August blog

August began on Saturday with the, by now, usual unpredictable weather. The sun shone and as we were about to set off Joni rang with a question about a ceiling light fitting. After visiting and giving an explanation as to how lighting circuits work we left it to him. By the end of the day he sent a visual report showing the completed work.

We drove off to park at Pit Lane in Trowell. It is a splendid car park. From there we set off with aim of going further along the Nottingham Canal. Near to the garden centre one field had the appearance of a snowstorm as fluffy seeds filled the air.

Despite our best efforts we were unable to achieve our goal of reaching the car park near to Cossall. There was very little to be seen of the canal. The motorway had completely destroyed any hope of reinstating it.

There was a special service at the church on the following day. Four leaders had their heads shaved for the Macmillan charity. But more importantly there was a celebration of the first year (1st August last year) that the church has been in the building.

Our first Wednesday visit of the month was to Newstead Abbey (The home of Lord Byron). It was just over thirty minutes drive away. It has gardens set in a large acreage of forest. Coffee and cake was the most expensive that we have had. The gardens have a number of water falls and very ancient trees. In the end it was not a large area to explore and was not really the type of garden that Irene wanted to see. 

So, without SATNav we set off to find Hardwick Hall. There was a lot of summer colour. It was very crowded with families enjoying the activities put on by the National Trust.

The first tiny spots of rain fell as we left. A little more fell as we returned home.

On Friday night we were involved with running the ‘Grand Summer Dance’. The theme was yellow. The Mayor of Broxtowe, Councillor Susan Bagshaw, attended with her husband to present our grant aid cheque. It turned out that her husband was about the same age as me and grew up around Sutton-in-Ashfield. We reminisced on our old haunt. We went to the same dance school.

The weather has improved and we decided to drive to the car park by the Nottingham Canal at Cossall. The aim was to walk back towards Trowell until we arrived at the pond that we reached last week. The bulrushes were at their best and it was about the first time that we have felt pleasantly warm this summer. I was able to take, what I consider to be a superb photograph of a dragonfly.

 In a dramatic move, on Monday morning, Irene and I looked up and booked flights to New Zealand. We fly on 1st December 2015 and return home on 24th February 2016.

Due to the duties at the community centre we were not able to have our usual walk in Derbyshire. It was, of course one of the nicest summer days so far. However, it turned out to be a useful time for a friend to transport my new doors from B and Q. After shopping and lunch we did manage to have a walk.

Two years ago we had our first walk along the Trent Canal from Cossall towards Eastwood. On that occasion we turned around near a car park. I have been able to locate the car park and so was able to find the place to resume the walk. It was really hot, with little shade and after an hour we reached Newmanleys Road, Eastwood. Now we have to do the next bit.

 It was a 6661 steps walk of 2 miles 848 yd 1 ft 9.2 in and burned 199.83 Kcals. 

We woke to a bright Saturday morning and so we rang Paul and Mary to see if they would like lunch, possibly do some computer work and go for a walk. Our usual summer weather cut in so we abandoned plans to go to Calke Abbey as the cold and lack of sun would be a waste of the entrance fee for P and M. We set off for Wollaton Hall, knowing there was a food and drinks fair on. Paul was sure that we would be able to park and walk in. However, this was not the case. Every side road was blocked off and 'No Parking' notices were around for miles.

There was a slight change of plan which meant driving back and crossing the main road to park in a side street near Martin’s Pond. Last time we were there it was spring and the walk was covered with white blossom. We walked round the main pond and then through Harrison’s Plantation to a second pond. We had begun to see some blackberries and I joked to Mary that we would not be able to go home until we had picked 3 containers. Mary said that it was wishful thinking. She was wrong.

I also took some nice reflections shots and some of a heron. We saw two herons in two weeks.

On Wednesday 19^th the weather was quite kind with rain coming in from the west. In the sun it was quite warm but the wind, that has been a nuisance all summer kept cooling us down. The aim was to see the heather on the moors. Irene thought that instead of going to Curbar Edge we should go in the other direction over Baslow Edge. This was a good call. Along the edge the path was more rugged than on Curbar Edge but this made for more of an adventure. I even grazed my knee on the millstone grit. It was not long before we came across a herd of large mammals with large horns. They were highland cattle and were quite docile. They had calves and they were all reluctant to move out of the way.

The heather was splendid and in places cotton tail grass was visible. 

The rocky path came to an end and in front and to our left was a stone cross. This was the ‘Wellington Memorial’. We wondered why it was up in this remote place. 

Wellington's Monument on Baslow Edge

Wellington's monument can be found on Baslow edge, standing high above the village of Baslow. It is dedicated to the Duke of Wellington and a celebration of his victory at the battle of Waterloo in 1815. It was erected by a local called Dr Wrench, who as an army man, felt the need to counterbalance the memorial dedicated to Admiral Nelson on nearby Birchen Edge.

Having examined it and had lunch sitting on a nearby bench we crossed the moor along a much easier bridle way. This took us past a large rock tower called 'Eagle Stone'.

There was then an urgent need so we drove straight back to ‘Caldwell’s Mill’ in Rowsley. However, we could not really rush. Part way along the road through the Chatsworth Estate a herd of cows decided to be indecisive about whether or not to cross the road. Several did but one in front of me started across and then changed its mind. When we got to the mill toilets came before coffee and cake. For the first time, since we have been going there, we noticed that all the food was vegetarian.

Next we walked along the river on the mill side of a large island. We saw a couple more changes. The overflow from the river had been dry for ages and the bulrushes were so high they screened the cottages from view. We could see people on the other side of the field. We found the entrance to the field in the car park and we were able to walk along the river on the other side of the island.

There was a family of swans. For some reason the herd of sheep decided to visit the swans. The swans got angry and the sheep fled in terror, but regrouped to make an idyllic procession along the river bank. A family of human beings were picnicking and their young were paddling in the cold clear water of the river.

This was 8821 steps walks to cover 3 miles 505.2143 yards and burnt 264.63 Kcals.

We held another ‘Not for any particular reason party’ for our family on Saturday. There were about 30 of us in the community centre. There was plenty of food provided by us all. I think that everyone had a good time. We even had some real rain.

Tim, Isla, Iona and Izzy spent the night with us. We had a lazy morning, a walk through the park and lunch together before they went home. This was an extra blessing to our weekend.

The 24th was our wedding anniversary. As all too often this summer the weather varied between unpredictable and ‘it will rain’. This being the case we decided not to travel far and we ended up at the ‘National Arboretum’. This is a large area for remembrance near Litchfield. After coffee in their restaurant we made our way to the chapel where each day at 11.00 a.m. they hold a service of remembrance which is composed of a message read by Kate Adie of the BBC followed by ‘The Last Post’, silence and ‘Reveille’. 

There was so much to see.

We tried to track down Irene’s dad’s regiment and concluded that he may have been in the ‘Paratroopers’. 

 Apart from the many monuments there was a lot of nature by the River Tame including a beautiful swan.

Around 1.30 p.m. it began to spot so we beat a retreat and headed for lunch. This we had in the ‘Clock Warehouse’ in Sawley. 

Being determined that there would be no cooking or washing up today my evening meal was purchased at our newly opened ‘Subway’.

On Tuesday I set about repairing the front wall. I removed a number of blocks, cleaned them up and cemented them back in place. The rest I will re-point at a later date.

Our usual Wednesday outing was again blighted by the weather but after a morning spent trying to produce a CD of Elvis Presley’s songs we went out do some more of the Erewash Trail.

The most northerly section
 of the Nottingham Canal

The top of the Erewash Trail;
marked by KFC

The towpath crossing the Erewash Canal
at the Eastwood Lock

 This time we drove to the place we ended last time and walked along the quite dry Nottingham Canal. There were a lot of blackberries from which we picked a box full before continuing up to the top of the trail at Eastwood and crossing the bridge to the towpath of the Erewash Canal. 

We came across another family of swans and eventual come to a bridge where the canal crosses over the river. This meant that we have now completed the trail from Coventry Lane, up through Cossall to Eastwood and back down the other side to Cottmanhay.
The wall is now complete and I have almost hung the new toilet door. 

Today, Bank Holiday Monday, I did hang the new toilet door. It works!

To end the month on a memorable note - it rained.

April Blog

How do you describe the weather this April? Perhaps you could say it was unseasonably cold, sometimes very grey and miserable, odd blue skies and wet at the wrong times.

For us at ‘The Oaks’ it had a very exciting start. It was Wednesday 1^st April. It was seven in the morning. I opened my eyes and looked into Irene’s. I thought why are you not getting up to brew (mash) the tea. It was her turn. She said, ‘Is it Tuesday?’ The phone rang. It was Joni ringing to tell us that Ian and Zoe were at the front door waiting to come in. So, dressing gowns were hurriedly thrown on and down we went to meet our guests who were just at the end of their 24,000 mile trip. What excitement as we opened the door to a bubbly 10 old Zoe and her, slightly quieter, father. Instantly Zoe was on the go and started by finding a piece to my impossipuzzle. This cost me £1.

We had not expected them to leave their Heathrow hotel   at 5.00 am and drive straight to us. However, by degrees we had breakfast, got dressed and made plans for the day.

Our first stop was the Denby pottery factory. Zoe thoroughly enjoyed the factory tour and was the only visitor who had a correct answer to how long it took to make a mug. Next we all made a clay frog. Zoe painted a dish for herself and I painted a dish for Emily. We left them to be fired, went back home and out to Trowell Garden Centre for lunch. The food was enjoyable. Zoe was impressed by the fish in the aquariums.

So far the rain had kept off. We drove to Wollaton Hall. The climbing frame looked appealing but we went up to the hall itself. The hall had been used as the set to a Batman movie. Zoe enjoyed dressing up and posing with the cardboard cut-outs. The rain came as we left the hall so it was straight home for our evening meal and an early night for our guests.

The next day also started with something of a shock. Once more our next set of guests took us by surprise. Tim, Isla, Iona and Izzie turned up in time for breakfast. Zoe had already started on the pancakes. All three girls busied themselves in the kitchen and quickly a few pancakes became enough to feed us all. Joni and Fiona turned up and the party left Irene and me behind and set off to Nottingham to do the ‘Robin Hood’ bit.

Later,after a cold sit in the park when the girls chased one another up the hill we made our way to the Vivo Italian restaurant to have a meal together. This was very pleasant and good value. I succeeded in my ambition to eat there.

Friday was a very wet, miserable day so together with Joni and Fiona we took our Kiwi guests to the ‘Space Centre’ at Leicester. Zoe enjoyed making snot (non-Newtonian liquid) and the ‘Grossology’ lecture on life in a spaceship.

Battling gravity

Snot / Non-Newtonian Liquid

For lunch we went to MacDonald’s in Leicester before taking Zoe and Ian to Joni and Fiona’s house. Zoe entertained us with a quiz before we went home. This was the last night that Zoe and Ian stayed with us. In the morning we did the Easter traditions, which was our giving of eggs and the Clarke’s tradition of the egg hunt, organised by Zoe. They left for London via Denby Pottery to collect the fired dishes. It was an all too short visit.

The following week continued cold and wet. The highlight of it was a visit to the skip at Ilkeston on Saturday morning.

There was a committee meeting on Tuesday 15^th. This meant that we would need to go shopping on Wednesday morning. Part of our shopping was two decking planks which we carried home through the open car window. I had no intention of pushing the windscreen out again. I am now waiting for the blackbird and sparrow eggs to hatch before I begin the noisy work on the decking. Instead I have begun on sanding and white painting the downstairs varnished doors.

In the afternoon we went in to Nottingham. The exhibition at the Contemporary was not as inspiring as previous ones had been. But after our lunch sitting eating and drinking stuff from Greggs we found our way to ‘Castle Fine Arts’ and we were drawn to the vivid paintings by Bob Dillon. The assistant was pleased to show us around. Apparently Bob Dillon had kept a sketch book during his tours; someone looked at it and said that he should make larger paintings from them. These are the paintings that were on display at around £3000.

We then popped over to ‘The Works’ where I purchased my largest canvas yet. It now sits on the easel awaiting inspiration.

The following day I was at the Haven Centre. I took my camera to take a picture of the blackbird that was sitting on a nest not far away at the other side of the glass.

The next day I put in the last piece of the ‘Impossipuzzle’. As Isla says it was not really an ‘Impossipuzzle’.

The next week we had two outings. The first was on Tuesday afternoon when we joined a group to be escorted around Stapleford by two county archaeologists. I went to one or two places that I had not visited before. The most significant piece of information was that ‘staple’ meant ‘post’. Hence the town name means ‘ford marked by a post’. The question is ‘where was the ford?’ Place name and other evidence show the position of the medieval village with the mill at the end of a lane next to the river. From the mill there is a clear view to Sandiacre church. Speculation is that the ford crossed the river to link the village centres which were close to the churches.

Cemetery Entrance

Our guide near the site of the pinfold

Previous course of the Erewash

Saxon Cross

On Wednesday the weather was again pleasant so we had an additional walk which was along the canal at Cossall. Work had been carried out to clear the path and canal surrounds. The may blossoms were amazing and reflected well in the still water of the canal.

Two days later we set off to Brighton for a visit with Joe and Julia. The weather on the first day was not too spectacular so I avoided taking my camera into the park. We had picked Joe up at the university and walked through Preston Park with him to spend a pleasant evening with them both before going back to drive off to our room at Hickstead ‘Travelodge’. Both nights we slept soundly on the comfortable bed, undisturbed by any noise at all.

The following day started off damp but became sunny and quite pleasant. The four of us spent the afternoon enjoying a walk around ‘Nyman’s’ Gardens' which included a house. It is a big area with plenty to see and good views across the ‘Downs’.

 In the evening we enjoyed a vegetarian Chinese take away and another game of ‘Carcasson’ before going off to our final night at the ‘Travelodge’.

We woke on Sunday morning to another damp day and set off back to Brighton for another meeting with Joe. Once more the weather was inclement and so I did not carry my camera. 

After breakfast at the ‘Rotunda’ café in the park we walked to the rock garden. I took some pictures on my phone. 

 Then, having said goodbye to Joe, we drove to Rottingdean to have short walk by the sea. This time I did have my camera. 

Having paid our respects to the ‘English Channel’ we made our way home; stopping for lunch at ‘Cobham Services’ and a milkshake at ‘Northampton Services’. A good end to a great weekend.

To end the walking month, on a changeable, cold day we went the reservoir at Moorgreen. The object was to view the bluebells. It was four years and one day ago that we last visited the place. Then we were accompanied by Joni and the sun was so much brighter and warmer.

The last significant event of the month was to attend the general election hustings on that same evening. I have to say the choice between the candidates, as people, was hard. They were all sincere. They all scored and lost the same number of points. The results, next week, will be very interesting.