25th January, 2015....Stunning photography at Furness Abbey!

A strange week of weather....Hawcoat had some snow on Wednesday morning but there wasn't any in town. Some beautiful sunrises and low winter sunshine, frost and todays gloom. The perceptive camera of Steve Hillman has captured it all.......

Stunning!!! We've been asked by lady who writes a wider Barrow blog if she can use some of our Furness Abbey photographs, so that's plenty for her to choose! Gloomy down here this weekend though....

We had a chat to Abbey Mill's Jackie about plans for The Abbey Tavern now it has been purchased by English Heritage. It will be incorporated into the fabric of the existing museum, but not for at least two years. In the mean time, it is becoming more and more run down...it's such a shame...

What about Wolf Hall...!! That was the best bit of 'period' TV I've seen in ages. The characters told a stand alone story instead of having to re-tell the history (in case you didn't know it), and Mark Rylance was stunning as Thomas Cromwell. I loved the little OCD touches...him straightening the table cloth and wiping the goblet!! I don't know if Thomas Cromwell himself visited Furness Abbey during the Dissolution, but he would be kicking himself now knowing he missed the Abbot's grave and treasure!

I met up with my long-time friend from Canada on Tuesday afternoon. She left Barrow almost twenty five years ago, but sadly had to return for a funeral. It wasn't the best place to meet up but it was lovely to see her, and hear the life story of her father-in-law, another 'born and bred Barrow' person. The old peoples home where she worked isn't even there now, which was a shock to her, but we picked up pretty much where we'd left off....and she still can't use technology...phones, computers, cars!!!! Barrow Girls Grammar School is not there now either, so it will keep our secrets at least!

Ruth was the queen of the 'zip-up collared cardigan'!!!! She wore it so well!!

Doesn't Abbey House look beautiful in the morning light!

Only soft, grey light down here this afternoon.....Frankie is sporting the 'hoody' look so well! We walked further along the Roose path today...some weird old trees to look at....it's well worth setting off from Flass Pits (is it still called that?) and walking right through to Abbey Mill.

Especially with this waiting for you at the other end!