A room with a view

A series of pictures taken through a window.

Caught in the act!
Squirrel has no problem scaling the pole to steal the birdseed.
Tadley B&B

Watching the pheasant shooters from my bedroom window.
I wasn't fast enough to catch the young deer on film as he ran away from the guns.
Baughurst.

Baughurst bedroom window

2nd floor rose.
Chieveley

The Sax on Bell Hotel, Saxmundham.
My first night in a hotel in the UK!

Not a great view, but impressive.
Bury St Edmund Cathedral.

A scene from high up in St Edmund Cathedral.
Bury St Edmund.

A silhouette. Taken from the dining room table.
Stony Stratford 

A view of the Calverton church.
Shoulder of Mutton Pub, Calverton.

Southwold bedroom window.
Garden could use some work... if I'm there in spring I'll give it a go.

Scenic walk in Thatcham

Nature Discovery Centre, Thatcham, West Berkshire

In spite of the icy weather (4 degrees when I left home, 3 degrees when I arrived at the centre) I had a lovely morning. I did the Open Water and Wetlands Trail, and then took a stroll around the lakes - totalling 5km.

Lunch at the little restaurant to warm up, was chilli con carne - delicious! And not too expensive.

My first view of the lake, from the restaurant/bookshop

A gloomy day...

The welcoming committee

I love my endless pathways

Peaking through the trees

I wonder what this looks like in summer

And this. Must be rather beautiful. Will have to come back.

Under the train bridge

... reflecting...

I thought this looked interesting. The reflection of the tree lighting up the plant life under the water.

Looking across the water at the discovery centre

This little guy was sitting in the tree, and while I was getting the camera ready he dropped down onto the post to pose for me.

A little splash of colour

Autumn

Think I should have brought some bread?

They do know they are pretty boys. 

Break 3: Stony Stratford, leading up to Christmas

Last weekend of November 2014 - break number 3. An old school friend invited me to spend a long weekend with her and her family in an old coaching town near Milton Keynes.

I'm in love! This is where I'd like to have my base.

The weekend started with the Xmas fair, lantern parade, and street lights switch on.

An electric train set that is set up every year by a local railway club. Three trains, all sorts of little Christmassy things along the side.
 I had loads of pics but moving trains blur, I've found...

A Gavioli organ which my friend's husband John Page restored in 2003, when it was 100 years old. I went into the back to see the inner workings, the scrolls of paper punched with seemingly random holes. Suddenly, something that I'd never given a second thought to, has become a fascination.

Link: Details of the restoration. http://www.johnpage.co.uk/organs/restoration/gavioli/gavi1.htm

There was a lantern making workshop earlier, and as the sun went down, lanterns were lit up and paraded down the high street. Very creative! 

A well earned Guinness and Sunday Roast to end off a busy weekend. We walked the 2km to the Shoulders Of Mutton Pub in Calverton. Shoulders Of Mutton!

And speaking of shoulders of mutton....

A lovely English scene, from the front steps of the All Saints Calverton Church.

Part of the graveyard

Round the back of the church, which was closed.

The icy cold walk back from the pub and church, hands shivering, that's my story.

My own yellow brick road, or is this the one that's paved with gold?

Or we can just call it beautiful.

St Edmund's Church, Southwold

The parish church of Southwold is dedicated to St Edmund, and is considered one of Suffolk's finest. Built over about 60 years, from the 1430s to the 1490s, it lies under one continuous roof. It was built to replace a smaller church that was destroyed in a fire in the 13th century.

Here's an interesting article I found, by Simon Knott:
http://www.suffolkchurches.co.uk/Southwold.htm
It talks a bit about the town, and has some lovely pictures and anecdotes about the church.

I have been to one service here. The Armistice Service. A real tearjerker, but beautifully done. Thought provoking speeches - I just hope that we all remember what was said and what it all means. Easy to get caught up in the moment, and then let life take over again. We WILL remember.

All lit up at night, taken during a stroll through the graveyard.

Quite an impressive sight. 

The sun rises behind the church - pic taken from the bathroom window.

Outings - Aldeburgh, a day at the beach

My first walk barefoot in the sand pebbles.

Beaches in England are not one bit like Cape Town's beauty spots. Instead of powdery white sand and turquoise water, here I found the most beautiful collection of pebbles. No barefoot running along the edge of the sea, but that's a small price.

My "landmark" pic. So that I remember in months to come where I was that day. Nifty, huh?

Also known as Amber Coast - easy to miss lumps of amber found here. I missed it. Saw some lovely brown pebbles though. Wish I'd kept some of them to polish up.

It may not be soft white sand, but it was still a lovely walk. A bit windier than I'd have chosen...

Two giant metal scallop shells inscribed with the words of Benjamin Britten.

I sat picking through these stones for ages. Very therapeutic.

Thought of you, Mum, when I saw this pavement special!

The obligatory foot photo

It was the sea rescue open day, so we stayed to watch the launch of the boat.