November Nuttiness!!!!

Chris's good mate Ewan has a tradition that every November we go over to Herm for his birthday.

And today was a beautifully atmospheric day, with stunning light coming down over Castle Cornet as we left the harbour on Travel Trident. In the run up to Christmas TT do Herm shopping Saturdays where the boat is free, and so it was packed with families and very happy dogs!

Beautiful

It was a low tide so we landed at Rosaire steps in the south of the island

and headed off up on to the cliffs.

The big legs had to walk slower so the little legs with us could keep up!

This little island off Jethou, Crevichon, is missing a chunk, I was always told when I was growing up that it was a granite quarry and that the stone from there was used to build the steps of

St Paul's Cathedral.  Not totally sure if that is true but its a good story!

These three are the November Nutters, and you will see why soon.....

Belvoir Bay, a big clue!

Ewan checking out the waves

And Chris just double checking again....

'Come on Chris lets do this!'

And they are in!

Max was in too, I would have been, but still got this damn cold,

and that's my story and I am sticking to it!

Lovely out here isn't it?

Just floating around pretending it isn't freezing,

but in that strange way the sea is warmer in November than in May I think.

All to do with absorption of the heat from the sun all summer, and it only looses it in Jan/Feb, then takes ages to warm up again.

Mad!

Then home to warm up and get cosy by the fire after a mulled Rocquettes cider in the Mermaid, very good day.

Brighton Rocks!

Sorry I have been off line all week, we have been away and I have been rather snotty!

First a lovely weekend in Brighton with very old friends, then I went with Chris on a business trip to Paris! Lucky me, but a bugger about the cold......

This was Chris's visit to Brighton and Emma's boys felt that the most important thing for him to see was the pier!  Next time we will do the Pavillion.

Glitter balls on the beach seemed very appropriate for Brighton, the party town!

Such a traditional pier, with lots of family fun

Two huge arcades, full of flashing, money eating monsters.  Though I must admit that as a student I loved those ones where you are trying to push the 2p pieces off the edge, horribly addictive!

The Brighton wheel is a new addition since I was last here, looks good.

The one thing the boys insisted on was that we had to do was the Ghost train, got to admit it was a first for me, great fun, but got to admit I wasn't really scared.........

Then back to the Arcades..... think the adults were more competitive than the kids!

Up on to the Brighton Wheel, very like the London Eye, but faster and you get three rotations not just one.

We really did have perfect weather for it, not a cloud in the sky and not a breath of wind.

A brilliant way to see Brighton and out towards the White Cliffs, but not quite Dover

Then along the beach, which is always buzzing, for lunch.

Think this sums up Brighton Beach totally!!!!

getting people started

Well it is November and so I am teaching again!

Last year I ran a course at the Tapestry Gallery teaching people the stitches used with in the panels, and then I promised I would show them how to design their own piece.  So this year we are.

Its being kept simple, a small pin cushion using 4 or 5 different stitches, and I did two samples pieces to give them ideas, and have to admit I am rather pleased with them.

This is a very simple design, decorative boarders round a plain striped tent stitch centre  Then the whole think is lifted with a three dimensional flower in needle weaving and French knots.

The stitches used in the boarder included blanket, upright cross and chequer board cross stitch.

The second one used only three stitches, upright cross, mosaic and tent, but I blended the threads so you get a softer almost tweedy look.

Then because the pattern was so regimented, I added the random with the uneven amethyst beads forming the fringe boarder.

So go on have ago at designing you own, it will be a one off and so much satisfying than a kit!

hidden harbours

This morning I was heading back from the Vale, as my car needed a new indicator light. Note to Renault, it would really help we could change our own bulbs, having the manual say restricted access, go to garage, isn't helpful! Especially for a French make where the law says we need to have headlight bulbs in the car at all times, not much use if the car is designed so you cant do it yourself.....

Rant over.

Well there was a fantastic sky which was stunning, so I pulled over at the Half Way to capture it, and then looked down at the beach (which is one of those better for atmospheric walks than sunbathing).

And for the first time noticed this pier,

had seriously never seen it before ,

its beautiful curve providing shelter to small boats at low tide.

There are quite a few of these little low tide piers (jutting off from half way down the beach) round the island, and are perfect in the summer for small boys to jump off and go crabbing.

you do have to admire the craftsmanship and the skill, this is at low tide so you can see how difficult it must have been to build.

the strange thing is all others are marked on the Ordnance Survey map, but not this one.....

Cheapside hoard

On my way back to the airport I popped into

Museum of London

to see The Cheapside Hoard.

Its an amazing story,

 back in 1912 some workmen were demolishing a building in Cheapside, East London,

when under the basement in the earth they saw something sparkle.

 They had stumbled across a massive hoard hidden by a 17th century jeweller.

 But know one know why he hid it?

There are theories including that he was a Royalist supporter during the Civil War and had been asked to hid it so the jewels could slowly be realised to pay for the campaign.

But we do know it was buried between 1640 and 1666, as one piece had a date on it and the building it was under was built after the Great Fire of London, yet the bottom of the basement was pre that, so obviously survived the flames.

Its one of those stories you can let your imagination run wild with.

Because of the nature of the exhibition security is very tight, so no coats, bags and definitely no cameras, so all of these images are the Museums gorgeous postcards.

As they are from the Tudor period there is a lot of enamel, which I do love.

can you imagine having the patience to carve these tiny (1cm) grapes out of emeralds?

You can just picture these beautiful enamelled chains draped round and over tightly laced Elizabethan corseted bodices.

Its a stunning exhibition, and I bet you go through going 'I wish I had that or that or that'

Definitely worth seeing and its on till April 27 2014.

Lovell and Vie

Have just had a great couple of days on the mainland. Caught up with a college friend on Sunday after a horribly early start on the red eye (alarm going off at 5.45 with a hangover - not good!!!).

And after a couple off strong coffees had a great time

 Christmas shopping at the  Renegade Craft Fair in Brick Lane

Then off to Sevenoaks to catch up with my sister, and see her new shop!

Lovell and Vie (pronounced Via)

a gorgeous new lingerie shop in Hollybush Lane.

check them out on facebook

its a beautifully elegant shop

with space to wander and browse

Theres a great selection of undies including Chantelle and Freya

As well as swim wear for those lucky enough to be heading off to the sun this winter.

Ohh look at a gorgeous orchid

sent from my brother and I!

Now those are my sort of colours

And you definitely cant beat lacy scondies!

British handmade soap, perfect stocking fillers

So if you are in Sevenoaks do pop in and say hi to Kari and my sister Serena,

I know they would love to see you