Another Landmark Valentine

We have an honourable tradition of visiting the unique Landmark Trust properties and this Valentines was no exception. 

You have to be fit to tackle The Music Room. The ad says its like living in an inside out wedding cake – an apt description of the music room itself. Up to the remarkable, and oft quirky, standards of the Landmark Trust the rest of the building is quite remarkable. Like a scene from ‘Through the Looking Glass’ you climb up a very steep and narrow staircase as the room gets smaller and smaller to a half door that you need a “drink me” shrinking potion to get through - but well worth it for the views from the roof terrace.

Impressive furniture and a working baby grand all to ourselves :)

Lancaster itself is quite historically significant. Lancaster Castle is not like any other castle, in fact it wasn’t built as a castle but as a court and prison. It’s a sad old place whose walls reek of human suffering and despair. Owned by The Duchy of Lancaster (Her Majesty the Queen is the Duke of Lancaster and rakes many millions a year from the Dutchy for very little effort!),

the castle has witnessed scenes of significant historical and political impact throughout the centuries including incidents of religious persecution including the imprisonment of George Fox in an attempt to stamp out Quakers, the trials of the 'Lancashire Pendle Witches' – 10 executed on the say so of a nine year old girl - and 200 executions for everything from murder to stealing cattle. Executions were only stopped because they ran out of unconsecrated ground within the prison whence executions were moved to Strangeways in Manchester. 

It ceased to have a prison population in 2011 but is still a major court house. The original cells, still viewable, were degrading and inhumane in the extreme. The new wing was like an early scene from Porridge.

A walk by the River Lune (Lune Caister) began at this remarkable working viaduct. Also a word for The Whales Tail, up a gunnal (jitty) just passed Oxfam, a great veggie eaterie, great food, great variety and our wifi connection to the outside world.

Finishing with a long pull up the hill to the Ashton Memorial. A QI moment for me as , since childhood, I have passed this site on the M6 many many times and was always led to believe it was a camera obscura but its not, just a highly decorated and somewhat over the top Lancastrian 'Taj Mehal'  

The other reason for coming to this neck of the woods was my long time wish to do the Ingleton Waterfall Trails. Less then twenty minutes drive away, on a beautiful early spring like day, we began the ascent. It is challenging but with well maintained paths, steps and bridges it is doable and worth doing for the views, the sites and the waterfalls. The teas served, in real mugs, at the first hut almost half way up were a welcome delight.

But a greater surprise awaited at the top of the falls, hundreds of feet up in the Dales, views of the imposing Pennines, miles from anywhere and there in front of us was ...

...couldn't resist a 99  :-p

After all that excitement it was back home, feet up n dive into Marion's latest novel 'Those Rosy Hours in Mazanderan", currently ~6 in the Amazon best selling historical novel list :) and available from:

Paperback - http://www.amazon.co.uk/Those-Rosy-Hours-at-Mazandaran/dp/0957627165/ref=tmm_pap_title_0?ie=UTF8&qid=1424202805&sr=1-1

Kindle - http://www.amazon.co.uk/Those-Rosy-Hours-at-Mazandaran-ebook/dp/B00TKW9VYK/ref=tmm_kin_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&sr=1-1&qid=1424202805

Snow n Ice

It was a bright but crisp day so we did a tour of Malards Pike in the Forest - it was frozen over!












But the green shoots are here! It's snowdrop time again at Colesbourne:

 together with a smattering of other colours:

It is amazing the number of varieties of snowdrop there are!

spring is just around the corner :)

So Long Rod

Rod McKuen a prodigious talent. Loved his poetry and his music.

First came across Rod when he did the title song to one of my favourite films - The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie - http://youtu.be/4khTSHUfRwM - then discovered the poetry.

Glad he came by this way.

Strictly Glasgow

The trip north was picturesque - from the window of a heated train!

                                               

Despite dire warnings of disruption the worst seemed to be north of Carlisle. The Lakes and Shap, usually the first to go under, only had a powdering of snow.

Jean's garden was also looking seasonal:

It was the second half of Sis's Chrissie pressie. A big Strictly Come Dancing fan we'd booked seats for the live show in Glasgow. Held at Glasgow Hydro Arena, it's like a giant space ship that just landed on an industrial estate in Glasgow - 

and its just as big inside with layers of seats ascending into the stratosphere!

It was packed to the gunnals, but a dazzle of lighting and special effects:

This shows head judge, Craig R-H was well on form with caustic comments, low scores and an amazing song and dance routine at the end - well talented! Hosted by Zoe Ball. Frankie had to pull out for pregnancy reasons and last seasons winner Caroline, after a show stealing performance in the first half, had to pull out due to injury. But non of this distracted from Simon Webbe with Kristina Rihanoff's Argentine Tango only upstaged by Thom Evans slinging off his shirt and bursting into a rousing chorus of "Flower of Scotland" (having played rugby for Scotland) this was enough to secure him the days win :)

The comedy being provided by Scott Mills with Joanne Clifton reprising the roles of The Adams Family and the Lobster. Craig was moved to comment "Scott, you dance a lot like Judy Murry, the advantage Judy Murry has is she is not here!" (followers of the show will get this :)

Leaving the stadium was an experience in itself. 13,000 people attempting to leave at the same time. The endless queue for taxis back into town was dwarfed by the queue for the underground. Thought we would be engulfed in a stationary crowd for hours but to be fair the queue was well marshalled and kept moving at a reasonable pace. Got back to Central Station with 8 mins to spare to catch the Carlisle train.

Clearwell Christmas

Another first for Sis was a trip to Clearwell Caves and a walk through their magical tunnels and caverns with theirchristmas display - one of Marion's favourites. Created in one of the Forest of Dean's Freeminer mines this annual event is good old fashioned low tech fun for kids of all ages.

We were a bit late for Santa so Sis had to sit in for him:

Christmas Party

Had chrissie in Gloucester with Sis this year, first festive at home for some time.

Part of Sis's pressie was a chrissie doing triptych involving a trip to the Metrop:

Kew had some spectacular light shows (that pics don't really do justice to) including a projection on the main house fronted by a synchronised illuminated fountain show, a live fire show complete with marshmallow toasting pits and illumination of the whole of the rear of the Palm House with a synchronised firestorm show to classical music.

From red hot to ice cold. The amazing Winter Wonderland in Hyde Park and the equally amazing Ice Kingdom.

What are they looking at?

.. those daft beggars up there!!

And to round it off a trip to one of my all time favourite musicals (Jean's first time) - Les Mis did not disappoint!