Malvern roundup - and I wasn't expecting THAT

 THAT being the first frost of the autumn!  Just on rooves of stables and cars, but even so.  No wonder all the cats joined me on the bed from 4 a.m. onwards :)

These were American, and all priced at £120 -  £140 each.  They had reached that stage of use where they were wonderfully soft and much loved.

These little cot quilts were £40 and £65. The dearer one is on the left at the bottom of the picture - just being shaken out for a customer to look at.

I resisted temptation and didn't even ask the price.

This was a laugh, to show my friend Pam, who has a slight chicken theme going on in her kitchen!

The photos above from the same stall, which I regularly photograph  I don't know where they find their stock - I have never seen anything like any of these pieces in Wales.  Teddy bears - yes, and the occasional doll, but the rest doesn't turn up.  But then I've not been to big auctions regularly since before Covid.

The chap who specialises in quilts - nearly all modern mass produced ones, with the occasional hexagon or squares hand made one.

Elsewhere . . .

I rather liked this seaside scene.

Bits and pieces of Textiles and, below, a lovely old wholecloth quilt.

In the Avon Hall now.  Some nice big mugs and pretty jugs.

If you are into Bears or Dolls, this was your stall.

Look at that tiny crib, with equally tiny patchwork quilt . . .

Treen came my way yesterday.  Little bits, mainly Indian - these things just spoke to me (as I buy by instinct).  I saw lots of my friends, had hugs, and chats, and came away feeling happy.  Saturday had been a bad day - I was really missing Keith, and feeling so low.  Anyway, watched a couple of films - The Miracle Club with Maggie Smith and then Hampstead.  Preferred the latter.  Both were gentle watching.  I am looking forward to the next Series of All Creatures Great and Small, as that always cheers me up and I go to bed happy.

I made 6 jars of Very Berry Jam (having swept all the soft fruit from the freezer) - it was a mixture of blackberries, blueberries, elderberries and some cherries.  I used Jam Sugar and it set very easily.  Then I set to and made two big Apple Gingerbread cakes, one of which I froze.  I had some stewed apple in a jug which needed using up.  So not a wasted day, despite being in the doldrums.

I never bother with the icing, though I imagine it's nice with the cinnamon in.  Recipe comes from one of my first cook books - Farmhouse Fare - which is one for a desert island - even has recipes for soap making.  Plus main meals, baking, jam/jelly/chutney making etc.

Well, this won't do.  I have a floor to scrub and washing to put on, and quilting to do.

Malvern Flea - I survived!

. . . despite the early start, driving half the way in the pitch dark and being stuck behind a horse box doing 40 max . . . oh and the long detour because the A449 was shut at British Camp (and will be for months) due to shoring up the steep hillside below it.  I went half way to Tewkesbury on a dog-leg to get back to the showground.  The Autumn Garden Festival is soon,  with all the marquees being put up, but there were a lot fewer people selling. The outside pitches had been crammed together.  I strolled round a couple of times and it was lovely when the sun came out.  I did all the sheds this time, and the Avon Hall - although the latter is start to look a bit car-bootish in places.  It wouldn't take one woman long to put away as she only had about 20 items for sale on her table.

I did a different detour to come home and this gives a different view.

 It cheered me up no end to see my friends again.  I'll be back later (tomorrow?) with photos from the Fair.  Here's one to tempt you.

It shouldn't crunch like that . . .

 My shoulder that is.  I have filled in an online form for a Physio appt, but when I asked about this at Llandod Hospital this week (Physio is next to Minor Injuries), I was told my request was on the hub and I would have to wait to be triaged, probably a couple of weeks . . . Meanwhile the shoulder pain is worsening and moving too, and muscles very tense going into neck.  I am beginning to think you reach 73 and fall apart!  Anyway, slathering on Ibuprofen cream, which helps, and think I will have to go privately to a chiro.

I got up early and drove to Aber yesterday, as Rosie had been so fractious the previous two days, it looked like Jon would need moral support.  When I got there, I found that Rosie had eaten two breakfasts (after refusing almost all food bar strawberries for 2 days) and wasn't as grumpy as she had been.  We watched Puffin Rock (which she loves, and so do I as they have the wildlife properly replicated and there is a lot of info about the wildlife depicted. Hummingbird Hawkmoths and the like :)  Jon took Rosie up for a sleep and it was clear that she was going to have a long sleep (3 hrs in the end), and she always wakes in a positive mood, so as I had parcels being delivered, I left Jon to it and drove slowly back through the mountains.  It's looking quite autumnal there already, and so lovely.

The young man who is doing my outside painting for me was here again yesterday, doing the last window and the door to nowhere, so I texted him to look out for deliveries.  The first was the (horribly expensive) dehumidifier (which is also an air purifier, so I can list my ElectriQ air purifier).  I got it set up and running and with the humidity in here at 80, it was on for 3 hours before getting it down to 55, which was the cut-off point I'd set.  This morning it started at 70, but after less than an hour has just hit 54, so I've turned it off.  

My Very Expensive book arrived, so I have looked at that yesterday evening and it will now Go Away until Christmas.   There is a distinct difference between the ECMs in the North and those in the south and west of Wales.  The North Wales ones tend to be simple, with a basic cross in many cases, some slightly more elaborate with interlace etc, but The Pillar of Eliseg is the most important one.  It was recorded by Antiquarian Edward Lluyd in 1696 (thank heavens as it was toppled in the Civil War and damaged) and was a list of the successive generations of the ruling house of Powys in the 8th and 9th C.  It's an hour and 48 mins to drive there and it's on my hit list. . .

My other book purchase, The Rough Guide to New Zealand also arrived.

Apart from the kitchen window woodwork (my job), the painting is all finished outside, bar a couple of bits of touching up where the wood needed some fillers in it.  So, the next dry day I shall get out and paint the kitchen window.  It's looking lovely, especially as the white walls are absolutely gleaming - looks like they've been pressure washed as all the slight discolouration on the render was cleaned off by the really heavy rain with that last storm.  S cleaned the guttering for me too at the front - it's got a hedgehog gutter brush in it - but even so the pine needles had piled up on top of it, so he cleared those away and I'm set for winter now.

No chip shop meal needed as I was back early so I stripped the breast off the chicken we'd roast on Wednesday, and I made a lovely chicken pie with it. I cheated and bought some ready-rolled puff pastry. That will last another couple of meals.  

It's Malvern tomorrow, so will make some bread rolls and take a couple for breakfast/lunch, to have with cheese.  I need to make pickled onions (bought two bags of shallots and will use the Organic - with mother - Cider Vinegar for those.)  I need to make more jam as Rosie had some toast with my Bramble Jelly on yesterday and LOVED it.  I'll use up the berries I have in the freezer, which will give me a bit more room in there. Update: 6 jars jam made.  Plus two big Apple Gingerbread cakes, one for the freezer.  That's used up some stewed apple I had in the fridge.  

I may just take the finger dressing off this morning and see what the state of play is and whether I can get away with a smaller dressing now as it's not at all painful. Update: I did, but had to soak the dried blood dressing nearest the wound as it had bled again.  Now I have a smaller dressing on it, well wrapped with Microporous tape.

Have a good weekend all.

It's a wrap!

 

I feel a lot more comfortable now the dressing has been changed and it has more padding.  The cut was worse than I thought as it has taken a goodly sliver of skin off.  A small thin leaf shape.  It had stopped bleeding but nurse not surprised it bled so heartily last night because so many capilliaries involved.  I will leave this dressing on until I've been to Malvern on Sunday (typical timing).  Washing up will be fun!  And hair washing - back to the washing up gloves for that.

Tam and Rosie have just gone.  Poor little mite is really suffering with her teefs - a molar just cutting through the gum.  At times nothing would distract her and forget eating proper meals - we are just happy at anything going down.  Strawberries were the only thing to pacify her all day, so I shall get another pack to go with me tomorrow as I am going over to help Jon cope - he's not good when she cries.  She's so tired too as the pain wakes her at night too. I've checked I can change gear OK.

I have an instant meal tonight, as I couldn't face concocting a pie with the left over chicken from yesterday's roast, so I cheated and have a bakery Cornish Pasty, which I'll have with some veg.  I can manage to steam that anyway.  Runner beans and cauliflower.

All my travel for New Zealand, trips and bus and trans-alpine railway booked, along with accommodation (did that first).  But then another chunk of money went out on top of that as the house is so damp and it's very humid outside still.  Tam found me a suitable dehumidifier which was NOT cheap but the only one to suit, apparently - she researched it. 

So, onwards and upwards.   

Back to Minor Ailments again

 It's just as well Tam is here - but then if she wasn't, I would not need to go to Minor Ailments at all.  I was shutting the little wooden shutter on the small bedroom window in Tam's room last night and one side wouldn't fold flat, so I pushed my hand against it and it suddenly shut tight, snatching skin from my middle left finger in it and crushing it open.  Then it bled and didn't stop for about 15 mins, even with my arm up in the air.  Boy did it throb.  The dressing I have on it is soaked with blood but I daren't change it and set off the bleeding again.  I'm booked in now at Llandod now, so will be glad to have the sticky strips in place and a dry dressing.  I managed to have the dressing work off in the night and my nice clean bedding is now blood stained . . .

I am having to spend out on a good dehumidifier for the house too, as humidity levels here are very high.  80 this morning, and this chap was lurking on the living room carpet!  I've had tiny ones under the French doors before but this was a monster.

We had a lovely time with my cousin and her husband yesterday and they took us out for lunch in town.  It was good to see them again.  They are staying at Rhayader, so just half an hour up the road.

Right, this won't do.  Rosie is watching tv and eating dry cornflakes - she is cutting molars and getting any food down her a trial right now.  Unless it's strawberries and she will eat those all day long!  Tam is in the shower and I have to figure out how to get my bra on one handed!  Glad we can go to MI in Llandod and not have to go to Hereford.

Seek and ye shall find

 

Today I was good, and started looking out a few books I no longer needed, even former 💖books.  Books on Dartmoor.  Now, at my age I am too far away and not sufficiently fit to start pounding the Dartmoor peat bogs any more.  I hardened my heart, and took a pile, and some novels I had picked up off the charity table in Co-op etc, and took them to the charity shop (Bracken Trust, which I like to support) in Llandod.  Added to this pile were various sewing bits and bobs I will not be likely to use, and old x-stitch booklets which I no longer need/am never going to get around to stitching.

Before shopping, I took myself for a brisk walk around the lake in Llandod, which was enjoyable, although the three Great Crested Grebes I was trying to take a photo of, didn't want to play ball, and dived out of sight, swimming 100 yards or so beneath the waters and popping up as dots in the distance.

The Llandod beastie looked like it was taking part in a spitting competition.

A Cormorant sitting on a post in the lake, drying his wings.

Bullrushes and spent Purple Loosestrife.

Water Mint still flowering happily.

The Lidl shop came to £15, but that did include nappies for Rosie, and a chicken to roast tomorrow as Tam is staying overnight.  My Hampshire cousin Sally and her husband are coming here and we're going out to lunch when Tam and Rosie arrive.  It will be lovely to see them again.

These are what I was taught were Interlocking Spurs, back in Geography.  We are looking up towards Rhayader here.

Tesco's was dearer of course, as I bought fuel, vegetables, cheese, Kefir, yoghurt, some Cider for Tam, and cat food.  

When I got back, I had a sudden thought.  There was a book I have wanted - and been searching for - these past two or three years.  I have Volumes I and II, but III has only been offered for sale in America, where the cost of postage ran into three figures as it is a very heavy book.  Anyway, idly I ran a search on it and blimey, found Volume III. In the UK.  It is NOT a cheap book, but I will treasure it and use it.  Keith bought me the first two volumes when they were first published some 15 years ago (I had been browsing them in Cardiff Museum, went to put them back and he said, I'll buy them for you.  My jaw hit the floor!  He was always so generous and loving).  So perhaps he has led me to Volume III - I'd not even thought about it for months.  A bookseller in the Cotswolds has just made me very happy.  If you are not a book person, you would think me quite mad if you knew the cost, but the kids are going to club together to buy it for me for Christmas. 

Right, more baking done - some Lemon Biscuits and a batch of Banana and Apple Muffins.  That should see guests and family through the week and I will give the Chocolate Apple cake to Sally, so they have something to nibble on whilst they're here in Wales.

Coming Down Like Stair Rods

 

Not the afternoon for a walk.  I settled down on the sofa with cats, a cup of tea and the back of the Baltimore quilt to work on.  The windy part of the storm didn't arrive until bed-time, and I am sat here (3.30 a.m.) listening to the it tussling with the fir trees planted around the empty house opposite.  I can't think WHY they surrounded a house with half a dozen now quite massive balsam type firs, as there would be no light in that house were it lived in (it's not even finished internally), and can only think they planted them out of spite as they didn't get on with the people that lived here before me (think big court action).  If they planted them because they wanted to ruin her view, they succeeded and have ruined mine too . . .

I browsed Netflix and hit on a new thriller called "Untamed" which is set in the Yosemite National Park - I thought, at least there's nice scenery even if it's not much good, but it IS good and I hope they will make another series of it.  I've two episodes to go.

I have had to contact the Physios in Llandod reference my shoulder, which is crunching something awful and that is apparently NOT a good sign.  It was originally an over-stretch at a wrong angle which upset it, and then the MRI scan with my arms above my head for 15 minutes made it worse, plus the hospital bed - couldn't get comfortable.  They are probably going to say "no lifting" which is difficult with the little Fair next month - I will have to load the car and unload it after, although I do have a strapping young man carrying it all upstairs for me.  I seem to be falling apart this year!

Here's the Chocolate Apple Cake.  My cousin and her husband from Hampshire are coming to see me again on Wednesday, and Tam and Rosie will be here too, so it should be nicely fudgey on top by then. 

Recipe:

I made a (white) loaf in the breadmaker too.  Getting the balance right for my gut at the moment is difficult.  White loaf, more veg and the last of the Kedgeree yesterday, plus apples, strawberries etc.  Bio yoghurt, with some Kefir yoghurt added to it.  I have had bad reactions with Kefir before, so am trying to introduce it slowly to improve my gut flora.

Right, this won't do.  Back to bed with Agatha Christie's Murder in Mesopotamia.  The classic Poirot whodunnit.

Kinnersley Church

 A revisit.  Here is my original blog post from August 2022.  I am so glad that Keith got here to see it.  He'd have loved to see the castle too. It is a Grade 1 listed church.

This is the church of St James at Kinnersley, on the Leominster road.  I visited it twice last week - first on the Wednesday when I did my tour of four churches, and then again on Friday because Keith was very keen to see the amazing Jacobean altar table and gilded reredos, with its amazing carvings.  We had driven past this many a time, thinking each time, that looks an interesting church.  Immediately behind it is situated Kinnersley Castle, a beautiful Elizabethan house dating to between 1585 and 1601 and built by Roger Vaughan, but Pevsner concludes it "must be a remodelling of a true castle, as e.g. the existence of the five-storeyed embattled tower proves."

The earliest parts are the blocked Norman west doorway,  and the string course with rope moulding above it, and there is another string course above the N. aisle.  The window above the blocked doorway is Perpendicular.  Most of the church dates to the 13th C. although Pevsner thinks the impressive NW tower with its saddleback roof is a little later.

The blocked Norman West doorway.

I nearly missed this old sundial on the wall.

Renowned Gothic Revival architect George Bodley (a pupil of Gilbert-Scott's) was responsible for the updating in the 1870s when Frederick Andrews was the Reverend. Since Bodley married Minna Reavely in 1872 (her family lived at the castle) his involvement was no great surprise. He was also responsible for the fairly massive organ case, the castle side of which has attracted various initials and dates to be dug in with penknives down the years!

The most amazing memorial to Francis Smalman and his family, Lord of Kinnersley and Letton, who died in 1635, and his wife Susan.  They are shown kneeling and praying with a cherub fanfare above the canopy.  The eight kneeling figures of their children have individual dress and facial features, and are Francis (predeceased as holding a skull), Jane, Jone, William and Alfie Smallman, plus John Clarke, William Clarke and Susan Clarke.  Susan Clarke was Francis' 2nd wife.

Brass in memory of William Leviot, a former rector of Kinnersley in the 15th C - he died in 1421.

The rood screen was "amended" after the Reformation one assumes, but has several beautiful contemporary carvings which were placed along the top rail.  I especially like the heart-shape with spirals above, which looks a little like a mazed owl, and also appears as a true heart in quilting patterns.

Pevsner:  "The pulpit consists of 4 very fine and very Mannerist allegorical figures.  Flemish, 1530, and very similar to the free-standing figurines of King's College Chapel, Cambridge."

The painted ceiling and supports, designed by Bodley.

THIS was what Keith was so keen to see, the beautiful carved and gilded Jacobean reredos, and the equally carved and splendid alter table in front of it, clearly a gift from the Lord of the Manor.  I took many detailed photographs of the carvings, but will include just a few.

This wee bird turns up regularly in church carvings - love it's tail being bitten by something scaley with Sharp Teefs!!

There were two of these little windows to the outside, with their wooden shutters - we wondered if they were for the distribution of dole?

A pretty stained glass window.

Another amazing sculptured memorial, this time to Dame Ann Morgan.

George Bodley had "married in" to the Castle family (Minna Reaveley).  From 1873, he was responsible for the the beautiful interior decoration in the church.  He died in 1907 and is buried in the churchyard here.

 

Finally, a glimpse of the beautiful Manor House.  You can just make out the castle tower behind the trees.

I can at least add a photo of the Font.  

Pevsner doesn't mention it, so I will say Medieval style, but made later.  

A splendid cross in the churchyard, reminds me of the ones I saw in Ireland.

Overcast here this morning, and starting to drizzle.  A quilting day I think. I'm going to make a Chocolate Apple cake too as I have apples to use up.