Thursday 30 June 2011

Journey through June

Another month of adventures, and onto July.

The Good Life and Urban Steam Rally

We have an allotment, I might have mentioned that, well after all the hard work, much credited to OH I must add, its all worth it.


Garlic, Broad Beans, Potatoes, Radish, Strawberries and Raspberries.



*Smile* *Happy Days*

Now onto the Urban Steam Rally at Abbey Pumping Station

The Steam Engines working for this event, always nice to see them working.





We love the scroll work and detailing, given that this was once a working pumping station building, so really no actual need for the decorative work.




It was a a very very hot summers day.  


I usually manage to find a little train, I do like to see them working.


A baby one


Do you remember any of these?


We had a good day, as always.





Sunday 19 June 2011

Agatha Christie

A free exhibition of Agatha Christie memorabilia


Posters of The Mousetrap, yes its still running. It opened on 25th November 1952, that is according to a quick google.





Sometimes known as the womens method of murder, if you've read as many murder mysterys as I have.
It dosn't take so much effort you see, not like stabbing or shooting, and you can have an alibi for when the poisoning actually takes place. I seem to remember that the posion was in the sugar in one of the books, anyone could have put it there. ;-)


Can you see Monsieur Bob the Dog, he was blamed for making someone fall down the stairs, when it was really a length of twine across the staircase.

Bob never did play on the stairs, he always returned to his basket with his ball.

He helped to solve the case in the end, clever dog.


Hope you can see this, its a menu from Bettys Tearooms from times goneby.

The weather was nice when we returned home so I picked some flowers from the garden.






Have a good week

In search of a plant for an awkward spot

We didn't find it.

We have a patch at the top of the garden which is dry and never gets the sun. Due to the fence and overhanging trees.
Its not the best of sites.

We visited a couple of garden centre and they all claimed to need full sun or part shade. This isn't even part shade.



We searched and searched.....


Lovely flowers but not what I'm looking for.


We might settle on a few of these. The patch isn't very big, so its might well be do-able.
I'll let you know.



Growing auriculas

Auriculas

My favourite plants of all time, well at the moment anyway.

I lost a few over the winter, well who didn't loose at least something over the last winter. But not to worry I still have a stash, so lets hope these are happy now.

The one on the left really wasn't very well at all. It dosn't take someone with greenfingers to notice that one.


I miss the potting bench from work, the shed floor just isn't the same thing.


Two new plants from one. :-)



Lots of new plants sitting happily in the coldframe.


Fritillaria meleagris - sowing my own seeds

Yes I did google that, AKA Snake's Head Fritillary seeds.

I'm having a go at sowing my own, I've been reading up and its best to give the best part of a year before giving up on germination, so here goes, I'll let you know.


I picked out the seeds from the cases, its pretty easy to see whats what when you look closely. I sowed four seeds in each pot. That way I can keep a track on how many I'm waiting to show their heads


They are outside but under cover of rain, but open to the weather. Its quite hard to find locations exactly as the books tell you. Nature dosn't play ball that way. However, I can understand what is meant, as when the seeds would have been shed, they would now be nestling in beds which are full of flowers, and therefore pretty shaded.

The area where they are dosn't get wet. Its wet now as I've given them a little drink.
I'll keep you posted





Saturday 11 June 2011

An unexpected day out

We were going to go out tomorrow to Open Farm Sunday, we thought it would be something new that we hadn't seen or done before, however, the weather doesn't promise to be good, and it seemed okay today, so I suggested today to be the day out. Very nice it was as well :-), not that I was surprised all our days out are nice.

First of all we decided that we needed some more gravel for the garden, so that meant a trip to B&Q, which happens to have a park opposite - Abbey Park, which also happens to have a Tea Rooms


This smells as nice as it looks


A nice place to sit






Buzy looking after the young ones



I wish I was this good at building


He was more than happy nibbling, just before a small child ran after the poor thing.


Then after the domestic trip to B&Q we went to New Walk Museum for some nibbles for us.


New Walk


Have a good weekend all.

Friday 10 June 2011

The first adventure of the month

Vintage Tractor Rally and Family Fun Day

 This was the 2nd Annual event of this kind at The Bath Grounds, Ashby-de-la-Zouch. Parking however was not at The Bath Grounds, not that there were signs to this effect. Parking was behind the hotel near to The Bath Grounds. Mind you, the steward who informed us that we couldn't park at The Bath Grounds advised us that they had also asked the organisers NOT to put the childrens fair near to the cricket pitch, which would have been where our car was parked as well. Rather in the way of flying cricket balls.

Anway, onto the adventure, we bought some cheese from a stall called Wobbly Bottom Cheese the name rather amused us.


Lots of people enjoying themselves.