Old Blighty

Post Fat Quarterly Retreat last month, I had the wonderful opportunity to travel north for a few days visit with one of my oldest bloggy friends, Lynne. I've been threatening to show up at her doorstep for a few years. I'm not sure she ever thought I would, but I did!  Lynne impressed me no end by driving us out of London VIA PICADILLY CIRCUS! Seriously, people drive through that craziness? I thought only double-decker buses and delivery vans attempted that, but her GPS took us through the heart, as it were. That was pretty cool.

After a couple of hours driving north, we arrived in the countryside of Derbyshire near the town of Ashbourne. I just loved walking around this perfectly English town (at least, the perfect English towns of my mind's eye). I took a lot of pictures.  When you come from a country that was born after most of these buildings had already been standing for 100 years, historic towns like this are a visual treat. Plus, they'd been so kind to hang the buntings for me.

The date was July 22; wee Prince George decided to share my birthday! I thought a pic of this house number was in order.

This may be my fav photo from the UK. Letter box, check. Phone box, check. Jack Russell in window (can you find him?), check. 

Hanging topiary!

We're definitely in the countryside.

A sweet gift shop/paint-your-own-pottery studio where Lynne's twins and their cousin busied themselves painting so I could stroll around town snapping pictures.

One late afternoon we also took a stroll through the local village that had me exclaiming left, right and centre. It was the full kit: stone walls, stone church, stone houses. Roaming chickens. Gardens fit for Peter Rabbit. Absolutely storybook! I will forever think of this village now when I read Alan Bradley's books and imagine Flavia and Gladys zooming along these country roads at breakneck speed. 

The cheeky Eve photobombing my letterbox 

This one's authentic...not sure the telephone is still functioning, though.

The sweet village school

If you've read any of Flavia's adventures, can't you just picture her skulking around this graveyard, searching for clues in the early morning mist?

I've never seen such huge Monkey Puzzle trees!

Cows! These girls walk by Lynne's front gate four times a day to and from the milking barn.

There you have it, friends. That ends the photo story of my summer trip.  I've been sewing a little and have fun things to share, but my kids don't go back to school until after Labour Day, so it's still busy family times around here. I hope everyone is enjoying summer as much as we are.