ROCKING YOUR WORLD FRIDAY - 43RD OF 2026

 Good evening, please forgive my tardiness I wrote this very early on Saturday morning but needed the main PC to upload photos and well let us just say that I find myself on Monday evening - apologies. 

So the reason for the tardiness was the fact we've just had a week away.  We enjoyed days at the cottage we stayed at, days out adventuring, reading, chatting and slowing life down, enjoying some of the autumn treasures that the world has to offer at the moment. 

Last Friday we set off just after 12 heading to a place called Oreton which is quite frankly in the middle of nowhere, we went via Stafford (a place we know well), onto Bridgnorth and then travelled on to Oreton.  The roads would definitely give Cornwall a run for its money, so why make the grateful list, I'm grateful that we got there safely and were greeted with somewhere lovely to stay. 

We'd taken our food with us so we didn't have to venture out again, we unpacked and settled down for the evening.  The cottage was small with the main sleeping and living areas together, but the kitchen was separate as obviously was the bathroom.  We had a stunning view over the owners garden into the woodlands below and a hot tub to enjoy. 

On Saturday with glorious blue skies and after a long journey down we had a lazy day, hot tub, drinking coffees outside, chatting and reading and slowing things down. We saw the pheasants stalking around on the land, a muntjac deer wandered across the garden, we'd been warned that they are quite noisy at times and that it can be quite eerie sounding.  Birds of prey above us, the owners indicated they were buzzards and there was rather an angry crow having a go at one.  There was a squirrel having a frenzy in the apple tree.  Blue tits still dotting around, the owners two cats being mesmerised with the blue tits (thankfully not that they were in reach) and then in the evening hearing the owls and then hubby spotting a barn owl before we noted the bats fluttering around, absolutely wonderful.  

Sundays plans were scuppered when we realised that our original destination was shut, so we headed to Wightwick Manor just on the edge of Wolverhampton albeit still out in the countryside. 

A beautiful house to wander around with some great volunteers chatting to us about its history, they always bring the houses to life. 

I loved all the angles of the house

Spotted this cute bat on the outside of the entrance

Saw a nod to Hardwick Hall with the plaster frieze in the main hall

which was utterly gorgeous

and enjoyed wandering around the garden including the vegetable garden where we spied some good sized pumpkins. 

Monday and we'd booked for Blist Hill at Ironbridge now taken over by the National Trust.  It seemed not to have changed significantly, most of the shops open and working, and opportunities to see things in action which was good, albeit that lots of the items to buy were now via donations buckets which led to a lack of car park change for us which we didn't foresee.

I spied these in some of the shops, yes that is a swede that has been carved out, something my Mum did for me when I was little and I can genuinely still smell the charred swede smell when she lit the candle inside. 

The cobblers shop was like stepping back in time. 

Tuesday was a really wet day so we went to RAF Cosford.  Somewhere we've only been once before and whilst we had to run between the hangars we were under cover the majority of the time. 

My issue with it that as I'm growing older and more cynical I just see all things war as an absolute waste of human life so whilst interesting I genuinely found the day really difficult.

Wednesday and  we went to Berrington Hall another National Trust property and had the opportunity to see a Court Mantua dress, something worn in the presence of royalty from the finest materials designed to attract the most attention and with the width of the dress we are assuming this will have done the trick. 

The gold in the court mantua dress is genuine gold thread and the material is woven silk. 

The dress was sold off at some point or given away to another local house and apparently came up for sale at Christies who contacted the National Trust to offer it back to the house from which it originated I believe being purchased for around £6000 around 2015, the season then spent with specialsts tending the dress who cost an awful lot more than the dress itself.  

It is made up of a number of pieces and one of the sleeves is missing as is the main v piece at the front of the dress.  Romantics have it that the sleeve will have been given to a maid as a gift from the owner and the v shaped piece would have been re-used on other dresses. 

This dress after all its work was worn only once, as it was unfashionable to be seen in such a dress more than once.  

It reminded us of the School for Scandal that we saw at the RSC, we genuinely thought the width of the dress was purely exaggerated for comedic effect we genuinely hadn't realised that the dress was a style of the era.  

The dress is due to be put back into storage for a while whilst they come up with another way of displaying it and to rest it as gravity is not being kind so we were lucky to see it. 

I had great fun trying on some of the dresses when we were wandering around, I quite liked the look of this one, perhaps I was born in the wrong fashion era. 

After leaving Berrington we went north to Ludlow to have a wander, it was almost closing time but we found an independent bookstore and bought a couple of books and an amazing church to look around which seemed so big when you stepped inside, the outside surrounded by buildings making it deceptive. The statues on the altar were amazing.  

Thursday was our last full day and our aforementioned postponed trip on Sunday was rearranged to today.  It was the furthest we travelled from our holiday home but was a must as you all know we love our sculptures so we went to the British Ironworks Museum.

There are so many more sculptures than the last time we went and it was wonderful to see 'The Knife Angel' again.  I've still not seen the Manchester Bee although its trailer was there.  

I loved all the sculptures but here are a few of my favourites

This was created for the King's coronation

This one represents Covid

This was one of my favourite ones from the day

I love a gonk

which was hiding behind this

as you can see

All the sculptures are made from scrap and the majority (I'd say 99%) are made on site. 

I know Kate went in celebration of her birthday recently, we stopped off at the cafe for a shared scone and a shared Bakewell tart and a cup of tea and I have to say after the half scone I was stuffed so I'm not surprised that they provide boxes to take home leftovers from their afternoon tea which are simply enormous. 

It was the perfect end to our week away and we were treated to this view as we headed home. 

 I hope you've had a good week too, hugs. 

ROCKING YOUR WORLD FRIDAY - 42ND OF 2026

 Morning all tis Friday time for 

So last weekend we had a relatively chilled and relaxed weekend, which as you will know is most bizarre for us if I'm honest. 

After a busy day with jobs on the Friday there were no fixed plans over the weekend so we enjoyed some book reading and film watching, for me a little crochet and some scrapbooking and I'll be honest it was absolutely wonderful.  

We did decide to go to YSP on Sunday as we both agreed a good walk was necessary and we both really enjoyed the trip out.  We had breakfast there and this very cute robin flew into the cafe to help himself to crumbs on the floor, the staff commented that he was quite mischievous and a regular visitor.  Here he is right next to my chair. 

 Then did a huge walk down to the Weston for a new exhibition.  Can't say it was our favourite, but new artwork is new artwork.

Some Henry Moore in the main space down to the Weston

then the new artwork itself

On our return back up to the main centre we went past the huge Jaume Plensa piece in the autumn sunshine

Signs of autumn all around the park

We stopped to enjoy the view and I noted the heart shape in the ivy, something I've genuinely never noticed before. 

We went through the main formal garden and found 3 new artworks. 

This first one was most odd and the face reminded us of the mask out of V for Vendetta

From a certain angle these looked like camel humps but up close not so much

This one definitely had a feel of Beetlejuice about it and was a fair size. 

We also enjoyed a couple of films on Sunday afternoon 'The House with the Clock in the Walls' and 'Ghostbusters Afterlife' both of which I enjoyed. 

Monday arrived and the working week was long and a blur if I'm honest.

On Tuesday our son, daughter-in-law and grandson came for tea, the changes in our grandson week to week are amazing so I snook this photo of the two of us whilst he was sat on my knee.

We did however go out on Wednesday night to see 'Twelfth Night' at the Crucible with Matthew Horne from Gavin and Stacey fame (not that we ever watched it), he was very good in the part of the Malvolio and the whole play was amazing to watch with its rotating stage in the same setting that they hold the world snooker championships.  

I also spotted someone that I thought I knew and with a quick check in with my best friend who lives in the very far north of Scotland, she confirmed her eldest daughter was there who I haven't seen in over 20 years, the last time I saw her she was 4.  I couldn't miss the opportunity to go and say hello which was lovely. 

Thursday was officially my first day off but a need to sort work's petty cash was required so I dashed in to sort.  We then met up with my sister for a cuppa at Ikea before she went on her night shift and then in the evening we went for pre-theatre dining and a play at the local theatre 'The Lady Vanishes' was a fabulous play to watch set on a train and as it wasn't a musical it finished at a sensible hour.

That my lovely people were the silver linings and positive moments in my week.

I hope you manage to clock some too. 

Hugs 

ROCKING YOUR WORLD FRIDAY - 41ST OF 2026

 Good afternoon tis Friday I'm a tad late and it is time for 

So first task last Friday was a trip to the tip to get rid of the garden waste from the day before.  This has hit my list because everything aligned, we got there as they opened, we weren't waiting out on the busy road, we got rid of the items quickly and were home and changed in time for us to head out see the finale of the Pride of Lions which has been occurring over the south of the county over the summer, if you remember we had managed to find a few on our travels but with 300 to find we failed overall to find a noteable amount (the hot summer not helping).  So to get the chance to head and see all of them on their farewell tour was not something we wanted to miss. 

They were set up in a car park in Meadowhall, we paid the entrance fee (all of which goes to Sheffield Children's Hospital which is great because it means it raises even more money) and had a lovely time having a wander around, taking photos.  I got the souvenir brochure and hubby got the souvenir bottle of Henderson's relish. 

These were the cubs decorated mainly by schools and youth groups. 

I loved the face on this one

Spotting lions painted by your favourite local artists was awesome

We loved all the work on this, they had also done a lioness in pink in a similar pattern. 

There were so many to enjoy

These were my favourites, lion and lioness

Then back in for the final cubs, this one being very cute with his pumpkin face. 

Then we went to Ikea to meet up with little sis, brother and his fiancee for a coffee and cake date which was lovely. 

Saturday and my sister came over for a day of crocheting and drinking tea.  She managed to finish her scarf, I however made a giant error with the cardigan I've been making.  Kate be prepared to have a genuinely good laugh! 

Firstly this is what happens when you don't pay attention and keep going

The cardigan has no opening for neck and appears to have taken on a jumper format. 

Lots of undoing and my sister asked if I'd been making it for Hagrid, I didn't know what she was talking about until both me and hubby ended up wearing it at the same time. 

That said hubby seemed to rock the look completely! 

It definitely provided some laughter which was very much needed. So a good deal of time this week has been spent undoing all of the work, making it smaller and resewing it.  I genuinely have no idea if I'm going to even wear it, we shall see. 

Sunday and we had our son, daughter-in-law and grandson over for a proper Sunday dinner, which was lovely, hubby doing the majority of the work as normal of which I was incredibly grateful. 

Monday and back into work, a fairly busy week overall with a lot more to sort next week, but I will worry about that then. 

Tuesday evening we went to the local theatre to see 'Of Mice and Men' it was done with only two actors and was only 65 minutes long, but it was a hard hitting play and incredibly well done. 

Thursday and a day at home, we had the chimney swept in the morning, then I continued to fight with Publisher which is currently still working, trying to extract essential information whilst hubby did some batch cooking. 

Overall it's been a good week, family, art, time with hubby, theatre - I genuinely cannot complain. 

I hope yours has been good too. 

Hugs