Happy Easter My Lovely Blogging Chums

A Discovery

I discovered this book in one of my local charity shops, stuck together with some nasty brown sellotape, since removed thankfully. It was the cover that caught my eye. Although I have been clearing out a substantial amount of books pre-move, I am also purchasing any 'special' ones that I find. As I have decided that I would really love a small cosy reading room/library in our new house. The book by Betty Macdonald tells the tale of her island life with her second husband and two teenage daughters, published in 1955 it is set in the war years. It is really funny, in a similar vein to the E.M. Delafield book The Diary of a Provincial Lady. I have since found out she has written several other books, which I hope to track down. Here is the lady herself. I think she has a real look of mischief about her.

Time Travelling

On our way to Mr. Straw's house the Mr and I popped along to take a look at Clumber Park. It is a 3,800 acre estate set within Sherwood Forest. For over three hundred years it was the country estate of the Dukes of Newcastle, now looked after by The National Trust. Sadly no trace of their house remains, it was taken down in 1938. But the parkland and especially the huge glasshouse were an absolute joy to visit. The weather wasn't being very kind whilst we were there but we will visit again when the sun is shining and picnic in hand we will explore the rest of the parkland. Of course the rain couldn't put a dampener on our visit to Endcliffe Villa, the house of the Straw family. The house itself told the story of the simple and contented lives that were led there through much of the 20th century. It was a strangely moving experience, I could feel deeply the humbleness and quietness of the family that had lived there and may still be there? The family didn't live a 'big' or worldly life but I could feel the richness of their experiences. Simple, hard working and ethical folk who lived their lives well. Wish that we could all say that.

I'm Stepping Back in Time

Tomorrow the Mr and I are stepping back in time to the 1920s with a visit to Mr Straw's house. I've been meaning to visit for years but have never managed to get there. It is owned by the NT and is not open very often, add the fact they only let 4 people in at a time you can understand why. We had planned to go to the Victorian Radicals exhibition in Birmingham, but I couldn't face the journey and the trials of spaghetti junction, so Nottingham it is.

Real People Real Times

Hello blogging chums, it has been a while. A horrible bout of ill health, now under control has prevailed, it mysteriously took my blogging mojo with it. Today though I saw a little film of Steve Harley singing in 1975. It reminded me that I am a very lucky person to have lived through that era, when people were all individuals making their own kind of music and developing their own sense of style. Real people in real times. Sad that he has passed.