Tewkesbury Abbey Part III

4.20 a.m. and I was too hot in bed so have come down for a while.  I got around my  stress-levels yesterday by doing some family history research, and think I may just have cracked my brick wall of 45 years!  My gut feeling told me that although I had found my Bolt family in Wolborough/Highweek, Newton Abbot, there was a link to the Cheriton Bishop area.  Later family members being in Moretonhampstead and gravitating to/marrying into a Cheriton Bishop family.  I found a census link to Tedburn St Mary with that family too, and yesterday - having gone back through a chance finding in the late 1600s - found the Tedburn St Mary link.  Full circle.  Delighted!  

Below:

So skilfully done - love these little cherubs.

Don't fall out with the Mortimers . . .  Last time I was in Hereford I walked over the very place (marked) where he died.

Absolutely stunning glass by Tom Denny in the Chapel of St John the Baptist and St Catherine.  These commemorate 900 years since the founding of Tewkesbury.

Sorry that this isn't very clear.  There was a book purely on the stained glass of the Abbey, but I resisted temptation and just bought the guide book.

Lady Diana Spencer was descended from the Despensers.

Another of the Medieval stained glass windows in the quire clerestory - a rare survivor of 14th C glass.

I will go again, and soon.  Next time I will have the guide book in hand, rather than buying it at the end.  It was so beautiful there and SO much history - and without that history there is no meaning to a building or a place.  Worcester Cathedral is also on my list for a visit this summer.  I am near enough when I go to Malvern - it's about 9 miles further on.

Celtic Rainforest day today, at the Elan Valley.  Think it will be sunshine and showers and it's looking a bit showery out right now.

Screaming ab-dabs! . . . and update

Dog rose on my walk this morning.

 I am tearing my hair out here.  I decided this was the time to chase HMRC about the chunk of money they overcharged me when they put me on an emergency tax code.  However, from having ALL the paperwork from Keith's death piled on top of the big chest of drawers in the kitchen (Emma's, and taken by Danny a few months ago), I can no longer put my hand on ANY OF IT, my tax raid included.  Where did I put it?  I have searched in the places it should be, searched book and paperpiles on the table (guilty of untidiness as charged) and am climbing the walls here with frustration!  I have been through the wooden trunks with paperwork in.  All much older stuff, which needs going through, but not today.

I've been for a walk (earlier) - which would have been a good way to calm down.  I have received the two missing bars for my rose arch, but think if I start trying to put THAT together now, I will really blow my top.  Is is just me who is such a twit when it comes to paperwork?  I have all the Probate stuff together and was sure that was where my HMRC letter was, but no . . .  The only good thing should be that it is all together - I just have to find out WHERE.

Update:  Found them, tidied neatly away in a blue box file which had "stuff" piled on top of it . . .  It will take me a while to get down off this stress level though.

A surprisingly productive day and some old stock rediscovered

 I was late getting up this morning, and felt rather drained.  I got washing washed and hung up to dry and two lots taken upstairs, and some ironing done, and Luna Lapin's bloomin' dress finished - quite pleased with the way the bow turned out in the end (thanks to Lizzy D's suggestion of putting a loop round the middle.)  

Clipped in place with a tiny safety pin on the back.  Not perfect, as it should have been turned a little tighter at the bottom of the bow, but it will do.

Then I screwed up with the next patchwork block so came downstairs in a huff and played too many games of Solitaire for my peace of mind - I needed NOT to be wasting the day.

Aeron pottery bowl with a great glaze.

A big Spider Conch shell.

I took myself out into the stables to bring in the nearly empty box that had the huge piece of art pottery (great shape and imaginative glaze) from Aeron Pottery I think.  Then I had to find the bigger box which I knew had various items coloured glass in (that would be on trend right now).  Other folk had twigged that trend when it came up on a posting online - but at Malvern there were tables with masses of green glass collections, and other old pieces which aren't what people are looking for from what I surmise - hoping I have the balance right.  I found out about some vintage cut glass coloured Roemer hock glasses I had bought at auction around 2018 or so - I think they are Val St Lambert. I also found both the Housa black ceramic pots (Nigerian) that also came from auction around a similar period and hadn't sold.  Lens told me they were ink pots and rare.  One is a/f but the other perfect.  The holes in the top are where leather thongs were threaded through for carrying. Plus a little vintage Crown Devon elephant, and a 12" Spider Conch shell.  It was like finding treasure!  These boxes haven't been touched since we moved.

Very rare piece of studio glass signed on the bottom by Alicia Browle, and made in 1975.

Crown Devon - isn't he fun?

I had all these pieces when I had my business - I did say I had a lot of old stock to clear.  They were in Units and taken to Fairs, but no interest.  Fashions change though.  When I first started going to car boot sales, some 40 years ago, "anything old" in the way of china, glass etc - oil lamps in particular - were all the rage.  Include copper, bits of old horse harness and brasses, hunting prints, anything cottagey.  Mid-century "rubbish" went straight to the tip!! As did anything rusty or damaged.  How times change.

Right, I am going to go and rest now and watch an extra bit of tv (need to get back to the Chelsea coverage!) 

An afternoon with my tribe

 I went to visit my dear friend who had recently been in hospital, and took her flowers and, having baked before breakfast, half a dozen Blueberry Muffins.  It was good to see her again and we had a good natter.  She had lost weight whilst in hospital though, and since she was pencil thin to start with, that was not a good career move.  She really loved the flowers I took her, and had obviously sat and rested as she had read both the books I got Mr Amazon to send her last week.

Once over the border into Carmarthenshire, the scenery was very familiar, but I have to say, I prefer it where I am as it is wilder.  Tam, Rosie and I will be sampling a bit of the wilder part on Saturday as we are meeting up in the Elan Valley as there is a one-day Celtic Rainforest Event - yes, we do have rainforests in Wales, but probably not what you are seeing in your mind's eye!  Forget the jungle sort and think of natural Welsh woodland of Oak, Ash, Birch and Hazel crammed into steep river valleys in mid and North Wales and a haven for wildlife, especially rare lichens and mosses and there's just 2% of forest like this left in the UK.  We plan to do a walk (probably on our own though as the guided one will be busy and not our sort of thing), and check out the Horse Logging, metalwork, wood turning and food stands.  Parking will probably be an issue though! 

Anyway, after seeing Pam, I drove the couple of miles back to my quiltmaking class.  I saw a friend there I'd not seen since before Covid. It was nearly like old times, but a couple of faces missing as on holiday.  I worked diligently on my new quilt and sewed 3 blocks - doesn't sound much like an afternoon's work, but there was chatting, and I took my time and tried to be as accurate as possible.  After my first time back when, used to utter quiet here (apart from birdsong), my brain found it hard to shut out the background noise and chatter, I was able to get on with things again and it's always lovely to see what the others are working on.  Because we have a teacher, she encourages us to try different techniques, and does the occasional Sunday class which shows a new project.  The recent one was a lovely design called Eclipse.  I am sure Alex won't mind me sharing her example, which is still a work in progress.  It's a scrap-buster.

I've just been round the garden taking photos.  The roses are all bursting into bloom now, and I noticed that after the rain, my Paul's Himalayan Musk (which here climbs a tall tree and spreads across two others) has come into bloom as well.  They are all a joy to see.  Later on I will try and shoehorn in the third and final part of my visit to Tewkesbury Abbey.  Have a good day all.

A smashing day out

 I am tired this morning, and should be writing a letter to go with a parcel of books, but think I will send the letter later or I'll never get out of the house this side of lunchtime.

A pair of chickens - a daft buy, but people like chickens and they always sell.  The one on the back had the tip of its tail broken off (that morning I think), so got them cheaply and have Gorilla-glued it back in place.

I call this the French corner as all the stock is from France (above and below).  Not quite sure who would buy a painting with what looks like actual mud on the bottom, but hey ho . . .  I bet that came cheap!

Nice but too heavy to carry. I had taken the camping trolley back to the car by this point.

I liked this but have no more room for paintings.

The pick of the bunch - this is a beautiful Welsh quilt.

Nice and cheerful and very like the ones I've made - sent the girls off to Uni with one each.  Gabby's I got back, and extended it so it is now on my bed for the summer.

Not to my taste,

Sorry, the colours got washed out because it was in bright light.

 

The seller said that this was American . . .  

At the entrance to the drive-in barns.  A mixture of stuff.

Part of the stall which had the nice orchard painting last time.

A gorgeous ginger jar.  I didn't even ask the price because it was so nice it wasn't going to be cheap.  I can hear Keith at my elbow saying you should always ask the price!

About 85% of the stalls look very similar to this one (or have more metal or wooden things, or furniture).  The tin with the cap on it is just like one my mum kept her pegs in when I was a kid.

A modern reproduction.  People don't have very large kitchens in modern houses and this takes up a lot of room.

Two intriguing saddles.  The top one is from Kazachstan.  It was cheap enough, but although interesting (to me), they have a niche market.  I loved the inked design on the leather.

Stumped with this one.  Probably from a similar area but the seat so short only a tiny child could sit on it - Mongolian?  It didn't come home with me.

Elder blossom and a Malvern day

 I'll write in the morning - tired out now as up at 5 a.m. and on the road before 6.  A long day, but so enjoyable.  Caught up with friends, and someone else told me I looked so much better (must be the lippie) and I also got told I was beautiful by a friend!  Blimey!!  Happy to be told that :) but it was probably the cake I bribed him with . . .

All sorts of oddball things came home with me.  I was on a colour match run again (not intentionally but stuff just turned up).

This Deco pot (unsigned) was such a joyful colourway and I couldn't resist it.

Right, time to sit down with a glass of wine.  Should round the day off nicely.

An afternoon out with my family

 This morning, after baking a rather nice apple and banana cake, I decided to do some research on old pieces of stock (pre-Covid) and finally found out what the brass "Temple Toy" was - rather than being anything to do with the loathed Leopold II of Belgium,  is apparently a dohkra (lost wax casting method) Indian Singhadwara lion, connected to the Lion Gateway of the Jagannatha Temple at Puri.  It would be early 20th C. 

Tam and Rosie popped over this morning and after lunch we 3 went to Llysdinam Garden Open Day.  I bought a White Phlox and a White Foxglove.   Rosie had my first homegrown strawberry of the season and then kept toddling back to the greenhouse, in the hope that some others had ripened whilst her back was turned :)  She settled for the first wild strawberries instead, mouth open like a little bird.

Tomorrow I have Malvern so need to do a ham and tomato roll for that.  I am just cooking a pasta sauce for tea - onions, mixed peppers, mushrooms, courgettes and a tin of chopped tomatoes.  Enough for a big portion to freeze too. 

Thankyou all for the ID of the Ischneumon Wasp.  I saw it had an ovipositor but wasn't sure what manner of beastie it was, never having seen one quite that long (the wasp measured a couple of inches from stem to stern).  I gently moved it outside on a plant marker so it didn't perish in there overnight.

  

I have decided to go with Lizzy D's plan of a separate barrel loop for the bow.  Can't be faffed with doing the book instructions.

My gardener has cut the orchard and the other triangle, and a rough bit on the bank, and did the lawn whilst we were out today.  Looks much better now.

My pink and yellow Aquilegia which I bought with me from Ynyswen, is flourishing and there are even some babies about the place now.

Some of the "wild" Aquilegias which came up when I removed the ancient membrane.  There are some pink ones this year too.

Hopefully some Llysdinam garden photos tomorrow.