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.