Mixed Fonts and lots of monochrome

Ten outfits featured and 5 are monochrome. There's a theme emerging but I don't know why. I didn't plan it...

Anyhow, now we're well into January it's been back to the normal weekly routine for me at last. School run on Monday; food bank on Tuesday, walking on Wednesday, food shopping and a walk or a rummage on Thursday, school run and walk or rummage on Friday. 

 Dress charity shopped in Mullingar, Co. Westmeath, Ireland on the way to see my Dad's family in August 2018; I thought it was a Desigual dress at first but it's a French label and cost 5.00 euro; cardigan charity shopped in UK. My tights are green and charity shopped. Boots from Sainsbury's some years ago. Red long sleeved top under dress; Primark, retail about 3 years ago.

All jewellery charity shopped.

This is what I wore to the food bank on Tuesday. Everything charity shopped except the boots - present from my daughter.

Brown jeans by Ralph Lauren; 1.00 rail Red Cross shop, top by New Look; 1.00 rail somewhere, jacket 2.00 in Willen Hospice Shop in Newport Pagnell. Scarf charity shopped.

All jewellery charity shopped.

On Wednesday I walked with my walking group for the first time since the end of November. We walked in and around Ampthill Park; 7.3 miles mainly up hill! Ampthill Park was one of King Henry VIII's hunting grounds and the site of Ampthill Castle; where Katherine of Aragon was kept during the divorce proceedings from the King. The castle, which no longer exists, is commemorated by a 'Katherine Cross'.

 The Katherine Cross (listed grade II) stands in a prominent ridge-top position 700m south of the house ( Ampthill House) , a tall stone cross of Gothic design erected by James Essex in 1773 for the second Earl of Upper Ossory, to mark the site of Ampthill Castle. The cross, sited on a plateau with views north towards the house and Bedford Plain, bears a shield of England impaling Aragon, and an inscription by Horace Walpole commemorating Katherine of Aragon's residence: 'The mournful refuge of an injured Queen' 

Source: https://historicengland.org.uk/listing/the-list/list-entry/1000378

Here's an interesting piece of relatively recent  information about the cross:
The cross hit the national headlines in March 1982 with the discovery here of the hidden golden hare jewel - the prize that Kit Williams had created for his highly successful treasure hunt book 'Masquerade' .The hare was auctioned at Sotheby’s in December 1988, selling for £31,900 to an anonymous buyer.

Ampthill House from the distance. Wonderful views of Bedfordshire. When the grandchildren were younger we used to come to Ampthill Park to go blackberrying. 

After I'd walked on Wednesday I went to browse around Ampthill's four charity shops. I bought some fingerless mittens in Age UK for 1.50 which are quite long; they should keep my forearms warm when I wear my red Fenn, Wright Manson jacket, as it has three quarter length sleeves. If not I may have to crochet some! I also bought two green necklaces.

I wore this on Thursday to do the food shopping. Very formal  I know but it's just what I wanted to wear. Everything charity shopped except the boots - as above.

 It was the pink top I fancied wearing; bought from a 1.00 rail somewhere it's too short to wear over trousers so it has to be worn with a skirt. I 'lost' this skirt in the depths of my wardrobes for a few weeks until it resurfaced so I thought I'd better wear it quick time! I paid 1.99 for it in the Red Cross; I think, and jacket was also from Red Cross - 1.99. Dark pink tights charity shopped (just seen) - they have tiny triangles on them.

All jewellery charity shopped.

I had errands to run in town after I'd done the shopping and had a browse around a few charity shops but bought nothing. My legs were actually quite tired after Wednesday's walk and I didn't want to antagonise my knee. On Friday it was very cold and I didn't fancy walking out in the fields. I had to collect something from town and I spied this on the way home.

Yet another new plaque and this time on a building that has always fascinated me since I moved to Bedford town in 1991. (I moved to Bedfordshire in 1981 and lived in a village 3 miles outside of Bedford for 10 years).

It's a very church like building but it's attached to a row of stuccoed Georgian houses which are used as offices (see below). You can just see the end of the house the building is attached to in the photo above and below. It was a children's home for over 103 years. Since I did my blue plaque walk early last year I've been notified of or found another 4 plaques  in and around the town which brings the total up to 20!

I have no idea why the font suddenly changed but could I get it to revert to my favoured one - could I heck! In fact I couldn't get the font to revert to the original one. This is a post of  (accidental) mixed fonts...

Friday was a very cold day with an icy wind. I abandoned my plan to go walking...

More monochrome pattern mixing...

Everything charity shopped except boots; retail. I've had the cross over top for about eight years but can't remember where I bought it from. Cardigan from Salvation Army 5.00. Skirt; 2.99 from 3:16 charity shop.

All jewellery charity shopped and scarf.

Saturday's outfit. I managed a five mile walk. 

Everything charity shopped. Boots from Northampton charity shop years ago; jeans, can't remember, jumper and tunic; 1.00 rail at 3:16 charity shop.

All jewellery and scarf charity shopped.

I also picked up my crochet again after a break of a couple of weeks. I had originally planned to make another 'Sunburst Granny' square blanket but 36 squares in changed my mind. I decided to sew the 36 squares into groups of 4; crochet a border around the now 9 blocks of 4; sew the  9 blocks together and crochet another border around them. Here's one of the blocks of 4:

On Tuesday I went to the food bank. It's so full we all stayed in the big warehouse trying to find space for it all. The big warehouse is absolutely freezing so I kept my charity shopped (Donkey Sanctuary Shop, Ballyboffey, Co.Donegal) coatigan on whilst I was there.

Trousers, top and tunic all charity shopped. The tunic was a 1.00 rail bargain. It's been re donated as the pockets, which I was so pleased to find it had, are just weird. Whichever way round I have the tunic the pockets are not facing the right way - goodbye!

All jewellery charity shopped. I got the necklace for 99p in a Devon charity shop.

On Wednesday I walked with my group again. We walked in and around Turvey, a village about 6 miles from Bedford. We did  just over 7 miles. The temperature was 0.5 degrees at the start! It was actually a lovely day despite the cold and icy wind. The sun shone and the sky was very blue.

Everything charity shopped except boots and tights; online retail. Dress by Boden; kimono no label.

All jewellery and scarf charity shopped.

Thursday was a very cold day but one or two degrees warmer than Wednesday. I wore this jacket all day - I should have buttoned it up for the photo. It's by Susan Bristol and was bought in the Red Cross shop for 5.00 in their closing down sale. 

I've been lighting our multi-fuel burner earlier as the weather has been so cold, but once it warms up it does give me a flushed face... Everything charity shopped. I can't remember where I bought any of it, but I don't think I've featured the skirt, by Great Plains, on the blog before. The jumper is cashmere and by F&F. Animal print shirt by Ashley Brooks.  Leggings: M&S retail and boots present from daughter.

I bought the necklace (above) on Wednesday for 99p in Barnardo's, Great Denham. I had a bit of a rummage after the walk on Wednesday; apart from the necklace I also bought 2 pairs of earrings and a brooch all 99p each. I went to the Castle Road charity shops after and bought a striped dress by Masai for 8.50 (probably at the top end of prices I'll pay in a charity shop - but still cheaper than Primark!) in The Children's Society as well as 2 silver bangles and a pair of floral patterned tights; both 2.00 each. That's this week's rummage completed; I haven't got any time left to go rummaging, too much on!

Thursday was a busy day. I did the food shopping (Lidl and Sainsbury's); went to Sharnbrook to pick up coal for the burner; and went to Tesco's for petrol as our nearby Sainsbury's garage is closed for refurbishment - Tesco's is the other side of town. I had also planned to recce my walk but we had rain off and on all day and I had enough of mud on the walk on Wednesday! I spent the rest of the day getting on with my crochet project. I've almost finished the 9 blocks of 4 and just have to join them and do a wide border. I've decided to use this blanket in my study as the current blanket in there is very small. I'll give the existing one to a charity shop; it's an ideal size for a baby blanket.

Some views from my planned walk for the 30th January.

Near the start of the walk...

On the home straight...

The last bit - that's Milton Ernest Church in the distance. The walk starts from here. I recce'd it again on Friday. What a strange day it was; temperatures up to 12 degrees from 2 and 3 degrees of previous days. There was also a bit of sun. It's a lovely walk even if I do say so myself; I heard and saw sky larks, heard a wood pecker; disturbed a few pheasants and saw a buzzard take off from the ground and at close range. What a wing span it has - amazing. The last time I walked this route I saw a dead sheep in a ditch. It was still there... The ground was very muddy in places and I decided to adapt the walk so we don't have to cross 2 muddy fields. This means I'll need to recce it again before the walk date.  The walk is 7 miles approx;  it starts from the village of Milton Ernest continues on to Thurleigh and back in a big loop to Milton Ernest.

Saturday's outfit - everything charity shopped except black top from M&S - Christmas present years ago from my ex-mum-in-law.

Leggings 1.00 rail; Great Denham; Cardigan by Next 4.00 from Autism, Bedford. Boots Oxfam.

All jewellery charity shopped.

I set out on Saturday to recce the walk again but it kept drizzling - the wetting sort; so as a compromise to avoid getting totally soaked, I walked the last bit of route avoiding one of the muddy fields. Much better and still coming in at just over 7 miles. I just have to hope we have dry weather on the 30th!

I went to see my son on Sunday. I wore my new to me Masai dress charity shopped in the week, with a charity shopped Zara waistcoat and M&S lace effect leggings; Christmas present from daughter. Boots; Matalan, retail.

All jewellery charity shopped.

That's what I've been up to for the past fortnight. I hope the fonts return to normal for my next post...I will have completed my current crochet project (fingers crossed) and I should have news about volunteering at Barnardo's in Great Denham in the next post as well. See you soon!