Liberty Print Wellies

Ages ago, I wrote about the fun Tamara Henriques Wellington boots, and now that we’re being hit with the remnants of Hurricane Ida, good wellie boots are in order.  Luckily, I got an e-mail from Liberty saying that they’re now selling wellies with two of their distinctive prints on them.

You can get them in either the Bourton style or the classic Caesar print. Which do you like best?

Red Poppy Sunday

In the UK, today is Remembrance Sunday. This date was established after the “Great War”, which was World War I. But then WWII came along, and then several other conflicts, including the current ones.  As I mentioned in my post last year, paper poppies are sold everywhere to raise money for veterans of the numerous wars and conflicts. Everyone wears them, from punks to pensioners to posh tots. They are sold in Tube stations and in grocery stores. They unite the country in a very visible way… in a way like nothing here in the US does. British forces all over the world, from those currently serving, to the aging Chelsea Pensioners, stop to remember their fallen comrades spanning the generations.Please take a moment to remember those who have lost their lives to ensure our freedom and safety, both here in the US and all over the world.

Remember, Remember…

Remember, remember the fifth of November,

The gunpowder treason and plot,

I know of no reason

Why the gunpowder treason

Should ever be forgot.

November 5th is Guy Fawkes Day in the UK. It’s the day that the plot to blow up the Parliament Buildings in London, along with the King was thawrted. To celebrate, bonfires were lit across the country.

The tradition continues to this day, with the lighting of bonfires to celebrate, and to burn the Guy in effigy, and fireworks to acknowledge the role of gunpowder in the plot.

I’ve gone to two Guy Fawkes bonfire parties. The first was with my former housemate, and we knew that the Princess Royal (Anne) was going to be lighting the fire in our area, and so we spent about an hour trying to find some old ship where the fire was being lit. Of course, never saw the bonfire, but we did see the Princess Royal as she was leaving.The second bonfire I went to was with my cousins, and we watched the neighbouring school shooting off fireworks and then we went to a dinner where they had a massive bonfire in the garden! It was a little strange seeing the fire, because there has been a ban on open burning where I live, since I was a child. People have big parties, and even wear Guy masks, which are all pretty identical.

Happy Guy Fawkes Day, and don’t go blowing anything up!

A Ghostly Tale

It was about this time of year, maybe a little later. I was driving with a friend from the horse races at Chepstow in the Welsh Borders, back to our house in Cardiff. We decided to take a detour to look at White Castle which dates to the13th century, although there is evidence of a fortification there before that time.It was just before sunset, so we were the only people there. We parked and walked through the outer ward, through a 13th century gate and headed toward the bridge over the wet moat. From there, we would enter the inner ring of the fortifications through the inner gatehouse.  As I broke the plane of the gatehouse, it felt like I was walking through a curtain. I felt a bite of chilly air and had a flash of the scene before me: lots of people milling around, cooking fires, activity and light and some noise. Then it was gone. We walked around the inner ward until it got too dark, and then we headed home. I didn’t say anything about what had happened to my friend, thinking that he’d say I was nuts.

A few weeks later, I was back in the States and sending my Christmas letter to friends around the world. I mentioned what had happened at White Castle in one sentence. Several days later, I got a call from my friend back in Wales. He was shocked! He had had the exact same experience as I had but didn’t mention it to me for the same reason I gave.

Do you believe in ghosts and other-worldly experiences like this?

I’ll Take This: The House on St. Mary’s Lane

About ten years ago, my parents took my siblings, their children and me to England for much of the summer. We rented two knitter’s cottages in the small Cotswold town of Tewkesbury. The houses were beautifully sited, just around the corner from the incredible Tewkesbury Abbey (which you can see in the background to the left of the house) and just a short three-minute walk to the Severn River. Two of the three adjacent cottages were owned by the Landmark Trust, and the third (on the right) was privately owned, although it was also restored by the Landmark Trust.Imagine my surprise when I was looking through the Guardian’s real estate pictures today and I saw one of the knitter’s cottages for sale for the somewhat reasonable price of £275,000. Inside are three bedrooms,  a sitting room, a dining room, a study and a kitchen. Outside the garden is a mere courtyard. It also has a garage, which is both a rarity and a convenience. The view from the back of the house looks over the Severn River, the Ham and across to the Wye River and the hills beyond.Since I already know this house and the town, I will take it!