English countryside

2017 Weekly photo challenge (week 23) Favourite

~ Making Stitches ~ 9 Comments

So this week’s prompt for the photo challenge is ‘favourite’. I couldn’t narrow it down to just one thing, so here are a selection of my favourite things…

Favourite thing:

If I could close my eyes and be anywhere right now, it would be on a leafy woodland walk in the English countryside on a spring or summer’s day. It’s something I miss a lot living where I do, and it’s always one of the highlights of my trips home to visit my family in the summer – we always have to have a woodland walk and a picnic!

Favourite place:

That said, I do live in a very beautiful part of the world and my very favourite place in Gibraltar has to be the Med Steps! I have a bit of a thing about greenery… did you notice? 



Favourite pastime:

I have been inclined towards crafty things since being a child, I remember attending my first craft fair at the age of about 8 or 9. It was at a National Trust venue near to where I grew up (Tatton Park I think) and was in a series of huge marquees. 

I was blown away by, first of all, being in these big tents, but also the sights and smells that greeted me and the wonderful array of crafts on offer. Suddenly my eyes were opened to the possibilities that I could one day make some of these wonderful things myself.

I left with a burgundy leather wristband to match my corduroy pinafore (child of the 70s/80s you see) which smelt divine and my heart had been lost to the world of crafting. My lovely Gran helped forge that love of craft. On my annual summer holidays up to her home in Scotland, she introduced me to embroidery, sewing, knitting, crochet and through her next door neighbours, smocking as well. 

My favourite make from my holidays spent with her has to be this duckling embroidery made from a kit. I made it on a visit up north of the border and gave it to her as a thank you for having me to stay one summer (when I was about 14). It now hangs in my parents’ house and it reminds me of Gran and our summers whenever I see it.

In more recent times my favourite make has got to be this rainbow granny square blanket I made for the Sixty Million Trebles project. I love the colours on it.

Favourite food:

It’s a tough one this, as eating is one of my favourite things of all time… would it be roast beef with Yorkshire puddings? Chocolate? Cream cakes? No, it has to be fish and chips eaten out of paper by the seaside! You just can’t beat it! 

I’m linking with Nana Cathy and Wild Daffodil for this weekly photo challenge throughout 2017.

A Postcard from springtime Suffolk

~ Making Stitches ~ 10 Comments

Two weeks ago, we all hopped on a plane, said goodbye to Gibraltar and headed off to England for a few days.

Our destination…. Suffolk. Southwold to be precise, but also Beccles too for the special day that was to be a Postcard family wedding. More on that later…

It’s eight months since we were last in Southwold. It’s a special place for us which we have visited many times over the years. Regular visitors to this blog may remember my posts from here last summer… A postcard from Southwold & A postcard from Southwold Pier

It was so nice to be back on the pier admiring the view into town and towards the beautifully painted beach huts.

There weren’t as many visitors in town as we’d experienced last August, but there were still some folk around doing the touristy things. Oh, and maybe eating a portion or two of fish & chips…

Southwold is such a pretty place.

There are cute little cottages around every corner.

Oh, and did I mention I have a thing about beach huts?! 

Oh I do like to be beside the seaside…

We went crazy and had a go at the two pence penny pushers in the pier amusement arcade.

We swerved the Punch & Judy show, although it did have a decent audience who persisted through the show while being blown by strong sea winds.

It may have been a bit grey at times, but that didn’t spoil our fun.

The roadside verges and people’s gardens were bursting forth with the most beautiful spring displays. Excuse me this indulgence please, I miss seeing spring flowers like this!

Oh the blossom!

And just look at this quaint architect’s office, complete with coordinating car!

I do like a colourfully painted front door…

One evening we set off across the fields behind the town and leaving the grand Victorian homes behind us, headed into the fenland towards the harbour.

Within a short walk we were by the river and tucking into a delicious pub meal. The gorse flowers glowed in the setting sunshine.


So, the reason for this jaunt to England during school termtime? We had a wedding to attend. 

Tucked away in the lush green countryside near Beccles is White Dove Barns. Surrounded by fields of crops and cattle and looking glorious was the venue for the nuptials.

The converted farm buildings were just so English and so, so picturesque.

As the registrar got everything ready for the ceremony I sneaked in to take a peak before the guests arrived.

And after the ceremony, this is the room where the reception took place.

The renovated old barn was so pretty, and the table settings, just gorgeous.

The beautiful flowers on the top table were stunning and so springlike. 

Even the wedding cake was covered in flowers. 

It was a really beautiful venue and the perfect backdrop for a very happy day.

With the happy couple successfully hitched, we had time for one more delicious breakfast at the Adnam’s brewery and another wander around Southwold before heading home.

There she is, our Rock. Thank you, Suffolk, it was lovely to see you again! Until next time…