Murphy gets comfortable

It's cold outside and you've been playing in the snow since 7am so now it's time for a nap (is it any wonder my settee is looking it's age!) 

The poor boy

Sometimes I think that Bella just uses me

'I  dare you to break the ice on the pond' she said

Then she ran off and ate it!

and she didn't leave any for me

the poor boy but it's a lesson well learnt - you can't outwit a bitch 

Do you think she'll want seconds?

Derbyshire in the fog

We took the dogs away in the van this weekend. It was only a quick overnight trip to the Manifold Valley in The Peak District staying on a working farm in the village of Butterton. The Manifold Valley is not as well known as the rest of the Peak District but what a gem. The scenery and walks are fabulous.

We had planned to have lots of trips away this summer but unfortunately it was not meant to be so we thought that we would try and make the best of what little good weather we have left this year to try and get away while we can.

Needless to say the dogs had a wonderful time swimming in the stream, well Murphy did, Bella totally wimped out at the sight of running water preferring to stand on the river bank and shout encouragement! and even though Murphy can't walk far we had a great time strolling along the valley following the track of the old railway.

The weather was kind to us for most of the weekend and for this summer that's some going!!

A Heady Mix of Old and New

Dig those crazy colours!!


I think the that the jury is out on this one, Clever certainly, eye catching definitely, complementary to it's surroundings.. I don't think so

I think that in this street alone over 200 years of architectural style is represented and love it or hate it you can't say that it's boring.


I think that one of the signs of a confident city is in it's architecture and the bravery of the town planners to move away from the safe option and to allow innovative and challenging design.

Sure it can be controversial but I'd rather controversy than stagnation.

Lunch time in Canary Wharf

What does the dynamic young City worker do in their lunch break when the sun is shining on Canary Wharf? The really lucky ones will have arranged a business lunch and then they can sit at on a proper seat at a proper table and enjoy lunch at a posh eatery like Smollensky's or Carluccios, on expenses naturally.

And providing there isn't a gale blowing through the docks the rest will look for somewhere to sit and eat their posh butties. Any where will do, you can find them sitting on walls and benches or even bum numbing stone seats.
Otherwise they stand around talking on their mobiles and have a crafty drag on their third cigarette of the day.

Around and about in Canary Wharf

In the last posting I had trouble thinking of comments for the pictures, this one however holds no such problems.....spot the two security staff in their high speed vehicle... I kid you not they really do travel around in golf buggies and they are everywhere.Dave and I christened them the thought police, no special reason just that the whole place reminded me of George Orwell's vision of the future in 1984



I loved this, there amongst all the glass and steel was an old VW camper van. If you look closely you might just spot a house boat in the dock, the driver was unloading the van onto the boat. I was worried that the Thought Police (TP) were about to come wizzing around the corner and fine him for having an old thing in the middle of all this new stuff, there must be a bylaw prohibiting so much colour in one place!
Amongst all the glass there are some green areas and very welcome they are too. Now I am all for public art and love to see sculptures and monuments in even the most incongruous places but can anybody tell me just what this is supposed to be?

This lovely old building houses amongst other things a museum which tells the story of the Thames and the docks in particular. I spent a very happy couple of hours wondering round it and learning that this is one of the very few dock buildings that the Luftwaffe managed to miss in the Blitz.

And just to prove that not everybody in Canary Wharf wears a suit here are some workmen from one of the hundreds of building sites, mind you I think the TPs are onto them, probably for wearing the wrong boots or something.

Updating the Blog

It has been a good day today. The weather has been fab for this time of year, I had a lovely lunch with the old Echo crew (my God you sound like a bunch of rappers!) and saw Gary's beautiful babies, then I spent the afternoon in the garden rewriting Episode 1 in longhand.

After all this (and cooking the dinner and doing the washing and going to the tip) I decided that I deserved a little treat so have just spent a lovely hour updating some of my holiday postings with my photos (the cable was in the desk in the hall)

I doubt that may people will trawl through the old postings to look at the pictures but I had fun doing it and that's all that matters.....