Now for something completely different . . .

I couldn't resist this acrylic painting (by artist Michael Long, and painted as part of a 2 hour challenge with a Bristol art group).  I talked myself out of it in the shop, but then HAD to go back for it, and absolutely love it. I have it on the mantlepiece in the sitting room, and as darkness falls that sky gets darker and more threatening - more snow on the way, that's for sure.  The scene is a corner of Gloucestershire . . .

 Last week turned out to be quite a busy week.  Brecon for grocery shopping and taking shoes to the cobblers.  Hay-on-Wye for the market on Thursday and then on Friday, an outing to Leominster as now we are in Powys, that was the nearest B&Q, and we wanted to get paint sample chips and chose a paint for our bedroom (one mixed.)  We have a Jewson's here in town, but that's no good unless you want bucketfuls of white emulsion.

We chose the same blue (Midwinter Solstice I think it's called) that we had in our bedroom in our last home, as it was a lovely colour, and came out with handfuls of paint chips for Tam's bedroom and the Library.  The latter is going to be a deep pink (it will look better than it sounds).  It's a room which doesn't get a great deal of light - the only dark room in the house - so will look warm and cosy. Tam wants a very pale pink in her bedroom - not baby pink, far more subtle than that.  She is still deciding exactly which shade.  We also got a new bristly doormat to replace the one which never recovered from being tramped on by wet and muddy feet when we moved in.  Any passing resemblance to a patchwork quilt did not influence my choice in any way.  (No, really!)

In the car park was this beautiful white Cherry tree.  So pretty.

The antique shops were open.  Temptation - the first one was very quiet - perhaps 5 other customers spread over 5 floors.  The garden out the back had garden furniture and decorative pieces for sale. 

19th C Irish Wrought Iron D?? Hearth Toaster (£110).

A painting of Church Street Ledbury, where we were recently.

I can imagine this took some hauling up to be put in place on the front of the roof of a Georgian building in the town . . .

It was market day but all we bought was a piece of cheese.

There are half timbered buildings through the town.

Above and below: two attractively-dressed shop windows (same shop) .  It would have been at home in Glastonbury.

Above and below: lovely old cottages by the river.

Next post: Garden Open Day . . .