Jenny Wren Crafts - Blog

15th June 2021

6/15/2021

Worked all day yesterday so nothing to report. Weather was cloudy anyway.

Today was lovely and sunny and I had pre-booked tickets for Hardwick Hall which is literally just up the road. I have been before but wanted to return as I love it and the history fascinates me. Bess of Hardwick was married four times, each marriage more fortuitous than the last. She amassed great land and wealth and was the richest woman in England after Queen Elizabeth I. Her son William Cavendish became Duke of Devonshire (Chatsworth House and Bolton Abbey) and her last husband, George Talbot, Earl of Shrewsbury, was jailor to Mary Queen of Scots for 15 years.

If you want to find out more about her history Bess of Hardwick by Mary S Lovell is a good read and she also features in Mary Queen of Scots by John Guy.

The house has beautiful paintings and tapestries, including the famous Gideon Tapestries which have hung there since Bess acquired them in 1592. The one in the photograph has only just been re-hung following conservation work.

Excuse all the photographs of the staircase but I have never seen one quite like it inside a house. It must be 12 foot wide, made of stone and curves round at the top.

13th June 2021

6/13/2021

Today I visited the Workhouse at Southwell. No. I haven't fallen on hard times, it now belongs the the National Trust and I like visiting places with a difference. It was really interesting and not like the ones described by Dickens. They did separate families though and able bodied people had to work but they were well fed and they were governed by local trustees. The building was in use till the 70s as a place where families made homeless could stay while they were awaiting rehousing. Then it remained empty till the Trust took it over in 1997 and returned to how it was when it was built in the 1830s.

12th June 2021

6/12/2021

First day of my long awaited trip to Northumberland. This trip was planned and booked in February 2020 but because of lock down was moved to this year. Four weeks and seven destinations. First stop Teversal Camping and Caravanning Club site Nr Nottingham.

Didn't get off to a good start as the last time I used the van I managed to break the electric socket on the back of the car so had to go and get a new one from the caravan dealers. Luckily Mark was with me as they are spending the weekend at Studley and he very kindly fitted the new one for me. Not an easy task.

The journey on the M42 and M1 was no problem but I was a couple of hours later than intended. Weather lovely and sunny but the site is not to my taste. No character, just lots of vans as close together as possible. Will have a better look around the area tomorrow.

5th June 2021

6/5/2021

Breakfast outside and then a trip to Cheddar with Mark, Michelle, Anais and Roman this time. Weather warm and sunny.

Back for lunch and then tidied the 'van ready to leave tomorrow. Two swans with 5 cygnets were paddling along the drainage channel at the back of Mark's 'van so that's my wildlife spotted for day 5 of #30DaysWild.

4th June 2021

6/4/2021

Breakfast outside again. Lovely and and peaceful except for the sound of someone strimming the grass and the smell of 2 stroke.

Went into Weston for a walk round. Busy. Got a free calendar and diary from the Works, a book from a charity shop and a plaque for the door of the downstairs loo.

Went on to Sand Bay. Much quieter. Had a picnic and then went for a walk. Lots of lovely wild flowers so that's day 4 of #30DaysWild.

Back for tea and then a walk round the farm to see the calves and the donkeys, who are now out in the field with the sheep, and to the new fishing lake.

3rd June 2021

6/3/2021

Went to visit 2 smallholders today for one of my work projects. The first one was Emborough Farm just north of Shepton Mallet. They keep highland cattle, sheep and alpacas as well as assorted chickens, ducks and geese. They produce their own yarn which is a mix of sheep and alpaca so I couldn't resist buying some. It is all hand dyed using natural ingredients such as rose petals (which produces a soft lime green), onion skins (which gives a pale mustard), rowan berries (which gives a peachy brown and oak leaves (which gives a light brown. I bought a selection of toning colours.

The second smallholding was River House nr Bath. This smallholding is used quite differently, focussing mainly on offering accommodation and rural skills training. They do keep pigs, ducks and 2 shetland ponies. Set beside the river it was very peaceful.

On the way there and back I had to go through Cheddar. Although I have been to Cheddar many times I don't remember travelling right the way through the gorge. Well worth doing. Stopped to take a few photos but difficult to capture the sheer height of the rock faces. I think Cheddar Gorge and all the beautiful countryside I have been through today counts as day 3 of #30DaysWild.

Had a conference call on Teams at 3.00pm with Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. Didn't quite manage to get back in time so had to pull into a layby. It worked OK though.

Went to see the donkeys and the calves after tea. Beautiful sunset.

2nd June 2021

6/2/2021

Left Cheltenham this morning in lovely sunshine. Had a good journey down to Highbridge and arrived at Westhill Farm Park just after 12.30. Just managed to unhitch and it started to rain quite heavily. Had to take shelter in the van for a bit and then it eased off and I finished setting up. My pitch this time is by the river.

Went for a walk round Burham after lunch when the weather had cleared up and then went to see the animals after tea. The donkeys were in the barn and so were lots of very sweet little calves.

Goldfinch spotted on our evening walk. Day 2 of #30DaysWild.

1st June 2021

6/1/2021

Lovely morning here at Cheltenham Racecourse so I was able to eat breakfast outside. My first day of #30DaysWild.

After breakfast we went to Gloucester docks. I had read somewhere about a light ship that had been renovated and was moored at Gloucester so I was hoping to find it. We did find it, it's huge. It's called the Sula and you can actually stay on it if you wish as there are 2 guest cabins.

Came back for lunch and chilled for the afternoon. Went for a walk round after tea.

31st May 2021

5/31/2021

Last day of May and finally some sunshine! Here at Cheltenham racecourse it has been a lovely day. No, I'm not here for the racing, I'm here with the caravan. Have joined Mark, Michelle, Anais and Roman till Wednesday when we go down to the farm in Somerset. I have an excellent pitch overlooking the whole of the course and with great views of the countryside beyond.

If you're confused over the colour of my car it's not very dirty I have changed it. The white one that I had (64 plate) didn't meet the requirements for the low emission zones or 'clean air zones' which are popping up all over the place so I needed to get a newer one. Diesels have to be from Sept 2015 to meet the Euro 6 standards so the one I have bought is 2016. It is exactly the same as the old one which makes life easy. Not madly keen on black though.

Throughout June I shall be attempting to 'do something wild' every day. It is an initiative of the Wildlife Trusts 30 Days Wild 2021 - Sign up for your pack | The Wildlife Trusts. There are loads of things you can do. Tomorrow I plan to have breakfast outdoors.

24th May 2021

5/24/2021

No posts recently as nothing worth mentioning. Weather has been cold and wet. Had my second Covid jab at the Blackcountry museum, changed energy supplier as you have to do every year!!!, got my teeth checked and need an extraction and a filling. Oh joy. On a positive note I am changing my car to a newer version of the same so that it meets the requirements for the low emission zones and, most exiting, I have booked several theatre trips, some with my sister Scarlett. Malvern has some really good stuff on over the next month or so but I will be on holiday. Have booked Oleanna, The Simon and Garfunkel Story, Looking Good Dead and Dial M for Murder all at Malvern and A Comedy of Errors outdoors at Stratford. Fingers crossed for the weather. The last time I booked something outdoors it rained all night.

On Sunday I saw an advert for an antiques fair at Himley Hall so I thought (as it wasn't raining) that I would go and take a look. There were quite a lot of stalls and a great variety of stuff. I bought a commemorative mug for the coronation of Edward VIII, (the one that got away) an art deco glass statue and a Clarice Cliff cup. I now have a full set of commemorative mugs for all of the 20th century monarchs from Edward VII in 1902 to our present queen in 1953. Two of the mugs belonged to my grandma but the others I have bought.

When I had finished looking round I thought it might be nice to go for a walk round the grounds as I have never been. I was really quite surprised, it was not what I was expecting.

Author

I am Jenny (when I was little my dad always called me Jenny Wren) and I enjoy making hand crafted things. Watch this space to see what I am working on.
I have two sons - Mark, married to Michelle with children Anais 18 and Roman 13, and Richard - married to Debbie with children Brendyn 14 and Olivia 11.

Archives

March 2021
February 2021
January 2021
December 2020
November 2020
October 2020
September 2020
August 2020
July 2020
June 2020
May 2020
April 2020
March 2020
February 2020
January 2020
December 2019
November 2019
October 2019
September 2019
August 2019
July 2019
June 2019
May 2019
April 2019
March 2019
November 2018
October 2018
July 2018
May 2016
April 2016
January 2014
December 2013
April 2013
March 2013

Categories