Cheeky Chickens

Dot makes herself at home

My other half had left the kitchen door open, the idea being to lure our ex-next-door-neighbours cat inside, so we could put her in a pet box, phone her new home (a mile down the road) so they could come and fetch her again.

I heard noises of cat food being eaten, but it did not sound like a cat doing the eating.  I got up to look, beckoning to John to come see as it was far too good to miss.  This is what we saw.

Dot,

Dot, with Madge joining in

I want what she's got..

Sweet Swadlincote

For the first time in I don't know how long, I had an idea for a story.  I love the alternative realities created by Paul Magrs and Jasper Ffordde so it is very derivative.  Plus I have been reading "Les Miserables" this summer so there is bound to be some Victor Hugo in there and plenty of other stuff too as I'm an avid reader.  I spent a good couple of hours writing what may be loosely termed a chapter, outlining characters, situations and further characters.  Like Magrs and Ffordde I'll use real places, but the people and events will be completely fictional.  We'll see if it takes off or fizzles out.  Either way it will be a good exercise.



http://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=2098513642460163234#overview/src=dashboard

A mini Menai meander

Across the river from Caernarfon Castle there is a lovely walk that overlooks the Menai Straits and Anglesey.  I had not been there before.  Mum had told me about it, so we went on Sunday.

It was a lovely, late August day.  Sunny, breezy, warm in the sunshine and with the wind at your back, puffy clouds scudding across the blue sky and a hint of the rain that had been and the rains to come in the air.

We parked near Doc Fictoria/Victoria Docks, a short walk from the castle.

After negotiating our way past the noisy preparations for a rock concert up against the castle walls, we crossed the bridge, then up to Parc Helen/Helen Park.  A modest little park with an excellent children's play area, picnic benches, a bowling green and a putting green enhanced by an amazing view of the Straits.

We trotted down the hill and onto the road where we saw the obligatory burger van and walked along, away from the town.  Mum was tired so I left her for a short while on the bench whilst I continued along the sea wall until it came to an end.

White incisor sails in the distance enhanced the blue view.  I was passed by cyclists and met other walkers.  At the end of the sea wall was a camp site, just up from Ffordd yr Aber.

I walked back to mum and we continued, via Parc Helen to Caernarfon where we had an ice cream while walking back to the car. Naturally we had a flake each and strawberry sauce.

I had enjoyed my walk and it would be great to explore further by bike as this little bit of North Wales is flat, so nice and easy!

Caernarfon is well worth a visit if you have never been, and even if you have there is more to see.  The castle is impressive and worth the trip alone.  The Docks are very pretty and include waterside restaurants, an art gallery, hotel and the Celtica arts and crafts centre.

http://www.caernarfon.com/

http://celtica-wales.com/

http://www.docfictoria.co.uk/

https://maps.google.co.uk/maps?hl=en&q=menai+straits&ie=UTF-8&hq=&hnear=0x4865a91fe790cc2d:0x2a0d8b2421d62d10,Swellies&gl=uk&ei=CKM_UMSmH-LU0QW2gIGoAg&ved=0CJEBELYD

Pottering around Porthmadog

View from the Cob, Portmadog

One of the largest towns in North West Wales is Porthmadog.  If you have ever been to Pwllelli or Criccieth you would have been through it, and most likely stuck on the Cob or in the main street in the height of summer as it gets busy.

Traffic has been eased considerably by the recently completed by-pass; a massive engineering project, like all road building in North Wales due to the granite hills.

Port has a lovely picturesque harbour and a sailing club.  When I visited, the Regatta was underway and included large sea canoes, cakes and tea plus a few stalls.

There is no shortage of eating places in Port.  Cafe's, delicatessens, fish and chips, pub grub, two Indian restaurants and the Bistro is alive and well in North Wales.  Yr Hen Fecws (The old Bakehouse) is a restaurant with rooms and you will need to book as they serve delicious dinners and lunches.

 Tafarn Pencai, on the harbour, is great for sit down fish and chips and other pub favourites.  The cafe in Portmadog's mini department store, Kerfoots, is always busy as it is popular with locals as well as visitors.


 

It's a great place for gift shopping and the little book shop is a gem.  On a practical level, you can get electrical goods repaired and buy camping gear and hardware.  There's a good fabric and haberdasher's too, along the same road as the Rob Piercy gallery.  Art lovers can purchase original artwork from Rob Piercy's gallery, plus there are more affordable offerings by gifted amateurs in the little Oriel (gallery) in main street.

Cob records has been going as long as I can remember and is well worth a rummage.  On Saturdays now there is a farmers market in the Canolfan Hamdden Glaslyn (Glaslyn leisure centre) where I bought some delicious bread and cheese and was tempted by a large array of smoked goods, cakes, sausages and other wonderful goodies.  A wonderful place to pick up a picnic.

Port is a seaside town surrounded by mountains and it is beautiful.  The Cob causeway overlooks the Glaslyn valley, full when I went after so much rain, it had been a wet summer in Gwynedd.

http://www.porthmadog.co.uk/html/shopping.html

http://www.tripadvisor.co.uk/Restaurants-g616282-Porthmadog_Gwynedd_North_Wales_Wales.html

Postcard from Penrhyndeudreath

 https://maps.google.co.uk/maps?hl=en&q=penrhyndeudreath  

 Last Thursday, the 23rd, I set off for Gwynedd, North Wales to stay with my mum for a few days.  Typically it rained!  But not all the time and I managed a lovely walk along some of the Glaslyn Valley, behind Penrhydeudreath's hill, Clogwn.

I have walked here since child hood visits with my Nain (North Welsh for Grandmother).  It is a beautiful peaceful place, often empty of walkers even in summer.

                                                                                                      I will see the sheep dog, grazing cows and sheep as I walk along "Never Never Land" as my aunt called it as a young girl.

It has a timeless quality this rich grazing land.  I walked along the rough road by rocky oak covered outcrops, then across the field and up along and over Clogwyn, coming back to the village in warm sunshine.

Crafter's Goodies Galore

            John Mills curtain and blind shop at the end of Main Street is good.  I've got two blinds from there, made to measure as the bedroom and living room windows are wide.  They were easy to fix in place too and are still working fine however many years it is now since I put them up.

            As well as blinds you can buy made to measure and off the peg curtains and some lovely bedding, plus curtain rails, ties, net curtains, voile, and all the accoutrements needed to make your own curtains, as I have done using Welsh and Scottish tweed brought back from holiday.

           My hobby is patchwork and quilting and there is a section, at the back of the shop by the large fabric cutting table, which is a crafter's delight.  Piles and piles of deliciously gorgeous fabric.  I am still working my way through the last haul.  

          The friendly, chatty staff enjoy watching the faces of their rummaging customers as they find their bargains, and there are bargains to be had.  

Swadlincote Market

One of the regular fruit and veg stalls

              Three days a week, Tuesday, Friday and Saturday, is Market Day in Swadlincote.  Ten years ago, when I first moved here, the market was located in the draughty, cold market hall and a few stalls huddled in the Market Square looking lost.  Over a period of three years or so seemed to be dying.  An attempt to have a monthly Farmers Market in the courtyard of Sharpe's Pottery Museum was short lived, a shame as the food was glorious.
             However, in 2010 the Market Square started its revamp to become what is now The Delph.  The covered market had been shut for some time at this stage, collecting windblown litter.  The market stalls therefore moved onto the High Street.
             A wonderful side effect of this move mean that the Market gradually revived.  The stalls and shops all benefit from being closer together, making them both seem cosier and more welcoming to shoppers.  The market expanded.
            The veg stalls and meat van, who'd come in the lean years are now accompanied by a sausage and cheese stall,  crafts, home made cakes, carpets, jewellery, clothing., pies and everything your dog or garden birds could want..  The market is thriving and a pleasure to walk through and browse.  Prices are reasonable, a massive slab of mature cheddar for a fiver?   Ribbon and wool, delicious cakes and pies, fresh sweet smelling fruit and tasty veg, massive baking potatoes, four for a pound, come Christmas, get your wreath from the flower stall.
            There are many other stalls, and some only come on a particular day, The Pie Man visits on alternate Fridays for example.


http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/derbyshire/8685208.stm

Yummy cakes

The Dolphin, Derby

Ye Olde Dolphin Inn, 5A Queen Street, Little Chester, Derby DE1 3DL, 01332 267711

              Admittedly, Derby is not Swadlincote, but you can get to the City easily enough by bus, catch the train from Burton on Trent or, alternatively, it's a thirty minute drive. The Cathedral Quater is one of Derby's Gems, with restaurants and exquisite little boutiques.
             The Dolphin is in  the Cathedral Quater and is a proper pub.  No music, nice and quiet so we and the other clientèle could chat, or sit and  the crossword.  It is peaceful, a lovely calm and warm atmosphere. The staff are friendly and welcoming.  Four rooms of different character can be found within.  Quarry tiles make an ideal flooring for muddy boots, but the other three rooms are carpeted.  Lovely wonky ceilings with black beams add to its charms.
              Food is available. you can get a mixed grill for £4.99 and there is a modest specials board on the bar.  When we arrived and sat, a satisfied customer was finishing his meal which, judging by the contented silence, was delicious.  A wide variety of ales are available too, served at the correct temperature and full of flavour.
              Outside, there are sheltered smoking areas and a tiny stage, a grand opportunity for local artists to share their music on a Saturday night.  Ghost tours can also be experienced and meals are included as part of the charge, see posters within.


http://www.geolocation.ws/v/W/File:The%20Dolphin%20Inn,%20Derby%20-%20geograph.org.uk%20-%201711029.jpg/-/en

http://www.beerintheevening.com/pubs/s/78/7821/Ye_Olde_Dolphin_Inn/Derby

Swadlincote Library

                         Along Civic Way, sharing this illustrious thoroughfare with Green Bank sports centre, the South Derbyshire County Council Office, Police and Fire Stations is the Swadlincote Library.
                         Like many locals, I am a frequent visitor.   For a small library it has a varied collection of novels, biography, children's books, travel, gardening, DIY and other hobbies.  There is seating and tables for those who want or need a quiet place to catch up with magazines and papers.   You can also, at no cost to members, use the computers, though the printing fee is high should you ever need to take advantage of it.
                         The staff are friendly and helpful and the atmosphere welcoming and inclusive.  If all you need to do is check books in and out, you can use the machines.
                         For a very reasonable fee you can take out audio books and DVD's.  We once borrowed "Going Postal" on CD for a trip to Scotland.  The long drive was made bearable and enjoyable listening to a good story.
                        The library updates its stock on a regular basis.  Sadly, due to limited space, they have to get rid of a lot of books and DVD's each year in order to make room for new material.  However, you can pick a some bargains if you have the time for a good rummage.
                       A small, locked section of the library is viewed by appointment only. (Ask at the counter, the staff are friendly) I have not been within its hallowed walls (yet).  It contains archival material.  Somewhere for historians to gather information and stories.
                       You can also find local bus timetables and information about events in Swadlincote, Burton and surrounding villages.  The library often hosts events, which you can learn about from their prominent posters on site.

In the Garden

Aspen

           The front is at last tidy.  I got up early and was all ready to mow, but got a telling of from Himself as it was not yet nine O'Clock.  I should do some weeding or clipping instead, something quiet.  Sulky faced, I did.  Clippers out, I started with the hedge at the front which has shot up this year.  I planted the mixed hedge of hazel, beech, holly, lavender, Rosa Ragosa, non-fruiting currant and Forsythia about five years ago.  It did well the fist two, but with the dry spring of the last two years grew little.  This summer and spring it has flourished along with all the other trees and shrubs.

Hazel

Jasmine

          Once I'd clipped the hedge and put the clippings in the brown bin it was time to have a go at the flower beds.  They have grown so much I simply clipped them in the same way as the hedge.  Himself was up by this time and took over at the front, doing the mowing and strimming at the front.  I moved to the back and continued to clip.  The holly needed a good trim as did the forsythia, roses, nettle patch, and hazel shrubbery, now more of a hedge and chicken shelter, dust bathing spot and pathway.  Prior to trimming the hazel, I tied the Jasmine to the Aspen trunk, breathing  in the beautiful scent from the little white flowers.

Forsythia

       The rose arch did not escape.  Its growth has been phenomenal this year, the honeysuckle, which has done so little, has shot up and reaches the top of the arch.  I cut the roses severely, they were standing up from the top of the arch by more than a metre, a few of the stalks had fallen and broken.  I left a stubble.  Now, light can reach the other plants like the honeysuckle so it can continue to grow, and the cheeky Ivy that has wound its way up one of the supports.
        The front, all dressed, mown and strimmed looks lovely.  The back is strimmed but needs mowing still.  My job methinks on the next dry day.

Swadlincote's Secret Garden

         I cycled into town today to go to the library as well as a few other errands and a general mooch.  I had passed, but not looked at with any care a lovely little garden on Main Street, to the left of the Wesleyan Chapel just off the Delph.

       The sign said welcome, so in I went.  This triangle used to be a patch of scrubby wasteland and it has been transformed into a little Eden.  Quiet, due to where it is situated, there is a bench one can sit on to relax, picnic, read or simply enjoy your surroundings

      From the gate and bench a looping gravelled path takes you round the little garden.  There is a bird table and bird feeding station.  The summer bedding plants are out now; pinks, oranges, purples and greenery.  Youthful perennial shrubs huddle low at the moment but will thrive, grow and fill the wood chipped flower beds in time.  I saw a buddlea and several hydrangea's.

          There are sweet peas in flower now and various plants that my plant knowledge is too limited to recognise, but experts will take pleasure in recognising.

        Long may this remain a beautiful, peaceful Lilliputian Oasis.  Bravo and thank you to the individuals and teams who created it.

The Chesterfield Arms, Bretby

We've just come back from a rather nice tea at The Chesterfield Arms, Bretby, Nr Burton on Trent, part of the Fayre and Square franchise or chain.

The menu is standard pub fare; burgers, fish and chips, steak and chips, lasagne and a token gesture to healthy eaters.  I enjoyed "Chicken New Yorker", basically chicken, chips and peas, with bacon BBQ sauce and mozzarella on the chicken and my other half made short work of his steak and chips with peas.

The food was good plain pub fare, well cooked and presented.  The tables were clean and the staff good at keeping them that way.  Trade was steady and there was a lovely relaxed atmosphere.


Ashby Road, Bretby, Burton on Trent, Staffordshire, DE15 0QA

Cycling in the Sunshine

Yesterday I went for a cycle to Bretby, a village near me for a mooch around the garden centre.  The first part of the ride is always a bit of a killer as it is up hill and I still need to warm up fully.  I can actually cycle all the way up it now.   However, eight months ago, when I started cycling after a gap of nearly ten years, I had to walk up hill, and a short trip round the block just about killed me!  Heaving breath and shaky legs and two days recovery time needed.  Now, on a god day, I can get up the hill in 6th gear.

I turn left onto the busy main road before taking a right into the country lanes that take me to the garden centre.  Most of the way is down hill now and I have that wonderful sensation of flying, breathing in the fresh air and admiring the lush green grass and foliage.

I arrive at the garden centre mid morning and have a good look at the shrubs and gifts.  Half a dozen pyrocantha varieties, lavenders, perennial bedding plants and alpines.  I like to buy plants when they are on sale, perennials past their best this year, plant them now in August whilst the soil is still warm, and wait patiently for the pay off next spring or summer.  Chinese poppies are great to do this with, very hardy and huge blowsy red blooms, well worth the wait.

I go home by a longer route, heading towards Hartshorne, flying down hill most of the way.  Past farmlands  and woods, then climbing, then crawling up a long hill to the Midway cross roads.  I am pleased to get closer to the top than on previous attempts, just 50m shy of the top, staggering on wobbly legs, breath heaving.  I cross over to the correct side of the road and cycle home.

http://www.plantersatbretby.com/

Wakey Wakey

Fluffy is comfy

I am woke up at three am by Fluffy, who wants to go out.  He tells me this by washing noisily, as he knows this is irritating and will wake me up.   At the top of the stairs, he stops so I can fuss the top of his head, then we descend.  First, he has a snack in the kitchen, then strolls to the front door and I'll let him out.  Sometimes, Poppy, our other cat, will come in as he goes out.  A "Cat Swap".

My next wake up is heralded by the chickens who squawk at the tops of their voices.  I ignore it for a while, then for the sake of my neighbours, get up, head out to the garden and let them out.  At the moment their dulcet tones call to me at five am. In the winter the chicken alarm clock wakes me at seven thirty.  They break their fast with layers pellets that I scatter on the lawn and peck away happily.

Poppy product testing a quilt

If Poppy was still out, she'll come in for breakfast, and maybe Fluffy will come in too.  They want breakfast. As it is light at this time of year, I am awake anyway, so a large mug of tea is in order and time to read or an hour or so before it is time to be busy.

Chicken Bedtime

Generally, chickens will put themselves to bed as the sun starts to lower towards the horizon and light levels drop.  However, sometimes, they need to be put away earlier.  When we come back from an evening out we want to know the girls will be safe and sound and not chicken dinner for a fox.

Getting them into their run when they do not want to go  takes some cunning.  Chasing them there is not an option, as they will simply split up and circle round you.  Being small and quick, they know that hiding under bushes makes them difficult to catch.

Bribery used to work, when they were young and easy to trick, but chickens learn, and they remember and Madge and Dot are great autodidacts.  Dot would go into the run and peck away and Madge would wait a few feet distant.  As I went  to chase Madge in, Dot would stroll out, cool as cucumber. For a while, shooing them along with an open umbrella worked too.

Mostly, putting them to bed early was a two person job but now we have a new tactic that, fingers crossed, still works after two months or more. An old curtain pole, being hollow, can make a satisfying thwack when banged on wood or a more ringing sound when banged on concrete.  It can be held out, at chicken height, to shoo them towards home.  They do not like the noise and even though they could easily dodge the curtain pole as it shoos them along, they do not.

Once in, they are rewarded with a handful of meal worms and competitive eating ensues.

A Day out in Long Whatton

Long Whatton House and Garden is well worth a visit.  Lovers of Calke Abbey and other National Trust properties will find much merit here.

On arrival, you pay a modest £3.50 into an honesty box.  Toilets, for those who need them, are near the entrance.  There is a tea room too, sadly closed when we visited, but open on Sundays and each bank holiday.

Colours greet you as you walk along paths by her Ladyships flower beds, a classic cottage garden on a large scale.  The garden boasts a rockery, ponds, sculptures and benches in rain proof arbours.  Another highlight is the Chinese garden, with Terracotta Warrior replicas.

Luscious green lawns flow under oaks, shrubs and magnificent cedars.  The gardens are kept by one gardener and the Lord and Lady of the manor, still.  Due to the weather, our visit was peaceful and we had the garden very much to ourselves.  On sunnier days, the gardens are ideal for picnics, families and their dogs are welcome.

http://www.whattonhouseandgardens.co.uk/