A local trip

campanula

Although I am a Novocastrian or Geordie ie a Newcastle upon Tyne native ( well actually I am a Geordie Northumbrian! but I'll not get too pedantic!) and know lots about my city, I have never been on the Hop On Hop Off bus till today; £6 for an allround one hour trip- unless you hop off at different tourist attractions; to get back on just make sure you hang on to your ticket to show the drive as you reboard the bus; it was interesting and gave enough information to satisfy (without inundating passengers or boring us).

mock orange with a beautiful perfume

We wound our way round Newcastle and Gateshead, only hopping off for a lunch break on the Quayside; the day's solitary downpour missed us as we were dining in the Pitcher and Piano.

Rose of Sharon- hypericum

If you want to see the Millennium Bridge go up, check out the times on the noticeboard inside the glass buildings above the hydraulic rams on the side of the 'Blinking Eye'.

dianthus

I have finished reading 'Wolf Hall' at last; since I have been unable to do much in the way of work for the last few weeks I have taken a lighter break and read ' Call the Midwife' by Jennifer Worth but now I am ready for my next tome....

Perpetual sweet pea

Now where is Nelson Mandela? On 'A long walk to freedom'..... here goes..... this may take me some time....

The Alnwick Rose

Our Alnwick Rose was bought for us for a Silver wedding present by a friend. I an going to be honest and say it is not my favourite rose because it is so densely petalled (which a lot of expensive David Austin roses are) that the bees cannot get into it.

Japanese anemone and a rose

 

Another Silver wedding rose in the foreground! We went to an old friend's 70th birthday (secret) party at Blaydon Rugby Club recently- we bought A. a rose to plant; the beautiful, fragrant, peachy-orange, tea rose  was called 'Warm Wishes'. I hope she enjoys the rose as much as I enjoyed the party!

Why is it?

Why is it that parents with their children monopolise the whole pavement (often with scooters and bikes & prams) and do not think to tell their children to move over to allow the passage of pedestrians coming the other way? Manners no longer being taught?

Why do cyclists think red traffic lights do not apply to them as they do not stop but weave their way through/alongside stationary vehicles (who are obeying the law) and once at the front of the traffic queue, continue through the red light while the law abiders sit and watch.

Why do cyclists on the pavement no longer have bells to ring to warn pedestrians that they are cycling up silently behind them?! (I have a bell on my handlebars AND I use it.)

Why do some drivers not know the Highway Code? Why do some not realise that if they are turning right at a junction that the Highway Code says they can move forward and go into the yellow box while signalling right. H1 breathes fire at the Haymarket /Claremont Road junction as he sits behind drivers who won't move forward and then only 1 or 2 cars get turned before the lights  change.

Summer has passed

While I have been so busy the sun has been beating down and summer 2013 has finished; it seems to have been like the summers of my childhood;

Junes were hot: walking across the Town Moor to mosey through the Hoppings in hot, dusty Race Week- guaranteed my sister would not come as it used to aggravate her hay fever- and thus it was I used to take her son every year and spare her the agony of streaming eyes and sore nose.

We have always drifted our way across the litter, stubbles of grass, bright lights, screams and smell of chips, hot dogs and candy floss. He and I always ended up for some reason at the freak show- to everyone else's perplexed looks.

July saw chalk marks on the tar to play hopscotch; Montakitty piled us on 'wild horses' against a wall; 'Knocky nine doors' caused temper in the adults along the street; Cannon was my favourite- I could hit that tin in the middle of the street and knock the ten sticks off neatly for easy getting back on; we were even allowed to stay out at dusk on non-school nights to play 'Jackie shine your light'.

We had hulas hoops, roller skates, -my dad made me stilts- and a sledge for winter snow. Outdoor games were many and fun though they often ended up with skinned knees or smashed front teeth! I wonder my parents didn't get fed up of the constant thud of my tennis ball racqueted like a Wimbledon champion on their gable end wall.

We had quiet pastimes too; we sat in porches swopping beads or stickers; jacks skinned your knuckles (but I was good at it); marbles disappeared down drains (sounds like 'Wor Geordie's lost his penker').

August was always balmy and close; we waited for the thunder to roll and the lightning to crack through a yellowed sky.

Tomorrow children are back to school; summer holidays 2013 have passed.

Unfortunately after loads of attempts I cannot upload my photos now so I am giving up.

Experimentation

I am still trying to sort out Windows 8. I find attaching photos vexing as almost as slow as the old hard drive. However maybe tomorrow I will have more time so I shall postpone blogging much more till then.

'A nip and a punch for the first of the month'

Officially I think the BBC said summer is over.... certainly the Equinox is approaching and D3 and I saw piles of leaves this afternoon so autumn is on its way.

Thwarted gardener

I have been told I am an addict.

Moving quietly through a market garden, having been told I am not allowed to pick anything up, I can be heard mumbling.... 'but just think of the legacy we are leaving the world'.

I am advised sternly 'Keep looking down- do not look at the plants on either side' as I sneak sideways glances at perennials in season.

'Mother, do not even try to justify your addiction' as I suggest we are helping out if we rescue plants which are reduced and 'they would get a good home with us'.

'Oh this one will help the world's dwindling number of bees- it is labelled 'Bee friendly' so we are saving the world's food supplies......' 'Ma! Put it back; every plant in your garden is a bee magnet'

'But I could teach the next generation so we have another layer of Monty Dons- and children find such joy adigging, don't they?'  'MUM!'

So I try a different pitch
'This one worked well in my garden so I think it would do well in your northfacing border....'
 'Huh! Don't even try getting me to justify your addiction by advising me what will grow well in my plot!'

but she picked it up!

My garden is filled with memories, friends' gifts, rescue plants and I still want to experiment with more- especially since I am sure I have put all my plants in according to the instructions (especially height) on the card yet they end up too too high for the middle of the border and flopping over the front flowers; scabious ends up carpeting the lawn when it shouldn't. Small poppies grow like giants over paeonies which nestle behind everything. Oh I can't get things right. I wonder if I should haul everything out and start again?

We survived the differences of opinion
 and only put 9 plants each into the car!

No news is good news

I haven't been anywhere interesting of late- unless you count M&S for his Lordship's new trousers for golf? I have had the gang here and lots of folk are coming and going; I have chocolates, friends, fudge, flowers and especially gladioli! I am doing no gardening so it looks like an overgrown, rather colourless jungle dotted with blown roses out there. I am relaxing! I am back on track and have resumed 'Wolf Hall' as I had lost the will to focus- and was reading magazines- but Cromwell and I are dealing with Henry and Anne again.
Outside a heavy grey patchwork of clouds hoods the sky; showers alternate with slashes of sunrays. High pressure is moving our way so come Monday sunshine is due to replace Sunday's rain.

Murder Mystery

Even if I am unable to do much at present I must tell you about a new venture which looks really exciting-   Wickedly Entertaining Murder Mysteries

Guess where I will be just before Christmas- having fun solving a Murder!!