The Gleaming Spires of Ox-Bridge

The Grapes  Oxford

Christ Church College Oxford

Lewis Carroll attended Christ Church 

St Johns College Cambridge

The gatehouse to St Johns

The Round Church Cambridge

The popular pastime of Punting on the River Cam. 

24th July 2013

Woke this morning feeling somewhat relieved that August is nearly over. It's been a very busy month rather demanding but never the less, enjoyable. I  am always saying  as I get older that I need to slow down, I expect we all say that, but do we ?   I like a challenge and set them quite frequently to keep me  focused, have something to strive for, but within my capabilities is important to keep me marching along this road leading to, well  you work it out.
Those of us who are of a certain age should  be enjoying this  'Age of Enlightenment' in spite of all the restrictions and complexed issues in the world today. To follow our instincts, requiring no instruction or help in meeting our own wants and needs. It might sound a bit selfish but looking back on  my life, on who I was and what formed me into who I have become, I  feel deserving of this life.
Where did all this musing come from ? Well I have just returned from  a few days visiting Oxford and Cambridge the seats of educational  excellence in the UK today. May be it was in the air as I walked around these magnificent  old buildings and marveled at their history, probably absorbed some intellect thinking about the opportunities that are out there for many young men and women today that where  in many ways denied our age group. But I have a good life and cannot complain.
Yes the trip was good but the drive down there was horrendous, the increased traffic, Juggernaughts and the constant delays,the extra hours on the road took their toll, I was drained.  I  should  let the train take the strain and stop being so independent.  Hahaha

Also this month my two awesome grandsons celebrated their 21st Birthdays, one day apart.  It was an exciting time for us in 1992,we already had our wonderful grand daughter and now we where blessed with two incredible baby boys,what more could a Granma ask for, amazing.

Yesterday myself and a friend drove over  to the Village of  Slaidburn in the Forest of Bowland a beautiful area, nature at its best, to meet up with  good friends  from “Way up North” who  where staying at the  Local Youth Hostel with another friend of ours who was the Volunteer Warden for the week. It was a great reunion  and  we where rather late getting home.

My garden has been a real joy this year as the weather has been stupendous.  I have 21 sunflowers in full bloom, grown from seed that greet me every morning with a cheery nod. I  just love them and call them my big boys, talk to them and I swear they understand . I am  also cultivating a  tomato plant in the front porch because the  front porch is an ideal hot house. Since I gave my greenhouse away I sometimes find I miss it ,but the feeling probably won’t last.   Anyway it is growing well and I have enough tomatoes for my needs.  

At the bottom of our  road is a meadow full of  wild flowers,  most are knee high, a sea of  blues, pinks and yellows planted by Bolton Council and repeated all over the town where there is green space.  The result has seen an obvious increase in  Butterflies since the flowers bloomed, a real delight and one I hope will be repeated every summer.

My Big Boys

The Summer Meadow

Midsummer Sunshine

The Buxton Well 

Buxton Opera House

31st July 2013
Hi everyone,hope you are having as much fun as I am.  This summer our weather has been so different from the past few years, we have suffered  cold wet summers but this past few weeks has been a gift, a real summer with lots of sunshine  that has lasted for weeks. The gardens have suffered by the lack of rain but it has been worth the extra effort watering every evening. Curiously we haven’t had hosepipe restrictions  like in previous wet summers ! anyway it’s the end of July and we are  thankfully having some rain. But not for long though, we are told the prediction is more sunshine. Great for I have booked a holiday in a few weeks time so I am expecting good weather. I have really  enjoyed  being in the garden this year watching the flowers grow and tending to their needs, I  grew many from seed this year,  my sunflowers are special and the Yucca Palm has certainly excelled by sending out a huge flower that I have never seen before, in the ten years I have had the plant. It was a tiny cutting from my cousin Pam in Cornwall  and look how it has thrived, in spite of being up in the colder Northwest. I have spent most days in the garden,the days have been wonderful, warm sunny quiet afternoons ideal time to have a snooze under the trees, love it..   The rain is welcomed too because, the earth was so dry and dusty, the air needed refreshing  and the buildings and pavement a good wash down, now we can continue with the sunshine.

My beautiful  Yucca

Decided to have a hair cut last week  after seeing it grow into a neat bob, but with the humidity and the heat was hard to manage.  Now I feel more comfortable and do not look as if I have been dragged through a hedge backwards anymore. Then to escape the heat one afternoon I went to the cinema to see ‘Under the Candelabra ’ the Liberace story. I found it entertaining, interesting and good to hear his piano again.

Also travelled to Buxton a famous Victorian watering place, in the Derbyshire hills, to attend their annual Music Festival,this year  celebrating Gilbert and Sullivan. I went with two  friends and it was a wonderful sunny day, the town was buzzing with people. We had taken picnic lunches which we ate in the Pavilion Gardens, sampled the local water from their Well, it was warm and slightly salty but is reported to be very beneficial health wise. People where filling large canisters with the water which comes from deep inside the Derbyshire hills and filtered by numerous limestone rocks. This Spar town offers hydrotherapy and other treatments for those with specific ailments.. Very picturesque, unique architecture and atmosphere.  We had some retail therapy as is expected, then relaxed at a pavement café listening to live music that was being played by various buskers around the place…very relaxing.

Later we saw ‘The Pirates of Penzance’ at the Buxton Opera House, another unique building that was in superb condition inside and out. Enjoyed the show, the music brought back memories of  my father  playing these tunes on the piano, from memory, self taught with a perfect ear for melody.  I remember sitting around the piano, with a roaring coal fire providing both heat and light singing along to his favourite tunes….magical.    I did have lessons as a young girl, but had not the patience or dedication that is required. I can carry a tune and do have a keyboard  to play on for my own enjoyment, though I am  not very good!!

  Check out Buxton - Check out Buxton

Pirates of Penzance      you must watch this video to the end,I just love their energy and the singing. Hahha