Post 13: Happy Place

photo courtesy Phillipa Turnbull

Today all but six of us went to Alan Bank in the morning. The Wordsworths lived here for a couple of years and many of their friends visited. It is now a National Trust Property with lovely grounds, wildlife and views of Grasmere.

We were originally going in the afternoon, but the forecast was for heavy rain so our program was swapped around to beat the rain.

It still rained, but not as heavily as it did in the afternoon.

photo courtesy Phillip Turnbull

Not everyone who went managed to see a a red squirrel, but Phillipa did, and took a couple of lovely photos which she generously offered me to use in this blog.

photo courtesy Phillipa Turnbull

Some people came back to the Ryebeck after Alan Bank, others went shopping in Grasmere.






I was one of the six who stayed behind to stitch. We all kept working on our current projects - three on Jenny's, three on Nicola's.

I focused particularly on the wall, filling in the moss and organic matter between the stones. It was really enjoyable - a  sharing, relaxed, productive time.

I was then able to work the second of the tower primulas (mine looks more like a hollyhock - but who's classifying?)


This is roughly what it looked like by the time everyone returned and we had lunch. Phillipa's daughter and business partner, Laura, had lunch with us. It was lovely to meet her in the flesh.










From 2-5pm we had another session with Jenny and focused mainly on the rhubarb leaves. These were a little tricky. The needle angles and fine spacing of the top and bottom of the blanket stitch determine success.

By 5.20pm I was pretty happy with my day's work - and my eyes could do no more.

I just had time to get my pinot grigio and head into the lounge where we assembled to watch Miss Potter.


I had wanted to see this movie but missed it at the cinema.


I'm glad I did, because this was a marvellous way to see it - in the Lake District, on a pull-down screen, in front of a grey, cloudy, wet Windermere and the lights over our embroidery classroom.

We stopped the movie at 6.55pm when dinner was ready and resumed afterwards, only to find we had stopped it about 3 minutes before the movie ended. It caused much hilarity. There was, however, a substantial and useful supplementary clip of the making of the movie which we watched as well.





Throughout the day there were many discussions about how to make the most of our remaining time, the best way to organise future retreats and what we like best about being together.

For me, this was just about a perfect day - inside in the warm, with good company, stitching what I want, rain outside, good food appearing at regular intervals - topped off by a pretty good film about the woman whose work our embroidery honours while surrounded by her landscape and weather.
                                                                           🙏