Attic24

Midsummer Harlow Carr

We paid a visit to RHS Harlow Carr on Monday, on a damp, warm and humid midsummers day. Light summery rain showers with sunny spells in between, coat on, coat off, coat on again.

A delicious flat white in the café to escape the worst of the rain, then a slow leisurely stroll through the woodland area which was glowing with colour thanks to the expanse of candelabra primulas in full floral flood.

We were last here on the eighteenth of May, and since then the garden has exploded with growth and colour. The  wide mixed borders are nothing short of magnificent, and really the best is yet to come - this is just the warm up before the colourful August/September visual extravaganza.

On Monday we were sharing the garden appreciation experience with lots and lots of school children, their excitement and joy were palpable and very inspiring. By accident I found myself walking along with a large school group in the kitchen garden, and just loved their wonderment as they learnt about the actual real food that was growing right there in the beds. J was bench sitting, and I enjoyed my time wandering the small pathways in and out of the edibles.

As well as the abundance of glorious colour, there were so many scented flowers in bloom. The roses were stunning, spilling over archways and filling whole planted areas with their beautiful perfume.

It's also the start of the Sweet Pea season which as you know I absolutely love love love. Most of the SP arches and towers are in and around the kitchen garden, and as always I really enjoyed seeing so many flowers growing alongside the veggies, fruit and herbs in true potager style. Not just sweet peas, but marigolds and nasturtiums flowering in abundance amongst all the green leafy edibles, it was so lovely. I wish I'd taken more photos of these beds, but there were so many children I got very distracted listening to their excited chatter and lost myself for a while in reminiscing about my own Little People taking their summer trips to this very same garden.

Some of the sweet pea supports were very rustic indeed, just a wibbly tower made of twiggy sticks...

....but there were also some wonderful woven willow supports too. I think I could do with a couple beautiful towery willow things for my big yarden pots to replace the odd assortment of old sticks and bamboo canes currently acting as plant support.

I spent a lot of my time with my face in these blooms, gently inhaling the delicious fragrance. Natural floral scent is intoxicating, isn't it? Lavender, sweet peas, roses, jasmine, honeysuckle....I love them all.

As usual the RHS plant shop was looking incredible, I don't know how they manage to keep every single plant in such pristine condition.

In May, the displays that caught my eye were lupins and foxgloves - in June is was all about the hydrangeas and of course the roses. There was a huge display of David Austin roses, oh my, they were so incredibly beautiful and fragrant and desirable. Thirty three pounds each mind you, but they were super lovely, every single one flowering beautifully.

Lots of potted dahlias looking very glamorous and showy too....

....and I really fell for this open variety, isn't it a beauty? Sadly I didn't think to name check it, but trust me, it was stunning.

Pots, pots and more pots, who knew they could be so inspiring? I think any kind of shop display which organises items by colour will immediately please me to no end, I am very predictable like that. 

We had a browse through the gift and homewares shop which was as lovely as ever, so many beautiful things displayed to perfection. More English Soap Company paper-wrapped soaps (I've seen them in a lot of shops just lately). I lingered by the chocolate for way too long, but luckily for me they didn't have my fave Lime and Seasalt flavour so I was able to walk away empty handed. Felt secretly proud of myself for that.

It's always a joy to visit these gardens, and even on a drizzly day the colours, scents and vistas were hugely inspirational. Next time we go I think the huge main borders will be in "Sungold" mode and I absolutely can't wait for that to come around.

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Saltaire Inspiration

I took myself on a very unexpected, unplanned and spontaneous outing on Thursday. I was sat eating my breakfast at the table and suddenly felt an overwhelming need to be out of the house, out of this town and immersed in an inspirational environment for a little while. So I booked a train ticket there and then and twenty minutes later I was walking along the canal to the train station.

Destination........Saltaire.

It's a twenty five minute journey and the train stop is located right in the heart of the old village, just a hop and a skip from the impressive Salts Mill building.

I am always in awe of this beautiful place and I've been visiting since we first moved to the area in 2007. It's a historic building that now houses many businesses, as well as three art galleries, two restaurants and various retail outlets. As you browse through the vast array of books, cards and art materials arranged over two huge floors of the mill, you can also view the large collection of artworks by David Hockney displayed on the walls. And best of all? It's free. Yes, completely free to enter, browse, explore, admire and fill your inspiration cup to overflowing. Isn't that something?

You can see one of the retail galleries in the above photo, these rooms are huuuuuuge and old and full of character. Much of the stuff is displayed on tabletops rather than on shelves, which encourages you to take your time and enjoy the browsing experience. There are large glass vases of lilies placed throughout the room and trust me when I tell you the scent in the air is beautifully intoxicating.

When I arrived at Salts it was late morning, so I took myself into the diner and ordered up a frothy coffee. It was busy and noisy in the café but the coffee was delicious and I enjoyed being out and about somewhere so lively. It's a great place for people watching :) 

I always like to browse in the Home store, not often to buy anything but just to absorb the beautiful aesthetic. I love this gorgeous candle rack and also the luxurious soaps and lotions that they sell as there are so many wonderful scents to enjoy (they are stockists of The English Soap Company soaps which look as beautiful as they smell).

One of the main reasons I wanted to visit Salts was to view the current David Hockney Exhibition up in the third floor gallery.

This collection of pictures is called "20 Flowers for 2025" and interestingly they are all digital works of art. Daivd Hockney is in his late eighties, and although he's still creating new art it's mostly drawn on an iPad. Part of the exhibition included a big screen where you could watch his process of creating a digital floral image and it was really interesting.

When you view the collection from a distance they look like traditional paintings....

...but up close you can really see the digital mark making. I think my favourites were the ones where flowers were displayed in glass bottles and cut glass vases, because miraculously they really looked like glass. You can see more of his digital iPad works ((here)).

Aside from all the browsing, I really, really just enjoy the scale of the place because this is definitely not your average book shop, and these are most certainly not your average pot plants. The plants are real and ginormous, more like indoor trees really, and I am always so very impressed by them.

Trains back to Atticland run every half an hour or so, and as I had about ten minutes to spare I walked to the station via some of the very beautiful old housing streets which are now a protected UNESCO world heritage site.

I love the old painted front doors and the very well kept front gardens which at this time of year were spilling over with early summer flowers....

....these roses smelt sooo good, such a sweet and fragrant perfume.

As I was waiting for my train I was thinking about the flowers of Saltaire - first the lilies (which are always in situ and form a core memory of visiting Salts Mill for me), then David's digital arrangements, and finally these fabulous roses. What an inspiring way to spend Thursday.

I bought two things from Salts - a beautiful sweet pea card by printmaker Grace Edkins (I've someone special in mind to send it to), and also a pair of sparrows. Yeah, sparrows. I just couldn't resist them, they're made from recycled cardboard and designed to be hung on the wall and there was just something about them that called to my heart. They're made by a Dutch company called "Studio Roof" who have a lovely website for you to get an idea of their gorgeous style. Very inspiring I think.

The sparrows have hatched and are hanging out in my mantel twigs where they look very at home already, I'll try and remember to take a photo to show you. Sweet things.

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Monday Views

Monday is one of my favourite days of the week, because six and a half years ago J changed his job role and reduced his hours so that he could take every Monday off, and only work a half day on Fridays too. We'd talked about the idea of it for so long, wondered if he could make it work, fantasised about how amazing it would be and endlessly discussed the things we would do with these precious child-free hours in the week.

And now six and a half years on, I genuinely still get such a thrill from Mondays, it's hard to explain how precious they are and how much I treasure them. If at all possible we try to get out and about for a walk which is something we both enjoy, and we've been walking together since we first met almost thirty two years ago.

You may recognise the above hill because a few weeks ago we walked around the reservoir which sits below it (May 22nd). It's only a few miles from the Attic, and climbing up to the top of the crag is something we've done many times over the years. Although full disclosure, I do have to be in the right frame of mind and have enough energy in my body to think about tackling it as it's a pretty steep haul to the top.

We walk a circular route starting in the village and it's not very long (less than four miles) but it is a bit of a scramble up from the waterside to the high point. You can see the pathway in the photo above, winding all the way up from the reservoir to the craggy summit.

Let me tell you that I was quite proud of myself for making it all the way to the top without feeling like my lungs were about to explode, and I only stopped a couple of times to take photos and gasp down a drink of water.

The views from the top are beautiful and stretch right out over the valley below.

At the top there are mahoosive gritstone boulders strewn here and there (for scale, the boulder in the above photo is taller than me), and it feels ancient and full of geographical history.

We have a particular place where we sit down to rest, it has a boulder for leaning your back against and always seems to catch the morning sun and be sheltered from the breeze. It's incredibly tranquil being this high up, with just the sound of the wind and the distant calling of curlews and cuckoo. It brings calm and energy at the same time, like a quick plug in to the Natural Energy Grid for a superfast internal recharge.

Stretching out beyond the craggy high point are endless miles of moorland (25 sq miles of it) as far as you can see. In another 2-3 months it'll be a stunning carpet of purple because this is heather country, and it's beautifully unspoilt and wild. In fact, this is part of the same moorland where I went a few weeks ago (May 17th) and the same moor that inspired my Moorland Blanket.

The descent down from the moor top is pure pleasure after the energy expenditure of the climb, and the pathways are easy and leisurely. Down through fields, past a small copse, then through the wooden gate to meet the farm track.

A little stroll down the lane, turn right to head past the church....

...then a gentle amble through the buttercup meadows back towards the village.

It's ridiculously satisfying to look over to the summit of the crag and think about us both standing on the very top of it, how wonderful is that? I massively appreciate my general ability to still walk good miles and climb steep hills, and I think about this often....life is for living and it's always a good day for getting out there and viewing the views.

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Saltburn December 2024 {two}

Last week I took myself off to the Yorkshire coast for a few days rest and recharge, it was such a treat and turned into a very memorable trip. If you missed part {one} you can read the blog post ((here))....and now for the rest of my stay, featuring Storm Darragh.....

Saltburn :: Saturday

I woke up fully expecting to face a day of very stormy weather, and as the daylight crept in I was surprised to find that it didn't look too bad out there. It was windy, slightly drizzly and grey but certainly not the amber storm warning that everyone was talking about. I took a slower start to my day, spending some luxurious time loafing about in the huuuuuge super king size bed (utter luxury) reading a magazine, drinking tea and watching the weather play out over the sea down below.

I was down on the beach by 9.30, enjoying the sound of the waves crashing on the shore and the wind carrying the tang of seasalt with it. There were some very brave swimmers just heading out into the sea, my goodness, it made me shudder just to watch them. I adore being beside the sea but I'm very much a dry-land girl (I'm a very poor swimmer) and the sea would have to be warm and calm (a sunny Greek island beach for example) for me to venture in.

You can see from the above photo that the stormy weather was just beginning to roll in over the cliffs and I was glad to be enjoying my beach walk while it was still relatively good going.

Hmmm, it's almost ten o'clock now and my brain is telling me that it would very much enjoy me taking a seat and infusing it with some caffeine, so time to slowly cliiiiimb uuuuppppppp the steep cliffside and find somewhere cosy to rest a while.

I decided to go and visit a shop that I fell in love with a few years ago because I had a feeling it would be beautifully festive inside and I wasn't disappointed. In fact, I was completely overwhelmed with the sight that greeted me as I walked in the door.....

....oh my. WoW!! It really was a wow moment, and I'm pretty certain that I stood there with my mouth hanging open. This shop is Lillian Daph, a Scandinavian inspired gift and interiors shop. Obviously it doesn't usually look like this with a wooden gazebo type structure right in the centre, but what a genius way to display all the many christmas baubles and tree decorations, it was absolutely beautiful.

Now, Lillian and Daph have a very impressive upstairs which I hadn't had the opportunity to explore before this visit, and just like the ground floor it was absolutely stunning. 

Full of interior inspiration, a mixture of stylish furniture, textiles, lamps and accessories all beautifully curated and displayed. It was gorgeous and I felt like I could've quite happily moved straight in and made myself right at home.

Aside from all the gorgeous merchandise and buckets of visual inspiration, there was another very good reason for my visit to Lillian Daph. When I visited Saltburn back in the Spring (I had a v short one night stay back in May with J and Little B), we discovered that at the back of the shop was a newly opened extension that had been turned into a café ((Yard.coffee shop))

Just like the main shop, it's a beautiful space with oodles of cosy comfort and rustic, decorative details. My coffee was absolutely delicious, in fact it was so good I ordered up a second cup. In the above photo, what you can't see is the large lantern roof window up above. By the time I was slurping through my second coffee, the rain had well and truly arrived and it was literally bouncing in full force onto the roof. Urgh. 

Eventually I had to face up to Storm Darragh and braved the rain to go buy food before scurrying back to my cosy little house. I was absolutely soaked by the time I got in, so I changed out of my wet clothes, cranked the central heating up and settled down to some restorative hooky rows....

...ahhhh, that's better, there's nothing like a bit of colourful yarny therapy to take the edge off the stormy weather.

11.30 and the weather was getting worse and worse as Darragh started raging around the house. I had extra reason to be concerned because I was waiting for some important guests to arrive and I was worried about them driving in the now horizontal rain and gusting winds. Finally just before midday they arrived safe and sound and I was incredibly happy to welcome them into this warm and cosy house. 

Aww, it was so lovely as J and Little B had driven over to join me for a night, and after really enjoying my solo time I was excited to see them and have their company. We had originally planned to do some coastal walking but sadly the storm was far too stormy to even consider it. Instead we spent a quiet afternoon together reading, crocheting and chatting as the rain continued to batter the house.

In the mid afternoon there was a sudden lull and we decided to take advantage and head out. The rain had temporarily eased but the winds, my goodness they were in full force with 50mph gusts, it was unbelievably wild out there on the north east coast. We walked down to sea level and got blown along the promenade - in the above photo it's 3pm, and look how dark it is! 

We made it to the restaurant for a late lunch/early dinner, it was very cosy inside with the storm continuing to be very loud and disruptive outside. Towards the end of our meal the whole restaurant was suddenly plunged into darkness as the power went out - it was kind of funny but also ever so slightly worrying for the night ahead. It came on and off again a few times, and eventually stayed on long enough for us to pay and make our way back in the pouring rain to the house.

The power didn't stay on in Saltburn mind you, and we spent the early evening sitting around some candles and wondering what sort of a night we were in for with no heating and no electricity. Was it atmospheric? Yes, yes it was. J and I are old enough to remember the regular enforced power blackouts in the 1970's, but luckily for us we only had to experience it for about an hour at the weekend.

All night long the storm continued and the noise of the wind and rain against the windows was seriously loud. It was a bit of a disturbed night to be honest and I was glad that I had J there to literally weather the storm with me.

Saltburn Sunday ::

By Sunday morning the rain had moved on but not so the wind. It was still howling round the house (the weather app said 30mph winds with forceful gusts) but I was really glad we didn't have to battle with the rain as well. We had to be out of the house by 10, so we decided to get ready, tidy up our belongings and pack the car before heading out for a very blustery morning walk. 

You can see in the above photo how wild the sea was on Sunday morning, the tide was right up high and the sea was just a mass of white foaming waves being whipped up by the winds. J and Little B both wanted to walk on the pier - I was unsure but as we saw some other people out there we decided to venture along the boards.

We walked to the very end and my goodness, the wind literally stole my breath away. 

The sea felt enormously powerful with giant rolling waves crashing against the pier supports and rolling fast under our feet. We didn't stay out there for long as it was bitterly cold and my internal body clock was beginning to whisper the "coffee" word quite insistently. Luckily for me, both J and Little B are kindred spirits when it comes to enjoying a good morning brew, something that I am very grateful for. Sunday outings to go and drink coffee and eat something sweet are a regular family occurrence for us, and it's even better when we are away from home somehow.

So uuuupppp the steps we climbed, to the top of the cliff where the wind very nearly stole my woolly hat, whipping it right off my head without warning.

Saltburn isn't a big place and I love how quick and easy it is to walk from the wild and natural coast to the heart of the cute little town. We were in for a real treat on Sunday because just over a month ago, a brand new Scandinavian inspired bakery and café had opened its doors. After walking past it on Saturday morning and seeing the locals literally queueing down the street to get in, I had a feeling it would be something special.

Ohhhhh, it was indeed very, very special. The name of the bakery is "Koselig" which I understand is a Norwegian word similar to the Danish hygge. It loosely translates to mean a feeling of cosiness, intimacy, warmth, happiness and being content. I think there is also an underlying social context too, where embracing koselig means to spend time with loved ones, enjoying their company in a cosy setting, with a comforting hot drink and a snack. It's a brilliant name for a cosy café.

As you can see, the freshly baked goods were out of this world and quite different to the usual offerings at our English bakeries. I learnt that all these pastries are freshly baked in the early morning at the sister koselig bakeri in the nearby town of Guisborough. They are as close to homemade as you can get, and you really do get a feeling for the passion behind the artisanal small production.

Little B chose a cinnamon palmier, and J and I shared a dark chocolate brioche bun and both were outstanding. Not to mention the coffee....ohh, it was so so good!

I felt like another layer of simple Saltburn life embedded itself into my heart last weekend, and as I sat in the warm and cosy café (which was packed full, we had to wait patiently to get a table), I felt so very at home. I had this realisation that Saltburn is a little bit like Skipton and Bridport combined - a down to earth Yorkshire town, but with the lovely coastal vibe that I grew up with in Dorset. Unpretentious, slow, simple living, but with a touch of quirkiness and a little bit of luxury. 

Quite simply, I absolutely love spending time there, and as soon as I leave I find myself secretly making plans to return as soon as possible. Of course the family know all about my ongoing love affair with Saltburn and we've stayed there many, many times over the years since the Little'n's were little. It has my heart ♥

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Lovely Little Snippets

♥ early morning walks around the hilly streets before the sun rises

♥ late November frosty chill, wrapped up warm with scarf, gloves, woolly hat

♥ atmospheric morning light and still water, the smell of wood smoke in the air

♥ warm café & yarny chatter with friends, colourful crochet, frothy coffee and that Friday feeling

♥ a Saturday train trip to Leeds with my girl, starting with a fabulous Laynes coffee

♥ enjoying the unique buzzy atmosphere of Leeds Corn Exchange

♥ this old oval building is really beautiful, both inside and out

♥ I loved the colourful christmas tree very much, a tree after my own heart

♥ enjoying a slice of sunny city life, beautiful architecture and blue skies in Leeds

♥ twinkly lights and festive spirit - a quiet lull, but later heeeeaving with people!

♥ appreciating the stillness of the past few days, no wind, just calm and reflective scenery

♥ spotted a pretty lacy porthole cover, I love this traditional narrowboat crochet craft.

x

Just a few snaps from the past four days, some beautiful quiet morning walks and slow, reflective days contrasted with a busy shopping trip to the city on Saturday. Little Lady asked if I would go with her as she wanted to get another ear piercing and goes to a place inside the Corn Exchange. We caught an early train to beat the crowds and had coffee at one of our favourite places (got lucky and didn't have to queue, yes, it's that popular), and then mingling with the crowds for some shopping. A little bit of christmas present buying but I wasn't really prepared and didn't have the right shopping head on. I bought myself a jumper, does that count?

And now it's Sunday evening and I am warm and comfy and full, I made a terrific lasagne for dinner. J cooked the bolognese in the slow cooker, and I made the bechamel sauce and pulled it all together. As it's the first day of December we lit our Advent candle at the table and after dinner the Little Peeps opened their advent bags that I'd painstakingly put together for them. Stickers and numbers and sweet treats inside 72 individual paper bags, I'll try and remember to take a photo and show you. I know they are big Big Kids nowadays but I do still like to hold onto traditions for as long as they seem to enjoy me doing it.

I've spent aaaaages this weekend  sorting through all my canal boat photos that I've taken during the past year, and feeling so incredibly inspired by the joyful colours and decorative details. It's that time of year again where I'm preparing to share my annual Crochet-Along blanket with you, a little later than usual due to the yarn delays. My friends at Wool Warehouse have been working super hard to get yarn packs made in double quick time and we are almost ready....above is a little taster of the colours I've had swimming in my mind for the best part of this year....

....and here is a first look at the stripe pattern I've designed. It's quite jaunty and playful with a folk art feel to it, inspired by the traditional colours and painted patterns I see on the narrowboats when I take my daily walks along the tow path. I am so in love with it!!

As with all my patterns, this stripe is designed with beginners in mind and is a simple pattern repeat that is easy to learn and delivers some very relaxing crochet time. The colour contrasts are bright and breezy, and really make me smile - every time I change colour I get a little jolt of surprise and pleasure!

Yarn packs will be available from Tuesday, and the Canalboat CAL will begin on Friday 10th January. This will be my 11th crochet along, and I really hope that many of you will decide to join me,  I'll give you all the information and more details on Tuesday. You'll be able to order the yarn from Wool Warehouse and there is a choice this year - my usual Stylecraft Special DK, and also a pack made with the brand new Yarnsmiths Merino DK for those who might want to try a lush natural yarn for a change. It's exciting and makes me long for January, which is absolutely something to be happy about.

I hope you are all doing OK, and I'll be back here on Tuesday morning to share some more canalboat joy. See you then!

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A Wintry Week

During this past week we've been flung into a very cold, wintry spell and although it's been a bit of a shock to the system, it's been really very beautiful out there in my immediate vicinity.

On Monday we woke to freezing fog and sub zero temperatures, the sort of weather which adds teeny droplets of ice to foliage and spiders webs and makes it look like they've been decorated with minute glass crystals.

We decided to drive out for a short local walk, stopping to take some things to the recycling centre which is one the way. In the above photo you can see how unusual the weather was on Monday - the recycling centre is on a fairly high road heading out of town, and down below we could see a very low band of cloud running the whole length of the valley. It has certainly been the the month for low cloud, and this particular phenomenon is called a "cloud inversion".

We didn't go far, just to the reservoir which is only a few miles away from home.

We used to come here a lot when the Little People were small because it's not far to drive, and also it only takes around 40 minutes or so to walk the trail around the edge of the water. It used to be just enough when little legs were very little.

It was a cold and still day....

....and I thought the landscape looked like a picture of autumn with a winter filter layered over the top.

The light was beautiful with so many subtle shades of grey....

....and the cloud inversion made the landscape look incredibly atmospheric.

It was a very tranquil, slow stroll around the water's edge, just J and I enjoying being out together, reminiscing about the many, many times we've been here over the years with the kidlets.

Afterwards we drove a slightly different route home, and suddenly we were back into the very frosty chill.

I asked J to make a quick stop so I could take some photos....the plants all along the roadside were breathtakingly beautiful wearing their ice crystals and I couldn't bear to just drive on by.

I mean...look....^^^....so, so pretty. A real taste of winter (even though I feel we are still in autumn).

The following day (Tuesday) we woke to the same cold temperatures and the first small snowfall of the season.

We ventured out for our morning walk (just after 7am in the above photo)...

....with the moon still shining brightly in a clear sky. It was bitingly cold, a winter snap which seemed to suddenly make the softness of autumn seem like a distant memory.

All week we've been in this freezing winter grip, and it's been a challenge if I'm honest. We've had almost daily snow showers, never enough to really be the playful, fun kind of snow, but just enough to cover our world in a treacherous icy layer. Walking has been difficult (some days literally impossible, with the pavements covered in black ice) and so I've felt a little bit off kilter without being able to walk my usual therapeutic miles. But spending a lot of time indoors has also really made me appreciate the cosy comforts of home....

....and the fireside never looked so good.

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November Thoughts

My early morning walks continue, although since these photos were taken about a week ago, it's now pretty dark at 7am. I guess we are rapidly coming towards the end of the autumn season now, as the Winter Solstice (the shortest day) is just over four weeks away.

Autumn has been especially charming this year, well, maybe I should say that it's me that's felt charmed more than usual by the season. I don't think November is any different this year to last, but possibly I've got an extra layer of gratitude for it all?

I don't know what exactly it is, but I do know that I'm enjoying it very much.

Not every day is as beautiful as this (I realise that the light makes a big difference to how I experience each day) but there have been some truly breath taking mornings during this past week.

As the leaves continue to fall, the woodland is lightening up again as there is far more visible sky through the treetops. So while it's not too muddy and there is just about enough light, J and I are enjoying a few early walks through the trees again. 

Just lately I've been thinking a lot about the place where I live and call home, and honestly feeling incredibly grateful that I've landed in this lovely little patch of North Yorkshire. This is J's home ground where he spent a portion of his childhood years (he went to school for a while at the same school where our Big Boy went and Little B now goes), but I settled here quickly because I think it's a very similar kind of town to where I grew up in Dorset. Historic rural market towns all have quite a lot in common, and there was never a time where I felt like I didn't belong. 

We moved house to come and live here at the very end of November seventeen years ago, so every year when November rolls around I find myself thinking back to that time. My life was obviously pre-blog back then so I can't go and chase down any written archives from November 2007, but there is a lot about making that move that I remember clearly. The Little People were aged 5 and 3, so top of my priority list was getting them settled into school and nursery. It was a fairly smooth transition for them I think (and J was continuing to work at the same place so his life didn't change too much), but it was definitely the beginning of a brand new life for me. Maybe I had the hardest transition of all, it's quite tricky to start again from scratch as an adult, finding new routines and new friends at the grand old age of thirty nine.

Three and a half months after we moved here to number 24, I started my Attic24 blog in March 2008. It was a way to keep myself busy during the mornings when I was all alone in the house and at a bit of a loss, and was/is a wonderful creative outlet for me to express myself through writing and photography. But more importantly it gifted me an online community of like minded creative souls who immediately felt like good friends. And now here we are...I'm still writing and taking photographs and I'm beyond grateful for your company in my cosy little Attic home on the interwebs.

Before we moved here to Atticland we still lived in North Yorkshire, but over the hills in the city of York. I really like the city and have great memories from the nine years we lived there, and as it's only 43 miles away it's pretty easy to plan return visits.....

....in fact I was there last week! I have a wonderful group of friends still in York, my original Mum-crew who I met twenty two years ago at a post natal group when we were all first time Mums with new babes. We keep in regular contact via a WhatsApp group (I LoVe that app for chatting and keeping in touch), and a meet-up dinner date was arranged which I'd been really looking forward to.

I went over on the train in the afternoon so that I could have some time playing tourist in a city that I know very well. 

It's been many years since I was right in the heart of the city (my friends all live out of the centre) and it was absolutely amazing to see it all again with fresh eyes. York Minster is always a magnificent sight and I walked all the way around it feeling in awe of its sheer size and grandeur. It's reeeeeeally, reeeeeeeallly massive.

I had forgotten just how ancient and quirky York is around the Minster Quarter, where many of the streets and buildings are centuries old.

You can see why it's such a draw for tourists from all over the world, the layers of history run very deep.

I walked down to the market square which hasn't changed at all over the years...

....and stopped to admire the flowers which have always been sold in this spot for as long as I've known.

I found my way through the maze of back streets into the Old Quarter....

....then cut through Coffee Yard snicket.....

....to come out onto Stonegate. This is probably one of the most popular shopping streets in York, with a beautiful and eclectic mix of shops, cafés and pubs. The old building on the right in the photo above is the Punch Bowl pub and has a super long history spanning almost 350 years. Yes, that's an awful lot of years.

On the left in the above photo is another very well know shop on the same street - this is Kaethe Wohlfhrt, a shop dedicated to celebrating  Christmas all year round. You can see in the above photo that the daylight was fading (4pm) and it was time for me to make tracks and go and meet with my lovely friends. We were due to have a meal in a pub that we've regularly visited with our families over the years, a real nostalgia trip.

Before I hopped on the bus I took a quick walk along part of the old city walls, it's a lovely thing to do if you are ever visiting York, and you get to see the city from a different perspective.

A brief 24 hour visit which was great because I was able to stay overnight  - many of my friends have spare bedrooms now that their children are away at University - so it was a lovely time of reminiscing and walking down memory lane with a group of friends who I know very well. 

Life at home has been slow and quiet this past week. When I came home from York I had a few days where I didn't feel all that well, so I slowed myself down and rested during the day when I needed it, and whatever was pulling me down seemed to pass.

We walked at Bolton Abbey on Sunday morning....

....just J, me and Little Lady (Little B has taken on a extra shift at the pub on a Saturday night and said he wanted to stay in bed Sunday morning). It was beautifully quiet when we were there at ten o'clock, and with the river seeming fairly tranquil for a change, J and LL decided to "Do The Stones". Well I can tell you that I absolutely did not do the stones, it didn't even cross my mind for a nanosecond. Nope. No, no, no-no-nooooo. There is a perfectly high, dry, sturdy bridge for crossing over this wide river, and you can bet that my feet were safely on it. They said it was quite scary in the middle bit where the water runs deep because as you can see, the stones are quite small and very close to the surface of the water, and psychologically I think it can mess with your mind a bit. My goodness, no. But also, well done them, relief all round!

Walking back towards the café we were gifted with a very brief but beautiful golden hour of sunshine, oh the woodland was looking exceedingly pretty I have to say. We enjoyed a very lovely frothy coffee and a toasted teacake at the end of our walk, a Sunday morning well spent.

Two hours later I was walking to the supermarket to pick up some food for dinner and the weather had flipped as you can see. No more golden shafts of sunlight, just the steady pitter patter of rain falling on the water. I didn't mind too much, because I had a date to prepare for........

.....a date with my beloved Fireplace. As soon as I walked back in the door all damp and cold and weary, I stripped off my outer layers, got changed into my comfies, powered up the fairy lights, lit the candles and built the fire.

Ahhh, pure bliss, right there. An afternoon of tea drinking and fireside hooky, warm and cosy as the rain continued to fall. It's what November Sundays are made for.

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RHS Harlow Carr :: Autumn 2024

On Mondays I'm lucky enough to have J free from work responsibilities (he works a four day week) and it's something that we really appreciate and don't take for granted. Usually we chat together on Sunday evening and decide what we'd like to do with our precious child-free, work-free day. 

This week, with the weather looking very promising indeed (had to dig out the sunglasses!), I suggested a visit to the RHS  gardens at Harlow Carr to catch the last of the autumn colour before the cold weather really kicks in. J isn't quite so keen on flower gardens as I am, but he is a sweetheart and can generally be persuaded to indulge his needy wife when she declares she needs a nature colour-fix. 

I think we're ever so lucky to have these gardens within an easy drive (just 22 miles away) and they provide a lovely place to walk, picnic, drink coffee and flower-gaze pretty much all year round. Obviously in wintertime the floral offering is limited, but the gardens are a mixture of mature, structured planting alongside more naturalised woodland, riverside, ponds and green open space so it's always a pleasure to spend time there.

My favourite season in the garden is summer (I know, I'm totally predictable with this), and I absolutely love July-September at HC with its abundant flowers and the beautiful kitchen garden at it's exuberant best. It's a riot of colour (remember the Sungold inspiration?) which is obviously high on my personal list of priorities, but really, I'm very happy in this kind of place at any time of the year.

I've enjoyed a few Autumn visits over the years (see Blogtober 2021) so I knew that even as late as November there would probably be some delicious seasonal colour still in the foliage and trees. Add in a much longed for bright and sunny day with blue skies and well, it was visually stunning in the gardens on Monday.

As we don't have a garden here at number 24 (well not one that has borders, trees or shrubbery), I don't visit places like Harlow Carr for gardening inspiration. For me it's purely a creative/visual experience and I love to take photographs to capture the colours and seasonal vistas.

It was even more lovely than I had hoped, with some truly stunning leaf and foliage displays. There is a sizeable collection of Japanese Maples, all different leaf shapes and colours, and all of them looked glorious.

This one in particular was an absolute beauty, it had small, wispy, feathery type leaves in a whole range of colours from green, through yellow, orange and red.

The low afternoon sun absolutely lit up the leaves so it looked like it was glowing against the blue sky, it really was a wow moment.

I find that once my brain slots into colour-seeking mode, I become a little bit obsessed. J is very understanding (well I've always been this way, so he's had more than thirty years to get used to my brand of cray-cray), and patiently waits while I frame and take oodles of photographs.

As well as the colourful leafage, there were the most beautiful berries too...

....and with such intense colours set against the blue sky it was a colour-lovers dream.

There weren't a huge number of flowers to be found and many of the large herbaceous borders were in definite sleep-mode for the off season. There were a few hardy performers though - dahlias of course (a little stunner pictured above)...

...and surprisingly quite a few roses still blooming too. 

When I took photographs for my Sungold blanket last year, it was very early September and there was still a lot of floral colour in the garden then. HC has a large collection of salvias, and quite a few of them are still flowering now, although not in the great swathes that add so much colour to the summer borders. The above one really caught my eye, that deep violet-blue was really striking amongst all the greenery in the tropical garden.

The kitchen garden is always one of my favourite parts of any gardens that I visit, and I especially love the one at HC. It's large and laid out in a series of raised beds (made from recycled plastic bottles), with upright structure provided by lots of different tee-pees, arches, living willow fences and espaliered fruit trees. I generally think that veggie gardens won't be up to much in November, but there was still a surprising amount growing in this one (and looking soooooo bloomin' healthy and lush), and I spent a happy time pottering around admiring it all while J waited for me on a sunny bench.

We saw quite a few robins in the gardens, they are really friendly birds and not at all shy of the human visitors. This little one perched so beautifully for his portrait, enjoying a sunny afternoon hanging out by the Swiss Chard.

I mentioned earlier that HC has come lovely uncultivated and natural areas which is mostly woodland. I say uncultivated, but obviously these trees are beautiful specimens that are well looked after and many of them are labelled with their names. I enjoy walking the quiet, sun dappled woodland pathways, and at this time of year there is the added bonus of spotting these......

....oooooo, aren't they spectacular things? Fly Agaric of course, the famous, fairytale toadstools.

There were around six of them dotted about amidst the trees, some of them had seen better days but honestly they are so striking even when they're not at their best. There was a sign explaining what they were (although I think most people know, they are the famous rock stars of the toadstool family) and it was just lovely to see them doing their autumnal thing.

We had a picnic lunch which I'd made to take with us, sat on a sheltered bench with a lovely view (I think every single bench at HC has a lovely view), then treated ourselves to a very delicious coffee afterwards from the newly opened RHS café. 

It was a wonderful visit, rounded off with a beautifully inspiring, Christmassy browse in the RHS garden centre and shop on our way through to the exit. Ohhh, so, so, so many gorgeously wantable, decorative things! Whoever buys the merchandise for the RHS shops has extremely good taste, and the displays are always a delight. Next time I go (and I think that won't be too far in the future because hellloooooooo, shiny new Season Ticket), I'll take some photos of the displays to show you. 

I bought a bar of scrumptious chocolate by my fave local company Choc Affair (dark chocolate with clementine and cranberry, ohmygosh, it's divine), and two sweet little christmas decorations which I'll try and remember to show you.

We also bought three of these home in a paper bag.......

......famous Fat Rascals from Betty's bakery. Well at least they are famous up here in Betty-land. They're like a cross between a mildly spiced rock bun and a fruit scone (eat them warm with butter and jam), and the Little People were delighted. We definitely scored parenting points when we brought those home.

Such a bright and happy day, full of sunshine and the visual joys of the autumn season. I hope you've enjoyed sharing it with me, the colours really cheer the soul, don't they?

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Shades of Autumn

After my lazy indoorsy weekend, I woke up on Monday morning feeling pretty desperate for some fresh air, exercise and outdoorsiness. It was a very grey and misty day with low light levels and I was craving some woodland colour, so J and I drove to Bolton Abbey to stroll and breathe it all in.

It's always beautifully quiet and peaceful along these pathways on a Monday, a real contrast to the crowds that come over the weekend. There was evidence of the recent Pumpkin trail (a giant wooden spider, massive bat wings, a huge witches broom) but everything was slowly being dismantled and there was an air of calm which I greatly appreciated.

We walked the high pathway through Strid wood, a circular trail of about 3 miles or so with some good hilly bits to get you puffing and feeling it in your legs. I adore the above photo, you can see we were high up above the river where it cuts deeply through the rocks (this is the Strid) - can you spot the man wearing a red coat down below?

The colours were really striking, the beech trees in particular were putting on a good autumnal show with so many beautiful shades of copper, gold and lime green.

We are on the return route now, coming back along the lower path which follows the river....

....a very leafy affair which added an extra layer of autumn feels.

It was such a pleasurable way to spend a few hours on a Monday morning, and as ever I felt full of gratitude for having this extra day which feels like an extension of the weekend.

Yesterday the grey damp gloom was still there and I said to J that I felt like the weather was broken and stuck on the wrong setting. 

I had the pleasure of Christine visiting from Winwick yesterday which is always a lovely thing, and after enjoying a late breakfast with a solid amount of chatter attached to it, we decided to get out and stretch our legs. I took her along the very familiar pathways beside the canal....

....and into the woodland, which was a lovely way for us to carry on chatting while enjoying some pretty seasonal nature.

We spent the rest of the afternoon cosied up in a hotel bar of all places - it sounds odd, but we've found the bar at Herriots hotel is very quiet during the week and they are happy for us to spend a few hours crocheting/knitting over a drink or two. 

By the time we had said our goodbyes and I was walking home it was 4.30pm and the light was already starting to fade. I'm still getting used to our shortening days, it isn't an easy adjustment to make.

Today - more grey weather (I'm telling you, it's broken), but the autumn shades in the leaves and trees really helped lift the gloomy feeling.

I took the above photo this afternoon as I was walking home from the supermarket. I was crossing the swing bridge just after a boat had passed through and I thought it looked so picturesque, almost like a watercolour painting. I feel very grateful to live in a town that has canals and streams and a woodland, and is surrounded by hills, moorland and open countryside. It means I am constantly connected to nature and very aware of the seasonal shifts throughout the year which makes me very happy.

As I walked slowly up the steep hill towards home, I used my phone camera to capture some snippets of colour that caught my eye in the various front gardens I passed. When we think of autumn colours it's generally all about the leafy shades - yellows and golds, oranges, russets and coppers, with some lime green thrown into the mix. But there are still quite a lot of flowers about in early November, and the bright pinks were positively glowing.

↑↑ I love these leaves and am always fascinated by the way they change colour in this crazy patterned way. It's the leaf of a "smoke bush" which is a shrub that I would love to have in my own front garden. The leaves are a deep purple shade in the summer, and then in autumn you get this stunning effect, it's such a showy performer in the garden.

My neighbour directly opposite me has a huge and thriving hydrangea in his front garden and I've been watching the flowers slowly change colour as the temperature has dopped and the season has shifted. It instantly makes me think of my striped blanket inspired by autumn hydrangeas, and the huge amount of fun I had creating the colour palette....

....ahhh, such happy memories of seasonal faffery and creative sparks flying!

My Woodland blanket was another design inspired by my walks in the autumn woods, and I still adore this colour palette.

I find nature to be endlessly inspirational and love the blankets I've made which reflect my seasonal observations.

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Out and About

Mid April, and the season is balanced with one foot  leaping into spring, and the other (booted) foot still planted firmly in winter. I am absolutely loving these lengthening days though, especially since the clocks went forward into BST at the end of March and we have light evenings back again. All these extra hours of daylight are making me really happy and it goes a long way towards balancing out the high levels of rain and very cold winter temperatures that we're still putting up with.

This morning it was zero degrees when we set out to walk, a gorgeously still and quiet morning with a hard frost dancing over the landscape. It's Springfrost time, and the gentle muted colours keep reminding me of last year's blanket...colour really does have the amazing ability to evoke memories and emotions, don't you think?

I huffed my way up these wooden steps this morning, climbing through the trees all the way up without stopping. It's a great workout and my heart is always dancing a fast jig when I reach the top, reminding me that I'm alive and reasonably fit and well. Good health is pretty high up on my list of priorities these days, and not something I take for granted.

Yesterday morning was also freezing, but honestly I'm not complaining - the clear skies were very welcome and the sun definitely more than made up for the cold. Ahh, sunny-sun......do please stay for a while.

Doesn't the Blackthorn blossom look stunning? It's so pretty and always blooms abundantly, I don't think I've ever met a half hearted blackthorn hedge. The delicate little flowers erupt in an exuberant cloud and I really love it for that. More is more when it comes to flowers, always.

So I was away from home over the weekend, spending three nights in the wilds of West Yorkshire on a crochet retreat. It was my first Stitchtopia retreat of 2024 (I'm doing five in total this year) and after a busy week preparing for it I was really looking forward to meeting everyone and sharing the new project I'd designed.

The country house hotel where we stayed was lovely, quite old fashioned but in a way that immediately welcomed you in and made you feel relaxed and at ease. These retreats are a pleasure to do, mainly because I get to meet and spend time with the loveliest ladies. In the above photo to the right of the magnolia tree, that's the huge window of the "Blue Room" where we spent two days hooking and chatting away. I designed a really pretty wreath with some new flower and leaf designs, and it was loads of fun to see my design brought to life. I'm keeping my photos offline for the time being as I'll be teaching the same retreat again in May and June* and don't want to spoil the surprise for those who are coming along then.

To round out the retreat, we had a visit to Stylecraft at their historic mill building on Monday morning. We were treated to a behind-the-scenes tour giving a fantastic insight into the history and workings of the mill as well as getting to see the design studio and learning about the creative development of their yarns and patterns. 

Of course I'm no stranger to the workings of Stylecraft and have been to the mill many times over the years, but it was such a great experience being a part of this very enthusiastic group of crocheters.....the excitement was real!

Enjoying cake and yarn on a Monday morning....I think we all felt very happy with life at that point in time.

*June 2024 - a little note to say that due to an unexpected cancellation, there is now one place available on my Yorkshire retreat in June (Mon 3rd- Thurs 6th) if you fancy it, details are ((here))

I've spent the past couple of days recharging my batteries after the retreat. I love teaching, but I do find the very full days of socializing take a lot out of me (I am a very introverted person used to spending a lot of time in my own company).

I've enjoyed being out and about in sunny Atticland (blue skies! sunshine!), pottering around, catching up with errands, food  shopping and generally recalibrating after being away.

I took myself out for coffee yesterday morning. It felt like a luxury to sit in the quiet of this café where it was just me on my own for a while, basking in the sun and sipping my chocolate dusted frothy cap. Bliss.

At the start of last week before I got mad busy preparing for the retreat, J and I went out onto the countryside for a walk. It's funny that I had totally forgotten about it until today when I was looking through my photos to see what April was looking like so far. Thank goodness for the Me that always takes photographs every single day, I am grateful for these images that capture and preserve my days, weeks, months and years when my memory is not up to the job.

As you can see, it was very, very grey and damp out there with low cloud swirling just above our heads as we walked across the windswept moorland.

 We saw lots of frogs out and about, they seemed very at home in the damp wet grass minding their own business, or in pairs getting happy with each other ('tis the season!)

This circular walk is just under five miles I think, and during the whole time we were out we only saw one other person (a runner), a fair few grouse and a whole lot of frogs - it was incredibly peaceful even though in all honesty it felt a little bit bleak at times.

This is a walk I love to do in late summer when the purple heather is in flower, but there is a quiet beauty at this time of year which I can appreciate.

As we were walking the last mile, the weather rapidly changed and the clouds lifted and shifted to allow the sun to peek through. What a difference it made to the the landscape, it was like seeing an old sepia photo translated into full colour. Beautiful.

I really love a country walk for blowing the cobwebs away, it always leaves me feeling energised and full of gratitude for our open landscapes and public footpaths. We are very lucky indeed.

Thank you by the way, for all the lovely comments you wrote on my last post, I do so love to read them and hear a little bit about your days and also to find out what you enjoy about your visits here to the Attic. Often I think my posts are verging on the mundane, and yet I do really enjoy creating them for you (and for me to read back and remember things too) so I keep going. Photos stack up and then the words flow around them, it's a rhythm that is very familiar to me now after sixteen years of cultivating it.

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ps. in case you were wondering, I've not forgotten about Amsterdam.....I'll be working on sharing my trip soon before it fades into the rearview. 

pps. there is one single place now available on my Portugal retreat this summer following a cancellation....want to come with me?? Details ((here)) 

ppps. canal boats are still on my mind, they have taken up permanent residence. More on that soon x