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Friday 18 June 2010

Nostalgia

Our French friends went home on Tuesday morning and our next lot of visitors arrive tomorrow though only for one night this time. We did enjoy the few days our French friends were here and we were lucky with the weather and able to show them our neck of the woods at its best. On Monday we decided to stay close to home and so we went to Sherborne (this was on their list of places they wanted to visit having perused the leaflets I'd taken over when I visited them back in March)




They liked gardens so we visited this garden created in 2005 on what was the tennis courts of my school back in the mists of time.

The building across the road covered in scaffolding and tarpaulins was where I went to school and I was sorry we weren't able to show our friends this lovely building. But it can be viewed here for those of you who are interested. We couldn't make out what the sculptures were meant to represent and I think the coloured flags were some sort of installation depicting Hope! You can just make out our husbands waiting by the gate - I think they were hungry!

These buildings next door to the school house the council offices.






The gardens are very peaceful and tranquil and I'm sure I could hear the ghost voices of the girls who used to use these courts for tennis in the summer months and netball in the winter! I could hear the thwack of the balls across the net in summer and feel the chill of frozen fingers on the netball in winter (not that I was very good at netball so hardly ever had the ball in my hands!)

We decided to have a snack lunch in the Town Mill Bakery on The Green in Sherborne where we sat on these weird but strangely comfortable seats and were served our soup and bread on wooden platters. Delicious and something quite different for our visitors!

We also visited the Abbey of course - sorry no photos - and I was taken back to school services there such as Carols at Christmas etc. And on to the Methodist church which is on the main street and where I used to go every Sunday morning dressed in my Sunday best - I remember well a new navy coat and a yellow pill box hat (similar to one Princess Alexandra wore at the time) and gloves - even in summer we wore gloves to Church!





I must be getting old since my memories of those days are fresh and clear but I often can't remember what I did yesterday (or even today sometimes!)



I have more photos of some of the other places we showed our visitors and will post those later when our friends who arrive tomorrow have gone and I am back to some semblance of what passes for normal here! (I have made the Marmalade cake for tomorrow Lesley and will let you know if it tastes good when we have tried it)

Thank you for your kind comments on my previous post - maybe Helsie is right and we should make a book of toilets in England! To those who wondered what the other lady thought when I took out my camera - that other lady was my French friend and she already knows I am a little eccentric anyway!

15 comments:

  1. Your old school looks a lovely place.

    I never worry about eccentricity - without it the world would be a much more tedious place! My best friend and I both display different eccentricity, even her husband is used to us now!

    Su

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  2. I really enjoyed that little trip around Sherbourn. Thank you.

    That Town Mill Bakery looks like a great place. Are they old tractor seats they're using? What fun, I love places like that.

    Have a lovely weekend - hope this rain goes away.
    Jill x

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  3. Thanks for the trip both to Sherborne and to the past. Your old school looks great; very beautiful!

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  4. Did you ever have those see-through nylon gloves in pastel colours - makes me itch just to think about them. Fasinated by those saddle-like stools.

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  5. Yes I think they are old tractor seats too. Rather well shaped to fit aren't they ? !!!
    I love going on days out with you to see all these interesting places especially gardens. Nobody can do gardens like the English!
    I had to wear gloves whenever we were out in public when I went to school back in the dark ages... and black stockings too! Imagine that in the hot summer of Brisbane !!
    Cheers
    Helen
    PS. I have forgotten to mention your header -beautiful! Is it growing at your house? I'm so envious!

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  6. Thank you all for your comments -Glad I'm not the only eccentric one Su, Town Mill cafe was good and yes I think they were tractor seats mounted on great solid lumps of wood Jill, Our school was beautiful Yiota though I don't think I appreciated it at the time!" Yes I do remember thos horrid nylon gloves Jee and luckily I didn't have to wear black stockings Helsie! The clematis was growing on a wall in Montacute - lovely isn't it? Thanks again for popping in and leaving your comments.

    Jane

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  7. Lovely tour! I have never seen seats like that, they sure are weird. Now dare I ask........ errrmmm, did those funny designs in the middle leave an impression on your you-know-what, lolol?

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  8. Your trip must have brought back lots of memories! The garden looks lovely.The seats are strange!!!
    Lucy xxxx

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  9. Jane,
    Sherborne is such a lovely place isn't it. There's a lovely nursery up at the castle that's worth a visit when you go again. Let me know how the cake turns out. Enjoy your next visitors! Lesley x

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  10. I believe the seats are old tractor seats.

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  11. What a beautiful garden and what a wonderful location for your school days Jane. Even I might have enjoyed a game of netball here.

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  12. What a lovely place to end up for a bit to eat during a delightful day out!

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  13. What fun photos! I am sure your friend enjoyed the tours. I love the toilet shots, & should remember to take some pics on our travels, though they be modest!

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  14. I also loved the look of the place you ate in..... LOVED the tractor seats. Glad someone suggested that is what they might be, as that is what sprang to mind here....

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  15. I knew where you were as soon as I saw the bakery seats!

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