Saturday, October 28, 2023

Autumn Musings

Hello everyone, and welcome to our small corner of the UK. It is school half term here, and both D and I intend to do some fun activities together. 

While D has been at work, I carried on working on my small Autumn display. After the success of my knitted pumpkin, I cut out some felt-shaped leaves and added some stitching detail to them. I also used some textured sofa fabric swatches to make a few other leaves. As part of the display, I have placed them on a decorative plate that used to belong to my nan. It is a lovely pottery piece with leaves trailing over it – perfect for an Autumn display.

I also planted a few lettuces in the greenhouse this week, and they are doing well. I'm sure they have grown some more since I planted them.


I don't often grumble on here, but there sometimes has to be an exception. We have had on/off-road works very close to our road continuously for some time now. First, the road is dug up for one utility to work on, then a short time passes, and the next comes with another reason to dig up bits of the road again, and so on. And each time, the activities are accompanied by the three-way traffic lights. Why? 

The post box topper on that particular road end summed up the situation perfectly, and I couldn't help but smile.  

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Hello! D here, and carrying on from Mum's Autumn theme, I noticed in the news that Charlecote Park has recently opened an Autumn pumpkin display. Great minds think alike!

We visited on Saturday morning and were very impressed. The pumpkins and squashes were knitted, crocheted and sewn by volunteers, and the National Trust hopes to display them every year. 





While we were there, we also had a look around the Hall and discovered some interesting facts and stories. Legend suggests that the famous William Shakespeare was once caught poaching on these grounds. One of the guides explained that the Hall had been extended in Victorian times and showed us several places where the Tudor rose emblem was displayed. It was on doorknobs, servant bells and the ceiling and was intended to link back to the original property, which was built in the Tudor period.

Before we left for home, we had a stroll around the gardens, and Mum took some photos of developing pine cones. We had a lovely time, and even better, the sun was also out!


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Have a lovely week, everyone.

B and D xx

25 comments:

  1. Charlecote looks a wonderful place to visit. I didn't know there were four types of fallow deer. Our local deer are roe.
    It sounds as though you have the same traffic light problems as us, causing delays and frustration, particularly when the cones are out and there are no workmen in sight!

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    1. Charlecote is a lovely place to visit and we have been on several occasions. Lovely walks as well on dry days. Today the traffic cones and lights are gone! Have a lovely week.

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  2. Aww! I love the pumpkin display!! Lots of hard work put in...
    Fun shot of the pinecones.
    hugs
    Donna

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    1. I think it took the volunteers several months to make and prepare the display but it was amazing to see. There are lots of huge pines at Charlecote and it was the perfect time to take photos of the developing pine cones. Have a good week x

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  3. I love the yarn bombing and your post box topper is very good. The pumpkins are beautiful, and so many there. I too love taking photo's of pine cones on tree's, the last photo I really like.

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    1. The post box toppers are always fun to see aren't they.
      So much hard work to make that pumpkin display but it was so good to see. The photos don't really do it justice.

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  4. Love your Autumn display Beverly, very attractive, the little acorns are really cute.

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    1. Thank you Chris. The display was a fun thing to do over a couple of evenings.

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  5. Lovely autumn display on the plate. Lots of road works around here too to negotiate around - love the post box topper. Ages since we visited Charlecote Park and those pumpkin displays are wonderful. I seem to remember an old style brewery there:) Rosie (Corners)

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    1. Hello Rosie. Good to hear from you again. Thank you for your kind comment about my little Autumn display.
      The pumpkin display is on until the 5th November at Charlecote.
      The old brewery is in the same building as the wash house. Both would have been busy places in their heyday.
      Roadworks are gone for now. Hurray!!

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  6. Your plate is so attractive, perfect for a display. What an incredible show of handmade pumpkins!

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    1. Thank you. I think my nan would be very happy that such a lovely plate still has a use today. It was just the right piece for the display. The other pumpkin display at Charlescote was amazing too.

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  7. Hi B and D! A lovely seasonal post. Wonderful sight of all the handmade pumpkin arrangements. The developing pine cones looked lovely too. x

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    1. Thank you so much Simone. Photographing the pine cones was too good an opportunity to miss. They looked stunning on the huge pine trees. Glad you liked the crafted pumpkins as well.
      B and D x

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  8. Hi Beverley and D, I love your Autumn display on the pretty plate and the pumpkin display! It feels strange that it is Spring here and that we have Halloween and Bonfire night at this time instead of Autumn. I decorated our porch for Fright Night on Saturday for the children in the community. Glad to hear that you no longer have to deal with roadworks. Have a great week. Hugs, Rose x

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    1. Thank you Rose. I suppose you must get the same feeling at Christmas as it is also your Summertime. Still Autumn and Christmas in the sun sounds like a very nice experience.
      Fingers crossed - no roadworks at the moment x

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    2. Yes, it is an odd feeling for me to have Christmas in the Summer too, even though I have lived in New Zealand for over 40 years now! I feel sorry for the people all dressed up as Father Christmas in Winter clothes in the heat. And cooking a roast turkey for Christmas lunch in the heat makes me feel exhausted remembering it. But still, I am not really complaining, it is a lovely time. Hugs, Rose x

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  9. Your little display is gorgeous. xx

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    1. Thank you Joy. I can bring out this little Autumn display each year now x

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  10. They've really gone all out at Charlecote Park with their pumpkin display, doesn't it look fabulous. Ha ha, I love that postbox topper, we could do with a few like that around here, they're always digging up the roads and just as you think they've finished, they start all over again!

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    1. Well it has been a few days but still no new roadworks. The post box topper has been changed as well now so I will have to take a look at the new creation.
      There are some very talented volunteers who helped make that display at Charlecote. I wonder if they will use it again next year. I hope they do.

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  11. Wow, that is a stunning pumpkin display! Yours is pretty cute too, and on an appropriately smaller scale :)

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    1. Yes, it is rather stunning isn't it.
      I'm glad you liked my version as well :-)

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  12. A lovely read and enjoyed looking through your photos. A very impressive pumpkins and squash display. I live in Virginia, USA, but grew up in the Midlands. Parents were born in Wolverhampton and I grew up in Wednesbury. I was delighted to find your blog and look forward to revisiting.

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    1. Hello Denise and welcome to our small corner of the Midlands. Both Wednesbury and Wolverhampton are not too many miles away from here. We live a short distance from the Lickey Hills on the Worcestershire borders. I hope you will enjoy visiting here with myself and daughter D.
      Have a lovely week and I will be popping over to visit your blog as well x

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