Speke Hall and Garden

A few weekends ago Mam and I went to the Tatton Park Flower Show. As part of the organised coach trip, a visit to a garden of interest is also included in the price. This year we went to Speke Hall and Garden in Liverpool.

It was raining when we got there, so we took the opportunity to have a look round the fascinating house (no internal photos, sorry, as photography wasn't allowed).

It's a fascinating house, 'One of the finest Tudor mansions in the country', says the guide. For a nominal fee you can join a guided tour of the property with one of the costumed volunteer guides, or you can wander through the house on your own too. Speke Hall, as it stands now, dates from the period 1490-1612, but there is evidence of an earlier building on the site (having been mentioned in the Domesday survey of 1086).

The estate has been owned by many families over the years and different parts of the house itself have been built, restored and refurbished by them all. Some of the rooms and furniture date from Tudor and Jacobean times, but the history as told within the house itself centres on the Victorian era and Adelaide Watt, it's final owner, who lived there from 1878 until her death in 1921. It has been in the ownership of the National Trust since 1943.

The mansion is big, but it isn't huge; it feels very lived in and you can actually imagine a real family (and their servants) spending their days here. You can wander through most of the rooms, though a couple are roped off and you can just view them from doorway. The rooms are all furnished, many with huge ornately-carved wooden pieces, and there are loads of tapestries, paintings and ornaments to look at too - though I was most taken with the intricate William Morris wallpaper (some original!) in nearly every room.

Each room has a descriptive textual guide which points out the items of most interest (an eavesdrop in the courtyard, hideaways in walls for persecuted priests, fossils in the stone floor of the Great Hall, to name a few) - and every room also has a room attendant who is ready and willing to answer any further questions that you have. The various bedrooms, morning room, billiards room and dairy were interesting, and I loved the Great Hall with its huge portrait, fireplace and suit of armour. But my favourite rooms were the kitchen and scullery which I thought were fascinating, with lots of strange-looking implements and cooking paraphenalia to view (and the room attendant here was particularly knowledgeable and enthusiastic). 

By the time we finished our tour of the house, the rain had stopped and the sun was peeping out, so we enjoyed a walk through the relaxing and peaceful gardens - punctuated by the occasional plane flying VERY low overhead (part of the old Speke estate was sold to what is now Liverpool John Lennon Airport). I didn't mind this at all, far from it, I got excited every time I heard the woosh of the engine as each plane took off (so excited, in fact, that I never actually took a photo!) Anyway...

The gardens as you can see today were created by Richard Watt between 1855 and 1865, and restored in the last few years by three National Trust gardeners in his mid-Victorian planting style. The rose garden (photo above) looked really pretty and the scent was gorgeous, and the south lawn (3rd photo) was very impressive - the estate's gardeners must spend an awful lot of time on its upkeep. The moat borders (5th photo) were designed by Graham Stuart Thomas in the 1970s with lots of dark foliage (Cotinus 'Royal Purple', Corylus 'Purpurea') and splashes of colour in the foreground (daylilies, astilbes, paeonies, echinops, etc).

There's also a stream garden to explore; the north lawn with its evergreen borders; children's play areas and views over the Mersey estuary; and views of the Welsh Hills from the woodland estate walk.

My favourite area in the garden was the long border opposite the house and bordering the south lawn. I'm more of a fan of the lacecaps, but the colours of the mop-head hydrangeas here were stunning.

The garden is open all year round and the house from March to mid-December. There's also a great little shop (including plants for sale), the Home Farm restaurant for a bite to eat, and there's lots of events on throughout the year in both the house and garden (the Victorian Christmas Weekends sound fantastic). You can find out more at the National Trust's website on Speke Hall. We had to return to our coach to travel to our hotel for the night so we missed out on a couple of areas in the grounds - so I'd thoroughly recommend spending the whole day on a visit if you get the chance.

Fabulous Florals for Folksy Friday

The weather has been pretty rubbish lately - especially on a Sunday which is usually my day of pottering in the garden. So to save me from getting withdrawal symptoms, this Folksy Friday is on a floral theme. All items have been chosen from the August A-teamers (who are listing every day, just like the July Jesters and all before them).  As usual, click on the links to find out more about the individual items.

Okay, first of all: me! I've been listing these cutesy little hair slides in my The Needle Works shop. Different colours are available - and more are to come. Perfect for that sweet little girl in your life (but would actually look great on a 'big' girl too!)

This 'Rosalie Fabric Heart Cushion' by Polka Dots and Posies is vibrant but so romantic too. It would look very pretty on your bed, piled up with other shabby-chic style cushions and a cosy throw.

I love the colours of the floral beads in this 'Pretty Fairy Garden Bracelet' by Jinja Jewellery: so soft and fresh. There's so much detail in this bracelet too - can you spot the little fairy charms?

This bright and amazingly detailed 'Sunflower Print' from Passionate About Photography would certainly cheer you up on a cold, cloudy, drizzly day.

Lonely Hearts has these 'Perfectly Pretty Chrysanthemum Studs' available in pale blue or pink. Wow, I love the pink! Wish I had my ears pierced... 

Bring some of the evocative scents of the garden into your home with this cute 'Lavender Bag' by Adien Crafts.

Or how about personalising a bag or cardi with these sweet and simple 'Flower Fabric Buttons' from Cwtch?

And finally, store all your pins and brighten up your sewing table with this gorgeous 'Aster Lilac Flower Pin Pot' from Granny Ruth's Gift Emporium.

I found an amazing array of florals when I browsed Folksy looking for items for this blog; only a few of them are listed here. So if you're inspired by fabulous flowers, please take a slow wander through the handmade horticultural delights on Folksy - I'm sure you'll find something that you love!

Food, Glorious Food

Wow, where does the time go (I think I may have said that before!) Sorry about the lack of posts, mainly due to an exceedingly slow laptop. Never mind, I've got new anti-virus software which has checked, cleaned and defragmentalized its way through all my files, so things seem to be running much better.

Trinity Handbag

Of course I'm still really busy with listing every day for the July Jesters on Folksy too. Not long to go now; the end is in sight! I've posted a few images of a few of my latest Bliss Knits listings here.

Sunset Flower Brooch

Hubbie and I had a gorgeous tea tonight (even if I do say so myself!) - pork & herb sausages and caramelised shallots with garlic mash, strips of red pepper, green beans and mushrooms, followed by home made raspberry ice cream sprinkled with Flake shards. Yum!

Cup Cosy

I was especially pleased with the ice cream, this being my first attempt with the ice cream maker that I bought yesterday. It was really easy to use and we had a delicious SHOCKING PINK dessert in 20 minutes. I like the idea of making low fat, healthy ice creams, using fresh ingredients and no additives. This recipe was really simple but very tasty: fresh raspberries (shop bought unfortunately as the blackbirds have finished my crop), Greek yoghurt and caster sugar. It was slightly tart but I sprinkled chocolate on top and it worked really well.

Big Spender Scarf

I read someone's blog a couple of weeks ago (sorry I can't remember who) and she extolled the virtues of making your own healthy frozen desserts. And then we had a charity 'beach party' event at work last week where two of my colleagues set up an ice cream shack with a huge and varied selection of flavours (cucumber, mint and white wine anyone?). So thanks to Emma and Richard (and the mysterious blogger) for inspiring me to make my own. I'm quite excited about trying out some weird and wonderful concoctions, and I just hope that the hot summer weather comes back again so that we can enjoy them properly outside in the sunshine.

Pink Yo-Yo Brooch (from my new Folksy shop, The Needle Works, for all of my non-knitted or crocheted items)

So, for probably my last July Jester blog, I've chosesome items on a foodie theme (some more tenuous than others!) Thanks to my fellow Jesters who have included me in blogs of their own - and well done all of you on that amazing sales tally (nearly 900 sales this month - so far!)

I love the shimmering colours of this Twisted Fish Pendant from Mirribeads.

Booties by Dannie don't just make booties! - this fab Apple Cosy will stop your fruit from getting bruised on the way to work.

These Lucite Maple Leaves and Flowers from The Little Bead Box look like little yummy jelly sweets to me!

As if I need any encouragement! This Typography EAT Fine Art Print from IAlbert would look great in a dining room or kitchen, don't you think?

Iyobo Design has some gorgeous jewellery for sale, like this Turquoise & Gold Bracelet; it reminds me of expensive chocolates in sumptuous foil wrappers.

A funky gift for the tropical-fish-keeper man in your life? Fishy Cuff Links in fused glass from Poppyfields Design.

And finally, a beautiful, 'I dream of Paris' necklace from Whimsical Wren Jewellery (Paris = love = food, right?)

Hope you all enjoy the rest of the week!

I'm a July Jester - part two

Where does the time go? That's 7 days of the July Jesters gone in a flash! But there's still another 24 days left - which means 24 new items to be listed in each of our Folksy shops (1 each day). Wow, that's a lot of things to make. Better get cracking...

But first, here's what I've listed in the last 4 days: packs of four coasters in either pale blue or peppermint green - perfect for alfresco dining in this glorious summer weather, or even for that lovely picnic in the countryside as they're light and easy to pack, and machine-washable! If it's a posh picnic or alfresco lunch then the apricot floral napkin rings would be perfect for bringing that bright summer feeling to your table (again in a pack of four).

And finally from me, another teardrop keyring but in a lovely yellow cotton, sprinkled liberally with lots of shiny black beads and four beaded tassels to add a bit of movement. There are different colours listed already in my shop, with more to follow. Great for spotting your keys at the bottom of your handbag, or you could even use it as a bag charm itself.

And on to some of my fellow Jesters; a few of my favourite listings from the past few days:

This purse by Leanne Woods Designs is so sweet; I love the bashful look on the ducks face - and the fact that he brings his 'girl' flowers. Who could resist?

I love this millefiori red hearts & charms bracelet by Just K Jewellery. The hearts actually remind me of strawberries, and along with the little red chillies and silver flower charms it's the perfect summer accessory.

These sock zebras from Lonely Hearts are custom-made to your own colour specification. Aren't they just so cute?

This beautiful butterfly album by Dottie Designs can be personalised and would be a really special gift for someone to display treasured photos in.

This tribal shell necklace by Kirstys Creations would look fab with a low-cut summer dress and a suntan; a lovely statement piece!

And finally, Polka Dots and Posies has created this gorgeous cupcake cushion - personalised for your own sweet little girl.

Hope you like my picks today. Click on the links to find out more about the individual pieces - perfect presents for a friend or loved one, or a lovely little treat for yourself!

I'm a July Jester - part one

I'm now a July Jester!

Some of the lovely sellers on Folksy have taken up the challenge to list a new item every day for a month. This has been a huge success in previous months with sellers supporting each other through the Folksy forum, personal blogs, Facebook, etc; making new friends; finding new shops that you didn't know existed - and that all important, making more sales!

So, three days into the month, I'm a fully fledged July Jester - I've managed to list every day so far!

This tangerine handbag is bright and funky and perfect for those summer outings.

And either of these flower brooches - deep pink or pale green - would look great on a summer jacket, cardi, bag or hat.

My fellow July Jesters have listed some gorgeous items too. Here's a very varied selection of my favourites from the first three days (click on the highlighted name of the shop to find out more about each piece).

I love the colours of this 'Lovebirds' wall art by Made by Lolly; it's so full of detail too.

This bookmark by Fairly Girly has a sweet little heart attached which says 'Thank you'. A great present for a kind person in your life - and again, gorgeous colours!

For fans of the Twilight books and films (me, me, me!) there's this great pocket mirror from Gifts Shack - available in 21 different Twilight-inspired designs.

This bumble bee paperweight from Kettle of Fish would fool the real thing, and be a great reminder of summer all year round.

These earrings by Mildunkley Beads are really sweet; quite simple and delicate, and of course I love the flower design!

And finally, I think the sentiment on this apron by HWR Designs was written for me, and wearing a gorgeous apron like this would definitely improve my baking skills too!

Check out the shops on Folksy for some great presents - or treats for yourself. I'll blog again in a few more days with my latest favourite items. Have a lovely Sunday!