Garden Time

On a sunny day it's out into the garden time. DH constructed a hoop house (half hoop house) to cover the broccoli and calabrese we're going to plant. It covers a shady part of the garden but we've planted these brassicas in the shade before and they did well. Last year we covered the plants but the plants grew too big for their cover. This year I'll be able to walk inside the enclosure.

It's made from conduit pipe and will, hopefully, when covered in netting ...

... stop the little butterflies from laying their eggs on the plants.

No more picking out the caterpillars from the harvest now!

Welcome aboard to my new follower.

Frills and flowers and buttons and bows

Oh and ribbons too. What do you do with them all? How do you store them? Why do you store them? Do you use them?

In boxes, baskets, jars or bags?

Neatly or all in a jumble?

I'm sure they'll all 'come in handy' sometime.

Welcome new follower to my cluttered world!

Progress Report

The latest blanket ground to a halt a week ago when I was rapidly running out of wool, especially green. The centre part of the blanket is complete, incorporating those equilateral triangles. Six of them made a hexagon which I then made, just about, into a square. They need to be ironed flat but I think they'll make it.

Aren't people kind - a colleague of DD's gave me a bag full of blue wool today. Thank you, thank you. It will come in very handy for borders.

I'm still keeping an eye out for pre-loved green, though.

Please click the 'crochet label' for the history of this blanket.

Hello new followers from far away. I don't know how you found me but welcome to my witterings.

Number Two or is it Three?

Number 2 figure in my 'crochet one Nativity figure a month challenge' is a shepherd. (He looks a bit ill - I'm running out of pink for heads and hands.) His lamb this time was a little too large for him to hold so I could call it a third figure maybe.

Puss took a shining to him.

Lamb for tea?

Nope - not that tasty!

Plan C

The Winter Gardens was on our way home and DH hadn't seen its recent makeover so in we went. Again, original features have been restored. There has been great attention to detail.

In this booth is a picture taken in the 30s.

I love the Deco light fittings.

The walls are decorated with different motifs.

You can just see and original light fitting reflected in the mirror.

Here's another view.

The entrance/exit is equally beautiful with more original lights.

Look up now.

More information can be found in this earlier post.

Plan B

We decided to walk home but took a detour through the Tower Buildings, areas of which are now free to the public. We viewed the dancing from the balcony of the Tower Ballroom. 

The organist was at the Wurlitzer,

the ballroom ceiling was beautifully decorated.

When the session ends the Wurlitzer descends under the stage,

while another organist takes his place, the organ and its base travelling backwards to end up over the top of the mighty Wurlitzer. DH was mesmerized with the virtuosity of the organist. I was mesmerized with the dancing.

This video shows the change over of the Wurlitzer and the Wersi organs.

From the Tower viewing gallery 

we could see the Comedy Carpet.

The inside of the Tower has, like the tramway, had a total makeover. Original features have been brought back to their former glory.

I was standing directly beneath the Tower when I took this photo.

Once we'd seen and enjoyed this Plan we decided on a Plan C.

Welcome to my new followers.

Plan A

After lunch in town we decided to hop on a tram (our tramway system has had a complete revamp) and go a little bit further down the coast.

It appeared to be learn how to drive a New Super Duper Tram Day today.

Alas they weren't taking any passengers ...

... so we were left stranded on the promenade.

Plan B it had to be.

See more trams on these Youtube videos. They show the launch of the New Super Duper Trams, the older trams that have been taken out of service and the illuminations trams.

Happiness is ...

- folding blankets in the morning ...

... and cats on folded blankets.

Welcome to my new followers. Hope you don't mind me twittering on!

Collections - Pudding Bowls

I don't think I've ever made a steamed pudding but these basins get regular use for pies and crumbles and reheating food in the microwave.

There's a size for every occasion.

This shallow one is my favourite, having been inherited from 'Grandma'.

All the others have been pre-loved.

I think I've got enough to pass on to my family!

Excitement

One of my New Year's Resolutions, in order to help the de-cluttering, was to put at least one item on Ebay each month. Whoo the excitement of watching the bids rising in the last few seconds is intoxicating! (I really must get a life.) I've got two auctions finishing in half an hour. What do you think? Multiple seller! Three lots of positive feedback! Hey, what! Must go - this Ebay Babe is on a roll!


Later - Sold and sold.

 Yeah!

I'm shattered now. Can't take all this excitement in one go.

Snowdrops

The walk today was around the grounds of Lytham Hall ...

 

... not to go around the Hall,

but to look at the snowdrops.

No, not the pond ...

... the snowdrops.

There were quite a few.

I like snowdrops. I really must complete this cross-stitch of the Snowdrop fairy.

She is one of my favourites from this book.

I used to have a Flower Fairy book when I was little - such lovely illustrations and poems.