Who killed Danny?

is what everyone is asking each other. Monday night is the last episode and everyone (even Ant and Dec) has a theory. I can not wait for Broadchurch to reveal.

Sleeping Beauty

I am sitting here wanting to write and my mind is blank- like the thick grey, cottonwool-like clouds outside my window.

I read Fiona Malkin's blog regularly and I feel my blog is lacking by comparison. I use my blog as a kind of garden diary though not a daily record; I know I use my blog as a kind of travel guide for visitors to our northern kingdom: or to encourage folk to visit these realms; however Fiona's way with words makes me realise my creative writing skills are disappearing down the plug hole. But I am kind of embarrassed by waxing lyrical and using fancy vocabulary or rhetoric; also I do not like giving too much information away on the internet- after what has happened to me in my life I trust no one. Sad though that be, I really don't trust anyone, no matter how close they appear to be in times of your life, and how much you do for them- to stick with you through all times/thick and thin. You just have to take folk on face value at a specific time knowing they may turn on you for no reason you understand. Relationships turn sour. That's life, I have discovered and such departures do not seem to bother the people who turn away and who are hard and never look back so I suggest you get over it and do not fash. Only people with a conscience and emotional development are bothered by the fractures. No matter what efforts you may make, people do not recognise them and you risk losing the relationships with others who think you are even daft for trying! My advice is  to just go with the flow and you will find you have lots of friends you didn't realise valued you so much.

I have also just realised fash (or is it fesh?) is a word I use frequently and do not know how to spell!

I guess the long time it takes to learn life's lessons remind me that I went to see Matthew Bourne's 'Sleeping Beauty' at the Theatre Royal the other night. I still think inspite of its many and expensive revamps, the Theatre Royal is an awful theatre for viewing. In the most recent overhaul, the powers that be STILL did not stagger the seats so clients are left sitting exactly behind the person in front; if, like me, you are a typical northerner (small and squat) then you just can not see the stage. D3 and I asked for booster cushions- D3 talked to the woman behind and reluctantly said she would not have her cushion- thus was forced to move around all night to see past the person in front- and through brass bars put on the front bottom of the stairs. Even on my booster I could not see a quarter of the stage.

HOWEVER the ballet, which is not a ballet in my book, but a modern dance/theatre experience- was fantastic. Gothic and a fairy story embroidered beyond the original childhood story we all know.... Aurora was so tiny, a beautiful dancer of the ballerina ilk, and tossed around like flotsam in a storm; Caradoc was handsome, sinister and a great dancer as were the fairies, especially Count Lilac, but it was the baby who stole the show! The settings eg travellators, moon, silhouettes etc employed, show Matthew Bourne definitely thinks outside the box.

The spring flowers are daring to show their faces but at a cost. This morning I picked up a tulip from the path, whipped into snapping by the tumultuous winds which, for the last 24 hours, have lashed at the windows to be in.

Yesterday we walked almost 7 miles around Devil's Water and circling Hollybush nursery, sawmill and tearoom; we were all delighted by the bobbing daffodils, early blossom and flush of green on the hedges. Dare we think we might see Spring?

Woodhorn

If you have heard of 'Pitmen Painters' which is a brilliant play about miners from Ashington early in the twentieth century painting then you may know about Woodhorn Colliery; it is now a museum where, among other things, you can see their paintings.

We paid £2? to park the car, had soup accompanied by live folk music in 'The Cutter' then went to an exhibition which is on till June. If I could be bothered to trundle downstairs I could be more accurate on the date.

Dressing the Stars holds a special collection of outfits from various couturiers and wardrobe designers for films.

It didn't need Johnny Depp to illustrate how good the Captain Jack Swallow costume was.

I may not think Keira Knightley is a good actress but I thought she was a walking coat hanger in 'The Duchess' as Georgiana.

I did think Emma Thompson was great in most films she performed in.

and Colin Firth/Helena Bonham Carter in 'The King's Speech' is, I think, the only film I have been to see twice.

Someone must have worked like a Trojan to make Brad's suit of armour

and Orlando Bloom had two costumes there

Needless to say Sir Laurence Olivier's Henry Vth was at the forefront of such a demonstration of British skills

Elizabethan England via 'Shakespeare in Love' and 'Elizabeth' graced the rear of the display

and I thought I was  fantastic making an Easter bonnet.....

Will he grow out of it?

H1 has declared he might camp out in the garage..... only golf has disrupted the hourly viewing and reporting on the PVC monitor; oh! and bridge.... even Newcastle United was abandoned temporarily.

Seriously though- H1 is delighted with our electricity made over the daylight hours which we have used so as not to draw power from the National Grid.

Overnight I read 'Thursdays in the Park' by Hilary Boyd -recognise life for over 60's couples anyone?

The potatoes have not chitted well in the garage but they are planted out regardless.

Blue skies have painted April sunnier but not warmer so while 'Bridal Crown' has bloomed in the porch

the rest of the daffodils in the garden are still not yet out.

Nevertheless Easter is now behind us. I am about to pick my Easter bonnet to bits.




Bonnets and egg jarping

  There were more bonnets this year

and fewer pace eggs.



A Welsh dragon beating English St George!!



We have spent the week eating egg and tomato sandwiches

and hot cross buns (homemade of course).

When you got to go you got to go...... H1 is waiting to watch 'Broadchurch'- I have been out with the Ladies today for a catch up- and tonight for a pizza with another friend- replete I shall probably fall asleep before we get to the clue of who dunnit.

However you will be proud of me! In what little spare time I have I am really trying to relax and be less busy..... so I am going back to what seems to be resurrecting in popularity perhaps caused by the recession..... knitting.

and you really do see ducks!

I have curried parsnip soup bubbling on the stove so I'd better rescue it...... On Sunday I went off to the Fulham match and when I came home I discovered a BLACK pan on the hob- I had forgotten to switch off the new recipe parsley soup- much brillo pad scrubbing followed!