18th September, 2016....Motivation Madness, Belted Galloways and Grammar School!

Well...we've all settled back into the school way of life...Frankie has had the toe operation and survived, and the Hillman Camera is finally catching up, so we've had time enough today for a Furness Abbey walk. The weather has been stifling this week, but it was flat and cool today....
                                                                                    

...and a few signs of the changing season around.......

I am suffering with terrible heel pain at the moment, which is a disaster for me because I love walking so much...! I've tried every sort of shoe, but the only comfortable ones are Sketchers trainers with memory foam, so I've been wearing these every afternoon at work, despite some funny looks!! If you know me, you know I'm never happier then when I'm 'rocking the boat' so I'm quite liking 'trainergate'! So, we thought we'd shake the new cohort of year six children up a bit too, and gave them some 'Motivational' workshops this week, delivered by Tim Hall of BeGo Coaching....and after telling the children he could teach them to juggle in 30 minutes, he did just that!! It was great fun and it did get me thinking about a few things too.....

.....I'm never lacking in motivation, but sometimes I can't get rid of other peoples negativity out of my head....he gave me (and the kids) some great ideas for that too! It's worth booking him for your school!

There's a lot of fuss going on about 'Grammar Schools' at the moment...are they devisive.....do they stop social mobility? I went to Barrow Grammar School for Girls, coming from a council estate and a big family, and socio-economic position had nothing to do with how you got on there. Some of the girls in my year from more affluent backgrounds behaved appallingly and were certainly not the most intelligent or dignified or kind, but I guess that's the same in any school. BGGS girls were a very mixed bag, and where we've ended up had nothing to do with affluent families and everything to do with hard graft. One of my work colleagues was a few years above me at BGGS and she says exactly the same! And the literacy consultant we now use at school was also a BGGS girl, from Barrow. I'm not against school excellence.....I hope Furness Academy continues along that path as far as it can.

My desk at the moment says it all!! Nice coaster from my mum when she visited Canterbury Cathedral in the hols (without ME!!)

A new breed of cow down at Furness Abbey today...three little Belted Galloways have appeared in amongst the Fresians in the meadow....very cute and 'teddy bear' like!

Funny what you bump into in the town centre on a Sunday...we had no idea this  parade was happening today....we just happened to be passing.....it was the Battle of Britain commemorative parade I think.....

...and Frankie's eye was more drawn towards the five litre Ford Mustang that was parked opposite the Duke!!!

There have been some beautiful sunsets and moonscapes this week too...

...no rest for the Steve Hillman Camera...

...so we've booked ourselves in here for a mini break in October!!

4th September, 2016...September Suprises!

Wow...did it pour down yesterday (shame!)...the Medieval Fair at Furness Abbey went ahead regardless, and was a great success I gather...beautiful down at Furness Abbey today though....

.....and a lovely surprise yesterday morning at 4.45am when our friends/colleagues first baby arrived, a little bit early, and judging from his face this morning, he is one happy daddy!! It did get me thinking about family....

...here's my kids, about eleven years ago! They've been my number one priority, from the first day 31 years ago when the older one was born...it has always been my default setting...get home to my husband and kids. My family has always been there for me and I hope I've been instrumental in extending that for my kids-nothing else matters really.

Nothing like a new baby to make you reflect, is there!! Poor Steve Hillman...he's on his knees, with seven weddings waiting to be edited, but at least he's got the main 'season' done! He's had some lovely venues to work in this year.....

.....but Abbey House seems to be everyone's favourite at the moment, and it did look lovely today, in the autumn sunshine. Only fifteen more weddings until Christmas- oh, and the famous 'Wedding Fair' with our lovely friend and colleague Gracie!

We had to finish the holiday in the same way we started it...afternoon tea at Abbey Mill Café, but Frankie is not going back to school, as he has his toe operation on the VERY DAY when he's due to go back....he's so sad about it!!

But...in the mean time....POLDARK returns tonight!!!!

28th August, 2016...Summer's end and Swarthmoor Hall!

(photo from last August end!)

When summer's end is nighing
  And skies at evening cloud,
I muse on change and fortune
  And all the feats I vowed
  When I was young and proud.

So here's an end of roaming
  On eves when autumn nighs:
The ear too fondly listens
  For summer's parting sighs,
  And then the heart replies.

I love that poem by AE Housman....it kind of sums up how we feel at the end of the summer break...all the things we vow to do all year "in the summer holidays" but when it happens, we just kick back and muse...then it's September again!! Back to work for me on Thursday, but the SteveHillman camera has had no such holiday, and after three weddings in a row, is back to another one tomorrow, then three next week, and so it goes on. So...looking for peace and tranquillity on a rare day off, we headed to Swarthmoor Hall, which is getting a pretty good reputation for being a 'gem' of a place in the Low Furness countryside......

...I like that sentiment.....

...and the place really does ooze historical presence...it's so well preserved...

...and the gardens are lovely...

...and a creepy feel to George Fox's bedroom!!!!

Cumbria County Council used to use the conference facilities at the hall for teacher courses and meetings...I remember meeting the fantastic Barry Hymer here on a philosophy course once...the place had a wonderful sense of peace and purpose, that appealed to me back then...it's well worth a visit!

Had to finish with a bit of high tea at Abbey Mill Café though...

...it has a sense of history all of it's own, doesn't it!! Some stunning venues for the SteveHillman camera this week...

he particularly liked the quirky wedding at The Wild Boar...

...but not the puncture he got in HIS beloved Landrover......the rush was on to get it fixed in between weddings and Kwikfit in Barrow were great, so thanks for that lads!! Last words to George Fox today...

17th August, 2016....Welsh Weddings and Wonderful Weather!!

Phew.....we were so luck with the weather this week, when we visited the beautiful county of Powys, and the Shropshire borders, and the countryside was stunning!

We stayed in a quaint and very quiet place called Bishop's Castle...it was so quiet...and the hotel was lovely. It was about as rural as you can get in the UK I guess...no phone signals and not much TV either, but stunning English countryside...

...we do seem to find old buildings and cobbled streets wherever we go!

We did give this estate of 'eco-houses' a second look too....but they were rather out of our price range!!

The SteveHillman camera had been asked to shoot the wedding of a friend of his, at Mellington Hall, which was just across the border into Powys....really secluded and very gothic, and the weather was perfect....funniest sight of the day was the groomsmen in their kilts, playing football in the sunshine, with the barefooted bride taking penalties!!Lovely flowers courtesy of POSH from Barrow too, who was also at the wedding, and kept us very good company, along with Mr POSH!

The Hillmans look quite civilised when not in walking gear, don't they!! We did meet some lovely people, from all over the UK...

....and Frankie liked the look of the 'Cheesecake' wedding cake!

So congratulations to Paul and Helen!! We thought we'd have a little wander down to Furness Abbey this afternoon, after the long car journey.....

...and it was looking ' picture perfect' in the August sunshine...

...back to our scruffy walking gear! Finally feel like I am on holiday from my job...but back to it in a couple of weeks...if you know me, you know I love my job, so that's not a problem!! No let up for the SteveHillman camera though...still got five more weddings to shoot at this tail end of August!!