On our travels!

 Yes, after 20 months we managed a trip to the UK where we were able to catch up with friends and family. It was a lovely time and the sun shone for most of it which was great although the last few days were distinctly damp.

Lovely to be out and about in the Somerset countryside too - the narrow roads and high hedges were a welcome sight after the wide open fields of the northern Dordogne. And the sea! So good to see the sea again.

So I will launch straight in to some photographs.

This weather worn boat was in Watchet Harbour - I love that splash of turquoise on top of the right hand pole.

We managed to arrive in Watchet on market day - it was busy! So we took our picnics to Blue Anchor bay and sat on the beach looking across to the Welsh coast. From there we drove inland to Staple Plain where we walked up to the top of Beacon Hill. The heather was in full bloom and glorious.

In the second picture you can see the stunning view down to the coast.

At the top - you can just see the beacon on the right.

On another occasion we visited St Martins church at Kingsbury Episcopi for an interesting exhibition documenting cider making in the parish and the local families and businesses involved. I spotted this lovely door in a corner of the church.

and these 'drunken' graves outside.

I am surprised that Health and Safety haven't been round and condemned that gravestone! Some years ago we visited another graveyard in North Somerset where council workers were pulling over tilted gravestones 'because they are dangerous'!

Anyway from there we of course had to visit a local cider farm, Burrow Hill Cider Farm where they also distill the cider to make cider brandy. 

It is cider making time and there was a large heap of apples in the yard being washed prior to being pulped.

Then a visit to Muchelney Pottery 

Sadly John Leach, grandson of Bernard Leach, died recently but for the time being the pottery and shop will be carrying on. I bought one of the lovely jugs from the kitchenware range to add to my small collection and enjoyed admiring the beautiful one off collection pieces.

Finally a lovely day out with friends at Killerton House It was our first visit and we enjoyed walking round the gardens dodging showers under huge old trees. This lovely hinge was on the door to the Church and will be added to my spiral collection.

 The Bears Hut also sheltered us - in the main room the ceiling is decorated with pine cones

and this is part of the beautiful floor.

Killerton is home to a large collection of 18th - 20th century dress and accessories. On display while we were there an interesting exhibition of sports wear including a very elaborate - and I would have thought very hot - tennis dress! No 7 in the picture.

Thank you for reading through to the end - I hope you enjoyed the pictures.

FNSI and where have I been?

Many thanks to Wendy at Sugarlane Designs for all the work she has put into FNSI over the year. Last night was our final get together for 2015 so do pop over to Wendy's to see what everyone got up to.
As we are in UK I was knitting as we watched the TV and made good progress on this sock.

I've got the complicated bit to do next!

We have been in the UK a week now so if I have not been to visit you lately then that is why - we seem to have been busy all week Christmas shopping and visiting friends.
The weather here is incredibly mild - we saw daffodils flowering the other day - but also mostly grey and damp. However it has been lovely to see the Somerset countryside again with two trips across the levels to Street and to Wells. The levels on a misty morning are one of my favourite memories from when I worked in Street. The Farmers market in Wells is always a treat - just a shame that we can not indulge in all the lovely foods on offer during our stay.
Yesterday we went to the south coast - to Seaton where the sea front was very blustery but in the town all was calm. Found a lovely little craft shop and picked up some bargain Christmas ribbons which will feature in next years Christmas makes.

Well I must get on with wrapping Christmas presents this morning - it's wet and windy outside so an indoor job is perfect.

Wishing all my lovely readers a Very Happy Christmas and a Healthy, Peaceful and Stitchy 2016.