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Sunday 17 June 2012

Variety is the spice of life

This week has been a varied one.  Early in the week I dodged the showers and walked into town and noticed these lovely dog roses along the way,

On Thursday I went to London to meet up with a friend - this is Oxford Street and that number 10 bus (if you click on the photos you will be able to see them enlarged) is the one I have just got off.  It was great to see all the flags flying in the breeze. 

 We had lunch In Marks and Spencers and wandered along Oxford Street to John Lewis where we had a sit down and a cup of tea overlooking Cavendish Square then took a bus (what a blessing bus passes are for us oldies!) to the Albert Hall - seen here.  I remember going to a Methodist Youth Club jolly here many years ago back in the late 50s I think it was.  This time we didn't go in but crossed the road to Kensington Gardens.

Leanne on her blog Tales of Simple days commented recently on a photo of San Francisco saying she would hate to live in a city as there is no green - well Leanne there is plenty of greenery in London.  Did you notice the tree in the Oxford Street pic and Cavendish Square which we overlooked as we took tea in John Lewis is another little green oasis too. 

Hard to imagine we were within feet of a busy main road as we walked through the park. The dense greenery blocking out the sound of traffic.. 

We came out onto Kensington High Street where we browsed some of the shops and then after yet another cup of tea we parted to go our separate ways and I walked from there back to Hammersmith where I got my bus home.  Every time I go to London I come away thinking I must come back very soon as I never seem to see all I want to see - it was an opportunity to catch up with my friend whom I see rarely so naturally we spent most of our time sitting down drinking tea or eating lunch etc but I will go back very soon as with a day return costing only £15 by coach it is not an expensive day out.

Coffee with a friend in town on Friday and then some shopping on Saturday.  How much nicer to do some of our shopping here rather than in the supermarket.  This is Red Barn Farm shop which we discovered recently and now that we no longer have an organic veggie bag delivered each week (the couple who farmed and delivered have given up sadly) we go here for our veggies instead.

Milk anyone?  It's wonderful to buy really fresh veggies and milk and to know exactly where it's come from.

I got some rhubarb and with it I made rhubarb and rose petal jam this afternoon.

I only had rosa rugosa petals to use as we don't have any "proper" roses in our garden and although they are perfumed I don't think they are as highly perfumed as the ones I used last time I made this some years ago.  My old cook book does however say that in wet seasons the jam may take longer to reach setting point and this was certainly the case today so maybe in wet seasons the flowers don't have as much perfume either.  I noticed earlier on that the apple blossom didn't seem as wonderful when I sniffed it as it usually does.

However my efforts produced 3 pots of jam and a tiny sample sized one too!

22 comments:

  1. I very recently looked at an ariel photo of London and it is very green!It was acutally the first remark I made about it as I was amazed at how green it was!
    Your pots of jam are like jewels, what a beautiful colour and I bet they tatse good too!
    Vivienne x

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  2. I think most of our cities have lots of green spaces - and long may they remain, too!

    Your rhubarb and rose petal jam looks and sounds divine. Funnily enough someone brought me roses afew days ago and though they were perfumed it was very faint. Fortunately the stocks my DH presented me with from the local nursery smell absolutely wonderful!

    Thanks for the words and pictures!

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  3. I love London, but havent been for several years now. However I am going there for a conference in a couple of weeks and am hoping that, feet willing, I can go for a wander after it. London is full of green, but you have to know where to find it else I guess it would be easy to miss amongst the shops!
    That jam sounds delicious :-)

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  4. Your jam looks delicious, I've never tried to make a rose petal conserve, though I do collect and dry petals.

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  5. Lots of green in London and certainly we are surrounded by it here in the North Eastern corner of Greater London.

    Your Rhubarb and Rose Petal Jam looks interesting.

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  6. You know Jane you have judged it just right. London is a great city to visit but not to live in ( I think) so you have the best of both worlds. Lovely seaside places nearby, lovely countryside all around and some lovely cities not too far to travel to - Salisbury, Winchester and London to name a few of my favourites. ( and badgers in the back garden !!!)
    PS We did a tour of Royal Albert Hall last time and it was as wonderful as I had thought. Next time we going to a performance - no matter what is on !
    Cheers

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  7. Jane, I've never succeeded at jam making despite my best efforts. I tried to make rhubarb and orange jam once after tasting it somewhere and loving it, but it refused to reach the setting point so perhaps I can take a jam making lesson with you one day?

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  8. Beautiful post, Jane! Love seeing London picture and the garden ones as well. Fresh farmers products are the best. Weekly we take our fresh milk and etc at the farm near Moscow (and kids can see all animals too :o)Your jam looks yummy. Love your jars.
    have a nice week
    love from Russia
    Natasha

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  9. Moooooo - I love that picture.

    What a good idea for old syrup tins - I shall keep that one in mind.

    Thanks ever so

    Nina x

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  10. It is difficult for me to imagine many places in England without some greenery around. Compared to Southern California, it is lush and verdant indeed! Your jam sounds wonderful and it is a very pretty color too.

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  11. I waited until I could fully appreciate your post Jane, before commenting - how lovely to catch the bus so easily into London. My trouble is i would have to catch a taxi too and from the bus stop, although that may still be a cheaper option than parking at the train station! Oxford Street looks a treat with the flags and red buses, and you never seem to be too far from a spot of green in London. Your jam looks lovely in the sunshine - I must have a go, we seem to have plenty of raspberries this year and I have some in the freezer.

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  12. I always love a day in London, but like many others, would not want to live there permanently. Funnily enough, last time we were there, we were commenting that you are never far from a park and what a lovely city it is in that respect.

    Now, it has to be said that I have never had rose petals in jam and it sounds a wonderful combination Jane.

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  13. Jam looks delicious Jane. I love Rosa Rugosa, and have lots in the hedgerow, along with others.

    London is a great capital.....and Kensington Gardens a lovely oasis.
    We are lucky that most of our cities have greenery, perhaps we are doing something right :)

    You can't beat a M & S lunch......

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  14. Parks were the idea of the Victorians,it seems, doing their bit for the poor. The idea was for fresh air, exercise and looking at beautiful things, eg, zoological gardens, botanical gardens etc, and we're still profiting from their ideas.

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  15. hi
    your jam looks very delicious.beautiful pics and a lovely blog.
    wish you a nice weekend,
    regina

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  16. It's lovely to fly over London en route for Heathrow, acres of greenery and water.

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  17. What a coincidence, we were in London on Tuesday, the first visit for years. We used to go often when the children were young.
    Like you we both said that we must go back up again very soon, it was buzzing and so much to see.
    Briony
    x

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  18. This is an interesting post, Jane, with great pictures. I love London too and there is always so much I want to see when we go there, but I also like just wandering and enjoying the atmosphere too.
    Your rhubarb and rose petal jam sounds and looks so delightful!
    Enjoy the rest of the weekend.
    Helen x

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  19. I'm sure I left a comment here already ... blogger must have eaten it!

    That jam looks and sounds absolutely delicious :D

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  20. what a great day out, not too rushed by the sounds of it...I am always rushed wheen I go to the city!
    I like the sound of the jam, my hubby adores rhubarb so he would love it!
    xxx

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  21. Love this idea for a jam! How pretty!

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  22. The jam sounds wonderful - I've never heard of it.

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