It's my life | Not Just a Granny

Archive for the ‘It's my life’ Category

the ‘truth’ about Internet Marketing?

Posted in career, idiot category, It's my life, wealth and finance, tagged get rich quick schemes, internet marketing, internet marketing scams, multi-level marketing on May 15, 2012| Leave a Comment »

Just read a very interesting article about ‘Internet Marketing’ and this quote jumped out at me like a bombshell – “What we like to do here is OPM: Other People’s Money.” I recall how the many ‘Guru’s’ whose courses I have attended used the same terminology as well as which I could list about 8 ‘guru’s’ who have managed to separate me from the balance on my credit cards, who all say much the same thing….eg they ‘suggest’ to you that you should make the most of OPM…eg your credit cards coz you will make the money back once you do their course, sign up for their programme….. blah blah blah. And so after reading this article I am once again reminded of how they use their fancy terminology to separate you and your money, in this case me and my money.

hmmm….very interesting. So I am posting this for all the folks out there who have not yet been scammed into joining up/signing up for/or in any other way getting hooked into what appears to be a great way to earn money…..and it certainly is….for the person who has just scammed you into paying for their programme. I know there are many folks out there who have lost a fortune to these tricksters…..and one of them is me!!! and I didn’t even want to ‘get rich quick’, I just wanted a way to earn a decent living from home.

It makes for very interesting reading, and of course I most certainly do recognise some of the names……just a pity I can’t draw up my own ‘name & shame’ list. He should also include ‘multi-level marketing in here, not coz they have the same philosophy (although some of them do employ underhand tricks), but because you are led to believe certain things with clever words and then when you get going you realise that it is just a numbers game and you are just a number, then you become a statistic and they really don’t give a toss about you afterwards. When you are making them money…they know you, if you are not….you never hear a word.

http://www.theverge.com/2012/5/10/2984893/scamworld-get-rich-quick-schemes-mutate-into-an-online-monster

Don’t get taken in…….

Read Full Post »

Weobley revisited and the Hereford poop machine

Posted in around the UK, family and relationships, Fun Stuff, Historical, It's my life, tagged black and white villages of the UK, bollards of london, dragon and flagon pub tours london, hidden london, historical villages of the UK, history of london, street bollards, weobley on May 12, 2012| 4 Comments »

the Weobley poop machine

And that of course would be the dog!!! I have nicknamed him the Hereford poop machine and for good reason. I am not really partial to dogs, I can take them or leave them…preferrable the latter, but as it turns out this little dog has won a spot in my heart…albeit only a tiny spot! 🙂
When the agency initially phoned me about the job, I was keen until I heard about the dog….and then I had pause for thought. As it turned out of course I accepted and here I am. This is my 2nd stint at this particular position and so far I am enjoying it as much as I did the first time. When I arrived I received a raptuous welcome from the dog that really made me smile and feel kinda special….ahhh how sweet, he remembered me and was thrilled to see me. Ha! A few days later my illusions were shattered when a friend came to visit….she got as raptuous a welcome…..so it wasnt my scintillating personality then!!!
However, be that as it may, the dawg has taken quite a shine to me…probably coz I take him for frequent walks. He sits under my chair when I am working and at my feet when watching TV. Sweet! He has cottoned on to the routine for when we are about to go for a walk….of course I daren’t use the word ‘walk’ in his presence and usually say something like ‘ I’ll take himself out for a stroll’…hahahaha. So now when he sees me walk upstairs and come back down with my black jacket over my arm, he starts getting hyper and the tail goes mad….wagging so violently that his bottom end moves from side to side. I then sit down on the chair to change my shoes and put my trainers on and at that stage is when I start talking to him! Ok, so don’t raise your eyebrows like that….I have to build the anticipation of the walk ahead you know. I say things like ‘yes, you know we’re going for a walk don’t you?!’ or someother nonensical stuff like that and the little dog sits and watches me intently, cocking his head from side to side as I talk, his bright button eyes never leaving my face, just waiting for me to get up and then he is off like a rocket to the scullery bouncing around like a puppy despite his considerable 11years+. Then when I pick up the lead…omgosh! He goes ballistic and it’s all I can do to stop him jumping up into my arms. Hysterical. And thats where the poop machine comes into it, and that is the bit of my job I do not appreciate….being the pooper-scooper!!! blergh!! I have to take at least 3 bags along each time and wonder why he can’t just squat once and get it over with.
As we walk I have to wonder why it is that we walk 10 feet and he lifts his leg, walk another 10 feet and he lifts his leg, this goes on right through the whole walk. Lady dogs are far more polite and sensible and squat once and thats it! However, I do enjoy the walks, although it’s unclear who is taking whom for the walk…..I get a lot of brisk exercise as he rushes about, sniffing here, sniffing there and bolting along like we have a train to catch, and when we head for home it’s all I can do to keep on my feet!!

One of the walks we make is out the village past the village hall along what is known as a ‘country road’; 7ft high hedges, fields of crops or orchards on either side, birds flitting about overgrown grassy fields and twittering for all kingdom to hear, wild flowers scattered like bright jewels alongside the hedgerows and overall this, amazing peace and quiet. Have you ever stood and listened to the quiet? It’s palpable here. The contrast between here and home is very apparent in that here I see the occassional car, peak-hour traffic

weobley, herefordshire, black and white villages of the uk, historical villages of the uk

peak-hour traffic

whereas at home the traffic flies past, a never-ending roar of about a thousand cars an hour. Here there isn’t even a stop street or yield sign, never mind a traffic light. Another route takes us along a narrow little lane with a small stream on one side and a field of crops on the other, the blue sky stretches to the horizon filled with fluffy white clouds that tower up like puffs of cotton wool, a field of sheep and the blissful peace.

fluffy white clouds in blue skies

I am totally in love with this little village. The first time I came I took hundreds of photos so it’s not like I missed anything, but I can tell you that I have been hard put to not take just as many photos again.

weobley herefordshire, black and white villages of the uk, historical villages of the uk, king charles I

The Throne, where King Charles I slept on 5th September 1645

The history of the village is just amazing, and the one house that used to be the Unicorn Inn, now known as ‘The Throne’, is where King Charles I slept 5th September 1645 on his way to London , where he eventually lost his head. The thought that King Charles I actually walked (okay probably rode his horse is more like it) in the same place where I was walking is just thrilling beyond words. I am dying to knock on the door of this rambling, ramshackle, ancient building, now called ‘The Throne’, and ask if I can have a look around. I can just imagine the rickety staircases, and low doors, and wooden beamed rooms filled with history. Imagine living in a house like that!!! I have had a chance to have a closer look at the construction of the houses too and it’s incredible to see the ancient wooden pegs knocked into the struts holding them to the main frame of the house.

weobley, black and white villages uk, historical villages of the uk, herefordshire

ancient architecture

The Manor House is the oldest remaining house in the village and predates Tudor! Imagine! So instead of taking loads of photos of the houses I have concentrated on photos of the fields and flowers and just a few repeats of the architecture…… 🙂

The Manor – probably built pre-Tudor

I also explored the remains of the castle (built in the early 1200’s by Walter de Lacy), walked along the top of the mound and walked through the remains of the moat.

the remains of the moat of the castle

So this 2nd stint in Weobley has been good, just the long days kill me. I don’t mind staying up till 11.30pm, in fact I seldom get to bed before 1am in London, but then I get to sleep till 9am the next day….here I only get to bed by 11.30pm and have to be up at 7am the next morning, in fact the sun comes up so early that by 6am I am usually awake. Also sitting around and being confined to the house most of the day is quite tiring. The routine is the same every day and the same thing happens at the same time with very little variation. The pace is very slow and for someone who is used to heading through the day at fullspeed…it’s amazing how tiring it is. But I do enjoy the peacefulness of the area and the lady is lovely. I am not sure though that I will be back since it takes such a long time to get here…6 hours travelling in all. We shall have to see.
One of the other things that I love is how friendly the villagers are, never in London would you walk past someone on the way to the store and have them say ‘good-morning’ as you walk by. It’s great. it’s been raining a lot in England lately and we had a deluge the first few days I was here and the flowers and leaves were hung with drops of water that look like diamonds.

diamond drops

Everything is so lush and beautiful. We have also had lots and lots of bluebells growing in the gardens which are all open plan so it’s been a treat to see them in clumps everywhere.

Hyacinthoides non-scripta (formerly Endymion non-scriptus or Scilla non-scripta) is a bulbous perennial plant, found in Atlantic areas from north-western Spain to the British Isles

bluebells; Hyacinthoides non-scripta (formerly Endymion non-scriptus or Scilla non-scripta) is a bulbous perennial plant, found in Atlantic areas from north-western Spain to the British Isles (ref wikipedia)

I was quite concerned I may miss them as I never did get to go to Kew last month, but I plan a trip for when I get back and before I whizz off again for the next job…thankfully that will be in zone 3 of London and only an hour or so from home. What that means is that I will have internet reception and hopefully get to do some work online, one of the things I have missed a lot in Weobley….zero internet reception and very little phone connection. I usually have to hang out the upstairs window to get reception.
So with just four days left till I head on home, I will continue to enjoy the quiet and the walks and the company. The lady, who is 94, used to play snooker when she was younger, is a great fan of the game and so we have been watching the snooker finals with Ronnie O’Sullivan and Ali Carter amongst others…and I have become quite the addict myself!! hahaha. That said it’s a real bother that after the snooker is finished the TV goes off and except for Eggheads which we watch religiously every day, and I know know a lot of useless information…. So I have missed most of the programmes I usually enjoy and that is one of the things I shall make the most of when I get back home…. and as I write, that is only 4.5 days away. Hooray!!!! (that was then and of course as I write now….I am already home).

The train journey through the English countryside is a real treat, so beautiful and the yellow fields of rape seed plants stretch to the horizon,

rape seed fields

a wonderful contrast to the green fields dotted with sheep or horses. The rivers are full to the brim, thick brown water racing along, ignoring the corners and just swamping the banks as they go.

River Usk coming round the corner into Newport, Wales

Many of the fields are still under water but what can be seen is lush and green, in so many variations you could not imagine that one colour could have so many different shades. The rain has lifted now and the sky is a fabulous blue with puffs of white cloud piled high, marvellous.

fields swamped with water

and here I am back in London, and besides the level of noise, one of the first things I have noticed is that my headache is back! Well now? There’s a thing. I didnt have one headache whilst I was away and within 12 hours of being back in London I have a headache. Hmmm. Is it the pollution perhaps or the noise levels? Although I take Vogel’s ‘oat drops’ at night to help me sleep (they knock me out), I am sure the constant noise of traffic outside my window doesn’t help (we have a major thoroughfare about 10 yards from my window). I was also very aware of the pollution as we came back into the city perimeter, the sky looks brown and grey. Urgh! And again it was brought home quite forcefully the mad rush and calamitious nature of the city. People are so rude, pushing and shoving; the sheer level of aggression which you get so used to when here all the time that you eventually don’t notice it, and within 10 minutes of getting off the train I was feeling so aggro! Grrr.

And then to top it all, I waited 25 minutes for the bus (after a 4.5 hour journey, this is not what I wish to do with my time), and then a bus-ride that normally takes about 10 minutes took over 20 to get from the station to my stop. My god! I am going to write to Boris Johnson and suggest he gets the buses sorted. I can’t even begin to imagine how bloody awful it’s going to be with the Olympics. And now of course the drivers et al are threatening to strike unless they get and extra £500 for the period. Come on people, you have a job, just do it. I haven’t had an increase in salary for over three years now and they are bitching about having to drive extra people.

Anyhow, that’s enough of that….I will put #grumpygranny back in her box for now and save that particular rant for another blog. 🙂 🙂
Some great and fun news is that I went on my 5th and final Dragon and Flagon Pub Tour last night and whoooo hoooo I got my badge! I have now been inducted into the Order of the Dragon and am officially a Dragon! Harhar!

dragon and flagon pub tour, pub tours of london, history of london

me and Vic – our erstwhile pub-tour guide. I got my badge in front of The Monument

And what a fun night it was too. Vic is such a terrific tour guide. I got to see the first church that was re-built by Christopher Wren after the Great Fire of 1666, a narrow cobbled road that slopes downhill with a gutter that runs down the middle – designed to allow the effluent of the ancient city to run off into the river!! ewwwww!!!

Lovat Lane – where the old surface is barely the width of a plague cart’s wheelbase and the gutter still runs down the middle carrying effluent to the river

imagine how vile the air must have been, visited the site of the entrance to (oops cant remember now) from the “Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Askeban” movie, had a Bailey’s on ice in a pub closely associated with Lewis Carroll (he of Alice in Wonderland fame), visited my favourite pub of all time, saw the last of the ancient city bollards – made from the tube of a captured French cannon,

bollards of london, hidden london, street bollards, history of london

on the banks of the Thames this old bollard is made from an old cannon from a 18th century warship

we re-visited the site where Samuel Pepys stood as he watched London burning in 1666 and did a whole lot of ‘shard spotting’ (the building is looking brilliant now and it’s almost unbelievable how high it is).

The Shard, designed by the international architect, Renzo Piano

super cool. The evening ended off at a pub I had wanted to visit, have walked past a number of times and never gone in; awesome…..and then home (1.5hours journey time????), never let it be said that London is a small city….. and then a catch up with my delightful daughter whom I have not seen for 2 weeks and finally to bed at 1am.
I am home!

Read Full Post »

in the footsteps of Charles……

Posted in Fun Stuff, interesting things that happen in London, It's my life, things to do in London on April 28, 2012| 4 Comments »

charles dickens, charles dickens museum, pickwick papers, the centre page pub st pauls, historical pubs of london, recommended pubs in london, where to eat in london

Charles Dickens lived here 1837-1839 - now the Dickens Museum

Last week Thursday; April 26th, I set off on a magical #walkabout through the streets of London to discover more about Charles Dickens (blog to follow shortly 🙂 ). We started off from the Charles Dickens Museum and the route we followed took us through some amazing areas, areas full of history where we crossed paths with the ghosts of London. After about 5.5 hours of walking (we took a lot of diversions and stopped at loads of places), my companion and I were famished, and since this was a Dickens walk we were doing, we decided to stop off at one of my favourite pubs in the City of London; especially as the tour ended nearby and the pub was mentioned in The Pickwick Papers: When Mr. Pickwick was visited in Fleet prison by his friends Winkle, Snodgrass and Tupman, they ordered “a bottle or two of very good wine, for which a messenger was dispatched to the Horn Coffee House “

The Centre Page

Every time I visit St Paul’s Cathedral or go #walkabout in that area I always stop off at The Centre Page Pub for hot chips which I usually have as a take-away and then sit on the steps and enjoy the sunshine and hustle and bustle of folks walking by while I eat my treat. Yesterday I decided to have the ‘Charles Dickens Posh Pie and Mash’ specifically the Steak Ale and horseradish, and we requested to eat in the Dickens Room downstairs. 🙂

Charles Dickens Posh Pie & Buttery Mash - steak ale and horseradish

The last time we ate there I had the fish & chips which were just delicious and this meal was even better. I do not normally eat beef, but I have to say that the meat was tender and juicy and just yummy. So if your’e in the area and need something quality to eat in a historical setting, I can highly recommend this delightful pub; The Centre Page, 29-33 Knightrider Street, just down the way from St Paul’s as if heading towards the Millenium Bridge and Tate Modern. Every photo in the slideshow has a link with Charles Dickens.

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

History Note: The Centre Page began life as The Horn Tavern founded in 1660 after the restoration of King Charles II. The origins of the name may have come from the King’s celebrations or as there were several coaching inns around St Paul’s the sound of the coaching horn may also have given inspiration.

Nearest tube: St Paul’s on the Central line

Read Full Post »

Things I saw

Posted in around the UK, It's my life on April 25, 2012| 2 Comments »

As mentioned in an earlier post I spent a few days in the marvellous Black & White historical village of Weobley (pronounced Webbly) in Herefordshire; a gorgeous little village to be sure. There were many trappings of modern life that were missing, like internet reception, supermarkets, Starbucks, Costa Coffee and traffic lights, but there were many things I saw that I never see in London:

black and white villages of the uk, weobley in herefordshire

tractor and trailer laden with hay driving through the centre of town

green fields from my bedroom window

sheep in the fields

and a blanket of stars at night

night sky via http://startswithabang.com/

There definitely are benefits to being in the country. I am heading that way again in the near future and after last nights road-works right outside my window till after 2am in the morning…..I am looking forward to the peace and quiet of the country and a peaceful, traffic-free sleep. 🙂

Read Full Post »

the day the Dragon kissed St George

Posted in Fun Stuff, Historical, interesting things that happen in London, It's my life, tagged leadenhall market, morris men dancers, patron saint of england, St Georges Day on April 23, 2012| Leave a Comment »

st georges day, leadenhall market st george, morris dancers

St George and the Dragon

One of the bonuses of coming to live in the UK was discovering that not only did I share a birthday with Shakespeare but my birthday falls on the same day as the Patron Saint of England; St Georges day…..all those years and who knew?? 🙂

In the past I have endeavoured to be in another country on my birthday but since I am London bound this year I decided to investigate ‘what’s on in the city’ and head out to participate. To my delight I discovered that one of my favourite places in the City of London; Leadenhall Market was hosting a celebration of the day with Morris Men dancers and attempting to set a new World Record for the greatest number of people to toast St George…..how could I resist.

leadenhall market london, st george world attempt

Leadenhall Market decked out with the English flag for St George's day

I set off relatively early and made my way along streets, not paved with gold but splattered with rain…yes you guessed…it was the wettest and coldest 23rd April in something like 26 years….why!!!!!!! LOL Ah well this is London after all 🙂 So I arrived at the venue and meandered about taking photos and then discovered that the 12noon dancing was in fact at 1.15 pm so I decided to visit the Bank of England instead. Maybe get a loan from yer man….Melvyn! hahahaha. Seriously though the Bank’s museum is a brilliant place and I managed to lift the gold bar…shame you don’t get to keep it if you pick up, but there you go, win some; lose some!

bank of england, old lady of threadneedle street, london history

The Old Lady of Threadneedle Street - The Bank of England

It’s really interesting to read about the beginnings of the banking system in the UK and how bonnie Prince Charlie bankrupted some banks by not paying back his loans… tut, tut. Thankfully our present Monarch has more bucks in the bank and seems to be quite comfortably well off. ‘what! what!’ Now it’s the Politicians who seem intent on bankrupting the country, never mind the banks. But I digress…..

So after the museum visit I set off once again through the streets of London back to Leadenhall Market and along the way I visited the Heart of the City, the Royal Exchange, St Mary Woolnoth Church (The church’s site has been used for worship for at least 2,000 years), Pope’s head Alley, the site of Lloyd’s Coffee House 1691-1785, Mitsubishi trust House (has the most amazing sculptures above the entrance), the Crosse Keys Pub (A plaque on the front of this pub recalls that a famous coaching inn, called the Crosse Keys, stood near this site) and thence to Leadenhall Market and behold the Morris Dancers!

: Heart of the City

: The Royal Exchange

: St Mary Woolnoth Church

: Pope’s Head Alley

: Site of Lloyd’s Coffee House

: Mitsubishi Trust House

: The Crosse Keys Pub

: Roof of Leadenhall Market

: Morris Men dancers

Morris dance is a form of English folk dance usually accompanied by music. It is based on rhythmic stepping and the execution of choreographed figures by a group of dancers. Implements such as sticks, swords, handkerchiefs and bells may also be wielded by the dancers. In a small number of dances for one or two men, steps are performed near and across a pair of clay tobacco pipes laid across each other on the floor.
Claims that English records, dating back to 1448, mention the morris dance are open to dispute. There is no mention of “morris” dancing earlier than the late 15th century, although early records such as Bishops’ “Visitation Articles” mention sword dancing, guising and other dancing activities as well as mumming plays.

Most entertaining and I was delighted to finally get to see a performance. Then it was time for the World Record! A toast to St George

“I see you stand like
greyhounds in the slips,
Straining upon the start.

The game’s afoot:
Follow your spirit,
and upon this charge

Cry ‘God for Harry,
England and St George!”

Shakespeare, Henry V, Act III, scene 1.

And I believe that a new World Record was set 🙂 hee hee and I was a part of it! Loud cheers followed this lusty outburst.

Just before I left I decided to buy a red rosebeing sold by some chaps in fancy dress……one of whom was St George. When I mentioned that it was my birthday, he said ‘go on! give us a kiss’, and so the Dragon kissed St George 🙂

St George circa 2012

Read Full Post »

warbling in Weobley

Posted in around the UK, Historical, It's my life, tagged black and white villages, herefordshire, historic villages in the uk, villages in the uk, weobley on April 22, 2012| 8 Comments »

Ok so it’s not me doing the warbling…that honour goes to the birds; literally 🙂

At time of writing, here I am in a little village called Weobley (pronounced Webbley) in the middle of the country in the county of Herefordshire. And I am working as a Carer….never say never eh!!! So you may ask: ‘what are you doing working as a carer again?’….and well you might ask! What am I doing working as a Carer again? Last year in August when I quit the job it was with the intention of not working as a carer again!! I wanted to work in an office and bring my skills up to date. I managed to find a job fairly easily (hmmm…perhaps too easily) but because I knew of the company through someone else I felt fairly confident that it would be a great position. And so it turned out to be except for one very important aspect…..the boss!!! He was of the mind that it was not only acceptable but traditional to shout at the employee (me)….. really?

Well as you can imagine I did not take very kindly to that and within 3 months I resigned. Anyhow he (the boss) and I had a meeting and he asked why I had resigned so I told him…I don’t like the way you speak to me. Simples!!! So things settled for a bit and they asked me to stay on till after Xmas (this being November) and in a moment of insanity I agreed. Yeah, yeah, yeah take my temperature why don’t you!! The shouting settled for a bit until one day after a particularly stressful day I told him that he was a bit bullish (subtle terminology for ‘you are a bully’) and we ended up having a spat….. anyhow he took it on the chin, and away we went. The the shouting escalated again and when I challenged him on it (and challenge him I did), he was of the mind that he was stressed and blah blah blah and that if I could not handle it then I should resign….so I did. Resignation #2! Again after a couple of weeks of looking for a suitable person and not finding anyone they asked me to stay on and again I did (ok this time a phychologist would be in order). However it did not last long and I finally resigned for the 3rd and final time when I found myself listening to him berate me for a totally arbitrary issue, and I found myself picturing what it would be like to smash his head in with the mug I was holding in my hand. They found someone else to take the crap and I left on 3rd April…just short of 7 months at the job.

Hmmm, now what to do? I am of the mind that if what he says is true, and shouting and being bullied is the norm in the office environment in the UK….then I want nothing of it. Back to the caring then!

And here I am…as I write I am in a little village called Weobley that has a fantastic history dating back to mediaeval times with some fabulous houses built in 1422 and 1561 and so on. Right up my alley so to speak. This position has reminded me of all the things I loved about being a carer and all the things I disliked about being a carer. Fortunately the lady is a delight and despite my misgivings about the dog (he is actually very sweet and has taken a shine to me – follows me around the house). I am enjoying this particlar job. Fortunately it is only a 5 day position and not 2weeks which seriously kills me, especially if the client is full of doodah!!

I love the adventure of going to new places in the UK and I get to see amazing little villages I would not otherwise, and get paid for being there. I love the discoveries I make and if the job is pleasant I love what I do. The thing I dislike about the caring is being stuck indoors for 22 hours a day unless the client likes going out. I chaff at the bit of being unable to go out for walks, of being unable to go to bed when I am tired and the assumption by the client that it is ok to ‘demand’ without a ‘please’ in front. It’s not the easiest of jobs, but the one thing I do appreciate is that they are mostly short-term and if you land up with a client that is rude you can request to be withdrawn. Benefit!! What I dislike… is being away from home, of not sleeping in my own bed and having my things around me. The benefit this time though is that I have a home to go back to. 🙂 and I have my delightful daughter there too.

So Weobley, established in the 7th century, has a fascinating history as well as the archaeological remains of what was a castle, probably built by one ‘de lacy….he of many castles in Ireland as well. I have had a fab time meandering the streets of the village and photographing the numerous houses that still exist from the dark ages ( 😉 ) and walking the dog. Unlike at home where there is a constant stream and cacophony of traffic, I hardly ever heard a car, slept like a log and in the mornings when I woke, it was to the sound of sheep baaing and birds warbling.

I am of course now back home. There was no internet reception in the area which I found unsurprising and totally annoying. However, it has given me a chance to catch up on stuff and now that I am home again, I can get back online and do what I need to do. Of course the plan is to build my business to the point where I not longer have to go away as a carer, but can go away on holiday….to explore and discover new villages and places at my own pace.

I took hundreds of photos as you can imagine (you know I do!) and have made a video for your enjoyment. Weobley

Here is a wee bit of history of the village:

Weobley is a picture postcard village surrounded by glorious countryside, in the county of Herefordshire, renowned for its stunning black and white timber framed houses, and buildings some of which date back to the 1400’s. The village has an interesting history with Saxon origins, an ancient 12th Century church with an impressive 14th Century Tower, and spire that graces the skyline. At the southern end of the village stands a link with Medieval times at Weobley Castle.
Weobley is one of the best-preserved Tudor villages in the country, with many beautiful timber framed buildings.

When Wibba created a clearing in the woods (a ley) here in the 6th Century, little did he think that his name would still be attached to the village 1500 years later. His father, Cridda, was King of Mercia and held a hill fort not far away at Credenhill (Cridda’s hill).

In Weobley many aspects of 1500 years of British history are represented. From its Saxon origins, through the Norman Conquest to the medieval period, the Civil War, and the agricultural revolution. Here you will discover the remains of an 11th Century castle, a 12th Century Church and many houses from the14th Century onwards.

In 2008 Weobley appeared in the top fifty of the Times Newspaper’s best places to live in England.

Read Full Post »

high tide in Richmond

Posted in family and relationships, It's my life, tagged River Thames on April 13, 2012| 1 Comment »

I may have mentioned before (or not) that we live very near to the river Thames in Richmond. This is a constant source of enjoyment and pleasure to me and I try to plan a walk alongside or over the river at least once a day…if not more 🙂

Walking over the bridge was the highlight of my journey to work in the mornings and the view of the river as the train whizzed across the railway bridge near Gunnersbury was a constant source of amazement…..the view is wonderful. The river holds a fascination for me that I have never experienced before and I get a lot of enjoyment from it. There is nothing more enjoyable than a stroll along the banks past the Old Deer Park with my daughter. In fact I would say that most of my happiest memories are tied up in those walks.

Sunsets from the top of the bridge are breathtaking and misty days no less so. The changing of the seasons are easily visible along the banks and the view of the snow from the bridge painted a very pretty picture. There are a number of houseboats tied up along the banks near Twickenham Bridge and these are a real pleasure to look at.

Despite the fact that the scene remains the same everyday….yet every day is different. Just little things like a new boat tied up, or swans sailing by, a police craft patrolling, geese landing, river cruisers going by, the tide out or the tide in, sunny days and rainy days all create an ever changing pattern. I am always surprised when people tell me they never noticed…….how could you not! Some days the river is completely empty (well almost) and other days it is filled to overflowing!

So here is a collage of photos to give you a glimpse of my very own version of heaven on earth.

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

Read Full Post »

3 Days in London and being published

Posted in Historical, It's my life, things to do in London, Travel, tagged 3 days in london, discovering the treasures of london, guildhall london, st pauls cathedral, what to do in london on April 10, 2012| 4 Comments »

So wow!! most exciting news this morning. My 2nd kindle ‘book’ has been approved!!! whoo hoo &lt:-P party my 1st itinerary is up and online!!!!!!

2 years ago I started a journey that has seen me delve into the streets and lanes of London discovering her history, beautiful buildings and relics of the past and along the way I have uncovered her secrets; a Roman amphitheatre 20 feet below street level, the site where Samuel Pepys was born, the site where Dick Whittington (of nursery rhyme fame) and 4 times Mayor of London had his house and the church that he founded,

dick whittington mayor of london, hidden london, things to do and see in london

Whittington House on the site where Dick Whittington had his house in 1423 and the church that he founded in the background

the crow’s nest of Sir Ernest Shackleton’s boat Quest in an ancient crypt,

all hallows by the tower church, shackletons crows nest, crypts of london, 3 days in london, what to see in london

the crow's nest from Sir Ernest Shackleton's ship Quest

and spent a very happy time in one of London’s oldest remaining churches, parts of which remain from 1123!!! I mean seriously….how could I not get passionate about this city. I have spent up to 8 hours at a stretch wandering the streets, lanes and roads of the City of London, the City of Westminster and many more besides, never mind the parks and gardens in the suburbs, not all at one go of course!! 🙂

3 days in london, guildhall london, things to do and see in london

Guildhall in the City of London

The 3 Days in London journey all began when I was chatting to a twitter friend on my @notjustagranny profile a couple of years ago. She mentioned that she and her hubby would have a 6 hour layover at Heathrow and were keen to pop into London for that time and could I suggest something for them to do. So I set about creating an itinerary called 6 hours in London and sent it on. As it turned out they didn’t make the trip into London but an idea was born.

From there, and with the encouragement of my daughter I set up a business called 3 Days in London and started blogging. It made perfect sense since London had become a passion of mine and it was very easy to blog and talk about all the marvellous places and things to see and do in this city.

I have since taken folks on bespoke guided tours and have now created 3 itineraries for 3 Days in London that will take you on a step by step guide through 3 different areas of London, that incorporates all the top attractions

St Paul’s Cathedral; a marvel of architecture

as well as many other places folks miss out on altogether….the hidden treasures of London. I have also seen numerous visitors with maps in their hands looking not only puzzled but lost as they try to figure out how to get from here to there. It’s not easy getting around a foreign city by map and I am sure many precious hours are lost, by being lost! Not that I believe you can ever get lost……you just get to a place that you do not recognise. But being a visitor it must be quite disconcerting not having a clue of where you are and how to get to where you wish to go. I know, I’ve had that experience in the foreign cities I have visited.

However, that aside I have also been stopped by a great number of foreign visitors desperately trying to find out how to get to ‘wherever’ and without a clue of which direction to go in. Fortunately for me I almost know the city like the palm of my hand and can walk many routes in my sleep. 🙂 almost!!

So the itineraries have been in the pipeline for some time and although they kinda stalled due to lack of confidence, last week I set off with a friend I met via facebook to walk the 3rd itinerary in the series to test if the directions were good and how long it would take from start to finish. I designated him as tour guide, no point me being the guide as I know the route by heart, and off we went. What a great day we had (a different blog to follow about that) and although we made various detours along the way (we are both incredibly curious and nosy…..) he proclaimed the itinerary good to go…..eg we didn’t get lost and the directions were good. He also got to see parts of London, that despite being a born Londoner, he had never seen before! Excellent, just what they were designed to do.

And so with my heart in my mouth I gave the go-ahead for the first itinerary to go online! and here it is, duly approved by Amazon and now my 2nd upload to kindle: West End itinerary

In case you were not aware, the 1st upload was the book I wrote about a little girl named Fanny Elizabeth Stokes who died in 1893 aged 7.

And now a different story has begun. Wish me bon voyage 🙂

Read Full Post »

#BGT and me :) #wheresmekeys

Posted in family and relationships, Fun Stuff, idiot category, It's my life, tagged #wheresmekeys #wheresmephone, britains got talent on April 10, 2012| 4 Comments »

well now. this was meant to be kept private!!!!!! but since it has been splashed across youtube & facebook and so many people have now seen it…… I may as well share it with you too! my mortification is complete especially as this was only loaded on Saturday night and by the time we went to bed it had 48 views…..it now has over 2,000 and not only have friends and possibly family seen this…but so have 2,000 other people!!!! hysterical.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=arW19A92waY

oh and p.s. Cemanthe has been sleeping in a tent in the backyard ever since!!!
p.s.s. the background to this is Britain’s Got Talent and a contestant that appeared on Saturday night. if your’e on twitter check out the hashtags #wheresmephone #wheresmekeys this will explain more 🙂

Read Full Post »

And the winner of the Best Movie of the Year Award goes to…..

Posted in family and relationships, Fun Stuff, It's my life, tagged st patricks day cupcakes at sweetie pies boutique bakery twickenham, the best exotic marigold hotel on March 19, 2012| 2 Comments »

……..drumroll…….”The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel for the elderly and beautiful”.

Saturday dawned grey and cold….a typical spring day in the UK and although I had planned to go find more easter eggs for the Big Egg Hunt, it was cold and wet so I decided to change my plans. Thats what plans are for…the be changed 🙂 Church Street looked cheerful & gay with the England and Irish flags lining the street; a rugby game was due to kick off at Twickenham stadium later that day.

First off CJ and I headed into Twickenham; Church Street to Sweetie Pies to partake of Guiness cupcakes and tea…seriously, the genius cupcake maker had concocted a mixture of chocolate and guiness for the St Patrick’s Day cupcakes. My conclusion…they were delicious. Initially I turned my nose up at the prospect of guiness in my cupcake and on arrival declared that there was no way I could eat a cupcake that contained guiness…..urgh, I cant stand the smell of guiness and the thought turned my stomach. But, when I had a look at the dainty little creations…I though hmmmm, well maybe. So the ever so delightful ……..let me try a wee bit of hers….and voila, 10 minutes later I was tucking into what turned out to be a scrumptious cupcake. Very rich, and certainly very filling and totally delicious. Never say ‘never’ hmmmmm. The reason for our visit was of course Mother’s Day (on Sunday) and CJ was treating me to an outing….what a treasure she is.

Whilst we were chatting and partaking we got to discussing movies. I havn’t been to the cinmea in well over a year and am always bemoaning the fact that I get to miss so many great movies. I love going to the cinema, it’s like you are transported into another world. However, the cost has become a bit prohibitive, so I dont get to go as often as I would like.
So on Saturday we were talking about the latest offering….”The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel for the elderly and beautiful” Oh my word, what a treat and am I sooooooo glad I went.

It was a delight from beginning to end. Sad and funny and poignant and so very typical, not only of the age group but also of the British. I felt the characters were beautifully portrayed and the essence of their age-group; the middle upper-class, and the characteristics of the typical attitudes and quirks of the British were captured perfectly. In my previous job as a carer, I cared for every one of those characters portrayed in the movie. What struck me as the most sad was of course how people shut themselves off from life and emotions and restrict themselves from enjoyment and experience. Full of prejudice, and unbending ‘this is how it should be’, they make themselves so very lonely. Unable to imagine that there could be a different way of being.

The rascism of the age was captured very well without being over the top or blaming, it melted in the face of experience and some of the characters opened and bloomed like flowers after rain in a desert. Joyful, and fun, silly and noisy, vibrant, colourful and yes….exotic, it is a must for everyone. A fabulous journey through a microscopic sliver of life, it made me want to sell up everything I own and go to India.

The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel was enchanting, the Indian characters a delight, with their own prejudices and rascism, the characters well portrayed without going over the top. The central character played by Dev of Slumdog Millionaire was a delight and he was perfect for the role; bursting with energy and enthusiasam with a head full of dreams. For one, I hope to see him in many more films. I am also now itching to go to India. I realise it is probably not like it was portrayed in the movie, but I would love to experience the colours and the noise, the hustle and bustle, the exhuberance and the craziness the food and definitely the sounds and smells……..the only thing in my opinion that was missing. The rest was just right. Not too much, and not too little.

Judi Dench was an absolute treat, Bill Nighy played his character just right, Tom Wilkinson was perfect, and Maggie Smith almost stole the show…although that honour definitely goes to Dev Patel…., enthusiastic, charming, disorganised and filled with dreams……..

A class act, in the same genre as Fried Green Tomatoes, Driving Miss Daisy and Tea with Mussolini. No doubt if I sat and thought about it some more, I could come up with a list of films in the same category…..but these will suffice for now. Go and see it if you can…it is just wonderful.

Read Full Post »

« Newer Posts - Older Posts »