Newbry Hall Gardens

After our walk round the sculpture park we had lunch on the picnic tables provided when the heavens opened. We made it back to the car and sat there until it stopped ( I had a power nap).We have been to the gardens many times and try to visit at different times in the year. The roses had gone over this time but the end off summer flowers and the start of Autumn were wonderful. The area around the house are plain mainly grass and a large pond to the front of the house, with yew hedges. But after this it is a riot of colour. Down a few steps from the lawn and pond area is a fabulous long herbaceous border full of flowers. This leads all the way down to the river and every few yards left and right there is a small grass path which and behind the yew hedges to little gardens all different. The gardens hold the national Cornus collection. The afternoon stayed dry and took us all afternoon to wander round stopping for afternoon tea in the excellent restaurant, I think we were last out--again!

As the sign explains this is a new garden in colours of soft greys, blues and mauve's.

This soft plant looks like a cosmos but is fact a Dahlia, and they had one for sale so its now in my garden I just hope it survives the winter.

Loved this delicate clematis

The Dalia's were a Lovely combinations of colours

Another delicate clematis with this pink contrasting colour flower in the front of it.

Never been here when the Laburnum has been in flower I bet its spectacular

I wish I had a garden big enough to have these trees planted, they give the garden plenty of winter interest.

This is called the white garden and again if my garden was big enough I would have a spot for just white flowers.












Two friendly black swans.

Newbry Hall sculpture park

We had a lovely day at the Newbry Hall sculpture park. Newbry is our favorite gardens and although we have been many times it was still wonderful. Before we went around the garden we took a look in the wood at the sculpture's. They change the sculptures every year and they are for sale. I have chosen a few which were of interest to Robert and I. There were plenty that I just didn't understand.

This was one of my favorites, called Two Circles lll by Tom Stogdon and could be yours for

£4.500
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The Skellig Boatman by Helen Sinclair, in painted wood £15.000 in bronze £35.000
Skellig Islands 7 miles off the south west coast of Ireland was home to a community of monks from the 7th-12th centuries. Even today there are only a few days in the year when a boat can land.
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Breath by Mathew Sanderson cold cast bronze £7.000
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Green Physalis by Carole Andrews roofing felt and resin group £6.000

Small elements of plants life on to large scale sculptures
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Sandstone Ammonite ll by Tom Stogdon sandstone steel armature £2.750

This was another favorite and by the same sculpture.
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I liked this one too

Cede by Jessica Travers steel and willow £1.950 for the group

cede means to surrender; a poppy flower dies to produce seed.
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Giant Conkers by Michael Mc Manus group £6.000

Everyone remembers the delight of removing a shiny brand new conker from its shell. Loved these really wanted to feel them.
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This bronze was put in an ideal place and there was something about it i liked

Warrior King by Leonie Gibbs a bronze £25.000

At the battle of flodden in 1513James the lV king of the Scots glances back at the English enemy. The Scots army defeated and 9.000 dead is commemorated in a famous piping tune

'The Flowers of the Forest'
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To close to the sun by Olivia Musgrave bronze £11.200

To escape the labyrinth Deadalus invented wings that fitted to the body with wax. He told his son Icarus not to fly to near the sun, but the young man soared high, the feathers parted in the heat and plummeted into the sea.
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La Grande Chasse by Cemmick and Wylder bronze £22.000

Cemmick a wild life artist has travelled the globe documenting conservation projects.
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Another favorite's

Spinning Jenny by Jessica Travers steel and willow£675

The spiralling motion of winged sycamore seeds prompted this work.
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Balance Perceived by Fawkes and Jackson glass and steel £5.900

The stand complete within its own arcing sense of balance whilst drawing the eye to explore the shifting vision revealed within the body of the glass.

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Keswick Convention

After 16years of going to Keswick convention it has been 8 years since i was last here and apart from minor changes things are much the same.

Not that you can tell from the photo's but every meeting there was a grand congregation of 3.000 people all worshiping and praising are Lord. There is also the youth and the children's groups. The days are packet with seminars, Bible readings, prayer groups and celebrations so you need to plan what you want to go to as you couldn't go to all . The morning Bible readings were lead by Paul Mallard on the book of Revelations 2&3. He focused on the word of encouragement to struggling churches facing external attack and internal decay. Even though they were written in the first century the message is still the same for the twenty-first century Christians. In the letters to the churches we hear the voice of Jesus speaking to the leaders and individual Christians. What I liked was the introduction each day on what each city was like at the time, explaining the good and bad points giving you a feeling that you were there and what the churches were up against.

Jo Stowell from Michigan spoke on A certain future 2 cor 4:16-5:10. His most memorable point was we should look ( and live like) as if we are living for the next world.

Liam Goligher, Jonathan Lamb, Derek Tidball all spoke in the evenings and the music was lead by Colin Webster. There are many bookstalls with books from all over the world written by everyone. We chose to keep the afternoons for shopping, sight seeing, relaxing and time to reflect and eating. For more information www.keswickministries.org

Weekend B&B

My week at Keswick was soon over with lots of mixed feeling. I was glad to be meeting up with Robert, I had missed his so and with the loss of tippy I just needed to be with him. After I had filled up the car (seemed to be going back with more than I came with) I took Robert and tom to the Derwent lake where tom could have stayed all day. We then went onto Grizdale forest park where we had our picnic and a slow stroll through just a small part of the forest. There were a lot of people there having great fun swinging in the tree's. If I recall its called the ape trail and there are rope bridges, swings and zip wires high in the trees. Very brave Ill keep my feet on the ground. We stayed B&B in Appleby and enjoyed fish and chips for supper sitting by the river. Tom was very well behaved. We had intentions to walk round South Kirkby but the heavens opened so we traveled on to Hawes stopping off at a small walk which led to a lovely water fall which of course tom enjoyed immensely. We next stopped off at Layburn for an ice cream and window shopping. There wasn't a lot of people about it was good to have some time with Robert.

The sun came out not for long, we just back to the car before it teemed down again.

The wild flowers on the river bank at Appleby

Tom in the Derwent

views of Keswick

I cant say the weather was good whilst away at Keswick but we didn't really have lots of rain as I recall we have had in the past years. It drizzled most mornings dried up by lunch and even the sun came out in the evening. The mornings were taken up with the meetings and after a leisurely walk back to the cottage we had lunch and then went for a drive through the lovely lake district countryside. One afternoon we went for a walk round Buttermere where some sheep had just been Shaun and we watched the dog drive them back up into the hills.

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On evening we went for a walk in Keswick round the Derwent water the next four photo's are of that walk

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There is always plenty of water in the lake district. the next three photo's are water falls around buttermere

Grasmere rushbearing tradition

After being made very welcome on my arrival to Keswick by my friend Jenny and her family had a drive out to the small village of Grasmere. The church was celebrating the tradition of rushbearing.In its present form it dates back to1830s, but is though it date back to pre-Christian festivals. Before the church has wooden pews and a slate floor there had been rough earth covered in rushes. Each year the first covering with the new rushes was the occasion for a festival. In the twentieth century the festival took place on the Saturday closest to the 5th August, St Oswald's Day but from 2002 the date was moved to July to encourage more children to attend before the summer season and holidays. The bearings are traditional shapes representing biblical and religious themes. There is a procession through the village followed with a service, then tea in the churchyard. Today it is a celebration of community life.

The door way
All the floor was covered in the rushes and there was a lovely fresh smell.

The lovely old wooden beams

Rushbearing Hymn

Today we come from farm and fell

wild flowers and rushes green and twine,

we sing the hymn we love so well,

and worship at St Oswald's shrine

The Rotha streams, the roses blow,

though generations pass away,

and still our old traditions flow

from pagan past and Roman day.

For saintliest King and kingly man
today our burdens glad we bear,

who with the cross Christ's way began

And sealed his dying wish with prayer.

Our garlands fall, our rushes fade,

Our day is but a passing flower,

Lord, of Thy mercy send us aid,

And grant Thy life's eternal dower.