stone walls and the grass is green

with huge apologies to the wonderful Saw Doctors (for the title that is) but just sprang into my mind as I realised I'd not mentioned our stone wall spotting of late


in Mull - a perfect example of the traditional Highland dry stone wall - a jumble of huge boulders in a single layer that you can see through (lovely late at night)

 and in Carreg - a true example of the intricate Llyn walls with the grassy infill

spottings inspired by our trip last month to the National Stone Centre and it's amazing Millenium Wall - read here for more about:


Highland walls


and


Llyn walls

and if you want to catch up with the song, it's N17 by the Saw Doctors and here's some great early footage

Thank you for the days

Now there was some speculation about the birthday week theme - Mike proposed 'estuaries' (Mersey, Esk and Thames) but it could also have been 'an L of a time' (Liverpool, Lakes and London) or was it even 'ends of the line' (Lime Street, Ravenglass, St Pancras).  However you look at it - it was nothing short of a perfick birthday week full of amazing surprises and beautiful people and places.

Pretty short on blog writing time just now, so this is a sort of 'listings' of the week as it panned out, surprise by surprise.  And hopefully over the coming weeks I'll flesh out the days with pics in new posts.  Click on the links below to find out more.

Friday 25 November

• Dinner a la Greno with Jane and Bob to kick off the celebrations

Saturday 26 November

• Over to Liddypool, packed for any eventuality!

Sunday 27 November

• Alice in Wonderland exhibiton at the Tate, wind howling round the dock outside
• Shop in a festive Liverpool

Monday 28 November                                                                                  Click for photos

• Mum's 91st birthday at the top of the fabulous Panoramic Restaurant in Liverpool, our lives spread out below and little ferries chugging back and forth across the river

Tuesday 29 November

• Daytime: Champagne afternoon tea at the Hard Days' Night Hotel with surprise guests Pat and Dave
• Evening: Brilliant Saw Doctors' gig at the Phil - Red Cortina acapella was amazing. Review

Wednesday 30 November

• Surprise jaunt to the Lakes via Langdale and the old Dungeon Ghyll Hotel.
• Hair raising drive over the Hard Knott Pass to the wonderful Rosegarth Guest House in Ravenglass
• Room six overlooking the sea.
• Fab meal at the Pennington Hotel

Thursday 1 December

• Bracing walk over the dunes with the Irish Sea pounding alongside
• Wasdale Head and its ancient Hotel
• Drive back in the moonlight - glistening on Wastwater
• Pub meal at the Pennington again

Friday 2 December

• Last breaky at Rosegarth and final walk down to the beach.  This is my Tripadvisor review
• Coastal drive down through Grange-over-Sands, Morecombe Bay spread beneath us
• Quick re-pack back in Sheffield

Saturday 3 December

• Off to London on the early morning train
• Dump cases at the Hox - great top floor rooms
• 'Backbeat' at the Duke of York - brilliant. Review here
• Brunswick House Cafe with Jamie and Jess - just A-mazing!!
• Final nightcap at the newly refurbished Gilbert Scott bar in the fabulous St Pancras Hotel 

Sunday 4 December

• Brunch in the Hoxton Grill
• Tour of BBC Broadcasting House, including 'up on the roof' experience and sitting in Jenni Murray's chair! 

Monday 5 December

• The View Tube's fabulous Container Cafe and glimpses of the emerging Olymipic Park
• Loved Anish Kapoor & Cecil Balmond's ArcelorMittal Orbit - might well be first in the queue to go up this one!
• Rotor's fastinating exhibition OMA/Progress of Rem Koolhaus's practice, at the Barbican
• Last train of the night up to dear old Sheffield

and to end with some music!  Listen here Migs, cos it was such a week of endless 'perfect days':

and this from the long haired days . . .





Thank you X X X