Day 28 : Metalwork Fox

Morning revealed the river still moving gently and reflecting light.It was not exactly a sunny day, but it wasn't raining and was still.

The swans were in evidence on the other side of the river.

I did not, however, have time to watch the river, but set off for the Palace and my needlework class.

The unicorn is still there to welcome me. The spring flowers were out in brilliant colours.



There were 13 in our class, three young Japanese women with limited English, a woman originally from the US but now living in England, myself and 8 women from various parts of England.



We were working on Becky Hogg's Metalwork Fox kit. Becky has a range of charming metalwork animals.



We spent the first hour and a half padding  our fox with layers of felt.

We were in the stock room, the one with the round windows, where I did my first RSN class in 2015.


It has good views over the gardens and the windows open - a good mechanism for controlling the heat in the room.

We learned four basic metalwork stitch techniques, passing thread, purl pearl, chipping and cutwork.



At lunchtime I visited the RSN shop and had a look around. It is always interesting to look at the various bits casually left around the classrooms. This is part of a crewel piece.












By 4pm I had a little bit of three of the techniques worked.  I am reasonably familiar with all four, but not practiced in any of them. I do so prefer to finish a project step by step rather than doing little bits of each - but understand why this isn't possible in classes like this. Becky Hogg's instructions and demonstrations were very clear.



This is where I got by the end of the day.

The Palace was closing as we left .

I stopped to photograph the ceiling of the Anne Boleyn Gate.

I thought the design might translate well into embroidery.

Back at the hotel I tossed up whether to continue working on the fox, or continue with Nicola's Herdwick. I think it better to finish the Herdwick first.


I managed to get to dinner before it got dark in order to catch the last rays of the sunset.

The swans were active, moving all over the river.
































A lovely day bookended by Old Father Thames.

Post 27 To Hampton Court

Up reasonably early this morning to say goodbye to Mark who had an early golf match. I had been a bit concerned about being picked up by the car I had booked to take me to London. There is no vehicle access to Pene and Mark's house. However, I received a phone number for the driver by 7am. Pene was able to ring him and tell him where to meet us and we walked down the hill, with Pene making sure we got my bags down OK.

I was sad to say goodbye - but we have had such a nice time it only feels like au revoir.

My driver chose the A303 rather than the M roads. The scenery was not very varied, but there was scenery. It was either wooded areas or rolling plains.

I learned a bit about my driver - born in Romania, lived in South Africa and the Philippines, came to England because one of his children developed a health condition that was exacerbated by the heat and humidity of the Philippines. Doctors recommended a cool climate by the sea and a friend suggested his home town in England. Their son had totally recovered, speaks 5 languages and is doing really well at school. They visit the Philippines regularly and he intends to move back there when his children are established post-school. It is much easier to make ends meet in the Philippines, but he is sure his son would have died had they stayed.

This is the world in which we now live - but our policies do not seem to have caught up with that.

He gave me little snippets of information about the journey - but respected my space and privacy.

One of the reasons he chooses this route is because it passes close to Stonehenge. As he predicted, I could tell when we were getting close because the traffic banked up and slowed. No one can pass Stonehenge without being drawn to look at it.

It appears near the horizon from quite a distance

It then seems to emerge from the landscape.

and there it is. I haven't seen it since 1984 but it is still moving.





Somehow the ring of tourists only adds to the impact

along, of course, with the sheep.




After that, the journey was uneventful.





The receptionist at the Mitre asked if I was here for the needlework - thought she recognised me from previous visits.

My room is comfortable and warm. There is space to sit and stitch (light permitting) and there will also be space to completely empty and repack my suitcase ready for the home journey.


The view isn't spectacular - but I can see the river, which is what counts.


I managed a little cluster of buds on my Herdwick piece during the late afternoon.

There was a function in the downstairs   bar/dining area, so dinner was in the upstairs restaurant, where the Christmas lights have been left up. Apparently they look very pretty from the bridge.

I was a little late to watch the water life but I'm sure there will be plenty in the morning.





My RSN class is tomorrow - so I shalln't have a late night.

Post 26 Lynton and Lynmouth

Today we set out around 11 am for Lynton. There is some lovely scenery - even just outside Appledore, it is really picturesque.

Everywhere there are trees worth photographing.

We went via Westward Ho to call into one of Pene and Mark's building sites where the rubble removers had been locked out. They had tried to climb over the fence, but they are well-built lads and were afraid of destroying the fence. Mark was over in a jiffy.



I have been trying to photograph these Devon Banks. An alternative to hedgerows or dry stone walls, these are earth banks with plantings along the top.



It is quite hard to capture them in a way that shows how they are different to hedgerows.

We drove through the Valley of the Rocks, an extraordinary, rocky valley, where Mark and Pene have been to see outdoor theatre - including a performance of Lorna Doone.


It would be an experience to see it in this setting. It definitely has the feeling of the Doones!

At Lynton we walked up to the funicular railway.













The view from the top is spectacular.















I stood at the front with the driver and video-d the descent. I'm not sure if the video will work in the blog.




























At the bottom is Lynmouth another lovely little village on the mouth of the river Lyn.




















We had lunch in the Red Lion. I had Bouillabaisse - and a single Porlock Oyster - delicious.

Back up on the funicular and detour via a Sculpture Park.

Mark took us through Westward Ho to prove to me it was a town. I had always assumed that Westward Ho was a rallying cry, not a place.

It certainly is. It has a surf lifesaving club, which I didn't manage to photograph.





The long beach is subject to flooding and shorn up with 'pebbles' - which turned out to be stones of very substantial size.















It also boasts the oldest golf course in England, the North Devon Golf Club, located on land where sheep graze, and people walk

It abuts the sea and the banks of pebbles.


In spite of the hazards (or perhaps because of them) it is a much sought-after golf course.

golf club

By now the mist had well and truly come in



There has been a lot of building in Westward Ho - in spite of recent floods.


We got home about 5. It has been a lovely and interesting day. My last in Appledore. I am very grateful to my hosts for their generous hospitality and company. I am so glad I came.