29th July, 2016...Breathtaking Brantwood and the peace of Furness Abbey!

Well, we've had our few (rainy) days in The Lakes, and I would thoroughly recommend the Waterhead Hotel in Ambleside...it was lovely!

We caught up with a few Herdies......

...visited some literary places.....

...ate a few scones.....

...went paddling....

...but...wow...I haven't visited Brantwood before, and that place was stunning!

I've looked at that little annex room with the leaded windows before, on photos, but now I've stood in it, and pretended I actually lived there..It's the annex to John Ruskin's bedroom; the actual room where he died...it has atmosphere, believe me...in fact, the whole place is beautifully preserved, and well worth a visit!

                                                  ...and coffee with a view in the café too!

Back to the peace and tranquillity of Furness Abbey today.....

...and Jackie's lemon drizzle cake...you've got to get yourself down to Abbey Mill Café to try some...it's on a par with my sis-in-law Lou's lemon drizzle and that is superb too!!

A bit damp underfoot down here today, but lovely and green...

Ha ha!

Can't beat the English countryside......oh, and don't forget this at the end of the month...

Last word to John Ruskin...

23rd July, 2016...Inspirational people at the end of term!

Phew...we made it to the end of another school year...and there have been some scorching days this July!! Much cooler today though, so we headed down to Furness Abbey to start the hols as we mean to go on!!

On a mission to cool down the other evening, we walked up to How Tun Woods.....

...to find the first blackberries are already out and ripening nicely!!

Oh yes.....I've acquired myself a DOG too!!!

And a slightly slimmer Steve Hillman!!! People who know us know the story!!!

We took our year six pupils down to see the Duke of Lancaster regimental parade on Tuesday...little did we know it would be delayed for an hour, so we had to wait in the boiling hot sunshine.....What we didn't know was that the Mayoress and her party had spotted us all waiting and wilting, and had  driven to the supermarket to buy waterbottles for us all! They pulled up alongside the Duke of Edinburgh pub, where we were waiting, and handed water bottles to all the kids, which we were so grateful for...but what a lovely gesture.....so good to find out that there are still lots of caring people about, despite...well we all know the answer to that, don't we!

The parade was stunning as well, and worth the wait...our year six children looked on in awe- they know something about the regiment because a former staff members brother fought within in it, and was killed in action....I've done a lot of work this year on 'role models' with the kids, and this parade was quite poignant for them.

Superb, and a lovely way to round up what has been a tough but very rewarding year....not least because I have been lucky enough to work with some inspirational children and colleagues...

...the sort of kids who will say 'I wish I wasn't leaving your class, but have you seen my latest dragon sketch!' and the sort of colleagues who will say 'Let me make you a brew...you look frazzled!' They make the job worthwhile......!

Heading up here next week for a few days in between Steve Hillman weddings!