Last Slam Door Trains

Many years ago I used to commute to work on these trains and gradually they were replaced by newer models and now there is only one place left in Britain where they run - on the Brockenhurst to Lymington Branch line. However progress has even overtaken them and on Saturday the last slam door trains will have their final run on the branch line.

So for nostalgia here are some photos of the trains:

See you soon.

Love Living Here

I visited the Shetland ponies in Brockenhurst yesterday. Usually Shetlands are vicious but this particular herd is quite amenable - I suppose they are used to people stroking them. I wouldn’t recommend stroking any ponies in the forest as they can bite and kick.

This Shetland pony herd has five foals this year and as usual they are gorgeous - the size of labrador dogs and smaller.

This little filly has a curly mane. She came up to me and was chewing my trousers. Her hooves measure about 3 inches wide and when she trod on my foot I could hardly feel it.

This is why I love living here.

xx

House Reflections

Sadly this is not the bathroom in my house. I came across this photo some time ago when I was surfing the web and I kept the image as I wanted to copy some of the details and apply it to my living space. Unfortunately I cannot remember where I got the original image (so I apologise if this is your image and I have used it on this site without permission).

Do you ever think…. ‘I would really like a room, window, trinket like that’…?

So what appeals to me about this particular bathroom ? I love the curtains and the towel rack; the mirror above the bath is such a wonderful piece and the whole ambience of the room gives a feeling of relaxation.

My bathroom meanwhile is about half the size, barely room to swing a cat - not Pebbles, but the view from from my window is lovely as it overlooks my back garden and I can see the birds in the trees when I’m in the bath.

One day when I get around to it I will redecorate and have a room like this.

See you soon.

xx

Garden Jewels

Daisies are such unimposing flowers. Their simplicity gives them a place amongst my favourite flowers. When did you last make a daisy chain?

This is the daisy pendant I have in stock at the moment. Isn’t it wonderful? The best representation of a daisy I have seen.

My Forget-me-Nots came originally from my grandmother’s garden in Yorkshire back in 1962. The seeds from the garden were sown in my mother’s garden and seeds from her plants were then sown in my garden several years ago. Some think they are weeds but I love the blue gemstone flowers’ ethereal beauty as they seem to float on delicate stems.

Not quite a Forget-Me-Not but as near as I can get. This delicate pendant is blue topaz.

I don’t know the name of this flower but I’ve always called it ‘Star of Bethlehem’. It is one of the first flowers to appear in clumps under my trees in Spring.

And finally the jewel-like quality of apple blossom not only attracts me but the delicate fragrance makes them a haven for honey bees.

The nearest I can get to the delicate blossom flowers is the Rainbow Mystic Topaz.

Enjoy xx

Family

I’ve been looking through old family photos recently and I came across this grainy photo of my great grandfather George. It seems odd now to think someone would visit the beach wearing his best suit and tie but this is what they did when this photo was taken probably in the late 1920’s.

George was a plumber and every year he would visit Bridlington for his family holiday - so presumably this is where the photo was taken. Not only was George a plumber but he was also a very good drummer. It’s funny how talent is passed from generation to generation, yet this talent seemed to miss some offspring. His daughter never had the talent but my father (his grandson) did. It missed me but has now reappeared in my sons.

I like the grainy quality of this photo as it is so reminiscent of the photo of my son’s great great grandfather George. This is my youngest son playing the drums in the Indie Rock Band:

La Heroine

The band used to be called ‘Rabbit of Fire’ which I have written about before, but they have now evolved and in doing so have developed a reputation for being ‘ Much better than good… Ballsy Indie at its best…”

Simatik Promotion

-  to quote another source (other than being a proud mother).

They launched their EP earlier this year and have become well known in the Cheltenham, Gloucester, Worcester area.

Brilliant music guys - well done!

And would George be pleased? Undoubtedly!

See you soon.

xx

Doing nothing

Those of you who know me will know how difficult it is for me to remain still for long - things need doing, places to go, people to see - so having had a major operation last week I have to do virtually nothing except sit or lie still.

I have worked on my computer for two full days and I then re-acquainted myself with my favourite film ‘You’ve Got Mail’. There’s something about the music and the mis-en-scene which gives this story a quaint feeling, that life will always turn out well no matter what.

Another favourite is the legendary ‘Pride and Prejudice’ - the BBC one. There’s nothing like a spoonful of Miss Elizabeth Bennet and a dollop of Mr Darcy to brighten the afternoon.

I came across ‘The Holiday’ amongst these DVD treasures. I think I have a love/hate relationship with this film as sometimes the characters are annoying but I skip to the ‘nice’ bits. You might like it.

Incidently and purely by chance I’m listening to the ‘You’ve Got Mail’ CD as I’m writing this - so I’m definitely in the zone.

See you soon I hope!

xx

New Stock 15th May 2010

Hi Everyone,

My new stock has arrived and of course it is beautiful - what do you think? If you see a piece you like just email me to reserve it, if it is still available.

(Thank you all for your good wishes for my speedy recovery from my operation)

xx

A Fresh Spring

There is an innocence about a new life, whether it is a human or animal. These three lambs were huddled together after playing a game of ‘follow my leader’ in their field. There were about a dozen of them running round and round a large hole in the field, jumpling and frolicking with all the excitement of new experiences.

Those of us who have lost their ‘newness’ experience new awakenings every spring when trees, flowers, wildlife jump into life within a matter of days.

The greatest pleasure for me are the light evenings and renewed warmth in the daylight hours; the smell of delicate primroses and the sounds of spring. The lambs were in a field high in the Purbeck Hills and amid the bleating of the lambs and the throaty calls of their mothers there were Skylarks and Rooks announcing the arrival of Spring.

So get out there everyone and enjoy.

See you soon.

xx

Beautiful new stock

I thought you might like to see some of the new stock that has just arrived. Apart from gorgeous gemstone bracelets, pendants, rings and earrings, we are now stocking plain silver and some silver with rose gold or 14k gold plating.

The recession is now taking a back seat and this year promises to be a year when you feel able to buy that special something for yourself and your friends. If you look in your jewellery boxes there are old faithful pieces but ladies need to shop to feel good and we can provide you with the ‘feel good’ factor with delightful pieces that won’t cost the earth.

Below are just some of  the pieces of special jewellery, so why not book a party or come and visit us at one of our events? - you can see where on our ‘Come and Meet Us’ page.

Enjoy:

See you soon xx

At Long Last!

After having the worse winter for about 25 years at long last the flowers are coming into bloom, the birds are singing and the bumble bees are humming.

I haven’t written my blog for ages because I had so much spam mail  - as a result  I decided to leave it a few weeks. I will now see what happens. If you are reading this and want to send me spam mail - please don’t because it will only be binned.

Anyway back to Spring - yesterday I saw a sparrow carrying some white fluff in it’s beak so they are obviously building nests. The crocuses are a picture as are the primroses and snowdrops. Here’s hoping for a decent summer.

Enjoy the photos.

See you soon.

xx