Monday 23 August 2021

On a wing and a prayer - and the Smoker's Bow chairs

 


This one came from Malvern - I use it all the time when I'm at the computer.  It's had a repair in the form of the legs wired in place but it perfectly usable at the moment, and came at the right price, and Keith can easily effect a repair.


This is the chair from the 2nd hand shop locally.  Needs the cane replacing but you can cheat and buy it ready-made up and just needs cutting to size and pinning in place.  Which is what I shall do.  Every single spindle of the top needs glueing back in place.


This is the chair we got via Ebay, from a seller in Ross-on-Wye on a dirt-cheap buy-it-now . . .  Edwardian.


This was taken late afternoon - so as you see, the deep pink is tamed by the lack of light!  The curtains and (below) the Roman blind, look absolutely perfect in there.


Our beautiful home through a screen of Willowherb.

The view across the hill.


We've had a local hatching of Red Admirals - about 6 or 8 of them on the buddleias, plus a couple of Peackocks, Whites etc, one bedraggled Comma (only one I've seen this year) and today the Fritillary was back, but looking faded and one wing a bit tattered.  3 Small Blues as well (great!).

Yesterday was a busy day for us as there was a Militaria Fair in the morning, which ended at 1 p.m., then we dashed back home and I quickly got ready to Go To Church.  I was running late as the dress I wanted to wear needed ironing and it had a full length skirt.  I was meeting up with friends from along the lane, to follow them down, but only noticed, at 2.44 that Chris had texted me to say they were leaving at 2.45 if I wanted to follow.  I grabbed a clutch bag, shoved a lippy and my Ventolin inhaler in it and ran for the door.  Guess what - I forgot my mask and had to borrow one from Chris!



You may imagine my horror when we arrived at the church and we were handed prayer books and hymn books - the former with an impossibly small print.  Where were my specs?  On the kitchen table.  It took me ages to even find the right page in the prayer book, but I had a sporting chance with the hymns as the number was printed larger and I could just manage to see the words, but I didn't know any of the hymns chosen and only one tune was familiar, but I sang low and hoped for the best.  When there was a Collect with Responses I could only mutter as I truly could NOT read it, even when holding the book at arm's length!  Seconds before they announced the number of the last hymn it suddenly struck me that I had also come out without any money, so had nothing for the collection and had to tap Chris on the shoulder and borrow some.  What a fool I am - that's what comes of rushing, although in my defence I am not a church-goer so money wasn't high on my list of things to remember!

There were the most stunning flower arrangements in the church - wish I could have taken a photo.  We did find out that the church is always open though so next time we walk there, we will go in.

We went to the manor house (think it's a manor house - lovely place anyway) and had tea and cakes and I met some more of the neighbours.  Thank goodness I survived to tell the tale - and of course I paid back the money Chris let me have, with a thank you card today.


12 comments:

  1. A little story - there was a chair like the one in the top photo in my grandmother's parlour, a sitting room very like the one in the red farmhouse in St Fagan's, except she had hams hanging from the ceiling, dripping salt onto our tea plates. The chair was the one used by my great aunt, who lived with my gran on the farm. She had bad arthritis, but still had her share of chores (and the place was basic). Anyway, and I am smiling as I remember this, we children were quite naughty with her, and tied the waist ties of her pinny around the back spindles. She couldn't undo the ties or get up from the chair at all until one of us went back to release her, often some time later. She just used to laugh. I think it was the only rest the poor woman had! I can't see a chair like that without remembering her.

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    1. What a lovely story veg artist. You had an even-tempered granny anyway! I am seeing the Red Farmhouse sitting room in my mind's eye (how I LOVE those houses at St Fagans, and to be able to step back in time).

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  2. Love the chairs.

    Ah, yes. The time in life when the length of one's arm is no longer long enough to read. Highly annoying. Other than a few things forgotten, it sounds like you had a lovely time.

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    1. I've only had reading specs for, I think, 3 yrs at most, but the more your eyes rely on them, the worse your eyesight gets. I used to be able to read the tiniest print too. I was REALLY struggling on Sunday :)

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  3. I love your chairs, I have only kept my old Windsor chair, would not mind being reunited with it as now my computer chair is a plastic see thru! That neighbourly church attendance sounded a lot of fun, you are really settling down in this new home.

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    1. There's a real community here (as there was around Ynyswen) and folk are so friendly. Tam has my old proper office chair upstairs, for when she's doing her eBay listings.

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  4. Being rushed always leaves me witless--and if an 'event' is in the forenoon I have to have Everything I will need laid out the night before.
    I am properly impressed with the combination of deep pink paint [I so don't want to call it 'pink!'] and the curtains and blinds. Your view out the window is one to which one could become deeply attached.

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    1. Me too. I was doing quite well until I saw Chris's text (sent some time before but I had to leave my phone in Tam's window to get a signal). Eeek. I'll know next year anyway.

      That rose colour really does suit the room and the moment I saw the curtain material I knew it was just right. Now I need to make some cushion covers.

      I love looking out of the bathroom window - I do bird watching from there as the Swallows and House Martins swoop past so close (latter are nesting just above it too). We see more of the view in winter when there are no leaves on the trees. A shame that the big dense fir trees planted by the farmers up the hill around the house they built opposite block so much of that same view.

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  5. I love the chairs - all of them :) I don't think I could have seen the hymn words without my reading glasses!!! But it sounds like you had a good afternoon. As Thelma says it really does sound as though you are settling down so well in your new home.

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    1. Gosh RR, I really struggled - the print was miniscule! This is a good community and we chose wisely coming here.

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  6. Gorgeous chairs!!!!

    The views are just breathtaking.

    God bless.

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    1. Thanks Jackie. I wish we had a big picture window in the attic room but there's a chimney stack in the way (fireplace no longer in use).

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