miss marie's miscellany

Snapshot from this week

I whizzed down to London on Monday; travel delays meant it was a whistle stop trip; just enought time to catch up with my lovely friends G&G for dinner, wine and gossip, then it was time to set my head on the pillow for some much needed sleep before Tuesday dawned. Business matters took up the morning, and before I caught the train back, I made sure I had time to pop into here.

I struggle a bit with London's crazy busyness, all those people, all that traffic, it can be overwhelming. So I really do love this wonderful shop, it's a haven of calm and elegance, with lots of gorgeous stuff to smell and touch and wow at. I had a peaceful and de-stressing wander around, and felt much better!  I must say a special thank you to the lovely kind lady in the bath department who was so friendly and helpful, and who chatted to me for ages!

I did make a small purchase, it required huge restraint not to go completely bonkers and buy, buy buy! Do you want to see inside the bag?

Something pretty to put my face in!

 

I've been busy

Sorry I haven't been here for a while, time has run away since I last stuck my head round the door. But I've been busy with all of the different parts of my life and work, and I have lots to tell you about. Enought for a few posts worth certainly! Just so that I make up for being AWOL.

So I'll start with some snapshots of my recent crochet/crafty makings

This blanket is nearly finished!

I have been enjoying using my garden studio, it's such a lovely space to be in, cosy and comfortable, and the light on a good day is so bright and clear. And I have re-discovered the contents of my iPod too, it's been quite inspiring to listen to old and much-loved songs with fresh ears.

Trying out some new colour combos

I have a big stack of things waiting to be made too; I have 5 commissions, which is fantastic, so I will be showing them off when they are completed.

So that's all the yarny stuff up to date; next time I'll be out in the garden :-)

 

 

Today I......

stood by the sea at the eleventh hour of the eleventh day of the eleventh month

and remembered.............

Strolling in the park

These palatial gates are the entrance to Birkenhead Park on the Wirral. My brother and sister-in-law live quite nearby and took me for a visit. The park was created in the 1840s and inspired the architect who designed Central Park in New York.  I can see why......it's vast with wide avenues, lots of trees and flowers; you can walk, run, cycle, play and even go fishing in the park, motorists can drive round the perimeter road in the park, and there was even a horse-drawn carriage sitting by the gates when we passed by. And of course, there's the all- important cafe, I didn't go there but I'm reliably informed it's good!

There must have been hundreds of squirrels running about the park, I managed to snap this one, they don't really like posing for photos!

 

We headed for this boathouse. It seemed Italian in style to me, both exterior and interior.

 

It has an amazing floor decorated with pebbles.

 

A lovely tranquil place in what is a busy urban area, good to know it's being looked after so well and is there for everyone to enjoy. 

Old Hall

This elegant old building is Rufford Old Hall which i visited last week.It's not too far from where I grew up as a child but strangely, I've never been here before. The building above, the Great Hall,  dates from the 16th century and is the oldest part of the hall; bits have been added on over the centuries,17th and 19th to be precise, so it is a hybrid building, but full of character and history because of that.

Here is the 17th century facade





The gardens were full of interesting features; a pair of swans and a squirrel topiary.


as well as plenty of flowers. You can see the 19th century part of the Hall on the left of the photo.


This leaded window is in the Great Hall


as is this wood carving on the wall


and also this strage window in the roof of the Hall. It was added in the 19th century to give more light over the snooker table!!



Photography was allowed only in the Great Hall, so I can't show you any of the beautiful rooms in the main part of the house, full of huge fireplaces, paintings, china, original furniture and squeaky floorboards.The cafe is very good too, I had a delicious ploughman's lunch with Lancashire cheese and my dad had hotpot which disappeared rather fast :-) All in all, a good day out!

Kelvingrove treasures

I took a trip to Kelvingrove Art Gallery and Museum. I hadn't visited for a good while;  the lure of the 'Glasgow Boys' Exhibition enticed me there. I couldn't take any photos at this, but if you are anywhere near the gallery in the next few months, do go and see it, it's brilliant, a feast of colour and style, landscapes portraits and still life. 

I could take pictures everywhere else, and did! Here's the imposing facade........

 

A room full of sculptures, busts of Queen Victoria and Homer are there, and hanging above were lots of.....?
 

grimacing and smiling heads......tragedy and comedy.

 

On the other side of the building, a Spitfire hovers above a stuffed giraffe and elephant
 

 

Some of the standout sights for me were........this Cezanne still life, simple but beautiful

 

I love the dreamlike quality of this lady's beautiful face

 

A portrait by Sir Henry Raeburn, 'Ann Pattison, Mrs Wiliam Urquhart'.

 

Donald Dewar, sculpted by Archibald Forrest.

 

Wipe away the tears, this sculpture is called  'Motherless'.

 
 Elegant lady in a watercolour by FCB Cadell

 

And some more beautiful portraits

 

Robert Louis Stevenson, looking very dashing, as if he has stepped out of the pages of one of his adventures.

 

I could go on and on posting more photos but I think that's probably enough! What a great place to have so close to home, a veritable treasure trove of wonderful art and inspiration. I believe that Kelvingrove is one of Glasgow's top attractions, and it was very busy on a Wednesday afternoon, which must prove that to be true. Whatever, it was a wonderful way to spend a few hours. 

 

 
 
 

 
 

 
 
 
 

 

Statuesque

I noticed I'd taken quite a few photos of statues whilst wandering around Liverpool;  some new, some old, some of famous Liverpudlians both real and  fictitious, and some flights of fancy.

John Lennon

 

Eleanor Rigby

 

Ken Dodd in Lime Street Station (sadly there were no Diddymen to be seen!)

 

He is right next to this lady, just as thought they have met in the station, and are having a natter. She is Bessie Braddock who was the MP for Liverpool in the 1950-70s and an ardent socialist campaigner.

 

She was known as 'Battling Bessie'.......I can see why!
 

William Gladstone (I bet you didn't know he was a Scouser)

 

The 2 angels at his side represent Truth

 

and Justice. Taken in the gardens behind St. George's Hall, where the Law Courts were once housed.

 

Inside the Walker Art Gallery, this imposing fellow presides over the cafe

 
 Nearby is the Sculpture Room

 

Outside the World Museum these 2 giant inflatable flowers adorn the building

 

The flowers grow larger and the petals open out during the day, just as a real flower would 

 

And there are still some of the SuperLamBananas 

I haven't gone mad, they really are called that!  There were 125 of these colourful statues all over Liverpool during 2008, when it was the European City of Culture. As their name suggests, they're a cross between a lamb and a banana, and all were differently painted and themed.  (There is a great Flickr group here if you'd like to see more.) I really like them; they are fun and make me smile, and I'm glad they're still adding a touch of good-humoured colour to the city.

 

 

 And finally, here's some rock of a different kind!

 
 
 
 
 
 
 

 
 
 

To the Lighthouse

 On Sunday I found myself looking across to the beach I was standing on in my last post.

 

I went over to the Wirral to see my brother and sister-in-law and we went for a windy and bracing stroll on the sea front. There's no beach over here at this point of the coast, but there's a long walkway, next to the sea wall.

 

All along this side of the Wirral Peninsula were once many lighthouses in Liverpool's history as a thriving port. They would guide the ships safely into the harbour and stop them running aground on the reefs close to the shore. With advance of technology, they are no longer in use, but some of them survive as historic buildings.

Just a stone's throw from the sea is Leasowe Lighthouse, looked after by a trust who open to the public on certain Sundays; luckily this was one of them. The trust have done a fantastic job of restoring this once derelict building, last used as a lighthouse in the 1900s, unoccupied since the 1930s. Apparently when they began work, the pigeon droppings reached the second floor........what a delightful cleaning job that must have been. Anyway. we climbed up the spiral staircase to the top.

The view;  the windows caused reflection and I only had a few minutes to snap, but it gives a good impression of the panorama, and how good a view the lighthouse keeper would have had of all the ships approaching. Flags identifying every ship were raised at each lighthouse on the approach into Liverpool so the staff at the harbour were advised of the imminent arrival of each particular ship and could be ready for the changeover of cargo and crew.

You can just see the plaque stating the year of construction as 1763, it's stood the test of time and the elements incredibly well. And the 130 stairs have worked off some of those lovely Easter goodies!