30th July, 2018...Countryside and Seaside!!

After a weekend of rather heavy rain, we had to pop down to Furness Abbey this morning to see if the beck was back...…….

...…..this was Friday...….

…...and this was today....

...there is a little water flowing, but not much...…

...couldn't decide what to wear today, so wore it all!!

It is only July but already the swifts are darting....

...there was about fifty of them in the meadow, along with greenfinches feeding on the thistles.....

...and we got in to the conversation about which is nicer....countryside or seaside.....

…...actually we love them both!! We did finish the school term on a high note, over a week ago now....

….great pupils, great colleagues, great friends, wonderful gifts for which I am so grateful...…

...and a hoody which I thought I was never going to be able to take off again!!

27th July, 2018....Lyme Regis and an early Autumn at The Abbey!

Well, the temperatures hit 37 degrees celsius in some parts of the UK yesterday...including the M6 that we were trapped on!!!! It was 'Lorryhitsbridgegate' and we happened to be travelling back from Lyme Regis just at that time....we did a detour around Blackburn, Clitheroe and the A65, which was also gridlocked but at least sitting in that twelve mile queue allowed me to view the beautiful Pendle Hill- I've always wanted to and never have!!

An arresting site! Talking of lovely views....this has greeted us every day this week.....

...ever since viewing The French Lieutenant's Woman in the 90s at some point, I've always wanted to visit here, then reading Tracy Chevalier's Remarkable Creatures a few years ago made me decide.....

...it's a lovely 'old fashioned' sea side resort, and the Mary Anning angle and fossils of the Jurassic Coast add a historical twist.....and The Cobb.....

…..loved it!! Loved seeing information about the making of Persuasion and French Lieutenant too, in the quaint little aquarium on The Cobb....

...we've stood there and had a light lunch there!!!!

Someone else taking the photos for once....everyone fascinated by the 'mullet feeding'!!

It is quite scary what the heatwave is doing to the landscape though.....

...these photos from today look like early Autumn don't they....

...look at the beck....there is no beck!

School is finally out for this one....that's why he's smiling!!

15th July, 2018..'It's been a good year for the roses...!'

Well, since the last blog we've had no rain to speak of and temperatures of 25 degrees celsius or above, and the land is beginning to show the strain....look at the usually green fields around Furness Abbey....

...bit of thinking time for the Hillmans...

...and a spot of morning tea at Abbey Mill café of course!

The roses in my garden are loving the hot, dry weather, and look at these.....

...but lots of other plants are suffering, and the blackberries are miles behind!

The beck is more 'Treasure Island' than 'Wind in the Willows'- little bit of a hint there!!

 Furness Academy, one of the local secondary schools, held its first community 'festival' yesterday, and they deserve to be congratulated because it was a brilliant event. Local schools were invited to join their pupils and some other local performers for a family day of entertainment and fun. It had a lovely 'vibe' and a very safe and friendly feel- our school choir got to perform and the SteveHillman camera had the chance to catch a snap shot of the event...

...I think the Mayor enjoyed it too! Thanks so much to the staff and students from Furness Academy for organising the event, it's great to see communities coming together like this.....

….and only one more week until we send some of our brightest and best kids up to your school to join you!