Last week I went on a trip to Carsington Water, a reservoir in Derbyshire. The sun was out but it was a very cold day and the black clouds were gathering. The purpose of the visit was to see what the visitor centre could offer as an educational resource. It had very good interactive displays and lots of information about where our water comes from and how it is cleaned for household use. I found it informative and fun as an adult but I feel sure it would be equally so for children.
Category: Nature
Holiday on the Scilly Islands.
Christmas is over and the advertisements on the television are all about where to go on holiday. This is not an easy decision as holidays can be very expensive and yet we feel that we must have one to unwind from our increasingly stressful lives. Last year I was very lucky to be able to revisit the Scilly Islands, a place I had not been to for 28 years. Sometimes it can be disappointing going back to a place you have fond memories of as inevitably places change.
Whitby, a Town Worth Visiting
I recently spent a few days in Whitby and thought I would share some of my photos. While there we had a real mixture of weather but this is Great Britain! The first day was reasonably warm for October and so we went to the beach at Robin Hood Bay.
- October sunshine at Robin Hood Bay.
- The tide was out and there were plenty of rock pools to investigate and sand to dig.
William Morris Designs and Standen House
William Morris said “Have nothing in your houses that you do not know to be useful, or believe to be beautiful” I think this is something worth considering in these times of excessive hoarding and shopping. Today it is so easy to spend money, that there is great danger of buying, without considering if we need an item, or if it is something that will make our homes more beautiful.
When I had my first home in the 1980s William Morris designs were popular and I can remember having curtains and cushions in his fabric. I was therefore really interested in visiting the National Trust property Standen House in West Sussex. The house itself was designed and built for James and Margaret Beale as a weekend retreat. James was a solicitor who was involved in the opening of the great rail terminal at St Pancras.
Foremark Reservoir, a Good day Out
I have recently visited Foremark Reservoir in Derbyshire for the first time. The day we went was rather dull, windy and cloudy but we still had a good time. Foremark Reservoir is in the area of the National Forest. The forest covers 200 squares miles in the middle of the country and aims to eventually link the two ancient forests of Charnwood and Needwood.
Buying Rope
Today I went to Mercia Marina and ended up buying rope! The original reason for my visit was to pick up some knitting that I had done for an exhibition at the Willington Art Festival. Little did I know I would end up buying rope.
My exhibit was a hoop covered in knitting to illustrate the water cycle. I don’t know why I chose to make this but the idea just popped into my head.
Signs of Autumn Fruits and Seeds.
I know it is still Summer and this year we are enjoying the weather and at last we can talk about the Summer of 2013. Recently I started to look for signs of Autumn fruits and seeds while walking along an old railway track at Hassop in Derbyshire. After a quick stop to eat some delicious Raspberry Pavlova Hope Valley Ice Cream, which was so good I forgot to photograph! On my walk I found lots fruits and seeds to take photos of and here they are.
High Peak Trail, Derbyshire
The High Peak Trail is one of my favourite places to walk in Derbyshire. Today is looking lovely and so the question is, where to go? Possibly to the High Peak Trail, Derbyshire!
Here are a few pictures I took on my last visit. The first is of Leawood Pump House which is the pumping station which can still pump water from the River Derwent up into the Cromford Canal just beyond High Peak Junction. This is not actually on the High Peak Trail but the trail meets the Cromford Canal at High Peak Junction, very near to the Pump House.