Homeward Bound....

Via Ashbourne, for tea and cake in the St John Street Gallery - some lovely bits and pieces, including paintings and prints by names such as Barbara Rae, and Donald Hamilton Fraser. Of course, we also oohed over a couple of lovely quilts draped over the mezzanine level - we are crafty types, after all. A bit of a grey day, as if to remind us that our holiday was coming to an end.

A pretty little building on the main street.

To Helen's house, which is always a joy for us too infrequent visitors. Mr H had provided several different pizzas with exotic toppings - my new favourite being pear and St Augur cheese, which was just delicious... Haven't made it myself yet, but I will! The best thing about going to their house is doing the wander round... What's changed? Where's the new artwork? How are the chickens?! So, lots of sighs of delight and enthusiasm from me and Karen...!

One of Helen's beautiful artworks on the wall...

Amongst so many other lovely things, a new print on the stairs, some zany sculptures by the boys, and a chance for me to see Karen's gorgeous lap quilt, made for two special 'H' birthdays last year...

One of Helen's beautiful vases, and a gorgeous print by Helen Rhodes.

Cat, crochet, cake and yet more chat - just in case we hadn't managed enough whilst we were away.

And, next morning, before we left, a last look around at all the lovely things, little still life groupings, assemblages, and the chickens. Until next time...! xxx

One of Mr H's fun pics.

Bakewell Tarts...

Time to catch up with our second full day in Derbyshire, which dawned frosty and cold - but with a beautiful view from the house. But, oh, what an embarrassment to find out that we had missed the Aurora Borealis the previous evening, as we knitted, and nattered, and drank wine. Ah, well. It's something I've always wanted to see, but I'm sure I will. One day!

A wander round Wirksworth, first thing in the morning, and a visit to the Farmers' Market - so characterful and full of characters!

Nice hat!

Then off to Bakewell, famous for its tarts. Over the bridge, and into town, passing the now ubiquitous padlocks - or is that a little cynical of me? It's a bit like those pictures of teddy bears or garden gnomes, taken in front of the Eiffel Tower, or Grand Canyon - just too many of them now!

Cakes, tarts, meringues, bread, cheese, and all sorts of other good stuff to eat, in delightful and individual shops. A quirky little dog, carried by a glamorous and indulgent owner, and a lovely flower shop tucked down an alleyway caught my attention.

Time to head home, and I was captivated by this hilltop and its trees as we sped past in the car.

A quick stop at a fabric and sewing shop; based in an old church with fabrics displayed on the old pews, it was one of those places where I could easily spend a small fortune, so enticing were the colours and patterns. But... I'm sensible these days. No, that's a good thing. Really.

I took a quick walk when we got 'home', up onto the path behind where we were staying, and discovered a lovely view of the town stretched out below.

A bit of knitting, a bit of knattering (yes, correct, if the nattering is mainly about knitting), a fab dinner made by Helen (cake by Karen!) and then off to the Northern Light Cinema to see Enough Said, a lovely, funny, and thought-provoking film starring James Gandolfini and Julia Louis-Dreyfus, which I'd heartily recommend - we all stumbled out afterwards wiping tears away! The cinema itself is really charming - each seat is covered in mis-matched fabrics, and with armchairs and couches in the back rows, with tables to put your wine glass on, it makes for a very glamorous and civilized evening out. I'd imagine being a regular there if I lived in Wirksworth - no wonder booking is essential!

Walking in Wirksworth...

Perfect place for a lunchtime stop.

A couple of weeks ago I headed off to Derbyshire to spend a few days with my two inspirational gal pals... We've done this for the last few years - getting together in the depths of winter to stay somewhere interesting, and to do a bit of creative thinking, doing, and exploring. This year we stayed in Wirksworth, and we all took wool, crochet hooks and knitting needles, with the intention of doing a bit of wooly creating in the evenings.

This has been ripped out and started again three times now... I'm not very good at knitting!

We rented a house through Airbnb, which came complete with a resident, three-legged, fluffy ginger cat who required feeding, and attention, and who probably couldn't believe his big, fat, jammy luck that Karen was staying - the softest of soft softies when it comes to cats. She always obliged by scratching those 'hard-to-reach, right there, under my chin', places for him, made particularly tricky without one of his back legs... I do believe she'd have been happy to pop him in her commodious, floral shopping-bag, and whisk him off to join all the others she'd left behind at home!

Of course, the reason we go away for a few days is because it's lovely being somewhere new, and seeing everything with fresh eyes. Within moments of stepping out to explore, the morning after arriving, we were noticing all sorts of interesting things.

A piece of fencing just round the corner from where we were staying - great colours.

A father and daughter we met en route into town...!

Lovely Delicatessen filled with bread, cheese, olives and other tempting stuff.

Proper shops.

Great name for a chemist shop - B. Payne & Son!

Better-than-usual barber.

A junk shop so crammed with stuff we left for fear of causing damage!

The houses are sturdy, stone-built affairs, piled up higgledy-piggledy on the slopes of the town. In the distance the hills are topped with the skeletons of trees waiting to be clothed in the new season's green.

Pretty little house squeezed into a gap - I wonder how far back it goes?

...and Helen made us each a little wreath as we wandered around the cobbled streets.