A Childlike Christmas

I have been really enjoying the 'Childlike Christmas' posts at The Quiet Home and at Pom Pom's Ponderings so much that I have decided to join in the fun!  Here is another picture that we took on our recent visit to York.  Don't the lights look pretty?  In the background is the Teddy Bear Tea Rooms, and this road is Stonegate, one of the oldest streets in York.  The tea rooms are above a teddy bear shop, and here is their website.

Don't you just love teddy bears?

This little chap looks dressed ready for Christmas!

And this is Teddy Bear Christmas, a painting in oils by Janet Kruskamp, aren't they lovely!  Do go and visit the other blogs I have mentioned and join in the fun!

PS If I receive 5 comments, I just might treat you to a picture of yours truly with my beautiful baby granddaughter!

York

Here is some Christmassy eye-candy from the beautiful, historic city of York.  We went there two weeks ago to visit youngest son who is currently studying there.  He comes home this weekend, yippeeeee!!!

We pushed the boat out a little and had tea in Betty's tearooms.  You can just about see us below.  I am wearing a red coat, youngest son is wearing a stripy scarf, and eldest son is wearing a green coat.  We stood and waited outside Betty's for over an hour in the rain, along with all the tourists from all over the world.

It was well worth it though, the food was delicious, and we ate fat rascals, which Betty's are famous for.  But we only ate 2 of them between four of us, in case we turn into fat rascals ourselves!

It was a very long day, we spent over six hours on the train altogether, and didn't get home until after midnight, but it was absolutely wonderful.

I met a fascinating lady there called Annie Austen-Meek, who runs her own business called Softpots, which involves plants growing in old tights and stockings!  It sounds a bit funny but go here to see the amazing gardens she has created.  Below is a sample of the magic that Annie creates.  I was overawed by her creativity and originality.

All the plants here are growing in old tights, and even all the cobbles and statues are just tights filled with soil, moulded into shape and painted.  I'd love to try out this idea next spring in my garden. The whole effect looked really magical, right in the centre of York.

London riots and other musings

Please join with me in praying for London and other cities that have been affected this week by the riots.  I have family living in London, so I am praying for their protection, and for all those that have already been really badly affected.  Our God is a God of peace, not of disorder.  Lets pray that peace will prevail.

Yesterday, youngest son and I went here.

This is a wonderful 'book farm' in the village of Astley, in Warwickshire.  They have a cafe, which sells delicious cakes, served with cream, strawberries and blueberries on the side, and very reasonably priced.  They have a 'ten bob barn', where they sell many books for 50p.  I bought this book

It is called 'The Pleasure of Reading', edited by Antonia Fraser.  I already have a copy, and it is one of my favourite books ever, but this one is for my son to take to Uni with him.

I have read some brilliant books this summer.  As well as Influential Women by Wendy Virgo, which I have already written about, I have read Family Life by Elisabeth Luard

'Room' by Emma Donaghue, which is an incredible book, dealing with a potentially depressing subject in a life-affirming way,

and Once Upon Another Time by Jessica Douglas-Home.

This is an amazing book that I found in an Oxfam shop in Whitby while on holiday.  It describes the author's secret life behind the Iron Curtain in the last years of Communism, when she carried books, materials and hope to dissident communities.  It is fascinating to read how the cultural life of the dissidents was kept alive, despite many privations.  I have read similar books about people smuggling Bibles into these same countries during that period, but this is a different angle, and shows how important it was for people to keep reading, learning, exchanging ideas, and listening to their music.  

For me, I love to read your blogs, to learn, to be inspired and entertained.  Have a great day, and keep writing!

A trip to York

Last weekend, we took youngest son back to University, and  had some fun in beautiful York.  The weather was unbelievably sunny, although a bit cold and windy, and we did some lovely 'touristy' things.

We walked around the Minster.......

It really was as sunny as it looks.  The above pic is a view from the Roman Walls.

We walked along the Shambles, which date back to the 14th century.  The shops seem unreal, like wandering into fairyland.

We had some retail therapy, in the form of bookshops.  I bought some lovely old books from Oxfam books.

I can't wait to a start reading these, but I need to finish Middlemarch first, and I'm not even halfway through yet!

This is the timber-framed National Trust shop...

There are lots of shops and buildings just like this in York.

Then we went to Betty's Tea Rooms, one of the most wonderful tea rooms in the world.  We stocked up on our supplies of Betty's Earl Grey tea.

Betty's tea shop is a wonderful building.

This is Betty's flagship cafe, inspired in the 1930's by the RMS Queen Mary cruise liner.

It's wildly expensive, a cup of tea starts at about £3, and the atmosphere is very traditional, but that's what makes Betty's so fabulous and unique.  I love it!

I can't take you all to Betty's, so instead I will give you a recipe for Fat Rascals, which are Betty's most famous cakes.

Fat Rascals

8 oz Self-Raising flour
half tsp. salt
4 oz lard
3 oz caster sugar
2 oz currants
1 oz sultanas
1 egg, beaten
milk to mix.

Pre-heat the oven to 425F or Mark 7.  Grease baking sheets.  Sift the flour and salt together in a bowl and rub in the lard until the mixture resembles breadcrumbs.  Stir in the sugar, currants and sultanas and mix to a soft dough with the beaten egg and a little milk if necessary.  Transfer to a lightly floured surface and roll or press out to a good half inch thick and cut into 2 and a half inch rounds with a cutter.  Place apart on the baking sheet and bake for about 10 to 15 minutes until golden.  Transfer to a wire rack to cool.  Eat fresh with butter.  Makes about 12 scones. 

These cost about £3 each at Betty's, so you can save a lot of money and bake yourself a treat by making them at home!

Today I have been back at work, which was a shock to the system after a three week holiday.  I got up early, got ready, drove to the Park and Ride bus stop, then a quick bus journey to my loooong working day.  It has been lovely to spend time at home, being with my family, cooking and baking, knitting, crocheting, reading, doing all the things I enjoy!  I do like my work though, it's very rewarding and I work with great people.

Thank you so much to everyone who takes the time to read these pages, and especially to those of you who take he trouble to send a kind word in an encouraging comment.

I may not be blogging quite so often for the next few weeks, but please do drop by and say hello.