Living vicariously!

I’m always excited by a personal visit to London so what is more natural than to be enthusiastic about a visit that Nerea and Alex are making this weekend. Ostensibly, it’s a visit to Twickenham for the European Challenge Cup which was our gift to Alex for his 21st birthday but the pair intend to maximise the opportunity of some touristy sight-seeing when they are there! Being seen as a bit of a London expert guide by both of them, my opinions have been sought so I’ve suggested a couple of walks taking in the usual locations affording photo opportunities!

Morney Stannit!

I’ve heard of parents doing their children’s paper rounds for them so this morning, I was scandalised in a “Daily Wail” sort of way when I saw the paperboy jumping in and out of his father’s car as they drove around the route together.  But cycling to work, I thought differently about it.  Maybe it was a convenient opportunity for father and son to spend some limited time together?  Perhaps the boy had been unwell or had to leave early for school and didn’t want to let anyone down? Irrespective of the reason, at least my neighbours got their papers!

Walltown to Housesteads

Participating in the British Heart Foundation 9 mile charity hike along Hadrian’s Wall proved to be a rewarding experience this weekend. My friend Monica came up from Kent and was enthused by the superb scenery.  Although the stretch from Walltown Crags to Housesteads is familiar territory for us as locals, it never fails to please: the dramatic cliffs of the Whin Sill rising up from the lough below to tower above the debateable lands that stretch to the north for miles. As always, it was immensely satisfying to walk along the wall, imagining the sounds and smells of centuries ago

Walking (part of) the Wall

This weekend I’m excited to be walking 9 miles of Hadrian’s Wall (along the best bits that usually features on the TV) for the British Heart Foundation. Heart disease is something I’m very aware of, as is my friend Monica who is travelling from Kent to join me. It’s as well she’s made of stern stuff as she’ll have to cope with our undecorated living room and scratty bathroom but that aside, I’m looking forward catching up with her! I suspect we’ll be breathless with talking as well as physical effort as we tread in the footsteps of Roman Legionaries

Master chef!

Alex made homemade pizzas this weekend with very tasty results.  But, the experience was not without frustration for him as he isn’t an experienced yeast dough baker and getting to grips with the whole kneading process is always challenging.  Using olive oil in pizza dough adds hugely to flavour quality but makes the dough harder to handle so naturally Nerea and I found it highly entertaining to see him elbow deep in sticky flour. But, he persevered and produced some delicious pizza bases that tasted as good as they looked. Practice makes perfect so we’re expecting a repeat performance soon!

Warton Crag

I’ve often noticed Warton Crag, the small, prominent limestone hill near Carnforth, visible from the M6 but, until last week, I’d never visited. Finding myself in the area, I headed up to the top through wooded slopes covered with spring flowers, serenaded by cheerful birdsong. Once on the limestone pavement summit there were surprisingly glorious views across Morecambe Bay, the Lakeland Fells and the brooding escarpment of Ingleborough. And, close to the Trig Point was a replica beacon, used in more violent times to warn of the approach of invading forces. It was a delightful way to spend an hour

Grimaldi Park

Childhood visits to Blackpool Tower Circus have left me with an uneasy feeling about clowns. I know I’m not alone in being disturbed by the exaggerated makeup, masks and unpredictable tragic-comedic behaviours but that didn’t prevent me visiting the Grimaldi Park in Islington last week. I was actually on an (unsuccessful) geocache hunt but the park itself, a former graveyard, was interesting in its own right. The “original” clown, Joseph Grimaldi is buried there, his grave adorned with theatrical masks but additionally, there are two sunken “caskets” of bronze tiles, designed to play musical notes when walked or danced on.

Custard Creams!

The combination of wind direction and a baking session at McVitties meant that last night, when I was walking Molly by the river, the air was redolent with the sweet, synthetic but compellingly fragrant aroma of custard cream biscuits. Despite not having eaten one for years, a Pavlovian response was triggered and I desperately wanted to relieve my childhood rituals of eating that iconic, English biscuit. I suspect I was not alone in de-constructing the components, taking off the top layer of the biscuit sandwich, enabling an appropriate savouring of the vanilla cream before nibbling the sweet, crispy biscuits themselves!

The Last Horsemen

Yesterday the sound of curlews and skylarks filled the air as I looked for a geocache on a farm that still uses heavy horses. Seeing the hand-ploughed field, I was reminded that years ago, we visited friends who used to live nearby. Reared on James Herriot and the delightful story of two elderly carthorses that enjoyed a long and happy retirement, I asked the farmer what happened to his horses when they were too old to work.  I was shocked and crushed on hearing that they ended up on a French dinner plate or a in a dog food tin!

Ealing

Ealing wasn’t somewhere on my “top ten locations to visit” but as a result of a last minute, non-refundable hotel reservation by someone with a limited understanding of London’s geography, I found myself embarking on a voyage of discovery at the end of the District line!  I knew that the town had a Common and that the Ealing Comedies were produced at the studios on Ealing Green but that was it. My historic town trail yesterday took me past several lovely churches, the theatre, and through beautiful parks. It definitely pays not to judge the Ealing book by its cover!

A splendid dog on Twitter

Misty has returned home after her extended holiday and the house seems empty. Her stay was uneventful, but none the less, we managed to maintain a record of her adventures through guest posts on Miss Molly Malone’s newly created Twitter account! Not being a Twitter user myself, I hadn’t really got any idea of how it worked but it seemed to be relatively straightforward to set up Molly as a user and begin posting.  As I’m a firm believer in the old adage “a picture paints a thousand words”, it was particularly useful to be able to post photos. #misstmemories

Miss Molly Malone

A chilly start to April!

My beloved, late Mother was a great one for idioms and proverbs, leaving me with a lasting legacy of partially remembered and muddled sayings. This year, I can’t remember whether March “came in like a lion” but it certainly “didn’t go out like a lamb”! Yesterday was absolutely freezing as I discovered when I made the mistake of taking the dogs out for their afternoon walk without wearing any gloves! Today, it’s been a rainy and windy April 1^st and as we’re heading for the Easter weekend, I’m not expecting it to improve very much over the next few days!