BLACK LIONS, MAGIC BOOKS AND MEMORIES

Yesterday I took a trip over to Thirsk ,North yorkskire, its were I grew up ( I have traced one branch of my family back to 1612 and probably before this living in this area,what did the poor town do to deserved us!) I met up with my dear friend Ali , we have been friends since our early teens, and I am honorary auntie to her three girls ( and god mother) and shes auntie to my two boys. we have seen each other through good times and bad, and boy can we talk! We met up for lunch and we nearly always go to The black Lion , which is owned by the fabulous Richard and Ray, friends and old neighbours of mine, The interior is eclectic and gorgeous ,Richard is car boot devote like me , and has great taste. The food is Delicious and better for been eaten in such lovely surroundings. I highly recommend you try this place out, lovely ,lovely and we always get up to speed with local gossip and news.


THE VIEW THROUGH THE WINDOW, WHEN I WENT IN I WAS ASKED WHY I WAS TAKING PICTURE OF CAKES BY RICHARD ,I AM SURE HE THOUGHT I HAD FINALLY FLIPPED!
fab decor, very comfortable but really interesting, there always some thing new to ow and ahhh about.
I love this huge cup planter
what we had for lunch Delicious Cesar salad sat in the window seat watching the world go by and Talking ,just a bit.....
We then went on a trawl of the charity shops, and I found this fab old 1950,s book , just love the picture and have a thing about seals , they are so soul full and there eyes are so sad , last year I swam in St Ives harbour with seals ,amazing, I would like to believe in selkie,s which are an Irish folklore thing and are believed to be women who were turned in to selkies( seals) and are very mystical , there is a film called ronan Innish, which is set in Ireland about 1930,s and involves the fable of the selkies, beautifully filmed, check it out.
This is one of my very favorite books, I once was on a train heading to Holyhead ,Anglesey ,north wales , ( I lived on the isle of Angelsey for 7 years ) and a lovely Irish nun started to chat with me , she had been reading this book and she said how wonderful it was and how magical it really was , she said I looked like a nice country girl and she GAVE me the book as she said I would enjoy it.. ( I was delighted to be given the book,but as I was a newly married 23 year old and was not flattered by the country girl label...... its some thing when a nun says you look homely!!!!) Any way the book is wonderfull and is the diary of a year in the authors( SUSAN HILL)cottage and and country year, I have re read and re read this book..timeless...
Which lead me on to this book also by Susan Hill and illustrated by Angela Barrett, the illustrations are wonderful , such a stunning, gentle book, never get sick of dipping into this book, there is also through the garden gate equally fab.
cant you just feel the sunshine on your face as you sit on the door step with your coffee....
Love this picture of spring cleaning , even if don't actually like doing the real thing.
Yesterday (YIPPEE) I found this book (I had one before and lent it to some one and never got it back,,so irrigating) again illustrated by Angela Barrett and so beautiful , its a child's book about the story on an abandoned cottage and three wooden dolls, just lovely, get a copy you must



love this image...
I now buy any thing which Angela Barret illustrates because she just paint's my kind of thing, vintage dreamy ,evocative images, ,Just thought I would share these books with you as I am sure you will fall in love with them . I had such a lovely day yesterday pottering ,browsing , eating, chatting . don't know about you but I always feel a bit flat the day after such a good day as you slip back into domestic and motherly duties , ah well... plenty more of lovely days like yesterday ahead I am sure!!

COME ON IN THE KETTLES ON....

come on in i will put the kettle on , hang your bag up, with my cath kidston..
its lovely and peaceful ,only the clock ticking, glad you did,nt come earlier as the hall was a mess with week end clutter....
close the door and keep the awful wet wintry weather out .......
Step through the door into the sitting room.... I am so glad you have come .......
I needed cheering up after the week-end , ho the first out door car boot was cancelled because of the rain I was so so fed up and the farmers market was a wash out as well.. ho ..hum..Please take a seat ,sofa or chair in the corner .. would you like coffee or tea?.... earl grey? Darjeeling. Yorkshire? there s the new period living on the table take a peek while I make the Earl grey.....Its so cold I may be should have lite the fire, The tin on the shelf.. I will get it down to take a closer look....
I have had it about 15 years i bought it at a car boot sale in Lincoln whenI used to live there, it has lovely Victorian Christmas scenes on and I love it,, I think its Victorian...I have some thing to confess ,The tin push along chicken came from Ebay this morning, how am I going to tell D...I think i am regressing i am starting to have a Passion for vintage toys, i would love a vintage dolls pram ..... and a push along fox terrier, you know the ones... please do not tell D!!!Would you like a cinnamon muffin? go on we we will share one..... don't you think Hetty ( my god I have named her!) looks good with my vintage /shaker wooden animals that D carved for me?I am so glad you popped in , you have cheered me up no end.... whats the music in the back ground?? ho that's Seth Lakeman, always lifts my spirits, you like Kitty Jay! my favorite too,the fiddling is wonderful.. you have to go now, .. do call again very soon......

THINGS I AM HOPING FOR THIS WEEK END!

OF COURSE...........

FLOWERS.............A VISIT TO THE FARMERS MARKET FOR GREAT BREAD, VEG , YUM ...YUM....
A RELAXING WALK AROUND RICHMOND........
A CAPPUCCINO OR TWO........A REST........
CHOCOLATE...

MR BEN WISHAW ACTOR , EYE CANDIE....... IN MY DREAMS!!!!!! ( DON'T TELL D !) I WILL TELL YOU HOW MANY I ACHIEVED LATTER......

IS,NT THIS FUNNY? .... CAPTIONS PLEASE! ( she was holding the ears so i could get a good photo, theres friendship for you!)


THE ADORABLY CUTE JACKIE,



MY SMALL COLLECTION OF TINS, NEVER MANY BISCUITS AS LOCUS SWARM OF TEENAGERS USUALLY GET IN TO THE TINS!( I have a secret tin with emergency supplies, so don't feel you have to send me hobnobs ,well you could send me amaretti!!)

FI,S CUP CAKES , THE LOVELY GREENGATE TIN HAD TO COME HOME WITH ME AND BELOW A SHOP FULL OF VINTAGE AND NEW TREASURES.
VICTORIA SPONGE HEAVEN
a bit of trimming going on, you can work out where!!!
DALES BREED SHEEP
BEAUTIFUL WENSLEYDALE
Yesterday a friend and I decided a little jaunt was in order, to catch up on each others news and to fit in a much promised visit to a fellow bloggers shop, Milk churn cottage , which stocks a great range of lovelies some made by Fi from marmalade rose. My friend is originally from wensleydale ,but we are very welcoming in Swaledale and we let her cross the border a couple of years ago! When she picked me up I said where have you got in mind to have lunch ( been on a diet ,the next morsel is always on my mind) hah.. she said I have some where special in mind ..... erm said I. The drive up Wensledale is stunning the landscape consists of a patchwork of fields, dry stone walls, and the austerer but beautiful little stone barns that are scattered across the dale. As we didn,t get up there till after 12, my friend suggested lunch to give us strength for shopping. .... .. as we entered the market town of Hawes , friend turned off and pulled into the live stock auction , I gave her the what are you doing look, she said just wait and see....... the auction was very busy , farmers travel from all over the remote area to sell and buy sheep.... We entered this barn and in side was a scene strait from James Herriots all creatures great and small , Readers I stepped through a time warp and entered the 30,s. wow ! lining the room was trestle tables with vintage oil cloths , a roaring fire , and the most Delicious smell of food , but the atmosphere was great as the room was full of farmers , a sea off wellies ,boiler suits, tweed and caps! we took a place near the fire , and its then I discovered friends sister catered here, I had a great Yorkshire ham salad, with hard boiled eggs, in Yorkshire its tradition , 1/2 lb of ham must have been on my plate! followed by a mug of tea and honestly the best slice of Victoria sponge I have ever tasted. we soon fell into chat with the farmers and gentle flirting and teasing were in order, single ladies out there forget dating agencies , farmers auction markets are THE PLACE! I usually frequent yummy mummy ,national trust type eateries, boy i didn't know what i have been missing!!! So with great anticipating we both entered Milk churn cottage , and it was really lovely to meet both Karen and Fi, we had a lovely chat,so much in common to talk about, and of cause all the loveliness to look at .Fi crafts the most fab cup cakes and adorable bunnies out of old embroidered table clothes, check out her site marmaladrose.I left with a couple of essentials, and was delighted to have met the two girls! We had a lovely drive around and took in the sun shine and the great scenery and it was so nice to feel relaxed and just have time... do you know what i mean, to feel as i was living in that moment? we finished a great day at friends sisters farm , and it was there I saw the best looking boy of the day ...it was love at first sight for me , no tweed ,no cap, but great ears! Its so lovely when you do some thing unexpected ,big and small, I went to bed feeling I had lived my day..........