The Wild West (Midlands)

The snow showed no sign of shifting and so Saturday was mostly spent with a cat slumped across my lap whilst I cracked on with my latest read, A Little Life, an epic tale following the lives of four friends from wildly different backgrounds living in New York. All the reviews say that it will break your heart and, as the characters are already so likeable, I'm afraid that it might (I never get weepy over films!)

I'd sold a couple of things on Vinted and keen to stretch our legs after a day of being snowbound, we walked to the parcel shop. It's less than a mile away but the snow had frozen solid and it took us over an hour to walk there and back. Although I don't love the snow, I like how friendly it makes everyone. Complimenting me on my wise choice of footwear, a fellow walker told us that we needed some power food after our trek, recommending cashews, almonds, honey and dates, a popular choice for the harsh winters of his childhood in Pakistan. Sadly, we only had honey and Maltese fig jam in the cupboard so we made do with a couple of biscuits. 

Along with my "sensible footwear" (my hand-crafted Ilse Jacobsen wellies) I wore a vintage Hindu Kush Afghan dress over the sweater dress I'd bought from a charity shop earlier in the week, one of bastard massive sheepskin hats and this amazing fake fur vintage coat which was a gift from dear friends Lynn & Philip, originally belonging to Philip's mum. They were regulars at our stall at Stockport's Vintage Village and we didn't know them all that well when they gave me the coat, I was so touched by their kindness and always think of them when I wear it. It's very Cruella, don't you think?

While we ate our tea we started to watch Alan and Amanda's Greek Job which they were in the middle of filming whilst we were there. We had a horrible feeling that they'd bought the village house we wanted - fortunately it wasn't. For those who've never been, watch it and see why we love Corfu so much, it really is that beautiful!

Could've been ours! 

The previous evening we'd watched the brutal, Unforgiven and, continuing with the Western theme, on Saturday night we watched The Ballad of Buster Scruggs, a beautiful but disturbing anthology of stories from the old west, directed by the collective genius that are the Coen Brothers.

With the pool closed for a sports event, on Sunday morning we lay in bed reading until 9am. After another frosty night and with it still trechorous underfoot, we weren't too upset not to have to risk life and limb by walking into town. It's Tony's 60th next month and all he says he wants for his birthday is a bit of sun, so most of the day was spent trawling the internet for inspiration, ending up more confused than when we started! 

I wore a vintage Phool midi dress and a 1970s quilted waistcoat, also by Phool, changing into my wellies when I went outside...which wasn't for long. By now it was our 9th day of snow and I was so over it. A skiing holiday would be my idea of hell!

 

The evening was spent watching The Great Pottery Throwdown, joyful telly with lovely people...followed by To Catch A Killer, which definitely isn't.

Sunday's overnight rain washed the snow away and it was back to suede boots and floaty frocks when we walked down to the pool on Monday. I was so excited about my swim I'd been awake since 5am and did a happy dance in the middle of the road to celebrate being able to stay upright and to see tarmac again! We had a blissful and surprisingly quiet swim, still no sign of any newbies. I'm starting to think getting in shape for the New Year is no longer a thing now the NHS offer weight loss jabs. 

This 1970s Dollyrockers dress has been in my wardrobe for longer than I've been blogging (17 years!) With temperatures risinf to a balmy 8°C, I only needed my bruise-coloured Rawhide coat atop my maxi....hooray! I customised my £2 bag (another of last week's finds) by threading an antique Liberty silk scarf through the chain strap, something I've seen chic European women do.

Passing through the Saddler's Centre, we remembered to have a look at the Jerome K Jerome clock, unveiled in 1990 but, after a series of mechanical problems, was removed by the council and put into storage, finally repaired and reinstated last Summer. The author of the 1889 novel, Three Men and a Boat is one of many famous people born in Walsall.

Have you ever seen a Mother-in-Law's Tongue in flower before? I've got seven, all of which originated from the same plant, but this is the first to do this. That floral spike smells gorgeous. 

It looks like I'm in for a quiet few days. Jon's caught the sniffle I developed last week (which had all but gone within 48 hours) and is currently prostrate on the settee wrapped in a blanket. I'd better take him a cup of tea!