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Diary – 2019 May
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All my diary pages going back to 2009
DRAWING & PAINTING:
3 May
We went to the National Gallery to see a few more of the many rooms. I
look for little animal details, which is good for me at they are usually
at the bottom of the paintings. I just love these fluffy sheep, they are
so cuddly. This goldfinch is just like the one that sometimes sits on
the telephone wire outside my window.
This is a very dramatic bolt of lightning over some mountains and
countryside.
4 May
Today we went to Fulham Palace gardens which is near the river Thames.
The walled garden has lots of newly-planted fruit trees. We saw four
beehives but it was too chilly and windy for the bees to be coming out.
These are the mature trees. There are a lot of vegetable beds in garden.
These glass bells are interesting, it must be very warm inside.
There is a big long glasshouse built against the high brick wall, with
an ornamental garden in front, made of box hedging, and lots of wisteria
growing along the open fence.
The wisteria have a lovely scent. We went through this low brick archway
to the Palace building.
Some logs had been carved into shapes. This is Bishop Compton, the first
bishop, who started the plant collection. At his head is a potted plant,
a trowel and some fruits or bulbs.
This is the Palace chapel. This log has been carved into an enormous
pine cone.
Finally we walked to the river. It was quite cold and blowy. We went
over the bridge and up to the station, to go home.
5 May
Today we went to the Canalboat Cavalcade in Little Venice which is
behind Paddington Station. It was colourful and crowded.
These games were popular with the children, water balloons to tumble around in, and driving and waterboat games.
We watched the wonderful and friendly Mylo entertain the children for
quite a while with lots of original tricks and routines. All the
children were fascinated for the whole 50 minutes, which is quite an
achievement. Then we watched the Punch and Judy show given by veteran
performer John Styles.
Here is Mr Punch and his wife Judy. Here he is fighting the Crocodile
who has taken the sausages and eaten them. His mouth is made of wood so
it clacks very loudly when he shuts it to bite!
6 May
Today is the Petts Wood May Fayre, and here is the drumming band Bloco
Fogo leading the parade with very loud drumming.
Behind them is the new May Queen in the car followed by her maids and
pages. After that came the Orpington May Queen and her retinue.
Then the Southborough May Queen and the Farnborough May Queen, with
their retinues. They all looked very lovely and smart in their costumes.
Here the Lady Mayoress is about to crown the new May Queen on the stage.
In the grounds were lots of stalls with items for sale, cakes and games.
Look at these delicious cupcakes, I don't think they will be there for
long. Lots of people came to the event, which makes it more fun to go
to.
12 May
This female blackbird always notices when someone is in the garden or at the kitchen window and swoops in with some clucking sounds to let us know it is there. It knows it is going to get something, either bits of soaked bread or bird pellets. My apple trees grown from pips are doing very well.
14 May
This is a new sculpture in Hall Place Gardens, made of bits of coloured glass.
The azaleas were out, in brilliant colours. The rock garden was quite colourful but it is full of long grass, so it needs starting again.
These are the stepping stones in the overflow watercourse channel but when it is wet the weeds grow up and hide them. This quiet and shady section of the main stream is my favourite part.
I like to finish off a visit with a walk round the big greenhouse with all the tropical plants. Here is one of the robins and I think it probably nested in the greenhouse, as we have seen before in other years.
18 May
We went to the Canal Festival at Rickmansworth. This weir is quite spectacular for a small part of the river. There were loads of barges lining the canal, some selling things like pictures, sweets and souvenirs.
Most of them were decorated, this one was the best. There were a lot of stalls and a fairground, but these geese and goslings did not mind the crowds, they were happy to get fed crumbs or grain from all the people.
This tank shows the wildlife and plants that might be found in the canal.
19 May
Today we went to Stockwood Park in Luton. There are lots of very old trees. A lot of the trees have numbered tags.
We went for a walk round the woodland. Brown Teddy and I like to go down little paths that seem to lead somewhere. The important thing is to stay together and not go off on our own. On the golf course were some rabbits.
This is a play area with hollow trees to play on. This enormous one on its side would make a good place to hide if it rained.
These are apple trees trained along poles. It would be easy for someone my size to pick the apples. Brown Teddy thought he would like to sleep in this greenhouse, especially if it was raining hard on the glass. I don't think he would actually sleep, though!
We visited the chickens in the Dig For Victory gardens. They are very friendly.
This looks like they are growing dinosaur dinners!
We went in the Mossman Carriage Museum. There was also a temporary display of dresses and costumes.
This is my favourite carriage, just my size to play with!
This is a short section of ha-ha, a ditch and sunken wall to keep animals out of the garden without it being obvious from the big house. Just one more walk round the walled garden before going home.
22 May
Today we went to Richmond Park. The big rhododendrons were still flowering. This Red Admiral stayed still long enough for me to get a good photo of his wings open.
There were still a few azaleas out. We just love the little stream that runs down the middle, with little bridges across.
At the end of the stream is a big bog garden. These giant leaves would be the place to stand under if it rained or for shade on a hot day.
I really like these log end stepping stones. Streams are my favourite part of gardens.
24 May
This is one of the streams in Morden Hall Park, running through the garden centre part. I just love these parrot ornaments, but I think it would scare the birds in my garden.
The car pots are interesting but might look a little strange with plants coming out of the top. We went into the aquarium to see all the different types of fish.
This is the old water wheel, although it is not turning nowadays. This is one of two little weirs that the children love to cross over.
The mill pond above the water wheel is very still and the water stretches away into the distance upriver.
As we walked along the riverside, some of the paths went through nettle beds. We were all very careful and no-one got stung. It was all very quiet at this end of the park.
27 May
We went to a new park today where we have not been before. This is Brockwell Park. It is a big open green space with trees and interesting corners. Here at the cafe on top of the hill a wood pigeon is clearing up the leftovers. There was more than he could eat. I don't think he finished it all.
These miniature houses are at the entrance to the walled garden
What a lovely discovery, the walled garden is a true treasure!
There is a pond in the middle, and pergolas with seats at the corners, and seats throughout the garden. We had our sandwiches here.
This big pond is just outside the walled garden. People were feeding the swan and babies.
Brockwell Park has a short miniature railway but it was not running today. Afterwards, we took the train to Greenwich and saw this huge cruise ship moored near Deptford Creek.
27 May
Today we went to the Victoria and Albert Museum in Central London. This very old early typewriter looks like fun, I wished I could play with it. The sunglasses have a camera at each side, a new invention at the time.
I liked this decorated clock, it must have taken hundreds if not thousands of hours of work to create. This silver flower bouquet is actually made of spoons and forks.
We had a good time in the gold and silver department. I think the white bird is probably a quail.
This silver swan is truly magnificent and you can walk round the cabinet and see it shimmer from all angles.
A peek through the window at the central courtyard of the museum where there is a very shallow paddling pool.
You can use the space on your 404 page to help find missing people by embedding info from notfound.org See Yellow Teddy's 404 page
Where to report a lost or found teddy or toy https://whiteboomerang.com
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