How much we take the gifts of the earth and our human life for granted- until the earthquakes in Haiti and New Zealand remind us how precious life is; I felt guilty walking in the peace of Howick Hall arboretum again while Japan is going through the hell of a massive earthquake, tsunami and nuclear powerstations going into meltdown....
Earl Grey and family lived here while working on the 1832 Poor Law which heralded the giving of democracy for all; is this the democratic life that many of the peoples of the Arab states of North Africa are wanting? Earl Grey must look down from his monument in Newcastle and think how much we of this generation take so much as our right.
I sipped a cuppa in the lovely Earl Grey tearoom but not of the bergamot scented variety devised to disguise the supposed flavour of hard water Countess Grey tasted in Northumberland, took to London, got Twinings to produce yet never 'patented' so earned not a farthing from Earl Grey tea.
The grounds are starting to lose their snowdrops but there are drifts of crocus and the carpets of daffodils are colouring up; we saw a red squirrel and ate a sweetmince pie slice!!!!!
D1 and C took us out to eat (a surprise but such a treat) then we moved onto the Sage for 'An evening with Barbara Dickson'- with her fabulous range and voice, folky, sometimes unaccompanied and with her fantastic musicians (especially Troy on the Uillean pipes). It took me back to Barbara and Veronica Slaughter and Johnny Handel and the High Level Ranter nights at the Bridge Hotel in Newcastle and the Cellar (Lampglass ) in Ashington......
Diesel is now £1.36+ per litre so people are beginning to be more careful about how much they are using their cars- but will this get some of the fuel-guzzling, unecessarily huge cars off the roads?
Anyone know what these plants are? Click your cursor on the photos to enlarge them.
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