Plan B

Today we decided to go to the coast - Bridlington, Filey or Whitby were hot favorites, but after close scrutiny of the weather, we changed to plan B which was a walk in Debyshire. Some time ago, I found a great website on the internet with details of loads of really nice walks between 3 and 10 miles long. We have slowly been working through them, and today we chose this one http://www.derbyshire-peakdistrict.co.uk/cromfordwalk.htm Which starts off at Cromford Mill - just past Matlock Bath.

But first of all, because we were so near, we made an unscheduled stop at the John Smedley Factory shop. I'd wanted to visit here for a long time. John Smedley sell their goods in Harrods, Harvey Nicks and the like, and I had heard tales of jumpers (usually £150) on sale in the factory shop for £10 - but alas the cheapest they had were £45 so still out of my price range. The factory and village is an amazing little place though and well worth the detour.

We parked at Cromford Mill itself. This is a collection of amazing buildings built by Sir Richard Arkwright in the 1700's. Masson Mill is close by too and you can see the weaving machines still in action there. The walk took us alonside the canal, up a steep railway incline, and then back into the town of Cromford itself.

I love the old mill workers cottages here. From the front, they look massive, but when you get a peek inside them, they have no depth to them, just one room on each floor.

I think that these were the offices to the mill at one time.

We called back in Matlock Bath for Fish and Chips - these would have tasted better at the seaside, but Matlock Fish and Chips come a pretty close 2nd. I also got to look in the fabulous fabric shop (that always seems to be shut whenever we visit), but I wasnt allowed to buy any!!

Spring "springs" late around these part, and this morning I noticed that the tulips were just starting to come out in the garden. Can you see the devil plant that is golden hops starting to creep up the fence? It looked so pretty and sweet when I bought a small pot of it at the school fair, but someone should have told me that it was no good for a pocket hankerchief size garden - and you just can't get rid of it! I spend all summer cutting it back so that it doesnt take over.

Ive also got loads of these this year in the garden - woodland violets. It seems to be a good year for them. These came from my Grandads garden. They remind me of him when they flower every year.

And finally, looked what had "Buy Me" written all over it ! This should make the housework a bit more fun!!

The Kids

Ive really enjoyed every stage of having kids - right from being pregnant. Thats not to say that I have found any of it easy and they have taught me so much along the way. One thing I can safely say is that as a parent, you always think that the next stage will be easier, but it never is. I think it gets harder.







The young man doesn't mind walking with me up to the wool shop as he gets to do a Rambo impersonation in one of the sheds!! Actually he minds very much walking up to the wool shop with me - its just not cool to be seen out with your mother! He is very sporty, loves cars and the "Dave" channel, likes helping Dad assemble Ikea furniture - he's a proper bloke.

She's been through the ballet and the tap phase, she's been a disco diva, but now she is firmly stuck on "Street Dancing" and she does it everywhere!

The dancing queen and I have a great love for each other and a deep understanding of each other. We put all the falling out down to our hormones. Having kids a bit later in life means that you are menopausal when their teenage hormones are kicking in. She also keeps me in a constant state of poverty. They both want to go to university, so the poverty will only worsen.

It doesn't seem 2 minutes since my waters broke - where does the time go?

Sheffield City Centre

I often think that the Tourist board in Sheffield has its work cut out drawing punters into the city, because its just not a very touristy place. It doesn't have any "attractions". Until recently, it was still very much a city that made its money from heavy industry, and that just wasnt pretty to look at. However, the people of Sheffield are very fond of it (as are we) and I think that it is a city perhaps more for its own. I don't know, perhaps I'm wrong. Have you ever been? What did you find to do here? It has 2 Universities and there is much evidence of a student population which makes it feel like a very young city. We love its very fine theatre's, its lovely parks, its industrial architecture, the many many varied and diverse live music venues. The talent and creativity in the city is astounding - it has a vibrant art scene. It doesn't have the "fine" restaurants with big names attached like you get in Leeds and Manchester, but I like it better for this. It retains a lot of it's individuality. The city centre shopping area is currently in a bit of a crisis as it is in the early stages of mass regeneration that has had to be put on hold because of the economic climate, and it looks a right old mess. But you can still buy what you need at good old "Cole Brothers" (actually John Lewis now, but I don't know anybody that calls it that!!). Anyway, I'm going to be showing you around some of the best bits - here are a few for starters.




This is the Winter Gardens - it is attached to the Millenium and Ruskin Museum and is very nice, but I struggle to spend more than an hour in here. You would have to read absolutely everything about all the exhibits to make time spin out. The art gallery above the library across the road is far more interesting - However they often have art exhibitions by local artists in the Winter Gardens, and these are brilliant.

This is the roof of the Lyceum theatre (my daughter took the photo's hence the arty angles!!). The dancing queen and I are regular visitors to the Lyceum. It is an old style theatre and for many years was left derelict. They revamped it in the 80's and restored it to its former glory, and I think it is far nicer than any theatre I have been in in London (the ones in London have all been a bit scruffy). So far this year, we have been to see Evita and Cabaret, and we have tickets for Flashdance and West Side Story which are coming shortly. The Lyceum stands next to the famous Crucible theatre (currently being revamped, but they will have some of it done for the snooker). The style of the Crucible is very modern in contrast to the Lyceum. I think we are really lucky to have these 2 theatres side by side on our doorstep.

These are part of the Peace Gardens. They stand in the heart of the city next to the old Town Hall (very beautiful building on the left) and in the middle of all the modern offices, hotels and apartments being built. In the olden days, the gardens used to get full of drunks and was'nt a nice place to be, but nowadays they have "City Ambassadors" on guard and it is usually a lovely atmosphere here. I'll take more pictures when I regain control of the camera!!

Fridays bits and bobs.

I made a couple of tote bags to hold Easter gifts for one of my friends little girls. I didn't buy Easter eggs, I bought a couple of Chocolate milkshake glasses with a beanie cow in the top for £1.25 each in the Christmas Boots 75% sale. I thought they made a nicer gift and appealed to my thrifty nature.

Friday morning started off with really bad freezing frog, but by the time I had finished work, the sun was out (and it was warm) so a quick walk across the fields and round by the woods started the weekend off well. (You can just see Wentworth church peeping over the hill). I love the lighter nights. I get more hours in the day to do the things I love. We are lucky because this walk starts just around the corner from our house.

This is my Comfrey patch in the garden. It grows in an area where not much else grows, and it grows like wildfire. I use it to make (a very stinky) plant food for the rest of the garden. Ive never made any lotions or potions with it, but I'm sure you can. I'll have to trawl the internet for suggestions - unless any of you know what else I can do with it?

These boots were made for walking............

...but then they started to let water in, so they became plant pots!! My natural instinct is to re-use not just recycle.

My Tree fella

Yes, this is my Tree Fella - and there's only one of him (boom boom, the old ones are the best! - you may have to be old enough to remember the 2 Ronnies!!) . He is on the tree in my front garden facing into the living room so that (a) I can see him through the window (when all the leaves are on the tree, he looks as if he's got an afro) and (b) the local kids can't see him, so they are less likely to nick him.

Aroma

Not the best photo in the world, but it wasn't the view I needed to capture this time, it was the smell. After work, we all went swimming. The Swimming pool is right next to "Bassetts" sweety factory. They were obviously making Liquorice Allsorts because the air was heavy with the aroma of Liquorice. I loved it, the hubby loved it, the kids hated it. But what I really love about Bassetts is that its always been here, and its still here - making sweets when every other manufacturing plant seems to have been moved abroad. When I was little, I hated catching the bus back from Sheffield on the "Wicker" because of the smell of all the breweries.

The smell of the hops reminded me of school dinner carrots. Whilst I still think the smell of hops is not nice, I'd love to see the breweries still in production. I really don't like the way that our towns and city's have lost their identities and individuality. The breweries in Sheffield have mostly been replaced by apartments - that all look the same. On the way home from swimming, we passed the big bakery in Hillsborough (I think its owned by Northern foods now, but it is under constant threat of closure). They were obviously baking hot cross buns. Hillsborough, Sheffield - not only home to "The Owls", but it smells like heaven!!