Tag Archives: england

Music, Movies & Books

Things I found in the attic… Vintage Books for Girls

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On a recent trip back to my parents farmhouse, I finally decided (after being assured that it was now probably a rat-free zone) to brave the attic – an activity I had been both looking forward to and dreading for years. What treasures would I find? And would they all have been eaten by rats?

The answer is – some treasures (depending on your definition of treasures), and some rat damage. I managed to salvage a fair amount with the help of one brave sister and our mum shouting instructions from below. Amongst the salvage were these beautiful vintage books for girls – had they belonged to my mum? My grandmother? Continue reading Things I found in the attic… Vintage Books for Girls →

Travel

My weekend with Richard

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A car park in Leicester, in the English Midlands, may not seem like the obvious inspiration for a weekend break – but this weekend, it could well be one of the most interesting places to be in the UK. Let me hand over to my friend Jen at Adventures in Ink to explain…

Tales from the Notepad

I may have been neglecting my blog for a while, sadly, but no more!

I am so excited that this weekend is finally here – my weekend with Richard (III, for those who weren’t aware of my obsession). When it was announced that they had found Richard III’s body in that famous Leicester car-park, I knew I had to visit, and so I did, last August, for what I imagined would be the only time…

A very excited me, by a certain excavated parking space... A very excited me, by a certain excavated parking space…

And then, I had a very lucky day in December – having entered the public ballot, I was delighted to receive an invite to the service of Compline on Sunday 22nd March. I, of course, said yes.

So here we are, two sleeps from my weekend in Leicester, and I felt obliged to warn you that there may be a lot of random uploads and…

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Travel

Weekender: Norfolk, England

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I grew up in Norfolk, so I am more than slightly biased, but there’s no denying that it’s an amazing weekend destination. It’s a land of flat and gently rolling barley fields and poppies, home to the Bowie-name-checked Norfolk Broads, endless miles of golden sandy beaches, flint houses, thatched cottages, windmills, ancient churches, village greens and country pubs.

Poppyland

Norfolk is a county that has no motorways, gets the best of the British summer sun, and has produced national treasures as diverse as Admiral Lord Nelson, Stephen Fry and Alan Partridge. The pace of life is slow and gentle, and it sometimes feels like not much has changed since the 1950’s. Continue reading Weekender: Norfolk, England →

Art & Photography

Rust

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english electricI love rusty old things and I’ve been collecting them for a few years, in the form of photos, rusty shapes from RE, and random finds. My favourite was an old rusty metal house I found a few years ago in a burnt-out bonfire on an abandoned gypsy site, and kept it for a while. Not knowing how to clean it up, I eventually threw it away, fool! I could have used one of these methods.

My job often takes me to old industrial sites, which frequently turn out to be a source of inspiration. I’m attracted to the story behind these objects, their changing textures and colours, and above all the fact that, in many cases, it was the act of abandonment which eventually caused them to be beautiful. I took these photos in the storage area of a steam railway yard and at an old coal mine, both in the north-east of England, and on trips to Bosnia-Herzegovena; Provence, France; The City of the Dead, Cairo, Egypt; and Woodstock, NY and Portland, Maine, USA.

rusty french tap
Outside tap at cafe, Grimaud, Provence

Continue reading Rust →