Having been SO busy these last few weeks, I couldn’t possibly fit in everything we’ve done, so here’s a heavily edited version of events, albeit in rather more than seven photos again.
Linking up with Natalie at Threads & Bobbins for Sunday Sevens – a weekly blog series showing what you do outside the blog. Click on the link to find out more.
1. I went to my first ever Baby Shower, an event that has reached the UK from foreign climes apparently, and is gaining popularity with youngsters rapidly. My crocheted pram blanket was well received by the mother-to-be.
2. We went to Exmoor to view some more b+bs on the hottest day of the year. A really good Summer day in England is 23 degrees centigrade, so we were sweltering in the heat.
3. Mr H-L didn’t need much persuasion to stop for a nice cold pint in The Beggar’s Roost in North Devon.
4. The following day, Mr H-L and I had a day out locally and went to three pubs in one day – a record for us!
Breakfast was at the Roth Bar and Grill…..
5. Lunch was at At The Chapel…..
(This made us smile!)
7. ….and afternoon tea was taken at The Three Horseshoes Inn.
8. A group of students were filming down by the river, so we stayed and watched for a while.
9. Arty snap of The Boys playing Top Trumps.
10. The new girls were just settling in nicely (can you tell?) when this one strayed too far and was killed by a passing car:(
11. No.2 Son declared that he needed some short sleeved T-shirts for our imminent holiday in Cornwall. I cut up a couple of Mr H-L’s old ones that were destined for recyling and combined the good bits to make him a new one. A bit Frankenstein perhaps, but he’s pleased with it.
12. A lovely few days were spent in Cornwall with family in their holiday cottage near Newquay. As luck would have it, the tickets we bought for the Eden Project last year were valid for twelve months, so we snuck in again on Day 364 for free!
13. We even sniffed out the bar in the tropical dome!
14. Days were spent on the beach…..
15. …..evenings were spent on the beach.
16. A romantic one of us watching the sun go down as The Boys frollicked in the surf.
17. Ha ha!
18. Crisps and a pint in The Shipwrights Inn, Padstow.
19. Back home, family had arrived from France to stay for a few days and some friends popped in spontaneously, so I quickly rustled up an impromptu meal for thirteen!
20. Another day, another family visit, this time our granddaughter with her mum and dad. We took the kids for a walk and ended up in a playground where dogs aren’t allowed, so tied them up outside at the railings.
Just look at that sad puppy face!
21. Mum and daughter flat out later that afternoon. Must have been all that fresh air (and the ice cream!)
Well, that doesn’t cover half of it, but better to put a few photos up rather than miss another week, I thought.
I’ll try to find time to do a separate post covering all the sewing workshops for those of you who have been following the sewing school (www.thestitchacademy.com).
Hope you’re making the most of the Summer holidays, too!
August 10, 2016 at 4:16 pm
Wow, you have been busy. Love your beach shots. Cornwall is so beautiful! I like your arty shots too although could be a bit dodgy playing to trumps in them – the opponent can see all the cards!
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August 14, 2016 at 9:11 am
Cornwall is just gorgeous, isn’t it, although Exmoor is my absolute favourite place to be. Hadn’t thought about the mirrored sunglasses making it possible to cheat. No.3 Son didn’t mention it, funnily enough!
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August 10, 2016 at 4:50 pm
Looks like it’s been great so far. Lots of family, food, drink and fun. I am exhausted just looking at the pictures K xXx
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August 14, 2016 at 9:09 am
Yes, I just love the Summer holidays – no time pressures or rushing around for school. Just lazy days doing nothing in particular or spontaneous trips to Exmoor – heaven! Five weeks is NOT enough….
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August 10, 2016 at 7:36 pm
Phew, I’m worn out after reading what you’ve been up to! And you fitted in sewing school too! I spotted the sticky toffee pud, my fave, well one of them 😂 love the arty pic of the boys, it would look great in black and white on canvas. Sorry to hear you’ve lost one of your hens 🙁
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August 14, 2016 at 9:03 am
I’ve left all the sewing school pics for one big post at the end of the holidays – you’ll be amazed at what they’ve all achieved, although some of it has been on IG already. I found the BEST recipe for sticky toffee pudding a while back, so any others pale in comparison really. Hubby ordered the one in the pub, with two spoons, so I had to help him out, lol.
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August 14, 2016 at 9:23 am
If it’s not a top secret recipe can you email me it please? It’s our favourite and I could make it if ever the hubby needs buttering up 😉
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August 14, 2016 at 9:28 am
Done!
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August 14, 2016 at 9:29 am
Thankyou 😘😤
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August 10, 2016 at 8:30 pm
Goodness, you just have boundless energies 😉 Love the kind of ‘pub crawl’ through the week 😀 the Piston Bottles and ‘Gin’ Fish did make me laugh 😉 Nice to get so many visiting relatives too…hope the boys are still enjoying washing up times ?? lol!
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August 14, 2016 at 9:00 am
The Boys are still washing up although, admittedly, only for 20p and only if they feel like it at the time. Good job I don’t apply those rules to cooking meals for them, isn’t it? It was a bit of a pub crawl this week – purely for the blog, of course:)
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August 15, 2016 at 10:34 pm
You have some lovely pubs down there by the looks of things and it would be a pleasure to wander through and around them ~ so really great that you can take your visiting guests 🙂 and enjoy some relaxation!
LOL I think you should put up a sign in the kitchen..20p meals available upon payment…or…in exchange for washing up 😉
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August 18, 2016 at 8:57 am
I never tire of finding a new pub to have a pint in – we’re so lucky to have such an institution in our country. There’s nothing like a pub anywhere else in the world, is there? Love your idea about the washing up, lol!
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August 19, 2016 at 11:26 pm
It’s such an age since I went into a pub, ours locally have been hitting the scrap heap BIG TIME ;-/ boarded up left, right and centre…mainly due to the smoking ban and cheap booze at supermarkets I reckon. Such a shame!
Glad you are still enjoying yours as and when!
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August 10, 2016 at 10:27 pm
I’d have to take a week off for a rest after just one day following you around Sheila – what a fabulously full and busy life you have. Love it!!
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August 10, 2016 at 10:31 pm
Applaud your decision to post! That fish sign is funny! Lovely photos, as always. Sorry about your hen, may she rest in peace. Or maybe a stew pot? (Or is that unthinkable? Apologies, if so.) Cornwall looks so nice, and so does all your company. Eager to see what other BnB’s you consider!
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August 14, 2016 at 8:57 am
We’re lucky to live in the West Country so a day trip to Devon or Cornwall is easy, hence all our recent trips to Exmoor checking out lots of b+bs. The hen was flattened by the car, so no stockpot possibilities there, I’m afraid. Not that she would have been good to eat as it is only cockerels that get eaten due to their size. Not much meat on a hen:)
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August 14, 2016 at 5:38 pm
Had no idea about the hen vs cockerel sizing – thank you! Am sorry you lost her, though.
Also nice to know you’re in West Country. Is that an unofficial reference title, similar to our “Wild West?” (Not on a map, but an understanding of where it historically was.)
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August 14, 2016 at 6:18 pm
I suppose it must be, although nowhere is known as the East, North or South Country, funnily enough😏
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August 14, 2016 at 11:01 pm
Thank you! (Whereas, we do have those, as well as Midwest, Southwest, Northeast…) Eek! 😀
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August 15, 2016 at 8:44 am
Well, the UK is just a bit smaller than the US – from the far North of Scotland to the far South of England, it’s only 600 miles. Only 271 miles wide from far West of Wales to Far East of England!
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August 15, 2016 at 2:18 pm
Yes, me Midlands bestie, Samantha, whilst solving The Problems Of The World yesterday, decided that 🇬🇧 can be concentrated, whilst 🇺🇸 can get very diluted. We were speaking philosophically, of course! And politically, craftingly, sewingly, and . . . 😉
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August 11, 2016 at 9:00 am
Busy, busy indeed! As you know, I admire your dedication to the British Pub and visit them vicariously through you but you seem to have surpassed yourself this time – must be the hot weather you were having 😉
R.I.P. chook – so young! She didn’t even have her full comb yet. Thinking about getting a few more ourselves this autumn as we’re down to 4, a couple of whom are ancient, but I don’t want those ones they favour here with the naked necks. Yuk.
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August 14, 2016 at 8:53 am
The pub photos are purely for the benefit of my readers, you understand – we force ourselves to keep going for your entertainment! We’re down to three hens and Cock, too, so a visit to our usual breeder is imminent. Another three would be nice. We’re just waiting for the Chestnut Rangers to be ready as they lay chocolate brown eggs which will look so pretty with the blue ones:)
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August 11, 2016 at 9:10 am
Aren’t summer holidays great! Looks like you are having a lovely time
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August 14, 2016 at 8:47 am
Yep – we LOVE the Summer holidays! Shame it’s only five weeks. Must be the shortest Summer holidays in the world:(
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August 14, 2016 at 8:50 am
I think it has been five weeks for a while, when I was teaching nearly ten years ago it was!
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August 14, 2016 at 9:23 am
Yes, and we definitely had six weeks when we were kids, going back later in September. Not fair:(
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August 11, 2016 at 9:26 am
You have been busy, wow. So much fun and summer! Best to enjoy the warm (hot) summer days while it is around and lasting. 🙂
So sorry to hear about the little chicken, I hope the others are all still fine.
Great T shirt, I can see that he loves it. Perfect. 🙂
The beach looks so inviting, beautiful colours in the sky and clouds.
Lol. All the fresh air is definitely good for all.
Enjoy and take care.
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August 14, 2016 at 8:46 am
We’re very good at making the most of the good weather while we can in the UK, as it is so changeable. You get used to wearing a raincoat and sun cream at the same time to cover all eventualities! The T-shirts have both gone down well as The Boys love being surprised with something new to wear, especially if I made it. I’ve found the perfect pattern in Love Sewing magazine which I’ve graded up to their sizes and keep using it again and again, recycling all hubby’s old t-shirts:)
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August 11, 2016 at 1:14 pm
Love your arty and sunset snaps. Your poor hen 😔. I love the fact that they make themselves so at home! The t shirt looks great on your son and he certainly looks pleased. You’ve certainly had a manic week!
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August 14, 2016 at 8:37 am
This was three weeks worth of photos, I think, as I’ve been offline for a bit, busy with other things. The sunset was particularly stunning that night on the beach – even the photos don’t do it justice. Usually, the hens don’t stray very far and keep within our boundaries, so not sure what happened this time. At least it was quick – not like when the fox takes them:(
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August 11, 2016 at 3:55 pm
Absolutely love the beach & sunset photos! You should get them framed! Looks like you’ve been busy…and you’ve done quite the amount of pub crawling 🙂 Great!
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August 14, 2016 at 8:34 am
Well, I make a conscious effort to take photos when we go to the pub, as our foreign friends and ex pats like to see them. That’s my excuse for the pub crawls anyway! It was such a gorgeous sunset that night on the beach that I ended up taking photos of other couples who were there who wanted a romantic picture, too!
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August 12, 2016 at 7:58 pm
Wow you really did have a good time. Indeed frame the beach and sunset pics. You are a great photographer amongst other things. Your son looks so pleased with his new shirt. Definitely a one of a kind. I feel bad for the new chicky. If that is baby Lilah sleepin boy she has grown! Time sure flies when it comes to the little ones. As always lots of love to you and the family. 😀
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August 14, 2016 at 8:30 am
It is baby Lilah asleep – she’s ten months old now! Time does fly, that’s for sure, and we don’t see enough of her as we’d like. It was gorgeous on the beach that night at sunset and I may well print those photos off – something we don’t do much now in these digital days. Hope you’re enjoying the Summer in your part of the world:)
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August 14, 2016 at 1:04 am
The pram blanket is lovely and I’m sure will be cherished over the years. I’m smiling at the thought of casually whipping up a meal for 13. You’re amazing!
Looks like lots of fun at the beach and with family. I love the new t-shirt and your smiling boy.
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August 14, 2016 at 8:23 am
Thanks Alys, we’ve had a lovely couple of weeks with lots of family time and have been lucky to have some days where it was warm enough to go to the beach – not a common occurrence in England! We love entertaining, especially the spontaneous kind, which is one of the reasons we’re going to buy a b+b or guest house. It’s also a good excuse to keep popping down to Exmoor:)
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August 14, 2016 at 7:31 pm
Oh wow! Your very own guest house. That’s an exciting bit of news. Perhaps I’ll actually get to visit one day. Good luck in the planning.
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