Its amazing what you see.....

....when you are out taking photos specifically for your blog. It was a very dull weekend, really not good for photography, and I had to go shopping too - which is not really my idea of fun. However, I took the camera - just in case. We get off the tram in Sheffield, just outside the Cathedral - across the road from the Cutlers Hall. The huge steel doors of the hall are magnificent, and I have admired these from afar as I have walked passed before.

But I had never noticed the fabulous Elephant Head handles before.

Apparently, Elephants were used as a symbol for cutlers as it was an important animal to them as they often used the ivory for handles. Sadly, although Sheffield is still know throughout the world as the place that makes cutlery, I don't think that there are many cutlers left - just the odd one or two small companies keeping the tradition alive.

I don't know about you, but I'm itching to get out into my garden again. The other day, when I was having a tidy up and a mini pruning session, I brought in some Forsythia twigs. I have had them in a sunny spot, and I keep topping them up with warm water. They have just started to bring some of their sunshiney loveliness into my home - whilst the tree that they are from - just outside the window - is still very bare.

Buy one in every colour!!

A pattern is emerging in my teenage daughters bedroom. She see's something she like, then buys it in every colour!!!
Whether it is daft specs,

Bandana's,

or hats and checked shirts,

You can't have too much colour in your life.

Media Project

A combination of problem internet, working extra hours, attending French lessons, a theatre trip, a daughter who won't let me on the PC and a nasty hospital procedure (nothing wrong, just a "screening" ), has kept me away from blogland this week. However, I hope to be back in full flow next week. Meanwhile, I thought I would show you the dancing queens music video that she has produced for her media project at college. She had less than a month to put this together, and she had the weather against her too as she wanted to film it outside. She needs to gather feedback as part of her project, so if you have time, could you leave her a comment on the "you tube" comment page, or in here if you like. Many thanks, see you later. xxxx

Direct link to you tube - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_gOO7UjE72I

Sunny Sunday in Barnsley

With not a lot of time to spare today, and even less money, we decided to take ourselves off for a walk around the park at Cannon Hall near Barnsley.

Cannon Hall is situated in the picturesque village of Cawthorne, and the house itself is a pretty little museum - however it wasn't open today. My favourite part of the house, is its Victorian Kitchens, but these were not open either. I think that it opens around Easter time. It is set in acres of beautiful parkland. We parked behind the hall - in the car park used for the family farm (which is excellent if you have small children). It cost us £2.50 to park, but then found £3.01 on the floor near our car!! So we were 51p up on the day - until we visited one of the many superb cafe's in the site (sooooo many to choose from and all great). I can highly recommend the "Pavillion" tea room in the main car park - they even provide you with blankets if you want to sit outside! The Raspberry and Rhubarb frangipan cake was to die for.

This is where the Spencer - Stanhope family used to grow their famous Pineapples - you didn't know Barnsley was famous for its Pineapple growing did you! Apparently, they were in such demand at dinner parties, that they used to hire them out! I wonder if they used to come back with chunks missing out of them?

They always have a very colourful display in the greenhouse.

I could only peep through the garden gate into the walled garden - again, this is open around Easter I think. The museum and gardens are free of charge usually.

We strolled around the gardens,

and walked alongside the river which was teeming with birds - mainly Geese and Gulls all having a Sunday nap.

The site features ample parking, plenty of choices for places to eat, a farm, play area's for kids, museum, garden centre, farm shop, gardens, lots of places to roam - its a perfect day out actually. The village boasts a lovely pub and a restaurant too. Another fantastic tourist spot on my doorstep.

The only fault we could find with this wonderful walk was the smell of the Roast Beef and Yorkshire puddings wafting from the farm cafe - made us so hungry!

We have decided to put the cash that we found in a jar, and we are all going to keep our eyes peeled throughout the year, and see how much we can find. Anybody fancy a competition?

Stroll with me.........

around Clumber Park. This morning was a perfect cold but very crisp morning, so the young man and I took off for a stroll.

We walked all way around the lake. Last year, the lake had sprung a leak caused by mining subsidence. How do you find a leak in a lake? and how do you start to repair it?
There was still much evidence of frost in places where the sun hadn't reached.

I love all the beautiful estate houses in the park. The sky was a perfect blue, but there was a very very cold wind blowing. The young man wondered how cold it had to get before it froze your eyeballs!

The birds on the lake were making a real racket!! I don't know what got them so excited.

We stopped and watched the dancing water in the cascade.

The dead trees make spectacular statues.

Whilst the still living trees make music with the wind blowing through them.

A few people asked me what the shrub in my previous post was. It is called Christmas Box or Sweet Box. It has the most amazing fragrance which is really unusual for plants this time of the year.

And finally - I have another claim to fame. For anyone who has just finished watching Celebrity Big Brother - I was once kicked by Vinnie Jones! It was in "Josephines " nightclub in Sheffield in the early 90's and he was dancing behind me in a very exuberant manner! There was I, minding my own business, dancing round my handbag, when I felt a very quick kick to the shin!! He never apologised either.

Family life

Like most families with teenage kids, we find ourselves enjoy different hobbies and interests. And whilst we all still very much enjoy each others company, there are times when we indulge in our different interests. Hubby and the young man are nuts about sport, but the dancing queen and I are not so keen. So on Saturday, whilst DQ was working at her Saturday job, Hubby and the young man took themselves off to watch their team win 2-1 - a rarity this season!


whilst I looked for my own green shoots of recovery in the garden. The garden needed a lot of tidying up and cutting back and I had a great time - although my hands and arms look as if I "self harm" now!!

These 2 beauties are from what I grandly call my "winter border"

Then on Sunday, whilst the dancing Queen danced all day, and the young man enjoyed a preview weekend of a sports channel on Freeview TV, hubby and I squeezed in a little walk around the garden centre.

The best bit for me though, was when we all met up at 4pm at the "all you can eat" Chinese Buffett, before we headed out to watch the Sheffield Steelers Ice Hockey team (who unfortunately lost 5-2 to Hull), because we were all back together again, listening to the kids laughing and chattering away to each other. I like us to all do our own thing, but I do love it when we are all together.

I hope you enjoyed your weekend.

There's no such thing as a free lunch!

So on Saturday night, hubby suggested that on Sunday, we ought to go out for Sunday lunch. Did I fancy it? Well yes, if someone else is going to do the cooking, count me in! So, do we do what normal people do and don our Sunday best and drive out to a nice country pub? Not quite. Instead, we put on our walking gear and park 3 miles away from the pub and trudge over moors, finding the only snow left in South Yorkshire!
We walked from the Norfolk Arms at Ringinglow, to the Fox House at Longshaw. A walk with superb views and a decent pub at each end. We left Sheffield bathing in sunlight in the valley below.

Nearly every one of the pines at the edge of the forest had been broken by the weight of the snow.

It really is spectacular but very bleak across this moor. It was hard walking as the snow was really deep in parts, and where it had melted and then froze again, the ice was like a Glacier!!!

After 3 hard miles, Roast Beef and all the trimmings and a couple of halves of "Black Sheep" went down a treat! However, all I wanted to do after that was curl up in front of the roaring log fire and snooze, so the 3 mile back to the car was even harder going!!

I felt marvellous and full of fresh air afterwards though. Well worth the trudge.

So what did I make on Saturday afternoon then? (Serious crafters please look away now!!)

I save all the cards that we receive over the year. I hate to just throw them away as some of them are really lovely and cards cost a fortune in the shops these days. I wait until a dreary day in January, then set about cutting, glueing and sticking, and make all the cards I am going to need for this year.

As you can see I am a messy worker!

I use 3d sticky pads and a few other embellishments. Ive now made all my Christmas cards for this year - and all the tags too! (Its the Virgo in me!)

And Ive also made lots of birthday cards for the coming year too.

Well it stops me from getting bored. xx