Monday 29 February 2016

Starting with a night in York...


Hello

Well, I think it is just a quick round up for this blog post. 

Half term has been and gone. We offered daughter a choice of activities/short breaks but 
she chose a staycation - for her at least. Husband and I had a night in York while she had 
friends (all female!) round for a sleepover. 

Husband and I travelled by train to York, my favourite mode of travel, offering the 
chance  for a coffee, a read of my book and a few rows knitted on my socks. 


We have visited York several times but this was the first occasion in a long time for us to 
visit without children, an indication of how our life is changing as the children grow up. 
We felt in need of exercise and despite the rather grey skies and occasional 
shower of rain we decided to shun the museums and just walk. 
And we walked the city walls - something I have not done before but the walk took 
us through some interesting parts of the city and the heights of the wall gave a slightly 
different perspective of the city too. 


On the way home from York we stopped in Sheffield and had lunch with 2 sons and one girlfriend. The meal wasn't great but the company was fantastic which is the main thing isn't it? 

I didn't take lots of photos while away as I just wanted to walk and enjoy a wind down. 
York was a bit of a welcome break from this.....


Umm.... stripping wallpaper from the hall, stairs and landing. We haven't decorated these 
rooms since we moved in 15 years ago - we always knew it would be a big job and so 
kept postponing it but we decided we could do this no more!!

Underneath we have revealed a variety of paints and I quite like the rustic look we have
on some parts of the wall. What do you think? I have tried to persuade the family that 
maybe we don't need to decorate, we can leave the walls like this but I'm not sure they 
are so convinced!!

And please don't expect a "ta-dah" revealing a beautifully decorated halls, stairs and 
landing any day soon - it all needs a lot of preparation so this is definitely 
a slow-burn project. 


(The picture is one I cross stitched years ago for younger son.)

The weather has been bright recently here in the Midlands and I have made the 
most of it in between stripping!
  

These photos were taken on a now-regular walk of mine round the wood at the 
back of our house and across to the science park. 


I have made a few of these recently - yes toss-in-fruitcake, mainly for daughter. These are
 so easy to make. As the name suggests you literally toss everything in a bowl and mix! 


A friend recently gave us a typewriter.
Only a few weeks ago I had mentioned in passing how I thought daughter would like one. 
It was very kind of her to remember my words when she found one in the back of a 
wardrobe while having a sort out. Daughter thinks "it is sick!" and has even been typing 
up her physics notes.


 The rhythmic sound of the keys tapping, the ping of the bell as the feed roller 
passes the margin and the sliding back of the feed roller is almost musical. 


We have been watching more ladies football matches. Brrr, it was cold yesterday but boy
 was it a nail biting cup match. Sadly our local team lost 2-1 in extra time. But the crowd of approximately 100 was testament to how far the team have come this year.


And the chilliness continued this morning, a very sharp frost with a hazy sun filtering
 through the mist gave the hill behind our house a  warm glow. 


So nothing very exciting to report. Just a round up of recent events. 
Has the sun been shining for your recently?
Do you feel like spring is on its way?

Wishing you a good week
xXx

PS. Thank you for the lovely comments on my socks in my last post!

15 comments:

  1. Spring was definitely in the air and we have had some lovely sunshine...until this morning. Wind and rain, I was just starting to think garden. I was born in York, many moons ago and love to visit, there is a lovely tea room in the Shambles the cake is magnificent.

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  2. I love York.We,too, stayed there, with our boys'when they were boys not men and since they left home we have stayed there ourselves a few times,I never tire of visiting York.
    Hope your redecorating goes wel.I am getting ready to do some more of ours this month!
    A manual typewriter and the noises it makes would take me back to when my mum had hers. She was very speedy on it it..me,not so much!
    I love your colourful socks:)

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  3. Aw I love York. It's nice to get the train to places - I love a good train journey just for the uninterrupted knitting and reading time! Yay for decorating, hope it goes smoothly! :)

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  4. Train rides, York and knitting; what a perfect day out! I love the sound of the fruit cake method, even I wouldn't be able to mess that up! I've acquired an old typewriter too. I take it to places without Internet connection, which isn't very much of the U.K. these days! J x

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  5. It is always a pleasure to discover what you have been up to!
    I would love to go back to York. I visited it in 1989 when I was backpacking throughout England and Scotland. I remember walking the walls and the great museums. It is such a rich city!
    I can relate to many things you are talking about...
    Good luck with the redecorating! You make me chuckle, I like the "industrial" look, vintage bricks, steel, concrete even! But your bare walls? hmmm...
    I would love to find out more about a Toss Fruit cake! I shall google it in a minute.
    Come back soon and Be well!
    xx

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  6. How wonderful that you got to spend sometime together and in such a beautiful city too. I've never been to York, it's high on my to visit list though.
    We've lived in our home for 18 years and the hall was replastered about 6 years ago now and is still awaiting decoration, there was no pint before with the children being smaller and bikes and scooters being trailed through!
    Lisa x

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  7. I last visited York a lifetime ago and your post has made me want to visit again.
    Good luck with the hallway decorating - ours took 6 years from start to finish - we don't like to hurry!!
    Sorry I haven't replied to your comments on my blog - you are a 'no-reply blogger' so I can't, but I do read and appreciate your comments!
    M x

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  8. I'd love to go for a walk around the city walls in York too. We might do that next time. Glad you enjoyed your night's stay there. Good luck with the wall paper stripping and decorating. It does sound like a big job. I like a typewriter so I'm pleased that your daughter likes her 'new' typewriter. Does 'sick' mean 'cool'? Gosh, I am feeling VERY old :-)

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  9. I love walking round the York walls, there are so many little treasures you can see, gardens to peep into and things that you don't see from the streets.

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  10. I love York, though it's years since I've been. I've thought about it a few times recently, but the last time I went it felt rather too 'touristed' and I didn't actually enjoy it like I used to. Maybe I should give it another go!

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  11. Oh I absolutely love York, it is such a beautiful city! How kind of your friend to give your daughter the typewriter, I love the sounds they make too, there is something very reassuring about it. Good Luck with your decorating, it is my least favourite project too. Have a lovely weekend xx

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  12. York! Love the place, thank you for the gorgeous photographs. Well done for tackling the redecorating, sounds like a mammoth task. I have typewriter envy, that colour too, so gorgeous. Have a lovely weekend X

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  13. It sounds like a lovely night away, you deserve special treats like this. Happy decorating! You will be thrilled when it is all done.
    Hugs,
    Meredith

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  14. I hope you enjoyed your time away. I've always wanted to visit York.
    Amalia
    xo

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  15. York is always been somewhere that I would love to visit! I always hate the preparation involved in decorating! Sarah x

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Caz xx