27th April, 2014... Abbeywatch and Oscar's!

A gormet's delight today, lunch at AbbeyMill, dinner at Oscar's, Abbey House....Frankie's idea of heaven!!!

 

Had to have my old favourite today, and very nice it was too!!

 

 

It was lovely down here today, a mellow spring day, very flowery and green, and we met the Irvings too...though they wouldn't be photographed for the blog!!

 

 

 

 

We were on the other side of the tracks today as a train came past and that is ...scarily close!!

 

 

Now....on to Oscar's...we finally had an excuse to try out the new Abbey House restaurant, and I'm pleased to report.....

 

 

 

......it was lovely!!! Great food, very 'swish' ambience, and it was busy and buzzing!

 

 

Delicious main courses.....

 

 

......superb desserts....

 

 

 

.....and my children taking 'selfies'!!

 

 

It was great to catch up with the 'non-barrow based' contingent of the family too!

 

 

So well done Oscar's...nicely crafted food, at a very good price!!

 

 

Frank has his eye on my brother's Jag!!

 

 

He had a quick tour of Hawcoat, and is now transfixed!!! He's having a day in bed on Sunday, he says, after his frantic social whirl on Saturday!!

 

 

So, Frank in bed and SteveHillmanphotography at a Grange wedding (good luck to the happy couple)...a quiet Sunday for me......ha ha, Sunday is not quiet if you are a teacher!!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

18th April, 2014...A 'cracking' Good Friday!!

What a beautiful spring day...so by ten this morning we were out walking down here!!

 

Glorious!!

 

 

It's funny how we still like to get 'out and about' after all these years....though we look much older these days (see below!!)

 

 

We are a little bit wider than we were twenty years ago!!

 

 

 

Where does time go....your kids take it off you, that's where it goes!!!

 

 

Tom busy basking in the spring sunshine today too!!

 

 

 

We managed to get into the museum and have a look at the Abbot's Crozier today...that is fascinating and worth a look....

 

 

Piece of ancient ash from the length of the crozier.....

 

 

Abbot's ring, also found in the grave...

 

 

Frankie found it all very weird, especially that the grave laid undisturbed until 2010...and who was the Abbot, he wanted to know???

 

 

Morning latte at Abbey Mill to follow!!

 

 

There are some beautiful walks around here, especially along side the river..we even saw what we think was a cuckoo this morning??

 

 

 

 

Nice to have a few days off.....tomorrow sees the start of another round of SteveHillmanPhotography weddings...Good luck to all the up and coming brides and grooms...hope you are all looking back after thirty years with a certain fondness!!

 

 

Back to work on Wednesday...! (Those are actually BULLOCKS!)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

15th April, 2014...warming up nicely in Cumbria!!

It was a blustery weekend for SteveHillman Weddings, but by Monday afternoon the weather was looking great....

 

......always busy at Abbey Mill though!!

 

We took nana for a rather blustery visit to the docks and coast, but I think she enjoyed it!!

 

 

A whole troupe of 'Windcats' passed us in the Channel...I think they service the offshore windfarms; they make an impressive sight all sailing out to Morecambe Bay together.

 

 

Stunning skies this morning so we decided to head towards the Lakes today for a change, and it was beautiful!!

 

 

 

Thirty plus years since I started my teaching career...right here....as did many of my colleagues...Charlotte Mason grew great teachers!!!

 

 

We bought a mixed media painting from Dave Pooley recently, of the Bridge House at Ambleside...it was beautiful and reminded us of doing our 'courting' here when I was at college. Check out his website...he's amazing!

 

 

 

And that was the start of.....THIRTY YEARS of parenthood for us too...and it's nowhere near it's dotage yet!!!!!

 

 

I've even been allowed to use the camera today....although it was only the small one!!

 

 

Frank want one of these, but his backside is too big!!!

 

 

Lakeland Motor Museum definitely worth a visit if you want something to do during the hols....nice view from the riverside café too!!

 

 

My new car!!

 

 

Frank's not a teenager yet, but he can't help being 'glued' to his phone!!