"What I did on my Summer Holidays" by Pearle

As we have been so busy since my last post I haven't had time to post. We have been here there and everywhere having fun. This is my "back to school essay" and for the ladies in Congleton......thank you for reading my exploits, it's nice to know you enjoy my ramblings:-)

OK so first off we went to Malborough Jazz Festival which was fab as usual but actually this one was the best one I've been to so far. We stayed with friends who live in Malborough and kindly put us up each year (or is that put up with us, he he). We are volunteer stewards and this year we were stewarding at the Azuza Cafe and Night Club. We were upstairs in the Night Club during the Saturday afternoon slot from 3pm until 6pm with the "The Baddest Blues Band Ever". The folk at Azuza looked after us very well with free cola and cups of tea during our stint and the punters were fun and had a good time. After our stint we met up with our friends and their two little kiddies who were by now a bit tired from all the excitement so they went home to be put to bed and have stories while DH and I went for dinner at the the Castle and Ball Hotel. The Castle and Ball is a very old (even by Malborough standards) Hotel/Pub right on the High Street. It has a really nice dining room at the back of the building and we sat down to a "whatever you would like" dinner. Unfortunately DH hadn't brought his glasses with him so he had to rely on me reading out the menu, lol:-) After dinner we found a couple of comfy armchairs at the back of the adjacent lounge bar and enjoyed our drinks with some very good Jazz. Then our friend arrived and we went out into the world of Jazz that is Malborough Jazz Fest.

I then spent a lovely long weekend visiting my Mum and Dad. We spent a lovely day at Tatton Flower Show ( a bit like Chelsea but up North).There were some fun exhibits amongst the usual pretty gardens full of flowers. Here's a selection.

Next on the agenda was Robs Birthday weekend camping at Llanthony Priory  which was a little damp but there was a good turn out of folk. We got there a little late and met folk in the lane as they were on the way the pub for tea. We managed to get the outside part of our new tent put up and then followed them, got some tea and drank a few ciders. Then, suitably fortified, we went back to the campsite and our fab friends proceeded to finish putting up our tent in the dark while DH and I sorted out the air bed, sleeping bag, pillows and other stuff for comfy camping. We then continued a very pleasant round the campfire evening with more cider until rain stopped play and it was time for bed. Rob has a device that can detect bats and there were quite a lot of bats about judging from all the clicks and squeaks coming from the device. There are lots of old trees and of course the priory ruins for them to live in. Next morning the weather improved and was dry so we sat about and drank coffee and had bacon butties before heading off home.

Then we spent a lovely weekend on Dartmoor camping with friends for Blues 40th Birthday. A barbecue, cake, music, good company, clear starlight skies, a big fire, fireworks and lanterns - we all had a lovely time. It was great to see folks that we hadn't seen in years, there was a bit of catching up to do. The field was great and in the middle of nowhere and we could do as we please because we were the only folk there with no houses or other people within yelling distance - great!

Busy, busy.... but I have managed to do some knitting and some spinning. I have finished the alpaca Ishbel. In fact I took it to my mums so that she could see it. I also took my Ashford so she could see what spinning is all about. Here's the Ishbel. Its all pinned out on the spare bed blocking which has made a big difference to it.

Before it was blocked it was all scrunched up and it was difficult to see the lace pattern.

The  Old Shell Shawl is coming along, there will be pictures of that next time. Also, I have spun up another 250g of the fibre from Coldharbour Mill. I thought that I would have enough of the first batch to make a cardy as I though I had 400g but I had only got 250g so Lesley from Knit Club said she'd pick some up for me on her way past Coldharbour Mill - result! But, they didn't have any - boo! but Lesley being the fab person that she is sold me the bag she had - yay! so that is now all spun up....just need to wash it and felt it slightly like the last lot.

I've also been spinning some Cotswold which my neighbour gave me when I bought her Leicester and her drumcarder; she was downsizing her spinning equipment collection so I was only doing the decent thing and helping her out....Lesley has bought her Haldane spinning wheel which is a lovely wheel. But how jammy am I? an original Timbertops Leicester; it's just fantastic, like the Rolls Royce of spinning wheels. The Cotswold is spinning itself on the Leicester! Maybe som pics of the Leicester in the next post....we'll see.

So now we are almost up to date, phew!
Last weekend we actually were here at home ALL weekend so we went to Annie Halls Poultry and came home with Amy. Here she is in the courgette patch....she's still a little shy.

Amy is a Light Sussex and she's about four month old so about the age of a teenager in hen terms. We just got one as we were not sure how Miranda would react. We collected Amy in a cat carry box and when we got her home we put the box in the hen enclosure, left the box door open and then just left them to get on with it. That was last Saturday. There was a bit of argy bargy and Miranda did throw her weight about a bit. Amy was chased up onto the top of the hen house on more than one occasion and received a few well placed pecks but things got better each day and now Miranda is quite happy with Amy being around and they go to bed without any bother.

And yesterday?
Well my neighbour and I went to Kilver Court Gardens where we met the Somerset Guild of Spinners, Dyers and Weavers and did some spinning with them....quite a lot of spinning acctually.... and some knitting, eating chocolate and drinking tea. They were lovely ladies and I think that I may join their Guild. The gardens were fab, here's some pics of the day.

So, that is what I have been up to this summer. We are off out this afternoon for tea with DHs parents. The sun is shinning , the washing is out and the chooks are sunbathing. More soon:-)