When a best friend marries

There was a time when I was younger, when our weekends were filled with weddings. Now it is a more unusual event, therefore a particularly special occasion.

When my dear friend Pippa married Andy this Summer, I felt so happy for her. This picture, taken on the beach just after the ceremony, shows the sense of fun and love they share-

I'm certain she has chosen wisely

After all, who can resist a Pirate?

I have to admit however, it is hard when a good friend moves away and starts another phase of their life.
Pippa has lived 'just down the road' from me for 18 years and several times a week we would be around each other's houses catching up on the vital minutiae of life. In fact, she is actually part of my house, having carved our hearth stone for us when we had the grand redecorating

Not a great photo but I had to include it!

She is a stone mason, a sculptor and artist

Pip's Polar Bears just before they were sold

Egg Lady (I was the model)

One of my favourite lino cuts

We have shared each other's highs and lows over the years. Our children have grown up together and there was rarely a party or a meal that Pippa was not part of

And Beetle is always a part of everything too!

And goodness, we have had some great parties! The most recent being our ' Saints and Sinners' party at a local church

Pippa, one of her twin sons Adam and me

Pip looked fabulous as a bad fairy!

We have been on so many adventures and holidays-

In Yorkshire for the Andy Goldsworthy exhibition

Cut off by the tide in Devon!

Pippa took me to Spain last winter to celebrate my 50th Birthday. We had the most amazing holiday in Granada and Cordoba

It's such fun to go away with a friend who shares the same love of art and the unusual. Although I have to admit, that meant we spent quite a lot of our time enjoying wonderful meals in beautiful surroundings...

I know she will be happy together with Andy in her married life and I also know that I will always be a welcome visitor to her new home in Devon. After all, life may bring many changes but good friends remain!



'Come Dine With Me' in Salisbury...

All the gang in my front room on the last night!

The day, or rather the week, of reckoning is here!

After months of waiting, our Salisbury 'Come Dine With Me' is due to be shown during the week starting September 24th. It is such a strange feeling seeing my name in the Channel 4 TV listings.

Actually, I didn't cook this- I'm not allowed to show you yet!

Last weekend we had a lively gathering of my fellow Diners. We have stayed friends and are all sharing feelings of excitement tinged with apprehension about finally seeing the show.

It was a long and exhausting week of filming and we really have no idea how many of our more outrageous antics were captured on camera... and which of them have been selected to appear on the show!

At the moment I feel very pleased that I took part in such an unexpected adventure.

I can still remember desperately cleaning, de-cluttering and tidying my house and the pleasure I felt when it all looked exactly as I wanted

I remember the trepidation about the weather. My garden was looking at it's best and I wanted a sunny evening so everybody could have drinks outside.

But above all, I remember the laughter and the sheer fun of working with the humorous and incredibly professional television crews.

 I'm also incredibly lucky to have met and made some lovely new friends.
And as to the chaos and the mess created

I tidied it up in the end!

So roll on 24th of September. Look out for pig racing, moustaches, music, jiggly bosoms and some really amazing meals...
If my blog suddenly goes silent, you will guess that it was all too embarrassing, and I have left the country!

ps. I've just added two new photographs- the gang and the crew, which were taken by Natasha

Late Summer Artisan Fair this Sunday!





I am happy this sunny morning, as I'm beginning to gather and sort for this Sunday's Artisan Fair. There is a special enjoyment to having a stall at a fair run by friends. This little fair is growing and each time I am surprised and delighted by what I discover there. 

It is to be held on Sunday 16th in the village hall at Middle Woodford, opening at 11.00 am and finishing at 4.00 pm. We are lucky in that the valley is a beautiful one, the village hall has a quirky charm and... there's a car park across the road!

Before I give all the exciting details of the fair and the other stall-holders, I'll just show a few of the pieces I have been putting together...

A pretty little collection of plates, cup and saucer







Just a few of my beloved books...



A pair of 1950's curtains- I love the rose fabric!



My favourite advert



I have a selection of sweet little baby clothes, brought from a Brocante market in Paris

The detailed embroidery on this bib is lovely

and many more new bits and pieces I haven't even had time to photograph yet!

However... I'm most definitely not the only person there, so with thanks to Camelia and her blog Artisan Fairs, here are the details of the other stall holders and the fair-

The Artisan Friends gathering together include:

Beulah's Vintage Attic, joining us for the first time with their kitchenalia, vintage inspired clothing and accessories. See web-site for details http://www.beulahsvintageattic.co.uk/.

Camelia with vintage linens, handmade lovelies, vintage objects, haberdashery & gardenalia.

Caroline with her handmade jewellery, using semi-precious stones & more recent quirky pieces.

Elaine Mairis who has shabby chic, pretty antique & vintage items (furniture, fabric & ornaments) for interior decor.

John Gustard with his lovely collection of art http://www.johngustard.com/ He will be doing quick portraits in Conté Crayon at the Summer Fair. We are hoping he will be able to run some more workshops with The Artisans in the future.

Kiss the Book, Jane the English Booklady, with her lovely books, kitchenalia and lovely decorative objects. Her blog has won an award.

Sky Blue- Anne Marie with her own design Sky Blue hand knitted and handmade items, incorporating vintage fabrics, as well as a selection of other vintage pieces.

Tanya Wadey with handmade rabbits, hair slides & broachs. She will be joined by Imogen and her lovely Limited Edition Lino-cut prints, produced entirely by hand.

John & Sue's delicious vintage inspired cakes & teas are available all day and they will introduce their preserves and homemade produce.


If you are out for lunch with family or friends, in need of inspiration or just curious, you will be made most welcome.
You may wish to combine a day out with Friends & a little inspiration.

Gardener's among you will appreciate Heale Garden http://www.healegarden.co.uk/.

For lunch, The Bridge http://www.thebridgewoodford.co.uk/& Wheatsheaf http://wheatsheaflowerwoodford.co.uk/are open for lunch (you may need to book beforehand).

Together we look forward to welcoming you to make the best of a late Summer's day at the Village Hall, Middle Woodford, Wiltshire, SP4 6NG,

FREE ENTRY

We are all excited and looking forward to a good day for all.

Flying the nest!

Earlier this summer my White Hen (actually named Madame Pompadour), went broody. I decided to let her sit but had nearly given up hope, when one morning I heard faint peeping sounds coming from beneath her large feathery bottom and..

This is what I found!

There were still more brown eggs waiting

But we decided to move them and the Mother to a smaller pen to in order keep them safe

Our cat Mali was a most interested spectator!

After two more days another chick arrived-

And that completed the family!
As both the chicks are charcoal grey we think that the true Mother was actually Big Black Hen but Madame loves her babies and protects them ferociously!
They are growing rapidly and last weekend we moved the family back into the main hen area, just shutting them away in the smaller pen at nights.
Last night however, I was a little late going to catch and put them to bed. Now you remember I have told of my hens' unusual habit of roosting in our apple tree ( whatever the weather) ?

Well, Madame has taught her chicks the family skill...

'Duck is on the leaft up-side-down and Grouse is safely tucked in

It was the most charming and funny sight I have seen in a long time- How on earth they managed to hop, flap and scramble up there I don't know-

But this morning they were back down in the run safe and sound and loudly demanding their breakfast!

We have had many fine nests of beautiful eggs before-

But their contents have never given us such pleasure!

Blue sky and blue water

The sun was shining, it was the holidays, so Sam and I grabbed our cameras and treated ourselves to a day-out exploring. Sam had read about Blue Pool near Warham in Dorset and I can never resist the chance of slipping down to the sea.
Blue Pool is a well known beauty spot and perhaps a little too groomed and organised for me. I found myself wanting to be a Victorian lady discovering it for the first time whilst digging up ferns for my rock garden...
The waters from the old clay pit are a bright turquoise colour. It is said that the fine particles of clay cause the water to appear blue or green, depending on the light-

Sam was determined to capture the amazing colours

When the sun came out it really glowed!

 

The heathland beside the pool  and the shoreline was full of dragonflies

even more blue than the waters

You had to be quick to catch them!
After clotted cream ice-cream we felt refreshed and ready to head down to Durdle door. I've grown to love the Dorset coast and this particlar stretch always takes my breath away.

I can never decide if I prefer it in the sunshine, or with dark, glowering clouds making it look even more dramatic-

We were lucky to have the beach nearly to ourselves and I felt completely content tramping through the pebbles, beach combing and having a chance to talk to my boy.

As the quiet one of the family, I sometimes feel Sam gets a bit swamped by the tides of Emmie and my chatter. It was good to have a day with him alone.
He is still perfecting the prints of his shots but I have a suspicion that I'm going to be rather envious of several - we are both dreadfully competitive when it comes to our beloved photography!

On the journey home I stopped by the heath and picked my annual posy of heather.
When I sniff the rich honey scent, it always takes me back to my childhood summer holidays spent in our Scottish cottage. I used to lie for hours, on my back on the mountainside, deep amidst the heather.

It was late when we got home, tired but happy, it had been a good day.