We continued to be very busy as Paul was given notice that the lease on the huge garage here he has been using for storage would not be renewed. This meant we needed to open boxes that have been stored since we left our family home in 2001 and dispose of all the stuff - we don’t have room for it here, and if it’s been in storage since 2001, we obviously don’t need it! So much unpacking ensued, followed by multiple trips to the dump and the charity shops!
In addition, we have had to dispose of some of my father’s things which my sister and I weren’t able to throw away when he died in 1989. We also packed up Paul’s parents’ house in 2003 after his father died and his mother went into the home, and Paul wasn’t able to get rid of their things either. So all that has to be disposed of too. The house is absolutely full of ‘stuff’, not to mention piles of boxes and wrapping paper which we are keeping as my older son is buying a house and will be moving soon. It never seems to stop.
In early October, I went back to Edinburgh for a more successful visit. I was able to visit the Canaletto exhibition at Holyrood Palace - I had somehow managed to miss the exhibition when it was on in London.
This was my favourite of the many paintings on display.
A real highlight of the trip to Edinburgh this time was a visit down to the borders to Sir Walter Scott’s house at Abbotsford.
We were extremely fortunate with the weather, it being a lovely sunny day and quite warm, so we enjoyed the train trip down, and there is a minibus which meets the train to take visitors to the house.
This is a view from the side of the house, and you can clearly see that Sir Walter Scott was really in love with the gothic style, and built his house accordingly, with lots of turrets - a style which became popular and which we usually refer to as ‘Scottish Baronial’. The inside of the house is in keeping with the outside, with panelling and suits of armour. He also was a great collector and there were lots of things he had collected - like a piece of oatcake found after the Battle of Culloden.
We were also fortunate to be able to see the parts of the house which are for hire, since there was nobody in residence when we visited, and they are most impressive. The rooms are spacious and beautifully furnished, and the kitchen is to die for! The place is self-catering, and can house about 20 people, so it is often hired for family gatherings. My friend and I spent a while counting up the members of our respective families!
After we had seen the house, I walked down to the River Tweed, a view which was such a favourite of Scott’s that he had his bed moved to the dining room overlooking the view when he was dying.
This is a closeup of the view, which was certainly looking its best in the sunshine.
Later in the month, my younger grandson had his October half-term, so we were able to take him out a few times. There was a pumpkin and Halloween festival at a local farm, so we took him there.
This is the photograph which he took himself, using my iPhone. Not bad for a 5 year old, I think. His favourite bit was running through the spooky Halloween witches trail though, as it was dark and mildly scary!
As the Cheshire Half-Term was the following week, we were able to go up to see my other grandchildren for Halloween. Halloween ghost biscuits were made!
These were an idea from the Marks and Spencer web site, and were so simple even a three year old could do them - and she did! The sugar rush after eating one made me almost regret making them though - children are stimulated enough already!
Carving the pumpkins was also very exciting, though I can’t claim to have taken any part in that. It was a marked success though, and the children went out to do trick or treat, while others came to the house. So a great time was had by all, and we were quite exhausted by the time we got home again.
As we have had no holiday abroad so far, I booked a holiday in November - a bit late, so we are going to Cyprus for a week, which I hope won’t be too cold. Anyway, we are touring round sightseeing so we won’t be trying to sit in any sun there might be. I just hope we don’t get too much rain, and have a bit of warmth to compensate for the usual November weather in Britain! So I hope my next post will be about Cyprus.
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