Sheep Aversion

Although Monty has never actually chased sheep, he’s demonstrated on several occasions since we’ve had him that he would like to get up close and personal with the woollybacks.  Enter Janet, a dog trainer, who provides access to a flock of sheep as part of sheep aversion training. Janet, a no-nonsense individual with a warm personality who clearly understands canine psychology and the value of “tough love” was simply superb. After a couple of loud and dramatic interventions by her followed by one from me, Monty wanted to be anywhere but in that sheep field. Let the consolidation training begin!

 

Kleptomania and absentmindedness

I’m something of a contradiction, regularly putting things down and walking away while also absentmindedly accumulating collections of other items. I’m especially guilty of this at work, where I have absolutely no pens or other items of office stationery but hordes of mismatching forks and spoons, procured from the office kitchen when warming up last night’s leftovers for lunch. Periodically, I return the property and discover several items from home that have found their way into the spare crockery and cutlery cupboards.  Looking at the numbers of mugs and plates, clearly I’m not alone in my fickle attachments and abandonments

Autumn Apples

When I was growing up, we regularly dog walked along a disused “Beeching” railway line. Not only was the embankment covered with brambles but some way along, there was a dessert apple tree which, wearing the rose coloured spectacles of childhood, was laden with apples every autumn. My parents told us it must have grown from an apple core tossed out of a train: a story that really appealed to me.  And so, several decades later, I still experience a little thrill on discovering an apple tree bordering a former railway line. And here in Cumbria, luckily, there are several.

The Waverley Line

The Sidings

A bumper crop

Bring Me Sunshine

Visiting the Eric Morecambe tribute on Morecambe promenade was a highlight for us on Sunday. Andy, Nerea and Alex had never visited the town before and although it wasn’t my first visit, previously, I hadn’t made it as far as the statue. The Morecambe and Wise show was unmissable TV as we grew up and having introduced Nerea and Alex to past episodes, remains a firm, family favourite to this day. On a glorious day and with superb views of the Lakeland fells and Morecambe Bay as a backdrop, the statue and surrounding tributes definitely  brought “sunshine to our smiles”.

Eric Gill at The Midland

Although I‘d seen other works of the reprehensible Eric Gill, I knew little of the art  he’d created for the Midland Hotel in Morecambe. During a hotel tour, our engaging concierge captivated us with his detailed knowledge of the various Gill pieces: the Neptune medallion, the decorative local map and the relief depicting Odysseus being welcomed from the sea by Nausicaa. And seemingly, locals experienced only moderate degeneracy when dissolute Gill, wearing nothing but a smock, was carving the seahorses high on the front of the hotel.  But does his unquestionable artistic genius excuse his appalling behaviours? Absolutely not!

Birthday Bash

My extended family and I celebrated my cousin’s birthday in style last weekend at the wonderful Art Deco Midland Hotel in Morecambe. Marian decided to have a “bit of a do” to celebrate a random birthday rather than wait for the next funeral to meet up! What a brilliant idea it was! In keeping with the venue, we dressed in 1920s style clothing and danced the night away (in my case, as well as my damaged knee allowed) to some fabulous live music. And we got a guided historical tour of the hotel thrown in! It was a perfect occasion!

Conker time

Yesterday I was approached politely by several small boys sitting on the wall of the riverside cottages. They wanted to know if I would like to buy some conkers. They’d set them out in sizes and were charging between 5p and 20p each. Just a hundred yards away was the source of their produce and although I could have picked up several conkers for free, I was so enchanted by their approach, that I handed over an excess of money and chose a splendid example to take home. It reminded me so much of “Just William”, I was utterly charmed

My splendid purchase on the right