Dancin on Ice

Sis is a long time fan of both Torvill & Dean and Dancing on Ice (hasn't missed an episode) so couldn't miss the chance to catch T & Ds 'final' D on I live at the Newcastle MetroRadioArena.

It was a sell-out and well lived up to expectations. Celebrity skaters included Olympic gymnast Beth Tweddle, West End theatre star Bonnie Langford, actress Suzanne Shaw, singer Gareth Gates, actor Ray Quinn, former England Rugby Captain Kyran Bracken, Coronation Street’s Hayley Tamaddon and comedian Joe Pasquale (not my favourite but he was v funny!).

The first half was competative with TV judges Robin Cousins, former professional skaters Karen Barber and Nicky Slater. The second half was show dancing of the highest quality culminating in, you guessed it, Torvill and Dean reprising Bolero.

Before Action - remembering the Dymock Poets

A concert was held at St Mary's Church Dymock, 

 home of the Dymock Poets exhibition,

to mark their centenary of the months leading up to the outbreak of the First World War. An amazing performance played to a packed audience. 

Bob May's magic was woven through the performances, Alice Earll made her violin sing in an impressive solo and the local choir echoed throughout the church.

Part one 'Under an English Heaven' featured poems from the six poets - Lascelles Abercrombie, Wilfred Gibson, John Drinkwater, Rupert Brooke, Robert Frost and Edward Thomas - accompanied by the choir. Rounded off by a trilogy violin solo.

Part two 'The Armed Man: A Mass for Peace, by Welsh composer Karl Jenkins. A piece in seven parts, each part preceded by a short reading from a 'war poet' ably presented by Peter Thorpe.

A very memorable and thoughtful evening.

Spring is Sprung finale - Gloucester's Golden Triangle

'Tis the time of daffodil weekends in the golden triangle in Gloucestershire. It's amazing to think this time last year there was a frost on the ground and most of the daffs were tight in bud. This year at Dymock, Kempsley and Oxenhalls they are blooming in profusion:

Nature was certainly in a mood to show off with butterflies, red kites and spring lambs:

Oh to be in England now that the spring is here :)

Spring is Sprung II

Seems one day each weekend we are blessed with a fine spring day. Enticed by more spring colour we headed off to Batsford Arboretum near Moreton in the Marsh in the picturesque Cotswold.

From buds about to burst

to spring blooms

to trees that have stood the test of time

Batsford really does have them all

 surrounding an impresive des res and picturesque village church.

Certainly a bridge over recent troubled waters ;)

 

Spring is Sprung (well almost :)

Well at least the snowdrops appear to have thrived on the excess of rain we have had latetly giving Mr Elwes one of his best ever shows @ Colesbourne - home of the national snowdrop collection and almost on our doorstep.

Whilst some of the trees had suffered  

                   

 and the mill stream was if full flow

Colesbourne simply exudes calm and tranquillity - even on a busy day.

Delicately interwoven are dashes of colour provided by hellebores, miniature daffodiles, cyclamen, aconites and snowflake.

Yes, I know, there will be a few chilly blasts before the 'grass is ris' but its great to see the colour slowly returning - even in our own garden.

So fingers crossed n keep smiling.

Valentines in the Vale

Adverse weather was not allowed to get in the way of our annual valentines away weekend. Well up a hill and safe from flooding we rented one of a small cluster of farm cottages at Downton near Ludlow on the Herefordshire/Shropshire border.

For a small market town Ludlow boasts some amazing architecture. Nearby arguable the best little tea shop in the country – Rocke Cottage Tearooms. 

In similar vain is Stokesay church and castle  

and this special plaque to the achievement of the church bell ringers




Above the area towers Clee Hill with its amazing views and equally amazing quarry remains scattered around the hill side.

There is no higher ground to the east until the Ural Mountains in Russia.

We also passed through the village of Cleobury Mortimer  where St Marys church spire bares a close resemblance to the twisted spire of Chesterfield.

All in all a cosy and not too damp valentines.

Water Water Everywhere

Village streams have turned into rivers and rivers into raging torrents. In many places there are miles upon miles of lakes where fields used to be, evoking memories of 2007 in the Gloucester/Tewkesbury area.

Amongst the sad spectacles have been Cameron procrastinating and portly pernicious Pickles pouring scorn on the very workers getting their feet wet on a daily basis helping those in need – which has rightly back-fired.

Having cut a swathe through public services those very public service workers still turn out willingly to help the effort, be they fire brigade, police, NHS workers, environmental health, social and housing workers!