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Diary – 2015 November
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All my diary pages going back to 2009
DRAWING & PAINTING:
1 November
More misty
mornings. It soon cleared and went to the boot sale on the farm. Behind
the stalls are some trees and I think this is a crab apple.
2 November
Another misty start to the day. The birds in the park are getting used
to there not being many people about now the weather has changed.
These dew covered
spider webs were everywhere. I suppose they are there every morning but
you can't see them when it is dry.
6 November
I like look out of
the train window on our journeys and I just got a glimpse of this
climbing wall and grass-covered roof leading up to it. Someone didn't
want to waste a very useful space!
This Christmas tree
is snowing, with tiny polystyrene balls blowing out of the top and going
into the umbrella below. I like these two little polar bears, one is
looking through the shop window as if he wants to go down the road to
see what's there.
Inside the shopping
arcade was a very long stall with lots of plate of coloured fudge. Next
to it was something a lot healthier, fresh fruit juices. But we all like
fudge as well!
7 November
On our days out, I
always get the sandwiches ready and a banana and a drink.
We went to the
sewing machine museum in Balham in South London. There are two big
rooms, the first one with every type of sewing machine imaginable,
including lots of industrial ones. The second room has more delicate
ones and other objects in glass cases. There is just so much to see, and
it is all very interesting.
This machine is for
leather and shoes, and the second one is for buttonholes.
This is a sewing
machine made to look like a lion. The head is on a hinge so you can
thread up the machine for sewing. The next one looks like a fire
hydrant, a novelty but not pretty at all.
I like this one, a
hand-held stitcher. I can imagine someone stitching up sacks with that.
Here is a cabinet full of the underneath parts, such as the bobbin and
bobbin carrier.
There were lots of
ladies machines with gold patterns and mother-of-pearl type inlay. This
cabinet has very tiny ceramic plants, but I don't think anyone could
ever have played with them, they are too fragile.
www.craftysewer.com/acatalog/London_Sewing_Machine_Museum.html
In the evening a
nearby garden had some fireworks. I like the effect of lighting up my
greenhouse!
9 November
All the street
trees in Bromley High Street were covered in giant plastic poppies, for
Remembrance Day.
12 November
My garden is nearly
ready for winter and most of the jobs are done. This is the bottom
corner that used to be compost bins and rubbishy things. It is now very
tidy and I can put a seat down here in summer. The evening primroses are
doing very well with an endless supply of big yellow flowers. It seeds
itself everywhere so I will not have to plant any, I just pull out the
ones we don't want.
There are loads of
berries on the pyracantha plants, more than enough for our blackbirds.
The skimmias have berries as well but I don't know if the birds eat
them.
14 November
Today we visited St
Paul's Cathedral. It is the biggest building I have ever seen, and
everything is white marble and gold.
There are beautiful
paintings and mosaics everywhere on the ceilings, and gold everywhere. It
is better to zoom in the camera so you can see the detail when you get
home!
In the centre was
the organist's keyboard, with some glass doors locked over the front of it. How do
they remember what all the stops are for? Especially as there is no time
to read the labels whilst playing! Further on behind a red velvet
curtain we saw this brass candle snuffer.
This is where the
choir sits, near the top altar end. Behind the altar are three huge
stained glass windows.
This is the centre front of the embroidered altar cloth. I know it's a
dove but it reminds me of a seagull who has seen something on the beach
to eat! Back near the centre and off to one side is the famous picture
The Light Of The World by Holman Hunt. It has doors on each side to
close over the picture to keep it safe from damage or fading.
Nearby is a long embroidery
in a glass case, in remembrance of fallen soldiers.
I think they look like love birds with their pink faces.
We went up the
Whispering Gallery inside the dome, where you can look down on the
central floor. Unfortunately they do not allow photos to be taken there,
I think people might drop their cameras on the people below, or
lean over too far! Then we went up more stone steps to the
outside parapet, which is very big and wide with a tall stone wall all
around. But you can see everything through the little columns.
Suddenly we noticed
that we could see the Lord Mayor's Show from our high up position, so we
stayed there a long time to get photos and video. It was very good not
to be at the back of a crowd and seeing nothing much!
Further round the
other side of the parapet we could look down on where the people were
getting out of the Mayor's gold coach.
Then we went up 152
steps to the Golden Gallery on the very top cupola. It was mostly spiral
iron staircase, but not squashed in because there was lots of space
around us, and it was very interesting to see the building from the
inside. We felt like the pigeons who sit on the rooftops and we could
see all of London and the Thames, and all the landmarks.
What goes up must
come down. In the photo the cupola doesn't look so high, but now I know
it is! The other structure is the seats for the dignitaries watching the
Lord Mayor's get out of his coach at the end of the procession.
We didn't expect to
see any more of the show, so we made our way to the Millennium Bridge,
but unexpectedly saw the procession on its way back and got a good
close-up view of the golden coach itself! We were absolutely delighted, and no
crowds to stop us getting good pictures.
By now it was
raining and we came over the Millennium Bridge. There were lots of damp
looking pigeons sitting around on the cables and I could not work out
why they would sit there in the rain. I think maybe it is a good place
from which to see if any other pigeons have found some food and then
they can fly off and join in.
16 November
What a nice
surprise, a friend saved me a piece of birthday cake - jam sponge with
icing, one of my favourites. Brown Teddy, Blue Parrot, Dino and I had a
little piece each covered in raspberry yogurt.
21 November
Today we went to
the Winter Wonderland Christmas funfair in Hyde Park. I really like these undergrounds
where the platform has doors as well. It is a lot safer and there is no
gap between the platform and the train.
We had to change
underground trains but could not get on our final one, so we decided to
walk. This is Green Park and someone with a bag of bread had the attention of lots of
pigeons, all lined up on the railings. It is a very countryside looking
park in the middle of London.
At the far end we
came across the memorial to Royal Air Force Bomber Command. It is quite
big and the inside part where the statues are actually has a gap above
instead of a solid roof, so the airmen have sky over them.
I could spent hours
watching the skaters go round the bandstand. It was mid afternoon and it
was quite crowded. There will be more people when it gets dark though.
Lots of music and
neon lights, and plenty of chocolate goods in every size and shape.
No shortage of sweets! We will definitely be coming back another time,
and during the dark, when it is very much more interesting.
24 November
Some demolition is
going on in the shopping centre, and a friendly long-necked dinosaur is
doing all the work!
28 November
A visit to the
garden centre at Ruxley. The two reindeer were sitting quietly being
admired by excited children. This angel decoration was holding a lace
posy with a lovely white bird in the middle.
I like this
nativity scene, it looks like the guests have left and the wind is
getting up. Time to go inside and snuggle down behind the hay bales!
I really like all
the model village things in the big glass display case. This man is
shovelling snow and there is a little clear patch in front of him, but
probably not for long! I can't work out what the steam tractor is doing,
maybe delivering coal to the houses.
These figures are
chopping wood for their cosy log fire at home. I expect the work of
chopping is keep them quite warm though. This family has just bought a
Christmas tree and is taking it home on their horse drawn cart. I am
glad that someone has put down a bit of green grass for the horse to
nibble at whilst waiting for the cart to be loaded.
28 November
This is Petts Wood
Christmas Carnival. It started at noon but we went there after dark.
This is the crazy house with moving steps and wobbly walkways.
There was a lot of
noise of everyone enjoying themselves and different bits of music
everywhere.
I enjoyed the rock
music band singing School's Out and other well known songs. They were
really good and had the full costume and sparkly long hair wigs. This is
the pick up a duck stall to win a prize.
The helter skelter
was a new one this year, and very interesting being all lit up and
see-through, so you can see people climbing up. I like the one way sign,
but it is pointing backwards from the skelter spiral! This Christmas
tree had a lamp post behind it and it would have been better to take a
picture so it appeared on top.
Last of all were the fireworks, which were very colourful with lots
going on and lots of whizzbangs. I am glad it did not rain, as the
weather forecast said it might.
30 November
This is the
entrance to the grotto in Bexleyheath shopping centre. It is a bit early
in the season for the children to want to queue up and see inside, but
everything is ready for when it opens.
Today we took in
some pond fish from our neighbours who are moving away. I think the new
fish will be very happy as our pond is bigger and deeper than their old
one, and they have a lot more new friends. I think a bit of extra food
is a good idea to help them settle in happily.
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