the silk route

Going back to August now - just to cheer us now it's wet and miserable outside!!

After Emma and Tom's 'LOVE'ly wedding we stayed at the fabulous Wellington Arms at Baughurst - my review says it all!!  Perfect!
Then left with a whole day to ourselves off we set to explore the delights of Hampshire.

First stop, after trundling over Watership Down (yes, really!!), was the Whitworth Silk Mill and as someone who loves habidashery departments almost as much as stationers - this was nothing short of heaven!!  

Just look at these bobbins and colours

Anyway, making a hasty exit as the pensioners' coach tour pulled in, we headed to the nearby Iron Age hill fort - Danebury Ring.  Absolutely the most massivest hill fort we've ever visited and so impressive.

Totally impossible to capture the size and feel of this place on camera, and the wildflowers everywhere . . .

and so it was up back up into Oxfordshire and a welcome barbeque with old friends

On the art trail

Loved this Epstein on Einstein

Jacob Epstein's "Portrait of Albert Einstein" today at the wonderful, timeless . .

Where we'd gone to see the equally wonderful Hockney exhibition

Which was quite amazing, especially to see his early work while still a student at the RCA. Photos not allowed but you can read more here:
Walker Art Gallery David Hockney
Or a great review here: Guardian review
And after some seriously good cakes in the cafe off we went for a meander around all the old masters in this historic art gallery which Mum so well remembered visiting with her Mum in the 1920s!

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Beating the bounds

Autumn is upon us!
Walk in the woods with my dear friend today.
Caught in a shower, fabulous light on the hills despite a grey sky.  Home and dry now!

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