5 party's in 4 days!!

Party No 1 was on Wednesday evening. This was actually a "Freebie" night out that I had bagsyd for hubby and I and also 2 friends. Our Local Business Link has on its website loads of "events" that it holds throughout the year. This event was listed as an "Inspirational talk by Wayne Hemingway" (he of Red or Dead fame). I thought it was worth a shot, so we booked 4 free of charge places. The event was held on the top 3 floors of the Q Car Park (the cheese grater one I showed you in an earlier post and if I may say so, a fantastic party venue!). It turns out that they had won several awards for design and safety etc. We arrived to discover (much to hubby's delight) that the evening had a "supercar" theme and they had around 12 super cars all parked up for those interested to sit in and rev!! Canapes (delish!) and free drinks (as many as you like!) were served. Canapes and drinks were served to ladies by topless male models. This is how I want all my food and drink serving to me in future!!!

There was also a 6 lane Scaletrix race set to play on.

The talk by Wayne Hemminway was really funny, and also very thought provoking. He talked about how he and his wife set up (or accidently fell into setting up) Red or Dead back in the 1980's. He also spoke about how design affects our living and city centres and how most planners have got it wrong. From the roof of the car park you get a great view of the city and you can see how it is surrounded by green - hills, trees and very open spaces.

After the talk, there was a buffet by Nonna's caterers. Nonna's is a great Italian restaurant in the posh bit of Sheffield, so this was a fantastic treat as it is normally out of my price range!. Free drinks flowed all evening - until it eventually ran out!! There was also a fashion show, showcasing Sheffield talent - excellent and the blokes got to watch the football match on a large screen. There was music and a DJ and space heaters when it got colder. We all got a goody bags containing free car parking tickets till the end of October and Hair care products - and the obligitory Business Link pens. All in all a superb freeby evening out!!

Party 2 was of course my birthday on Thursday.

Party 3 was the wedding of 2 friends. I loved the dessert. The profiterloes were HUGE and the chocolate sauce divine. The writing on the plate was in chocolate!!

Party 4 is this evening. My friend is holding a "Last Night of the Proms" party. Don't you just love my outfit? No?? Destined to be cut up into a cushion cover I think!

Party 5 I have had to decline as this is also being held this evening.

Tomorrow I am having a nice night in!!

Sitting on top of the world.

I love being 50. I haven't stopped!! On my birthday, hubby and I saw the kids off to school/college then went out for brunch to Bragazzi's on Abbeydale Road in Sheffield. Abbeydale Road is often compared to Notting Hill in London. It is home to a real ethnic mix, and subsequently the standards of diverse and authentic cuisine are brilliant. This is the real macoy. You won't find fancy places, but the food is superb. We made our way to Bragazzi's which is an Italian deli and cafe. We sat outside as it was baking hot and ate the best sandwich I have ever had - Gorganzola, walnut, rocket and sundried tomato.
Bragazzi's is famous for serving the best coffee in Sheffield. Did they know I was coming?

We then drove out to the edge of the Peak District to Castleton. Many of you will no doubt have been to Castleton on school trips and will know that it is an amazing little place. We drove through Winnats Pass .

And then walked to the top of Mam Tor. The walk up to the top of Mam Tor was really funny. We though that being mid week, we might be the only ones up there, but we were joined by loads of very sprightly (and some quite ancient looking) senior citizens. The path up was like a pensioners super highway!! Well done them! Once on top of Mam Tor, you really do feel that you are on top of the world.

Then hubby gave me my surprise - a parachuting experience.

Not really!! Although there are times I think he would gladly push me off the top of a steep hill I'm sure!! I can never make out whether these guys are brave or stupid - or both! There were around 30 of them flying around us.

This is more like it!! We sat and drank in the spectacular scenery along with a G&T that hubby had stashed into the rucksack.

We wandered back down the hillside via the old hairpin bend in the road that collapsed in 1979. The authority's finally gave in trying to rescue this road and now the only way up or down into Castleton is Winnats Pass which is very steep.

On our way home, we called in at Edale for National Trust coffee and cake,

And finally headed home past Ladybower resevoir - famous for its roll in the Dambusters story. On days like these, I realise that we do live in a truly beautiful part of the world.

We had to be home fairly earlyish as my sister was holding a small gathering at her home for a few family and friends in my honour.

I had the most wonderful day.

I'll be back shortly with the tale of 3 other parties(!!!!!) I think I am going to find being 50 exhausting!

Me and my teddy bear

This morning my hubby woke up to find a fifty year old woman in his bed!! He is 6 months younger than me, and he makes a lot of those 6 months. You would think he was Ashton Kucher to my Demi Moore!!! Yes, me and my teddy bear are now 50 years old!!



What a chubby little bubba I was (still am!!)

I'm off out to play for the rest of the day - i'll let you know what I go up later. xxxx

Playing out

Well thankfully the weather man got it wrong for us yesterday, and so our rainy day plan (sort out my wardrobe, do the ironing, clean the bathroom) changed to something far more enjoyable. I was brought up by a mother who believed that if it was fine, you had to play out - and so I still do to this day!!
We went to Clumber Park in North Nottinghamshire as it isn't too far from us. We hired bikes for a couple of hours and cycled through the forest. I love the smells at this time of year. The pine was very strong, but the forest floor smelled strong and earthy.
When I could in the saddle no more, we wandered around the walled garden. This is slowly being restored to its former glory. Until recently it was a camp site.

The produce in the garden is used in the (highly recommended ) National Trust Tea Room. They do wonderful soup! The flowers in the borders are starting to fade, but still look beautiful.

I love the old gardeners mess room which is by the potting shed - especially the Head Gardeners "Bowler".

This lemon was large enough for us all to have a very large slice in our G&T!!

I do love playing out.

Nostell Priory

When hubby finally arose (he had been on nights), we decided to have a quick walk around Nostell Priory (NT) which is just a short ride from us. It totally throws me when we have a late start to the day - although I hasten to add that I had been up early to drop the dancing queen off at work.

Nostell Priory is near Wakefield and houses very fine Chippendale furniture. It has a great park and lakes too. We had a quick whiz around the house, and then headed outside for a walk around the lakes.
The picture below was taken from the back of the house. On our tour around, one of the stewards told us that it was notorious amongst the gentry for being a very cold house. The kitchens are on the right of the picture and seperated from the main house by a long stone corridor. Hubby said they must have never had a hot meal!!

The sun shone whilst on our walk making lovely patterns on the lake - very similar to the lakes at Wentworth. I wonder if they were designed by the same person?

We had never noticed this bridge on previous visits, so we went closer to investigate.

We discovered a newly developed walk around the bottom lake. It turns out that until recently, this bridge had been on the bottom of the lake after collapsing in many years ago. They must have found some strapping blokes to fish it out and re construct it!!

Finally my summer knitting project is complete. I can't do complicated knitting any more, I seem to have lost concentration - so I like to knit something I can just pick up and put down ad hoc. Here is another cushion for the teenagers play room.

and the back. I do love a Nautical stripe!!

2 Festivals

I want to plug 2 festivals that happen in Sheffield in October. The first is the Literary festival called Off The Shelf. The city plays host to some wonderful guests from the 10th October-31st October at various and wonderful venues across the city - none of the events are expensive and a lot of them are free. Some you have to book for, others you just turn up for. We do have many wonderful authors locally (the brilliant Joanne Harris is one, and she is on at the festival, and her event is free), but there are authors and poets from across the globe appearing - something for everybody.

Ive already booked to see Stuart Maconie who wrote one of my all time favorite books - Cider with Roadies (If you are a similar age to me and "Top of the Pops" on Christmas day was more important than the Queens speech or the Morcombe and Wise Christmas show, then you too may like this book). Even though Maconie is from the wrong side of the Pennines (Gilly), he appears to have lived a parallel life to me growing up. Ive also got tickets to see Hugh Fearnley Whittingstall (control yourself Lisa!!) Jo Brand, and Ive booked a walk in the woods with a bloke who knows his mushrooms. And thats just for starters! I love events like this.

Its brilliant if you live close by, but well worth making the effort if you fancy a few days here in the north. We also have running at the same time, the comedy festival which is called Grin Up North . Something to look forward to as

the nights draw in.

PS What did you all make of Wuthering Heights? I have to say that I didn't stick with it I'm afraid. Heathcliffes really bad Yorkshire accent annoyed me from the start - did it get any better?

Harvest

When I was a child, I would spend the October school holidays "potato picking" for the farmer in our village - in fact the October holidays were always called "Tatie Picking Week". Let me tell you, I don't know how I used to manage a week. Yesterday the hubby and I emptied this sorry looking receptacle out onto to the garden to reveal....
... this basin of beauties. We both complained of bad backs throughout the harvesting!!! (old age!!). Don't ask me what type they are - I just remember some spuds sprouting in the cupboard, so we planted them. We cooked the first lot within 5 minutes of picking and they are delicious. We will be feasting on different potato recipes for the rest of the week!!

I also grew these in a corner of the garden too. I never liked beetroot when I was a kid, then in my twenties, my Grandad (who was in his 80's at the time) made me a ham and beetroot sandwich and I didn't have the heart to tell him I didn't like it, so I ate it and discovered that I loved it!!

I thought about my Grandad this evening. He died when he was 93 years old. He was a woodcutter and a big strapping chap - but never fat and he only was ever ill once (he thought he was dying because he never realised how bad you felt when you were physically sick!!) He never had colds or any common ailments. He ate all the things that are supposed to be bad for you. He told me that when he was young, the youngest of 13 children, he was only allowed to eat the dripping from the meat - his older brothers who worked ate the meat. He still loved dripping in his older age - often frying his bacon in it, then pouring it onto his plate to mop up with bread. He loved butter too - and spread it very thickly on thick sliced bread. I went to the cinema to see "Julie and Julia" and at the end of the film it said that Julia and her husband both died in their 90's. She used tons of butter in her cooking. It made me smile.

Its a lovely film - I love Nora Ephron films (except "Bewitched" which I can only describe as lack lustre). She certainly knows how to "style" a movie. The scenes in France are an utter delight. I'm all fired up to get back into the kitchen now autumn is here - so much for the diet!