a little bit of stitching . . .

I haven't put any of my stitching on this blog. That's mainly because none of it is anything to write home about! Or write on a blog about for that matter!
I don't generally do large projects and what with needing HUGE magnifiers as well as largest magnification 'reading' glasses, my finishing isn't all that great either! (But of course I am very modest ho ho!)
But I have decided I will put this one on because I am quite proud of it.
The last time Stella, Rich and all three Pies visited with O & G, Jpie wore his little magician's outfit. He looked really cute and the outfit included a top hat out of which he produced a rabbit! Not a real one I hasten to add!
So this is the card I sent him for his birthday last Tuesday. And I would just like to explain that although the stitching is really not that special, I made up the pattern myself. Aren't I the clever old stick?????

i went to the globe!

yay! I have been intending to go ever since it opened ~ the present one I mean! not the original!
Went into work Tuesday morning and then up to London by tube from Watford Met early afternoon. I got off at Westminster and wandered along by the Embankment in glorious sunshine. I love London!
I walked as far as the Millennium Bridge and then crossed to the Tate Modern where I spent a happy hour in the Poetry and Dreams section ~ superbly surreal! This is from the Tate side of the bridge looking back at St Paul's:















And this is the Tate Modern from the north side of the Thames ~ with a bit of the Millennium Bridge 'thrown in'.






I spotted this little old church wiith a mediaeval look to it while going over the bridge ~ I don't know what it is called ~ but I love the fact that it is just THERE surrounded by all those modern buildings













And how typically 'London' is this? A red bus passing in front of Tower Bridge!

The Globe 'evening' was WONDERFUL!! I had paid to go to the pre-show 'setting the scene' talk and that was good . . . because it did! The play was 'Troilus and Cressida' ~ very well played though I'm glad I had read a synopsis beforehand or I'm not sure I would have followed it! It wasn't a bundle of laughs to be honest but the whole experience was extremely enjoyable none the less. You really did get the flavour of how people in Shakespeare's time would have experienced going to a play. Though I'm happy that I had decided on an undercover seat ~ not one of the 700 'standing tickets' out in the rain which fell intermittently all evening!
In all it was a great afternoon and evening and I would recommend the whole experience most heartily! Here is a shot of the Globe seen through the trees from the Millennium bridge:

Answers:
Kim! Fortunately when I bought my coke the girl gave me a can and also a glass so I had both hands full and did't get my 'offering' out of my bag. Otherwise the story would have been worse (or funnier!) with me scrabbling about trying to retrieve the card and donation!
Friko! Well I'm glad someone is as daft as I am!! LOL

a funny thing happened at the party

(all the names have been changed to protect the innocent)
I had been invited to Peter's 60th Birthday Paty last Saturday at the W and F Club. Great! I loke parties and, as I told Sally, Peter's wife with whom I work, I had been there some years before to someone else's 50th.
I arrived at the venue at just after 8.15.
I did think it a little strange when I heard the music ~ Sally had told me that her son's Band would be playing and this was quite definitely disco music. Still, it was relatively early and maybe this was 'warm up' time.
I did thinkit was a little strange when I went in and found, instead of a signn for the G ... Room, as I had been directed, there was just a big sign which said 'Function Room'. Still, I supposed everyone must know that the G . . . Room is in fact the Function Room!
The bar was right there as I walked in and I did find it a little strange that no-one asked to see the ticket with which I had been issued with instructions to be sure I brought it or I wouldn't get in. Still I suppose I look quite a respectable middle aged law-abiding old soul ~ no threat there then!
I got myself a diet coke and wnet intot he main room past the table with a big sign saying 'Please put your cards and donation here'. Well that fitted! Peter had asked for no presents but donations to his favourite charity would be welcome. There were heaps of balloons and big '60' signs all over the place ~ so far so good!
I thought it a little strange that I didn't recognise a soul. But I don't really know Peter that well, don't know any of their friends and of their rather large family I had only so far met Sally's elderly parents. I did think that some of the work people would have arrived by then ~ but maybe they were all being 'fashionably late'.
I spotted a table where two nice ladies about my age were sitting and asked if I could join them as I didn't know anyone. then I asked them'Is this the W and F Club?'
'No' replied one fo them 'this is the V and Y Club' !!!
'Well whose birthday is it then?'
'Oh it's Wendy's' they rather helpfully informed me!
'Oh no! I'm supposed to be at Peter's'!!
'Well this isn't it' they said ~ although to be honest I had kind of worked that one out by myself by then!! LOL
At that moment a very nice, though possibly curious, lady approached the table wearing a big sash thing over her shoulder which announced '60th Birthday' ~ obviously Wendy! she was very nice and laughed and we had a little chat whilst I finished off my coke and then I said I had better go. To Wendy's credit she invited me to stay!! But I said I should go as I was sure I was expected else where.
When I did arrive at the V and F Club ~ after considerable problems actually finding it! ~ I had a great evening. Peter and Sally, and indeed everyone, enjoyed themselves tremendously: we ate, drank and were very merry indeed. Hoorah for birthdays ~ we should have them every year!

High Street Trail

G spotted an advert for the Trail in the local paper recently and since I have been meaning to go for ages, we went yesterday.
I have done a little family history research and was fascinated to discover that G's father's family have lived in Watford since at least 1685 when the town was really just one long street with farms and meadows surrounding it.
Sarah from the Museum was our guide and, despite having been born and lived in the area for most of our lives, both G and I learnt some very interesting new facts.
My photos are, sadly, never as good as I think they are going to be . . . but here is a selection of places of interest:


Having a 'clean' river running through it, Watford was until quite recently a brewing town ~ and had innumerable pubs. This is one of the two which claim to be the oldest. I love the look of this building ~ never been inside though!






The High street is a mile long and St Mary's. the parish church is just about in the middle ~ mediaeval but flint-faced more recently, it is one of the two Grade 1 listed buildings in the town.

The Free School, founded 1704 and the fore-runner of both Watford's Grammar Schools. I used to do my ballet exams here.











Part of the graveyard and the Almshouses ~ again very old and in a fairly quiet backwater near the Free School.











The 'Compasses' window. Apparently, Shakespeare passed through Watford on his way to London. I bet he stopped for a stoup of ale here!








This is Monmouth House built for Sir Robert Carey. He was the chappie who, on the death of Elizabeth I, rode to tell James VI of Scotland that he was now King James I of England as well. In thanks James gave him the title of Earl of Monmouth. It's a beautiful old building ~ shame about all the modern shop fronts!
There is a little sign which you have to look quite hard to see which is the fire-sign mark. This meant that in the event of a fire breaking out the fire service would come and put it out.





This is the sign.


We ended at the pond ~ a walk of about a mile, taking just on two hours ~ and excellent value!!

Book Club Night!

Second Wednesday of the month is always Book Club. I really look forward to these evenings!
Last night it was at Cat's and we had read 'How to Kill your Husband (and other handy household hints)' by Kathy Lette. Eight of us were there and Jo, who couldn't make it, had sent her comments. The title had made me smile and I had thought that it would be a humourous book ~ I couldn't have been more wrong! This book was the most awful drivel!! No-one liked it: badly written, poor 'jokes', feeble plot, unlikeable characters, vulgar, distasteful, totally unbelievable ~ these were some of the kinder comments! I would never read anything by this author again and I find it hard to believe that she is a 'best seller'.
The evening was most enjoyable, however. FI was still up when I arrived though just about to go to bed assisted by Im; and RP stayed downstairs where we could all admire him. Cat had made the most scrumptious carrot cake ~ and we were all staggered at the fact that she had time and energy to make it whilst looking after two children under 3!! Oh yes! and we had a jug of Pimms too. Cat really knows how to entertain!
Today was quiet at work so I finished at mid-day and came home ~ where I found G beavering away in 'his' ~ used to be 'Boogy's' ~ shed. He was just about to stop so we had a coffee and I drove him home. Came home and got the Camp Accounts right up to date and then went back up to O&G's for dinner.
My exciting news is that I have just reserved a place on a trip to Rome ~ wwhheeeeeeeee!! The company is sending me the booking form in the post and I won't believe I'm going until I'm actually on the plane! My trips have a habit of falling through: last autumn I was going to go to Paris and then fell and broke my wrist! Hope I have better luck this year . . . .

A Republican??

Ja is the Pies' other grand-mother and I was telling Kpie about Ja getting her MBE. I didn't think she would really understand so I told her it was like a rare badge with a red ribbon that you were given if you were really really special. And you had to go up to London to receive it. And someone very very important gave it to you. I asked her who she thought this really important person could be . . . .
'Gordon Brown . . . . ?' she asked.

Seven Twelfths of a Counting

Yesterday both Kpie and Jpie were still slightly under the weather so just St, Cpie and I nipped up to see O&G and checked out how the rest of the family enjoyed their Counting. Everyone except Ma had gone to Ca and Da's house. They had stepped magnificently into the breach created by us being poorly. O&G had had a very good time and loved seeing the little ones. It was a shame we missed being with them too but better that than cause more illness!

Here are Cpie and G in the new flat. We stayed for a coffee and a chat and then went back home.
Despite all the illnesses it was a lovely week-end ~ families eh? who'd be without them?

Five Twelfths of a Counting

Every year our Family have a get-together which we call 'The Counting'. This year it was going to be at my house.
I arrived home from work around 10 on Thursday to find St Ri and the Pies had arrived. Yay! Pies fast asleep in bed and St and Ri hanging about relaxing. We sat around eating caake, drinking wine and chatting until mid-night and then toddled off to bed. Followed a night of sickness . . . Half of us were sick, a third of us mopped and sponged and stripped beds and tended to the patients . . . and Cpie, luckily, slept through it all.
It didn't seem fair on anyone else to run the risk of catching it ~ it was really horrid! ~ so decided it would be best to cancel. So it was just the six of us until Fr, Al and the Pips arrived late afternoon. We had a great time nonetheless. Ri did the barbie, St bossed us all about a bit . . . and the Pies and Lpip played in the garden.
I'm not sure if all children do this although I suspect they do . . . . certainly St and Fr and the Awks cousins did. But when ever they got together they always had to put on a 'show' of some sort. On Saturday, for the first time, Kpie organised a little playlet: a dramatic rendition of Jack and Jill utilising the slope outside the kitchen. It was hilarious!! Someone managed to catch it for posterity on my camera ~ the first of many I'll be bound.
Here are some photos:



Cpie, Kpie and Jpie playing bowls.





Jpie ~ always smiling!


Cpie doing the 'splits'



races ~ Kpie and Lpip












Lpip, Jpie, Cpie and KPie







St helping Lpip with 'ballet'













. . . . and . . . . how could we forget . . . . Dpip!

a funny thing happened at the supermarket . . .

Have just returned from a quick visit to Sainsbury's.

I had almost finished my shopping and was pushing my trolley down the last aisle but had to stop because a man was bending down picking something off the shelf. He straightened up, looked at me, smiled and put a bottle into my trolley. He then glanced at me again and I suppose I must have been looking somewhat bemused because he stared into the trolley, smiled again and said, 'Oh I thought you were my partner. I wondered why we were getting mayonnaise'. !!

I didn't hang around to see if his partner was my dopple ganger although maybe I should have done!!

Oh dear . . . . I hope he isn't gay!!

Is everyone deaf in the Summer?

What is it about warm weather that makes people turn the volume of their radios up to ridiculous levels? It's almost as though they are proud of the hulla-baloo they are creating! Pitiful deluded creatures!
As I write this I can hear a veritable cacophany blasting from next door.
The poor soul who lives there is only about 17.
He is 'listening' ~ he must have cotton wool in his poor ears to withstand the racket ~ to some dire clamorous row I can only describe as hell-ridden.
And it happens where-ever one goes in the summer-time ~ in built up areas at least.
Oh for the peace and tranquility of Gillan Creek!