The beginning of my parents' 60th Wedding Anniversary celebrations....

For nearly a year, our family have been organising my parents' 60th Wedding Anniversary. I organised a party down in Rustington (where my parents live) and my sister organised the family party up in Cirencester where the rest of the family live). So, on the actual day, 23rd August, we all gathered together at The Rustington Manor Hotel and Celebrated! The first image is of the table.

These are the place names l created, with their choice of menu on the back ( Tony's idea). The waiters said it was a great help to them.

 The family all gathered together.

 For once... me caught laughing with my eyes open!

 My Aunty Gill catching history!

 I know my sister hates this image but the whole family love it.

 My Dad giving his speech.

 My gorgeous husband.

 My niece and my father talking.

 My gorgeous son Andrew.

 The Queen keeping an eye on the Party!

 My gorgeous daughter Jenny.

The chairs arranged for The Family Photo.....set up by Andrew with the camera on a tripod and one of the waiters waiting to press the button!

Dad waiting for the family.........

Most of the family waiting...for Granny to stop talking and sit down! Ha!

Finally...back row:- Uncle Graham (my mother's brother), Andrew (my son) , Jenny (my daughter), Paul (my nephew), Sandra (my sister), Tony (my husband), Beth (my neice) Aunty Gill( my mum's sister), Uncle Bill ( Gill's husband). Behind my father...me! My parents in front row!!!

 All back to the house for coffee etc!

This is my Uncle Graham....he looks so much like Bampa, his father. He has Bampa's nose and that gorgeous smile. I have not seen him for years and years and it was so good to see him again. The sad thing was that his wife Aunty Beryl is ill and was not able to come.

This is the cake all packed up ready for the party tomorrow. This party is for my parents' friends tomorrow. The couple on the top of the cake, peeking out of the box are the original model couple from 60 years ago!

So ended the first party of the week......2 more to go!

A day trip to the "British Museum"

A day trip to the British Museum.

I was on a tube when l saw this Japanese girl with a tattoo. I found it quite strange because l had been told that tattoos were only for gang members... perhaps times are changing.

This is the amazing entrance hall to the British Museum in Central London. I was there to begin with for a talk on Oman Jewellery. It was an amazing talk, especially as l learnt a lot about the "stuff" l have from my time in Dubai.

 I really cannot get my head around this fashion of wearing hold-ups that look like stockings.......!

This was a display that children had created about Pilgrims on Parade in a workshop put on by the Museum education section.

 "The Tree of Life" created by Mozambican Artists who used weapons that were handed over in exchange for ploughs, bikes and sewing machines. Some of these weapons were then cut up to create this sculpture. It is a very emotional piece of Art.

 These are more weapons turned into sculptures.

This is a Man's Cloth created by recycled metal foil bottle-neck wrappers and copper wire created in the years 1998-2001 by El Anatsui in Ghana.

 Just love this shadow pattern.

The title of this piece is called "Knowledge is Sweeter than Honey" made in  wood and ink in 2007 by Susan Hefuna in Egypt. The title can be seen written in Arabic  but only from a distance.

This figure can be best seen from a distance. It is called "Otobo (Hippo) Masquerade". It is made of steel, paint, wood, and palm-stem brooms. The Artist is Nigerian, Sokari Douglas Camp and was made in the year 1995. It plays Hippos who are dangerous animals and are held reponsible for the deaths of travellers by upsetting their canoes. The masquerade is similarly wild and unpredictable when it performs in the town and may attack and injure spectators! A very powerful image l thought.

 There were quite a few women in the Museum with turquoise hair today... Love this one's matching glasses!

 Spent some time in the Egyptian Section, so very interesting.

This bag is an example of a distinctively shaped bag which holds Pituri. This contains a nicotine- substance that was highly valued and traded in Western Queensland. Only senior Aboriginal men in the Community could use Pituri; chewing it with ash they obtain a narcotic effect. This is one of three bags, which are rare because they still contained Pituri.

This is called a Ghost net basket. Indigenous Australians quite often incorporate new materials into their baskets and bowls. For some time in Northern Australia they have started to incorporate fishing twine found on the beaches into their twined and hooked work. The name "Ghost nets" comes from commerical fishing nets that have been cut loose and then drift freely in the ocean. They are often eaten by turtles or sharks and often get tangled up in their mouths and then they die because they cannot eat. Quote from weaver Mavis Ngallametta, "I used to make dilly bags from Pandanus, but now l weave out of ghost nets... it's amazing for me to weave from a net, a fishing net."

I had thought that the Museum was quite busy this particular day but was told "you should have been here yesterday because it was raining, the place was so full they had to close the gates twice because the Museum was SO full!".

 Love the way you can see the sky and clouds through the entrance hall ceiling.

 We decided to treat ourselves to a full English Tea... gorgeous!

First of all... like the shadow pattern, secondly love this lady's pink hair and the flowers in her hair and thirdly, the juxtaposition of the woman and the champagne bottles!

 I love this guy's dreadlocks.

At first we thought this guy had a long sleeved t-shirt on but then realised his arms were actually covered in tattoo's.

 I find the juxtapositon of the modern green and orange buildings with the old buildings in this area great.

When l saw this old non-working water fountain l thought... oh! that is an image of a religious figure....what do you think?

 Another view of the orange and green buildings in central London.

 And just as we were going to catch our bus home, we saw this car... cool!

Nostalgia visit to "the seaside" near Chichester

Be warned folks, this is a Long...............post.

Off to the Witterings for the day because of beaches with sand instead of pebbles. We passed these racing pigeons en-route to the start of a race... Wonder where they were going to; and where they were from?

We went through a newly opened tunnel that allows the A3 to by-pass Hindhead.

This is the bridge you see when you come out of the Tunnel, l think it is an amazing design.

Love this image in my rear view mirror.

This sign always makes me smile.....

As we getting near to the beaches and look what l see.....a queue!

The start of a huge carpark!

Isn't this litle girl cute..?...she was chatting the whole way along the road.

This is was in the carpark ...a BBQ here...why fight the crowds on the beach. Ha!

These beach huts were all painted and very clean. It was nice to see rather than the beach huts l have seen on other beaches lately, which are often dilapidated.

This is the first thing we saw when we came past the beach huts to reach the sand.

Then, this is what we see!

This little boy was digging to Australia........

Don't you just love this blue?

Just wonder how people manage to carry that many black rings to the beach? 

This image of a young girl sunbathing made me stop in my tracks. I find it hard to see little girls sunbathing at such a young age. Also l couldn't have managed to get my daughter to sit still that long let alone lie down that long!! Hope she had a good sunscreen on.

This chair was and is so comfortable... Thanks Andrew.

Tony sorted out how to make the chair stable...thanks love.

Then he sorted my chair as well..what would l do without him?

The hole getting nearer and nearer Australia.....love the expression on the older boy's face!

I was glad to see this... reminded me of my children doing the same thing in France years ago when we were on holiday there. Gives me some hope for this generation despite the silly health and safety rules.

Trust Tony to place our chairs here! Ha

I was amazed at how many tents were on the beach, it looked like a camp site.

Granny was having a hard time trying to keep the young child from getting in the deep hole too.

Big brother encouraging his young brother to help him dig the hole.

Granny was trying to make the children wear hats... Not an easy task as most mothers will know.

Back in the day, when we went to the beach we just took a few sandwiches, a rug to sit on and a bucket and spade or two. Then you see the next image! There were other members of this family with yet more stuff!! Sometimes l think with all this "stuff" what joy is there to have at the beach when you are tired to start with?! Ha!

I was surprised to see how many people were trying to push prams onto the beach. Even with these rough terrain buggies, it is not easy!

I do like the idea this person has .... a large kite/ballon on a long stick....so no matter how far away you are on the beach..you can find your parents/wife/granny easily!

Oh!...the tide is coming in and people were having to move quite quickly!

Can you see how low this guy is wearing his tousers, in this image. How can they walk with their trousers that low and still walk without them falling down?

This one is for my son Andrew!

Love this image. When my children were young in the 70's, they never wore clothes on the beach. Now it is the parents who wear hardly any clothes and the children are all covered up. I understand that we have to be careful with using suncream lotions...but why do we need to cover then from head to foot? Hats... yes but head to foot body wear... why? I know now we are worried about "strange " men but it is such a shame. Do you realise in the UK we now have cases of Ricketts (a vitamin D deficiency) once again because children are not outside enough these days.

Then we went off to search the rest of the beach.........gorgeous sand.

Love the colour of the grass in this image.

Further along the beach from West Wittering with the sand, along to East Wittering that had stones and some sand.

This was the entrance to one of the amazing, very expensive houses along the beach front.

Time for a quick rest l think.

I don't think this person is playing fair when building his sand castles!

What a sense of humour this household has. A bath and shower outside the house, normallyseen in many warm overseas places l have lived in BUT in the UK?!!!!!!

Fun being had by all late in the warm evening air. Mind you this beach area is well know for being windy. It did not fail to-day!!!!!!! Warm sun, blue skies but quite a strong breeze!

This was a quirky tea shop we found..full, and l mean full, of teapots.

Pity you cannot see this on a video as the wind was blowing so hard, all the windmills were moving at an amazing speed. The noise was quite something too.

On the walk back to the sandy beach and the Mini, noticed this face on a chimney.

A very fluffy, fat and purring grey cat on the wall of one of the very few delapidated houses on this beach front.

Quite a few horses in and around the beach area. I just loved the colour of this one.

Kite Boarder getting his machine sorted before he started to ride it. These guys must have such strong arms and stomach to control these machines especially as the wind here is so strong.

Love the patterns the sea has made into the sand. Was very calming to watch the sea slowly weaving its way down the beach.

I wonder what smell our mini was producing that meant other cars stayed away from us! Ha

Some people really do seem to bring the kitchen sink with them when they come out for the day!

This family appear to have enjoyed their day on the beach.

On the way home we picked up Fish and Chips and found a layby to stop and eat them. The views were beautiful and the clouds were very strange.

Night folks. x