February Blog

This was not one of my best months. I spent several days confined to base; firstly with man flu and later with a back ache that caused me to have a lot of time lying flat. Despite this we seem to have fitted in some outings and I did make a start on another acrylic painting.

For the first visit I was fully well and we made a journey out to Hopton Hall to see the snowdrops. It was quite magical as we drove through the Derbyshire snow fields to find snow drops surrounded by the white stuff. On the way back we had a short walk along Carsington Water.

The next day we attended the funeral of our friend Margaret Cornish O.B.E. It was good to see the church so full and hear about the positive work that she did as an inspector of primary education in Nottingham. Rest in peace ‘Hat Lady’.

On Friday I started an acrylic painting and took photographs of the amaryllis that Joe and Julia bought for mum.

At the beginning of the next week I was beginning to feel unwell. Never-the-less we had a journey to Masson Mill in Matlock Bath. It is basically a shopping area but part of it is a cotton spinning museum. We had a personal demonstration of the machinery. The older machines used to be driven by a drive shaft from the watermill. Now one smallish electric motor runs them. There was also a modern machine which went at great speed. It was quite surprising that the modern machinery was fed by cotton carried from Liverpool on a mule.

Out next visit was with Tim and family to Kedlestone. 

They stayed overnight and the following day we made a trip to McArthur Glenn. Their main aim was clothes buying for Izzy but also chocolate. I bought some new shoes and a copy of ‘A Brief History of Time’. I have read it and I am pleased with how much I understand about what Steven Hawkins is saying.

After their visit I spent the next three day flat on my back. I must say that they had no part in my difficulties and that their visit was very enjoyable.

By Wednesday I was ready to make another visit. This was to ‘Potteries Museum’ at Stoke on Trent. We recommend the refreshments which were good and about the cheapest price that we have paid. I had my camera, but no card so I took pictures on my tablet, but they will not open.

The next day was our regular ‘Haven Eagles’ meeting. We had a speaker who, forty years ago, spent two year in the Antarctic studying the Aurora. His coloured slides were impressive. The colours were vivid and the images clear despite their age and the fact that he had processed them under the Antarctic ice.