We Did it.

Durham Cathedral. by William Turner.

Good afternoon, yesterday morning we were up bright and early to make our trip to Edinburgh. When we looked of the window it was fair not dry but not raining. We planned to get the bus to Edinburgh at 8-35 am so we had to get a move on. We took the car round to the park and ride as it so cold at that time and the bus does not always run to time. Fortunately it was only 5 minutes late.

We were in Edinburgh by 9-45am and the rain was bouncing off the ground just as it was forecast. First thing coffee and toast at Ryan’s (No sign of Ryaaaan Coronation Street) but lovely coffee.

Coffee over we started the long walk along Princess Street with the rain and the wind in our faces but we were on a mission to get to the National Gallery. By the time we got there the water was running off us and my brolly, that the guard quickly told me to close up. After I caught my breath and folded up my brolly we headed down to the Vaughan Exhibition of William Turner watercolour paintings. There were forty one paintings on display in two different rooms. All the paintings were bequeathed to The National Gallery by Henry Vaughan in 1900.These exquisite watercolours are a special feature of the gallery’s display programme and are on show every January. As I said in my last entry due to the light sensitive nature of these works, they can only be displayed for one month of the year and this is how it has been for the last hundred or so years. I am not the artist of the family as you know it is Stuart’s interest and hobby but I do enjoy going along with him to see all the painting and yesterday was no exception. The Turner watercolours are absolutely wonderful they are so beautiful. I was reading that one or two of his watercolours came up for auction last year and the fetched £3.5 million and another went for £10 million so what price the collection we saw yesterday. After we had another coffee and a second look at the paintings we braved the storm once more to walk the far end of Princess Street to get the bus home. We did not want to linger in the capital as snow was forecast and we did not want to get caught up in that so we had decided to get an early bus home.

I really enjoyed my day out and looking at all those lovely paintings the watercolours are so different from the oil painting Turner is more famous for of sailing ships. If you are in London I think a visit to the Turner Gallery would be very worth while or course if you are in Edinburgh in January just remember you brolly. 

               

 

This was one of my favourites  it was a tiny only about four inches by two inches but the detail as you can see was wonderful. So till next time. Love,

                                                      Joan.

Tags: William Turner.

            

Good afternoon, I looked at the date of my last entry and can hardly believe it is over a week since my last offering. There has not been much happening in this neck of the woods like most of you we have had rain rain and more rain. Today has been a lot better sunny but cold, much nicer.

We have been tying all month that is since Stuart recovered from all his ails to get to Edinburgh, as there is an exhibition of Turner Watercolours on at the National Gallery that Stuart is longing to see we tried last year but the weather was so bad and at that time we had to walk to the bus as there is nowhere to park at the bus stop but now we have the new park and ride we can take the car round and sit in it till the bus appears the last time it was half an hour late sot the car is very handy. Turner usually paint in oils and these watercolours are very special, they were gifted to the gallery on the condition that they would only be shown once and year in the month of January when the outside light would not fade there delicate colours so its January or never till next year. We are going to try on Monday so here’s hoping but they keep changing the forecast.

Have updated my books journal if you care to click over so until next time. Love

                                                             

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Friday.

Good Afternoon, Welcome to my Friday musings. Not a lot going on here today have only been for a paper etc. It has been a beautiful day here sunny but very cold so Stuart was a bit worried about going for a walk, will give his mouth another day or so just to make sure he does not get a chill in it or something after the bad time he has had we are being very careful. Once I came home we had some lovely freshly brewed coffee and croissants and a big read of the papers it was not elevenses more twelveses but lovely just the same (we were running a bit late this morning as we had a bit of a long lie so everything was running late today.

I have one funny wee story to tell. While tidying up in the kitchen I noticed some very iffy looking red grapes and I was going to put them in the bin, then I thought the birds might like them. I did not want to put them out the back as the starlings would have swooped down we have a small flock of about thirty that live it the big oak tree at the bottom of our garden and they are very greedy birds. I took about twelve out and laid them on the front path in front of my big The blackbirds came down for a sample very quickly and visited one at a time until they were gone so put out some more and they quickly went the down a treat too. This morning when we opened the curtains they came down quick smart and started to looking in the window. I put out some more of the grapes and they are all gone too there is some left for tomorrow. I did not think birds would like grapes quite so much but there you go.

Watched the biathlon this afternoon from Ruhpolding in Germany and we had a new winner today that has never won an World Cup event before so that was nice. Will look forward to the rest of the event tomorrow and Sunday.

I think that’s as much padding out I can manage for today so till next time.                                                 Love

                                                                               

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It Gone

Good Morning, I am sure you will all be glad to hear that THE TOOTH HAS GONE. We are back from the dentist and all is well at the moment Stuart is still frozen up but at least he will be on the mend now we hope, we have the pain killers at the ready for when he thaws out.

Its another awful day here pouring rain again the flooding a round here in the fields is getting bad and the River Tay is very swollen. This year so far we have only had one decent day that was Monday when I took the pictures of the snow on the hills.

I have just witnessed the strangest thing sitting here I can see out of the front window very well my next door neighbour came out got into here car and drove off, ten minutes later she arrived back with two cups of coffee in containers from our local motorway service station, she had actually driven the half mile to the services for coffee in the pouring rain and cold have you ever heard of anything so strange I really had to laugh and we are all trying to help with global warming.

That’s about it for today except the rain has just turned to snow. Till next time. Love.

                                            

What a horrible day.

                                                                                                                          

Castle Howard.

Good Afternoon, glad to say Stuart is much better today and really looking forward to having his tooth removed on Thursday ha ha.

The weather up here today has been horrible cold and pouring rain, the snow that I took the pictures of yesterday on the hills has all but gone. We had a shower of snow this morning and it melted and then froze over making the roads and pavements treacherous until the pavement and the roads were salted. After lunch the rains came so that was us in for the day.

Its me again with my free DVD’s this week it is the complete ‘Brideshead Revisited’ so I thought as I had not seen it in 1981 when it came out and being a period piece it would not be dated I thought I would give it a go and see if it was worth sending for the set. We sat down today cosy with a coffee and watched part 1. It is so OTT we giggled all the way through it was great really enjoyed it will have to get the rest of it. It is very well made and the acting is superb and no adverts to break up the storyline. What a wonderful way to spent a horrible afternoon, or am I just getting old and am easily pleased. Till next time (Taggart Tonight) Love

Joan.

Yes I admit I am a bit of a TV addict in the winter.

 

Tags: Castle Howard, Brideshead Revisited

Snowy Monday.

       

Good Afternoon, At last today Stuart is feeling a wee bit better the shoulder has eased and the toothache is under control with the pain killers and two lots of antibiotics he is taking so hopefully he will be able to have the offending tooth out on Thursday the dentist said he cannot have it out till the infection calms down as the anaesthetic would not work at the moment. Poor Stuart it was his birthday on Thursday past and he had the most awful day he says the pain he has had with this tooth is worse than his triple bypass.

We have some snow again overnight not much in the village but the hills around have a lovely coverage so we took a little run round in the car this morning while the sun was shining and you can see the results above.We are so lucky to have this sort of scenery right on our doorstep.my new camera. Till next time Love,

Joan.

         

 

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New Year What Celebrations?

                     

Good afternoon, sitting here wondering what I am going to write today my first entry of the New Year.

The New Year is such a non event nowadays compared with what it was a few years back. I commented in young Leigh’s journal yesterday saying I thought a lot of the New Years demise is due to the big street parties in the big cities. In today’s paper one of the columnist was saying the same thing. We used to spend the New Year with our families and our neighbours. Yesterday I only say one person passing our window all day I see more than that on a normal day (the chap did not even have a coat on and it was pouring rain). We used to visit neighbours with our shortbread and our bottle of whatever and had a great time staying a while with each one now all that has gone.

In the past year especially we have been hearing so much about global warming and trying to save our planet. I am not trying to be a spoilsport but do you really think that sending millions of pounds worth of fireworks into the sky is helping I don’t think so, I think not only is it causing more pollution it is also a terrible waste of money. Its not only this country that does this it now seems to be the norm I think the money could well be spent in more beneficial ways. I don’t suppose anyone will agree with me but these are my thoughts.

Poor Stuart not only has he got this shoulder/neck pain but today he has added toothache to his list of woos as well, poor Stu he is having an awful time hopefully he will get an appointment tomorrow with our dentist.

Normally by now we have been out for a long walk and started our New Year of bird watching but with the weather not being very good and Stuart being under the weather we have not been out yet other than me walking round for a paper this morning I could not persuade Stuart to come with me which is very unusual hope things will improve after he sees the dentist. One thing the pain killers will have two jobs to do now hope they are up to it and know where to go.

I think that’s about it for today so till next time, Love

Joan.

Have updated my books journal see sidebar for address.