Holy Week

I have given up and arisen, leaving H1 to snore like a beached whale. I am hot and bothered but I know the moment I change to the summer duvet we will get snow; each morning a sea fret has shrouded the east - but has burned off to reveal a cloudless, blue sky and sunfilled day.



D3 treated us to a Groupon deal which saw us down at Hardwick Hall(Sedgefield) to see X Factor winner Joe McElderry. In my totally unbiased opinion, local lad Joe has a wonderful voice, engaging good looks, an apparently honest nature and seems to have been poorly managed. What is he doing singing (to a huge number of besotted fans of all ages) in a venue like this when lesser talent like Jedward are raking in the cash?



Before entering the marquee with 998 other Joe admirers, we visited Durham Council's Hardwick Park project; the park is free and curious pieces of furniture stencilled with quotes about the original owners are to be found amid the prolific bird population; statuesque ladies watched us from the undergrowth as we climbed over the bridge.





The schools broke up last weekend and Palm Sunday began the journey through Holy Week; fasting and abstinence today being Good Friday; fish and hot cross buns later!



Actually we had fish and chips on North Shields fish quay last night- then disgracefully followed that up with a slider (an ice cream between two wafers) at the Crescent Cafe on Seaton Delaval roundabout. Our resident ice cream expert (H1) declares this to be the best in the North East.



We went back to Hawick Hall gardens and arboretum to see the carpets of daffodils; funny that the Newcastle and Northumberland Society's talk this week was on Earl Grey; an dedicated politician who began electoral reform in Britain by pushing through the 1832 Poor Law. There was all sorts of narcissi out though we had missed the daffs!



Hawick has been planted up with all sorts for future generations- but what on earth are these triffids?



It does not seem long since our long, cold, snowy winter which killed off so many plants; I have lost a well established ceaonothus and lots of gardeners have lost acers, hebes, magnolias, camellias and so on........




My rhubarb has not appeared but my kind neighbour donated enough to make a couple of crumbles.



I need to think doubly hard now..... how shall I design my Easter bonnet? How can I decorate my pace egg so I win the Easter Sunday morning competition? I am going to try to hardboil eggs in red onion skins as well as the usual brown ones; I have been advised to hold the flowerheads against the egg (while cooking) within the foot of tights- I tend to stick the shapes on only to simmer them off- thus I end up with lots of eggs for jarping!!! I get scathing comments about my past religiously themed eggs- as if I would try to sway the vote?! I am going to stimulate ideas with a toasted hot X bun and a cup of tea......