Oxford, The Platinum Jubilee, and other bits and bobs.

Well, it's been a while! I honestly have no idea where the time has gone but, as they say, : 'Time flies like an arrow and fruit flies like a banana'!

Did you enjoy the Platinum Jubilee? Sadly, we didn't have a street party this time, so I dusted off my cake stand and R and I enjoyed cucumber sandwiches, cake and a pot of tea whilst watching The Trooping of the Colour (Seamus, the mascot dog, stole the show!). I thought that the parade started well, but went on a bit too long (Prince Louis agreed!), ditto the Party at the Palace concert. My favourite bit of the weekend (apart from Her Majesty and Paddington!) had to be Ed Sheeran - just one lad and his guitar, holding the audience enthralled whilst a montage of pictures of the Queen and her family played across the front of Buckingham Palace. It was indeed 'Perfect'.

Other Jubilee related events include:

Enjoying a circular walk around Whitchurch and, by happy chance, coming across a 50s themed fete at The Silk Mill:

Shaw House, our local Elizabethan Mansion, was open free to the public to celebrate the Jubilee. They illuminated the outside in the colours of the Union Flag - although, to be honest, it did look a bit more like a reverse French Tricolore!

We have lived near Oxford for over 20 years now and the girls and I visited it during the school holidays many, many times. Then L went there to do her degree and I spent even more time toing and froing. I love it; it's a beautiful city with so many wonderful museums and places to visit. If you've never been, I would thoroughly recommend it for a city break.

Imagine my surprise then, when R said that he had never been to the Pitt Rivers Museum; I think we were watching an old episode of Lewis at the time and a bit of it was filmed there. Initially, I didn't believe him, mainly because the girls and I have been so many times that it's ridiculous. Also, because I have a mental image of him being with us on one occasion. I put it down to his memory (he also claims that he has never seen 'The Phantom of the Opera', despite the fact that we went into London to see it as a birthday treat for E!) but he was adamant.

When it was my turn to suggest a destination for a weekend jaunt, therefore, I suggested Oxford. I said we could use the Park and Ride and visit the Botanic Garden, have lunch and then walk to the Natural History Museum and the Pitt Rivers. So, that's what we did:

Something for Howard, my Monstera, to aspire to:

An old favourite that I used to take L to when I popped up for a visit:

The Natural History Museum:

Inside the Pitt Rivers:

This used to frighten E when she was little. Walking by the exhibit crosses a light beam which causes the figures to raise their arms and their eyes to light up!

We thoroughly enjoyed both the gardens and the museum - although I found the new 'Woke' attitude of the Pitt Rivers a trifle disappointing. Some old favourites, viz. the mummy's toe visible in the sarcophagus and the shrunken heads, were no longer on show. The lecturing posters we read with a wry smile as, if they really want to be so politically correct, the whole kit and caboodle should probably be repatriated. 

If nothing else, at least I now have photographic evidence of R in said museum, just in case he tries to deny all knowledge again!

Other happies this month:

A visit to Breane Down near Weston-Super-Mare to meet my friend, S, and do the coastal walk. Brean Down Fort was built to defend the country against possible Napoleonic invasion:

A walk and picnic at Iron Age Danebury Hill Fort:

A couple of theatre trips:

Brian Blessed has lived a fascinating life and describes himself as an explorer as well as an actor. His show was interesting in that he didn't appear to stick to a script. The consequent pauses - some of which were so uncomfortably long, that one wondered if he had been taken ill - didn't really add to the flow of the evening, but he was captivating and humorous and I'm glad that we went.

The Simon and Garfunkel tribute act, starring Cameron Potts and Adam Dickinson, was a night out to remember. They didn't look exactly like the duo, although Mr. Potts had apparently had his hair permed for the part, nor did they sound exactly like them. Neither of those things mattered a jot, as they (and their backing musicians) were blooming brilliant! They told the story of S&G through the years, interspersing it with renditions of some of their most famous songs. I loved every minute and they received a well deserved standing ovation at the end. If they come to a theatre near you and you have the opportunity - go and see them; you won't regret it.

A walk and picnic at Oakley and Deane. This was a really picturesque walk, with a couple of treats thrown in for fans of Jane Austen:

I'm always a sucker for a donkey!

All Saints Church, where Jane Austen's father was rector, before moving to nearby Steventon. We ate our picnic on a bench in the sunshine next to the porch:

Deane House, where Jane met her only love, Tom LeFroy:

A Mandarin duck visiting our garden:

Finally, a couple of my favourite poppies at the moment. The large blousy pink ones are grown from seeds given to me by my friend, C. The bees love them:

The ladybird poppy was a buy from the 'sad corner' at the garden centre. I'm a big fan of the sad corner - you can get a real bargain and things, more often than not, perk up with a little TLC:

Well, that's my camera unloaded for another month. I've also stained my hands brown with wood preservative whilst renovating the garden furnture, made some rhubarb and ginger jam and tried my hand at rhubarb gin for the first time. I'll let you know how it turns out.

The pouring rain has put a dampener on my gardening plans for today. Instead, I'm off to move some dust around, maybe go for a swim and then there's Wimbledon to look forward to later. Happy days!

Toodle pip for now. x