicked on this photo of the Quayside Cloggies, the lady beside me tipped up her can! She looked at me with absolute horror so I promised faithfully I would delete the shot ..... aren't I evil?!

July 9th 2007

So where is everybody? This is the beach in July?! We passed hordes of cars going out of Weymouth which is always a bit worrying because you think they know something you don't! Found out afterwards the local Race for Life was being held at Kingston Maurward that day. Please notice the blue sky - and the clouds inland!

And this is Mark Anderson, grandson of the famous Fred Darrington, who carried on Fred's work.

Always have to see what the Sandman has made. Durdle Door is really impressive!

It's raining yet again so let's have a few nice summery photos of Weymouth - I promise they were taken this year - summer happened on the 9th July in Dorset! On the coast that is - going home we hit a torrential storm at Wimborne which made us almost turn back again to the sunshine!

29th June 2007

And this is the right front bed with ditto plus pot of red and yellow dahlias and mixed colours gladioli. So you get the picture it is all supposed to be very striking when in flower. But they all like sun .... So they are not very happy at all! The slugs and snails are - except when they find themselves flying over the hedge.

This is the left front seasonal flower bed (see daffodils earlier in March). Planted up with mixed colours petunias, double petunias and antirrhinums and yellow African marigolds. Pot has my overwintered pink and white fuchsia and deep pink trailing ivy leaf geranium plus purple osteospermum and purple and yellow torenia.

2nd June 2007

Here's the family at their cousin Steve's wedding - Brigit and Darran looking relaxed and elegant: Richard and Nina had recently arrived back from Marrakesh which might explain their skippy mood!

Sunday, May 20th 2007

At long last we've seen the Gothic folly in the Park which we can spot above the trees a long way off from the B3078 Cranborne - Wimborne road. From there it looks quite plain - it's not! Built 1790, struck by lightning, rebuilt to 100 feet in 1835. Said to be the basis for Thomas Hardy's "Two on a Tower". Click on photo for the animal heads!

And this is the lovely view from the Folly - it's said to be of 4 counties from the top of the tower.

And a sneaky photo of the house as we drove by for the gardens opening! Home to the Plunkett-Ernle-Erle-Drax family - or Drax for short.

At long last we have been "inside" the long long wall of Charborough Park, Dorset. We used to go past it every year when young on the way to holidays at Weymouth and wonder what it was like inside. Well now we know! Here is the first bit of proof - inside the Lion Gate. Click on the photo to enlarge and I promise those little lads are wearing fig leaves!

And our little friend is 5th but does he care?! And who's that taking the shortest route?

They choose the sunniest part of the field and line up by the fence - and here they come!

Our neighbour's lambs have been born and we go to watch their games in the evening - this is the leader - he wanders round the others standing by their mothers until they get the hint!

We are to be grandparents in November! Our love and congratulations to Richard and Nina and Richard's toys are so pleased that they will be released from the cupboard ...... And then there's the train set - and the Lego - and the Brittain's farm set .....