A daily stitching habit …

 I thought the practice of adding things to Lent is an interesting concept. I usually give up things - this year it is chocolate & it is going well so far. It is about discipline to fore go things you enjoy. I have managed it in the past so will keep going. Alongside this, several sites encourage 'adding to for Lent' and I thought 'why not?'. 

Who else has a needle book with lots of needles threaded in random cotton from previous projects? 

I have intentions this year to do some regular stitching which improves stitch memory by simply stitching without an end goal or pattern. There are several social media groups who do this but sometimes your own discipline is just as good without any pressure. 

I saw this craft stencil on eBay & it immediately seemed to be a shape that could be used for short stitches on a regular basis because it is quick to trace the shapes. 

I cut some plain off white cotton fabric, joined it in a long panel to use. I hope to do more stitching this year as time allows & the small shapes can be done in a few minutes. It is not a large shape looming when time is tight. It will be stitching only, no additional fabric. 

It will be trimmed when finished so it can be attached to a vintage industrial wooden roll / bobbin, the type that was used in mills in previous times. It can join some of the other sewing rolls I have already  finished, like this one of the NC500 in Scotland, and a mixed media scroll. 

The heat eraserable Frixion pen is so useful because any heat, even a hair drier, will erase the outline. The stencil can be rotated so the shapes are slightly different which is very useful. 

I hope this will inspire me to try out more stitches but  regular practice is important. The blank spaces can be filled with any stitches so it is a great creative exercise. I intend to use various lengths of threads from my miscellaneous thread box. I think we all have some of those threads in shorter lengths, weights & colours. This is a great way to use up some of them. 

I hope you are inspired to spend time doing something you enjoy too. 

Thank you for stopping by, it is always appreciated. 

Dee 🧵🪡📍

A flipping good time on Shrove Tuesday ...

 

Our year is punctuated by dates in our calendars - today is Shrove Tuesday,  the start of LENT & the time leading up to Easter. 

We always mark this time at home, often with friends, and everyone gets a chance to flip the thin pancakes. 

I always use the same simple recipe for thick or thin pancakes, just adding more milk to thin it down. 

Today I did some smaller, thick ones, some with blueberries in them, then thinned the batter to do a thin one for flipping each. 

I think it is a great thing to cook & flip your own thin pancake - it gives you a moment to think about what Lent means & the action connects you to it. The trick is  to make sure it is loose of the pan &  to tip the pan towards you as you flip.

These thin ones are always dusted with cinnamon sugar & rolled up. 

We had them with strawberries, blueberries, natural yoghurt, maple syrup & a dusting of cinnamon sugar.

I have a bit of a sweet tooth so am giving up chocolate for the 40 days of Lent. 

It is actually 46 days to Easter but Sundays are not counted. 

I hope you have had a flipping good time too. Thank you for stopping by, it is appreciated. 

Dee 🍚🧑‍🍳🥘

A Highwayman's demise ...

 

The story of the last Highwayman to be hung at the place of his deed is common knowledge due to a tenuous ancestry connection & we were thrilled to be taken to Box Moor to visit the place making his hanging & burial on the 11th March 1802.

 I am getting ahead of myself ... 

He was born on 16th August 1781 in Hungerford & christened James, the Robert appears to come from being commonly known as Robber Snook which became Robert.

On the 10th May 1801, he robbed a mail boy, taking 6 leather mail bags containing bank & promissory notes as well as letters. He discarded his broken leather horse girth at the scene & that led to his capture as several people at a nearby Kings Arms remembered him mending one later on. 

He was already a wanted man for several highway robberies between Bath & Salisbury & for horse theft which was tried at the Old Bailey in 1799. 

However, he was acquitted due to lack of evidence. 

A considerable reward of £200 by the Post office & another £100 by Parliament for the apprehension of highway men led to him being recognised in Marlborough forest by a coach driver who had been at school with him. 

He was apprehended with the help of the passengers. He had £200 in his pockets & a 'very handsome brace of pistols'

He was imprisoned & found guilty at trial, & while many robbers were 'transported' to Australia etc, James / Robert was sentenced to be hanged because his crime was deemed 'so destructive to society and the commercial interests of the country.'  

A very good account of the trial is reported here ...

He was hung near the spot of the deed as law required & buried there. The following day the residents of Hemel Hempstead dug him up & buried him in a simple wooden coffin they provided.  

A small headstone (bearing the name 'Robert Snooks') was erected by the Box Moor Trust in 1904, whilst a footstone was installed in 1994, as part of the Trust's 400 year anniversary. The exact location of Snook's hanging, and subsequent burial is unknown, so the location of the stones is an approximation.

Standing in the muddy field occupied by woolly sheep on a crisp winters day is a different experience.

It is a reminder of times past when life was so different & how punishment was exacted for crimes. The notion of hundreds of people gathering to watch a hanging is really foreign to us. It was sobering to know of the location with busy roads & a train line nearby; not exactly a peaceful spot for eternity.

I hope you have found the story interesting - history is never predictable or dull. Thank you for stopping by & taking the time to read.

Dee 

The 'lost girls' of Highgate cemetery

 Edwardian & Victorian times were tough for women who were not educated, wealthy or from good families because they were very limited in what they could do to make ends meet. Girls were often in 'service' at large houses as kitchen or house maids, working long hours with almost no time off & at risk of exploitation. It was not uncommon for the men of the house to sire a child with a maid who was then dismissed when 'with child'

Many women turned to prostitution to survive & to help their families with some money.  

We are reminded of the many prostitutes who were victims of Jack the Ripper in Whitechapel, London in 1888. 

Near the end of our Highgate cemetery tour, we stopped at some graves on the Faraday Path, that were separated by just a thin line of bricks on the wall behind - this spot was the grave of  'Fallen Women' of Highgate who died at the nearby Highgate Penitentiary (also known as the House of Mercy).

Prostitutes were sent to the Anglican House of Mercy to be 'reformed' through learning to read & write, to learn domestic skills like cooking & sewing, & have religious input to teach them Christian ways. The poet Christina Rosetti volunteered at the House of Mercy so she would have known some of these women. They stayed there for 2 years before some re-joined their family, others were 'respectable' enough to marry & some fell back in to their old ways etc.

The unmarked, unremarkable, communal grave holds the remains of 10 young women & girls. The plot was purchased by the London Diocesan Penitentiary. 

The  names of the 10 occupants have been recorded as: 

Emma Jones, 12, died 1862; 

Anna Williams, 15, 1869; 

Caroline Harriet Rhodes 19, 1874 

Emily Potter, 21, 1878 

Harriet Smith, 17, 1880 

Frances Iliffe, 14, 1881 

Maude Clabby, 18, 1882

Rosetta Edwards, 20,1900 

Ada Rebecca Ingram, 40, 1907 

and Agnes Ellie, 29, 1909

The age of consent was then just 12 in Victorian times & the ages of the 'lost girls' show how young some were. 

Our guide indicated that they were hoping to have a marker placed on the grave to record the names of the 'lost girls' and perhaps tell their story. That would be a fitting way to ensure they do not remain 'lost'

Thank you for stopping by & taking the time to read & comment, it is appreciated. 

Dee ♥️🪦

Highgate cemetery London, the WEST side

 

I am eternally curious & passionate about both history & family research. 

The cousins invited us to join them on a trip to Highgate cemetery in London. We have spoken of this iconic place several times - the towering headstones to the great & good of times past & the fascinating structures within the large space. Several films have used this space & images abound of the vast, private burial grounds. 

It is fascinating how much funeral traditions have changed in that time which was the era of huge funerals with all the trappings of dark mourning clothes, of elaborate tombs, of dozens of mourners following the coffins, of family visiting the graves regularly & even having picnics close to their loved ones. 

Highgate private cemetery was opened in 1839 has over 53 000 graves for 170 000 internments. There are terraced catacombs, mausoleums & imposing headstones across the vast space. We booked a 90 minute tour of the West cemetery with a very informative guide. 

Charles Dicken's wife Catherine, his sister Fanny, his brother Alfred & his parents John & Elizabeth are also buried there on a path aptly called Dickens path.

I did some background research before our trip so I have an understanding of what to look out for. 

The Circle of Lebanon is a particularly beautiful circular walk, that is set down in the ground so almost invisible from the paths. 

The tops of the tombs level with the ground around it. It was named because of an ancient tree that unfortunately had to be felled but another is planted in its place.

 The Egyptian avenue is a covered over alley way from a time when all things Egyptian was the height of interest.

 There are 2 impressive obelisks at the entrance leading to a domed space with locked family vaults on both sides. 

It originally had a roof that made the space too gloomy so it was removed & it is now covered with greenery & vines giving it a garden like feel. 

The imposing Beer Mausoleum was for the German Julius Beer (1830-80) who made his money on the London Stock exchange. 

He was the owner of The Observer newspaper. His daughter is also interred there after she died of scarlet fever aged just 8. 

  Have a look around it here . 

He was apparently shunned by the upper classes for being 'foreign' & having made his money in commerce rather than inheriting it as the upper classes prided themselves on. 

This mausoleum is a bit of showing them that he had made it on his own. 

The terrace catacombs were beautifully laid out with vaulted sections to the left & right of the entrance, lit by skylights set in to the vaulted roof. The space was cold yet very peaceful. It is behind locked doors as coffins were desecrated in times past by those who believed that vampires were there. 

As with all these old graveyards, there are tales of ghostly apparitions & a persistent one here is of a vampire.  However, the guide dispelled this rumour when our guide Alison unlocked the Terrace  Catacombs. It holds 825 shelf spaces, several spaces high that are filled with triple coffins. The body was first places in a wooden coffin, then in a lead lined on, finally a showy wooden one encased the others. 

Bodies entombed above ground have to be in lead lined coffins, below ground can be just wooden.

Michael Faraday is best known as a physicist & chemist who discovered the principles behind the electric motor & was the first to connect light & magnetism which changed all our lives. 

Today many of us use Faraday pouches to protect our devices from being hacked. His headstone is set to one side, a vast one erected by his wife. 

The Grade 2 listed Mears family memorial is elaborate. 

The family owned the Whitechapel Bell Foundry where Big Ben was cast. 

The Liberty Bell was cast at the same foundry & was shipped to America.

The Horse Grave was to the Atcheler Family & is marked with a horse on top. He was the horse slaughter to Queen Victoria, a job few had even heard of. 

The grave of the bare knuckle boxer Thomas Sayers (1826-65) has a full size statue of his dog 'Lion' at his feet. 

Thomas excelled at the illegal, but tolerated sport of bare knuckle boxing, & his funeral was one of the largest at the cemetery as his fans lined the streets & clogged up the cemetery to honour him. 

The tomb of another animal lover is that of George Wombwell (1777-1850). He was a shoemaker who turned his hand to showing animals that was more profitable. 

He was a travelling animal menagerie show in a time when few had seen exotic animals. 

He had 15 touring wagons with elephants, giraffes, lions, leopards, monkeys & zebras. He has a full size lion called 'Nero' on his tomb. 

The sad story told on the stone of 'Emma Wallace Gray who died in October 1854 in her 19th year of age - from the effects of fire, her dress having accidentally ignited 10 days previously, in the bloom of youth, when others fondly clinging to life, I prayed, mid agonies, for death'

The tomb of Mabel Veronica Batten  & Radclyffe Hall  in the Circle of Lebanon. 

Mabel's husband is buried in the tomb as well as her female lover Radclyffe Hall. Theirs was a controversial relationship in Victorian times. 

Flowers are left at the tomb entrance every week ... 

The modern grave of Alexander Livinenko - He was poisoned in a London hotel by past associates of his. 

The images of him suffering from radiation poisoning was shown on TV in an attempt to get to the bottom of it. 

He is buried deep & in a lead lined coffin due to the risk of radiation. 

The impressively large family tomb of Sir Loftus Otway who  served in the military & the chains around the tombb are in the shape of canons. This large corner underground plot is lit by skylights that can be seen on the corner. 

Like many of these tombs / mausoleums, they are private & locked. 

This grave near the entrance shows the symbolism associated with the trade of the person - note the upturned horseshoes & whip on his grave.

James Selby (1842-1888) was a renowned carriage driver - shown by the upturned horse shoes. He set a record of under 8 hours from London to Brighton & back but the £1000 challenge really took its toll on his health. 

He had the most beautiful bulbs on his grave. 

The newest family Mausoleum near the entrance belonged to the rich American Goldhammer family. 

Robert F Goldhammer was banker, investor & philanthropist. He owned Dunkin Donuts & brought the chain to the UK. 

This recent building came at a cost of about 2 million pounds. 

It was fascinating having to remember the terminology connected to these old cemeteries that describe the memorials - headstones, mausoleum, sarcophagus, chest tomb, vaults, leger slabs, columbarium, catacombs, common graves of ordinary poor people etc

Tombstone iconography terminology associated is another field to remember when looking around - Angels, Bibles or books, birds, columns, crosses, hands clasped, hour glass, IHS, ivy or vines, flowers like lily, poppy, lotus, or passion flowers as well as wreathes of holly, laurel, oak etc. Inverted symbols like torches or horseshoes for a life cut short etc or urns draped with a veil for the partition between life & death. These symbols were in the headstone catalogues of the time so several similar ones appear in the cemetery ... 

The East cemetery on the opposite side of the road is just as interesting with names more people probably know. However, that side will have its own post. 

I hope you have enjoyed this unusual visit with me, thank you for stopping by,

Dee  ✝️ 🪦⚰️⚱️

Lady Isabel of Tong, a lady with vision

This week we popped to a local church to look for a plaque for a neighbour whose family worshipped there. The village has a long history dating back to the nearby Roman camp & an entry in the Doomsday book of 1086

St Bartholomews church in Tong was once part of a castle complex that was very influential. I visit it several times a year & often take visitors there.

The church has some magnificent monuments to past influential incumbents. 

The tomb of Lady Isobel 1409-1446  (foundress of Tong college and church) & her third husband Sir Fulke de Pembrugge lies close to the central aisle. What makes her effigy different is that she is adorned with a garland of roses on her marble head & in her hands on Midsummers day each year. 

Why is this? The background info provided by “Women of Tong” church book 

She was born Isabel Lingen & outlived 3  dry rich & influential husbands: Sir Thomas Peytevin, Sir John de Ludlow (1366-1398) of Stokesay Castle & Sir Fulke de Pembrugge (-1409) who shares the same memorial. 

She took it upon herself to set up a college & rebuild the Tong church & even though she was widowed, she forged ahead with these plans. She applied to both The Pope & King Henry IV for the special licences needed for these. It cost her £40 to buy the advowson from the Abbot of Shrewsbury. 

The small church was rebuilt to the large one we visit today. It was here that mass would be said daily for those commemorated in the memorials, also for the victims of the Black Death plague. 

Lady Isobel championed education at her college for teaching ‘reading, singing & grammar’ to the clerks, servants of the college & children of Tong & the surrounding villages. Clearly a lady of great vision to improve lives in her immediate space through education by using her own wealth & influence. 

The College was dissolved under King Henry VIII but the church survived.

She survived her last husband, Sir Fulke, by 37 years, dying aged 76 in 1446. That was a great age in those times. Her husbands magnificent tomb in the church was enlarged so she could be interred beside him in her simple widows robe. 

Her lifetime spanned several English Kings - Edward III, Richard II, Henry IV, V, & VI and Edward IV.

One can sit in the choir stalls & look on to the many tombs. 

The 15th century oak choir stalls have interesting pre Reformation misericords carved in to them. 

In times past long sermons required much standing & the seats could be raised & one could rest on the carved front, to take the weight off the legs. 

These ancient oak ones are particularly interesting & original.

The benefactors board in the church shows that Isabel was not the only one who took education seriously & the notes show bequests to be used for education by others too. 

I am always fascinated by local history & how some people used their wealth & influence to improve the lives of ordinary people. 

I hope you have found this short account of the life of Isabel interesting too. Thank  you for stopping by, it is always appreciated. 

Dee 

Winter blooms ...

 

I am rather hit & miss with planting winter bulbs, especially the ones that are meant to flower at Christmas. 

Even though I buy 'forced bulbs' they seldom bloom at Christmas & in a way, that is a blessing because there is so much else going on, that colour on grey January days is very welcome. 

I bought in some hyacinth bulbs - whites & one pink one that went in to a vintage Wedgwood bowl that I use often. 

Because the bowl was in the cooler conservatory, they were dormant. I brought them in to the house after Epiphany / Twelfth Night once the decorations were down, & they sprang in to life. 

The winter cyclamen  in the same bowl, had been happy indoors for weeks until they threw a strop when  brought in & had to be relocated to a pot under shelter. 

As much as I love cyclamen, they can be rather tiresome at times. 

The ones that have been in the other kitchen window are doing well with their generous blooms alongside the vase of the iridescent & delicate honesty pods that came from the summer garden. 

The tall hyacinth stems started to bend under the weight of their blooms, so I took them outdoors & cut some red dogwood (Cornus) stems from the garden  to poke in to the soil as supports. 

I prefer using natural garden twigs / stems as flower supports & the upside is that they sometimes even root in a warm spot. I hope you have a bowl or two of colour to brighten up your day too. 

Thank you for stopping by, it is always appreciated.

Dee 💐🪻🪴🌷

Needle & thread time during snowy weather ...

 

A very snowy time in Shropshire brought quiet time because it was too icy underfoot outdoors. 

While dropping off my excess decorations stash prior to Christmas at local charity shops, I spied a ready made sewing kit. It was new, unopened, clearly an unwanted gift & so I thought - 'why not, it has everything in it to do a quick activity.' 

The snowy calm reminded me of the kit. 

The insert had stitch instructions but no particular coding for any part which is great to just stitch. It was useful to have a selection of threads but I also used some others from my threads as I didn't want to include the yellows. 

The kit came with a hoop but it was a little too small to get the needle in close to it so I changed to a slightly larger one & used my hoop stand so I could leave it out easily. 

I like stitching at the small drop side trolley in front of the window where the natural light is good & I also have a magnifying light if needed in our low light afternoons. 

Snowy scenes outside the windows, a podcast on the ipad & time to just stitch without sticking to a set pattern. 

Snow brings a certain calm & quietness to the landscape, sounds are deadened & everything seems pure & white. 

It is perfect calm times with no urgency ... 

The brighter pink was from my own threads; it comes out a bit bright but who cares, it is just for my own enjoyment & it's always interesting to see how colours bounce off each other. 

I used just a small selection of stitches which I can do without too much thinking - back stitch, stem stitch, French knots, fly stitch, lazy daisy, running stitch etc. I like that colour palette too - the berry colours always look good together. 

The first sewing done for 2026; sometimes it is best to just jump in & stitch for the sake of stitching. 

I hope you find time to do more of what you enjoy this year too. Thank  you for stopping by, it is always appreciated. 

Dee 🧵🪡📍

Twelfth Night is upon us ...

I like to put up the decorations slowly over a few days & also to take them down on my own time, slowly, intentionally packing them away so I know where they are next year. It is easy to get overwhelmed by the festive packing up, so a little at a time makes it manageable because it has none of the excitement of putting it up. 

I try to keep to the tradition to have it all down by Twelfth Night. It links back to the rhyme of the 12 days of Christmas my true love gave to me and the hidden Biblical meaning behind the rhyme. 

I count the 12 days starting from Christmas day to the night of the 5th of January.... 

Today it was the living room that was packed up.  

The large Christmas tree with its white, rose & old gold ornaments (gold, silver & pink by any other name) were returned to their large container. 

The lights are wrapped around a cardboard sleeve (from an online shop), interspersed with bubble wrap & placed in a container with the large fireplace garland - lights still wrapped on it.  

I try not to focus on the change of space without the tree occupying the whole corner, but to embrace the space where I can read in the chair by the radiator. 

The conservatory was next,  time to light the candle, make some gifted Christmas coffee with a mince pie or piece of stollen. 

I love marzipan so opted for the stollen as a packing up treat. 

 The heart shapes were removed from the window blinds & the doors of the sideboard , the windows of the dining room & stored with those from the dining room etc. 

I like to keep like with like. The festive wares are packed up in a particular order, then they are returned to the tall cupboards in the kitchen.

The deer were next from the dining room clock & sideboard - 7 from there & 2 from the conservatory; all safely stored together in a container for another year. 

The dining room sideboard had the collection of 3 on the left, then one with animals on its back on the right.

I do love their presence & the woodland connection.  

The  little tree with the hand beaded ornaments were packed up gently. 

They have been a joy to pass several times a day, an eclectic collection that reminds me of my heritage. 

They have their own small tins that they are stored in.  

The wooden German decorations (bought in Munich some years ago) are stored in 2 little bags I made, again in their own little tin. 

Ms M & I bought them on a tour of several Christmas markets in Germany & Austria & I like the nod to the Prussian / German heritage of that great grandfather. 

He would have had similar decorations growing up which reminds me of the complex heritage I have. 

They were draped over great grandparents photo on the wall ... 

The conservatory sideboard has once again been well used with the various festive wares - they were returned to the high kitchen cupboard where I do use some of them from time to time. 

I have left the pretty festive Ralph Lauren tablecloth in the conservatory - the calming reds are not strictly festive so they can stay longer.  It replaced the tartan one midway after use. 

What to put on the sideboard? After the busy festive patterns, I seem to gravitate towards cream / Parian ware with a solitary vintage green plate holding centre court. 

I put up some pink patterns then my eyes fell on my ruby / cranberry glass in the kitchen. They are enough colour & still ties in with the table cloth so they came out.  I do love their colour & shapes - all vintage, Ms M & I collected some together in Dorset from the market stalls & a charity shop. They remind me that random ones can happily sit together. 

The family are not Christmas / fruit cake fans so our bought cake was uncut until today. 

The glass cake stand was one of Olive's and the cover is a salad bowl that fits exactly on the cake stand. 2 unconnected things that go well together in a practical sense. 

It is a wonderfully dense fruit cake that needs cake forks which I duly retrieved from the drawer. 

I have a selection of new red cake forks & spoons  that we use often. They are stored in a drawer in the conservatory. 

I also have a collection of 6 forks & little knives from Olive. 

Their fork tines are much closer together - she used to call them tea knife & forks & we use them for scones from time to time. They have pretty detail to their collar & are very dainty. 

The modern & vintage ones compliment each other quite happily, probably a half century apart in age but in the same colours. 

I think it is so important to use & enjoy the things you have. I handwash these because of the handles but it takes no time to do. 

The Wedgwood cream Parian ware bowl with lion head handles was planted up with pink cyclamen flowers some weeks before Christmas.  

It is perfect bowl shape goes well with the two matching bowls with their pink border next to it.  

The planter has pink & white hyacinths around the edge but they have not yet flowered so I just enjoy it as it is. 

I have learnt that hyacinths flower when they like & I seldom get them to flower at Christmas. However, the brighter colour is a good transition from festive to winter plants.

I think it is done for now, I know I will tinker with it but I do enjoy the change & I like to see other things out too. 

Moving things to their places brings a sense of calm & order to spaces. 

It is a ritual to take everything in the house down by Twelfth Night, a calming signal that the festive season has come to an end & normal life will resume with work & routine again. 

The last thing to come down is always from the front door. 

On Twelfth Night, I take down the front door wreath / garland. It is stripped of the adornments, ribbons etc then it is hung on the garden shed for a few more weeks. 

For me, this signals that the house reverts to its winter state. 

We always have a fresh door wreath & I love seeing it in the garden & how the birds flit in & out of it, helping themselves to the moss etc. 

I do not like to hurry through this period - I like a reset without abandoning this time of the calendar. 

Wintering touches stay - woodland scents of herbs like bay & rosemary, citrus, pine & eucalyptus remain.  We still have fluffy throws on chairs to curl up in while we read or relax with a warming tea or hot chocolate - slow living when time allows, as winter should be a time to slow down, hibernate even when possible. It is a slower time dictated by nature & the weather. 

I keep the twinkling lights on the kitchen windowsills which light up the glass candle holders - a reminder to enjoy the home I have. The windows face the garden & I love watching the changes happening outside the window & how the low light hits differently on the plants, sometimes making them glow. 

How do you do the change from the festive season after Christmas?  Do you just let winter be winter & enjoy it without trying to hurry it by? 

Thank you for stopping by, it is always appreciated. 

Dee 🌲💐