Ely weekend

We had a brilliant time in Ely. 

Ely is in Cambridgeshire and is part of the Fens; 14 miles north east of Cambridge, about 44 miles from Bedford. The name Ely  is derived from the Isle of Eels, when the city was surrounded by water and marshland.

 The Fens, also known as the Fenland, is a naturally marshy region in eastern England. Most of the fens were drained several centuries ago, resulting in a flat, damp, low-lying agricultural region.

Ely Cathedral. Known as the 'Ship of the Fens' as its height makes it visible from miles around in the flat countryside.

I am standing outside Oliver Cromwell's house. He crops up a lot in these parts; he went to school in Huntingdon where we visited a few months back here.

White jeggings and green top bought in Tesco's sale about 2 years ago. Scarf, loafers, earrings, bangles and watch all charity shopped.

On Sunday, we went to the Cathedral. We were lucky enough to hear the choir practising. The music they made caused the hairs on the back of my neck to stand up.
 The cathedral was magnificent. I'm not religious but you cannot but feel a sense of awe in such places at the lengths people went to in their design and devotion to their God.

Beautiful stained glass windows. There is a museum of stained glass here as well.

The Octagonal Tower

Amazing detail  and painting on the ceiling.

After looking at the Cathedral we strolled around looking at wonderful buildings and then walked by the Great River Ouse. We felt quite at home as the same river runs through Bedford.

Prior Crauden's chapel - finished in 1324.

Lady's Hall - completed in the 1330s.

Don't know whose house this is but isn't it gorgeous?

We rummaged on Saturday. Ely has 7 charity shops and we also went to Newmarket in Suffolk which was about 15 miles away and checked out theirs. I bought a spotty cup and saucer in Newmarket and that's all! I bought two tops; a pair of shoes and a small tray with an Art Noveau print on it, in Ely.

This shop (in Newmarket) was originally a butcher's making special sausages under Royal licence. It's now a building society.

Jeans, Save the Children; top British Red Cross; coat, Age UK; scarf, present from step daughter, handbag, birthday present from middle grandson and his mum. Shoes, Primarni.

Can you see the original tiling and lovely pillars?

Earrings - donated by my daughter!

Holiday shopping finished...

I have found everything I need for my holiday in Spain and really have no excuses for rummaging anymore...does that stop me? NO!

Everything charity shopped except kimono - yes another one, which I got from the car boot sale on Sunday. The black loafers are from a local shoe outlet.

On Monday I bought some high waisted dark blue jeans in Save the Children. I packed away my ripped jeans with the winter clothes and I can't be bothered to go up in the loft and rootle around in 3 different bags for them, so when I saw the jeans on the rail on Monday I snapped them up. I have lighter blue jeans but no dark ones - that's my excuse anyway!

Look, Goody! A bathroom selfie! I'm copying Goody of Eat the Blog here who takes lots of selfies in her bathroom. I've done it to show the lovely red earrings I bought last week in the Cancer Research shop.

 I went to the British Red Cross on my way home from volunteering and bought a Spanish top (from Barcelona) with a lovely lady printed on it. I plan to wear the jeans and top on Saturday when we go to Ely. It's the OH's birthday so we're going away for the weekend. Dinner with brothers in Kettering on Friday night and then off to Ely early Saturday morning for an overnight stay. Naturally, I'll be having a rummage but not for holiday clothes!

In fact, I'll be looking for a new rucksack and some walking boots. I went walking on Wednesday with the group to a very small town called Olney, about 12 miles from Bedford; in the county of Buckinghamshire. It's a really pretty little place but I didn't take many photos - only one.

 It rained throughout the entire walk (all 7 miles of it) and my feet were very wet. My boots are supposed to be waterproof and this had never happened before. When I got home and inspected them the material on the uppers had split or torn and that's what let the water in. New ones are required.

I really liked this house i n Olney. The ground floor windows are weird because they seem too small for the style of house, but made of lovely stained glass - and the wisteria is beautiful. I haven't got the colour right in this photo, but then I'm no expert.  I just point and click and hope for the best!

Wednesday's outfit.
Skirt from Age UK (it's since closed down, I'm very sad), top from £1.00 rail at Keech Hospice; necklace from a charity shop in Donegal; brogues from Tesco in the half price sale. Tights on line. Earrings, Sainsburys. Watch and bangle charity shop.

Denim jacket - charity shop.

Whilst I was in Olney, I explored their three charity shops and I bought the most beautiful green Chinese style jacket for a fiver in the Willen Hospice shop. I need to press it first and then I'll post a picture of it. It's very dressy, so I can't see me wearing unless I'm going anywhere a bit special - or maybe I'll just wear it on Friday night and be overdressed!

Oh, go on then - here it is in need of pressing, mind...

I like that the frogging does up on a slant and it has embroidery on pointed sleeves...(it looks very shiny in this photo but it has a nice sheen). You also can't see what a beautiful shade of green it is; this photo doesn't do it justice.

Look, pointy sleeves!

I wore this on Thursday. I started out with long sleeved white top but I spilt Frappuccino down it on my way back from doing the Lidl shop. 

Everything is charity shopped and this skirt was the first thing I bought for the holiday in Spain. I don't know if I like it that much, so I think it might be going in the charity shop bag...

Another bathroom selfie. This is to show the 60s vintage necklace I bought years ago in a charity shop. I know it's vintage 60s because when I was 11, my Uncle Paddy bought me the very same one! He had no idea about buying children presents - being a long time bachelor - but I was delighted with my Christmas present from him back in 1965. He worked, for a time, on the news stand at Paddington Station and used to bring me Agatha Christie paperbacks every week. RIP Uncle Paddy.

On Friday I went walking by myself and walked 8 miles. I saw this beautiful deep pink flower bordering an oil seed rape field and was intrigued by it.  I've never seen it before and have no idea what it is. Does anyone out there know?

I know what this is - it's a cornflower!

Part of my walk takes me along a quiet byway called 'Carriage Walk'. It was once the drive way to the residence of the Earl of Asburnham and it's an avenue of stunning horse chestnut trees...

When I lead my walk on the 15th June I'm planning our mid way break round about here.

'Under the spreading chestnut tree'....
from 'The Village Blacksmith' by Longfellow

There was an abundance of lilac.

The air was full of the sound of skylarks. Vix of Vintage Vixen here has said she doesn't know what a sky lark sounds like, so here's a sample for you, Vix -  listen here

This is Friday's outfit.
 I couldn't be bothered to dress up to go out for dinner; particularly as we would be eating curry and 99% of the time I manage to get some on me!

Maxi dress, charity shop; Top Shop waistcoat; charity shop, orange shoes; Taunton charity shop

Earrings, beads, bangles, orange ring and watch all charity shopped.

Hope you have a fab weekend!

Supplementing my pension.....

Friday was a horrible day here. It was cloudy and grey and the wind was cold. I went for a short walk around Bedford and did 4.5 miles. It was not field walking weather at all.

This is Friday's outfit. Skinny jeans, Primarni. Floral pumps, Primarni. Top, bracelet and watch charity shopped. Necklace belonged to my mum. Earrings, Sainsburys.

This cardigan was needed for warmth! I bought it last week in Rushden at the Salvation Army charity shop for £4.00, brand new with tags. It's from Next.

On Saturday I went to see my son.

My perfect navy trousers; £3.50 in Cancer Research. Navy top ; Store 21 sale, shoes Oxfam and the piece de resistance; the green jacket 99p from a charity shop in Taunton last weekend. Beads, earrings and bangles charity shopped.

I went to a car boot sale on Sunday morning. I bought two tops, a brooch, some spotty drinking glasses and some notelets. I thought I had got there late but in fact I was too early! There were only 3 stalls up and 2 more were being unloaded. I didn't hang around  - I had a busy day ahead.

On Monday I was at the charity shop volunteering in the morning, did the school run and then at 6 pm I was invigilating at an exam at the university where I used to work. This is what I wore on Monday.  By the time of this photo I had removed my rings and bangles as my fingers and hands tend to swell up by the evening. My wrists and arms are rarely empty.

Doing little bits of paid work helps supplement my occupational pension.  I don't get my state pension until I'm 65 and six months, which is more than three and a bit years to go, so 'every little helps' - as the advert says! It's especially useful when holidays are coming up.

 Since I retired I've worked as an evening carer for 6 months; going from one client to another in their own homes. I loved it, but it was poorly paid as travel time was not remunerated.

Last year I worked for the local council opening and processing postal votes  - we had 5 elections in all - in April and May; poll clerked on voting day and then invigilated  later in May. I'm also an invigilator for the Open University but so far they have not required my services....

Black skinny jeans; Lidl. Kimono, shoes, top, earrings and necklace; charity shopped. The shoes were a £1.00 find last year in the 3:16 shop and the blue top was also £1.00 from Save the Children.

I'm waiting to hear back from the Council about postal votes opening for the  EU Referendum in June. If they do want me then that's a little bit more money earned...

Fingers crossed!

I'm linking up with Patti's 'Visible Monday' here and Anne's '52 Pick Me Up' here with my beige cardigan.

Obsessions...

I'm on a bit of a Monica Dickens (great grand daughter of Charles Dickens) reading mission at the moment. I read 'One Pair of Hands' at school and followed it with 'One Pair of Feet'.  I read 'The Listeners' some time ago (I picked it up in a charity shop) then I got 'Mariana' as a Persephone book present  last year and then another one; 'Winds of Heaven' for Christmas this year.

This isn't my Persephone edition, of course, bur the original Penguin edition!

 I checked to see what the library had of Monica Dickens books

 and requested 2 which I've not long finished reading, I requested some more and I've just picked up 6 reservations; all from the stacks.

 I'm a bit obsessive about authors I like; I try to read their entire back list, if I can. 

Fabulous vintage cover!

I'm helped in these endeavours by my public library and thank God we still have ours. It's a wonderful resource. Today, whilst picking up my books, I saw a youngish man doing a very large jigsaw; a young woman, her friend and a small child doing a craft project, people reading the papers, using the photocopier and choosing books, DVDs and CDs. (Apparently, they do digital downloads of both books and music too - which I must check out). Upstairs in the library, people were using the computers; the reference section and the local history section. When I was doing my degree as mature student back in the 1980s; the local history section was a godsend. They also have a 'Knit and Natter' group on a Wednesday afternoon; public talks and lectures throughout the year and toddler/baby activities, too.

Let's hear it for our public libraries and let us cherish and preserve them!

I'm a bit obsessive on the whole, really. If I like something I want lots of it or to engage in it a lot - walking, charity shopping to give just two examples. Perhaps I'm just greedy?

 I like loafers so I have to have pairs in lots of different colours; I like to crochet so I have collected wool  in every colour while I'm out charity shopping.  I've stopped now because I have run out of storage for wool, but I was tempted by some purple wool yesterday. I like earrings, so I have earrings in all colours and shapes and have a collection of more than 300! I like bangles and have them in all colours...still seeking the elusive yellow ones, though!

I like books and keep buying them, even though storage space for books is almost all gone and I could never read all the books I have - even if I started tomorrow and read everyday until I die! Still, I'll never be short of something to read will I; especially if I get to the point of not being able to make it to the library. Really, I should stop getting books from my library and just read through my shelves at home. That was my plan originally but I keep reading book reviews and then I go to the library to track them down and so it goes on. And on...

At least my obsessions are harmless and I can accommodate them in my home - I've not had to resort to piling stuff in the hallway and on the stairs and in every room until it's inaccessible like some real life hoarders do!

Today's (Tuesday) weather was a bit of a shock - rain - after 6 days of sunshine!

Earrings charity shopped; ,as is the blue and green top bought last year as the summer ended, for 99p.

When I started out this morning, these green Laura Ashley trousers (charity shopped) were crisply ironed. When I went into town for a bit of a rummage - I was seeking navy blue, Capri or 7/8 trousers; I stepped on a loose pavement and ended up with a very wet foot and soaked trouser bottoms!

 The blue cuff was 20p from the Salvation Army in Rushden last week. Blue loafers bought two years ago in an on line sale. I did find the perfect pair of navy blue trousers today - hurrah!! I also bought a lovely blue striped duvet set to replace the one I've just given my eldest grandson.

After almost 8 months he's finally found a room in London near his university. As he works in a restaurant in Sloane Square as well, he frequently  travels back to Bedford late and because I live close to the station, he's been staying with me  a lot of the time. I shall miss him but he'll be back for Sunday dinners!

I did the winter to summer clothes changeover this week. What a pain in the arse it is! Anyway,  it's done  now and as is often the case in my case - the weather changes. Here's what I wore on Wednesday. I walked 6.5 miles on my own and got caught in the rain and got soaked!

I still haven't painted my toenails....

Loose trousers charity shopped, top donated to me by my daughter, sandals charity shopped.

I bought this watch in the 3:16 charity shop. I like the big numbers on it.

Earrings and necklace charity shopped. The necklace was a bit itchy so I won't be wearing it much I don't think.

This is Thursday's outfit. We walked in a village called Old Warden only 4.5 miles but what a beautiful day it was.

Loose trousers from Bedford Market - a fiver, I think, last summer.

Top, loafers, earrings and watch - all charity shopped. I think I've caught the sun on my meanderings. At least I've remembered to put the sunscreen on!

How's your week going?