Fairytales, Feminism and Far Too Many Dogs: A Day at Polesden Lacey.

Polesden Lacey seems to appear out of nowhere. One moment, you’re pootling the tree-lined, semi-suburban streets of Great Bookham in Surrey. The very next, you’re abruptly turning in under the low, lemon-and-white-painted arch of the lodge and sailing down a long drive towards what Elizabeth, the Queen Mother once described as a ‘delicious house,’ with parkland rolling away to either side of you. Perhaps it was the effects of the low January sunlight, shining straight into our eyes on the day of our visit, perhaps it was the fairytale feeling of the landscaped gardens, but the feeling of having suddenly slipped into another world never quite left us…..

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A Sunday Walk to Clifton Ings

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One of my favourite Sunday activities - and something I’d really like to do more - is to walk from Lendal Bridge in the centre of York, down the riverside path to Clifton Ings. Originally an eighteenth-century racecourse on the outskirts of the city of York Clifton Ings is now an open space which functions as a temporary storage area, or wash-land, for flood water coming off the River Ouse in the autumn and winter.

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Japanese Patterns.

Several months ago, friends of ours returned from a trip to Japan and, because they are very generous, and, because we had been cat-sitting for them, they very kindly brought us a whole bag of gifts! It's no secret that in this household, we're a bit obsessed with Japan and so it was wonderful to receive presents from a place we've been dreaming about and planning to visit. However, what struck me most was the variety and beauty of the patterns decorating many of the items: 

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