Unseasonable Sunshine

I'm running out of adjectives to describe the unseasonably warm weather the UK is currently experiencing but the endless sunshine is utterly fabulous. 

On Thursday we took Stephen to the vet to start a monthly course of injections for his arthritis, something we'd discussed with Becky, our vet, when we'd taken him for a check-up a fortnight ago. Although the manufacturer claims that effects may not be visible until the second jab, he perked up almost immediately and was back to his usual vocal and crazy self by mid-afternoon. 

With the temperatures hitting the giddy heights of 19°C it was another day for bare legs, a Dilli Grey cotton midi dress and oversized sunglasses. 

Home from the vet, Jon set about making some platforms for Stephen's food bowls so he didn't have to bend to eat. Our mate Kev popped round and we sat on the garden wall in the midday chatting. After lunch I spent the afternoon in the garden, stripped down to a bikini and grabbed my Philippa Gregory novel, losing myself in the court of Elizabeth I and the paranoia and seething jealousy which was part of everyday life within the Tudor dynasty.

We watched the incredible Writing With Fire, a documentary about India's only newpaper run by Dalit (untouchable) women. A wonderful and inspiring watch if ever there was one. If you're in the UK you can find it on the BBC I-Player HERE.

On Friday morning we were dressed and on our way to our second favourite Black Country town before 9am and by 11.30am we were back at home and inspecting our finds with the first (and, in my case, only) coffee of the day.

What did we find? A vintage NATO issue quilted coat, a Coast mustard wrap dress with the tags still attached, two watches to add to Jon's collection, a 1980s suede waistcoat, a 1950s broderie anglaise top, a 1980s cotton leisure shirt, an Indian all-wool waistcoat, another Philippa Gregory novel (I think I've got almost all of her books now), a planished silver bangle, a 1980s green suede bomber jacket, some 1980s "Africa" shorts, made in Harare, three unused Barry M nail paints, some 1970s Fred Perry shorts and an Italian made Paolo de Ponte calf leather belt which I later found online for £82!

Cheap and cheerful! Friday's outfit cost the grand total of £7 - the Wyse, London shirred cotton midi dress, straw & leather bag and sequin-trimmed still-boxed plimsols were all charity shop finds. The gemstone bracelet was a 21st birthday present from some workmates making it almost 35 years old, scary stuff!

I threw our finds in the washing machine and then we walked down to the baths for another swim, this time doing twenty lengths. While we were swimming we bumped into an old friend, Baz (not literally) and invited him to join us in 'Spoons where we'd decided to treat ourselves to lunch, eaten al fresco in the sunshine.

Buoyed up by a couple of large glasses of Pinot, I popped into the hairdressing training academy in the next street and booked an appointment for a cut and blow dry. It's been a year since I last had a trim and my ends are starting to look a bit wispy, although I shall insist it is only the very ends they cut, I like having hair long enough to get caught in my waistband.

Back at home I pegged the laundry out on the line, washed our swimming gear and wrapped the eBay sales leaving Jon to repair a couple of loose bricks on the outside steps. Later we drank rum and watched The White Tiger. Aravind Adiga's Booker Prize winning novel of a poor man's murderous ambition is one of my favourite books ever and I was excited to discover that it had been made into a film. I'm always slightly worried about beloved books becoming films but this was beautifully done.

On Saturday morning, I stripped the bed and hung the washing on the line to dry alongside the load I'd done the previous day and had left out overnight. After our veggie sausage sandwiches Jon dropped the eBay parcels off at the post office and did a grocery run for Tony, who is still testing positive and feels very weak and feeble.

I took the recently charity-shopped Victorian japanned cabinet outside and touched up the rough bits with the gloss paint we'd bought from Wilko on Sunday before doing some pruning and shifting of plants. When Jon got back he suggested we go for a walk in Merrions Wood, a 12 hectare wildlife reserve so I grabbed my camera and dashed out still dressed in my gardening gear.

Part of a former deer park and containing ridge-and-furrow marks and ancient semi-natural woodland, much of the site was planted in the 18th century by Humphry Repton to create a grand carriageway entrance for Great Barr Estate. His planting included a Horse Chestnut avenue and although various pathogens eventually led to its decline, grant-aid has enabled the planting of a replacement Sweet Chestnut avenue.

Despite living less than two miles from the entrance to Merrions Wood my entire life I'd never been there, I always say that I know Mumbai better than I do my hometown!

We saw an abundance of primroses, daffodils and the pretty star-shaped flowers pictured above and were thrilled to hear woodpeckers and even catch a glimpse of a green feathered belly flying above us. At the end of Merrions Wood we reached the parish church of St Margaret and had a wander around the churchyard.

Dedicated to Saint Margaret of Antioch, the church was founded in 1677 but rebuilt in 1862. The tower is original 17th century but is hidden by the Gothic revival red sandstone casing which was added in 1893. The spire is 18th Century. St Margaret's is Grade II listed and its war memorial, described by Historic England as "a lantern cross in the medieval style" is also listed meaning both are protected from unauthorised alteration or demolition.

Dressed for household chores! I'm wearing a 1970s Oasis Trading gauzy indian cotton blouse, charity shopped Zara jeans, a vintage Indian silk screen printed scarf, tooled leather bag and last week's Nonverse pumps. 

Merrions Wood supports important populations of birds, bats, social and solitary bees and wasps, saproxylic invertebrates and fungi. Grant-aid has funded a bat box scheme in conjunction with Birmingham and Black Country Bat Group.

After a glorious hour and a half we returned home for posh coffees and a lemon muffin each (jon bought some for Tony and thought he'd treat us to some, too).

I stripped down to a bikini and spent the afternoon basking in the sunshine. I started re-reading Carol Drinkwater's The Olive Farm, the first of the triogy snaffled from the clearance charity shop last weekend, and discovered it was a signed edition. How exciting!

I also painted my nails with one of the Barry M paints I'd found on our charity shopping trip the previous day. Butterscotch isn't a colour I've used before but I rather like it.

Tonight we'll be drinking rum (again), starting the second series of Deadwind and trying not to forget that the clocks go forward later.

Cheers and see you soon!