Christmas Visit to Aunty Mo

Today Tony and l went to visit Aunty Mo in Lenham, Kent. As the weather was better we decided to take a chance and go and take her out to Sunday Lunch. On the way we saw this very strangely decorated shed, selling Christmas Weaths. 

Although this area had a lot of snow, most of what had been on the road was now slush at the edge of the road. Yuck!

This car must have slid on ice at some time, was abondoned and now surrounded by dirty slush!

This was what met us when we hit the Motorway....miserable! The cloud, snow and the grey sky reminded me of Winter time in Luxembourgh!

I just had to take an image of this tree because it just seem to shine, standing in a field all on it's own surrounded by snow.

The marks on the hillsides told us that adults and children had a great time sliding down these hills on sledges! Bet they had a great time.

As my beloved husband had done his usual thing and got us here an hour early for lunch...we stopped off at the services for a toilet stop and a cup of coffee. The amount of snow on the table shows you how much fell last night.

 Meet the resident Motorway Service's snowman..little but the only one around!

 A very nice looking coffee, quite bitter but it help to get me warm again!

This row of houses always makes me smile because they are small, rickerty and the roof is all bent, twisted and lower at one end. When our children were small, they thought a witch or maybe the seven drawfs lived there.

Oh look..blue sky over Lenham Village!

 Just love sheep!

These two children with their face painted, look as if they have started the Christmas Fair off already! The village square was being turned into a fair ground with Morris Dancers, fairground turns, a stage, hot food and a large Christmas Tree...all waiting for the lights and the Christmas Tree to be turned on, later in the evening.

 Don't you just love this guy's hat and velvet coat?

Another happy face painted child...not sure what she was meant to be but she was happy so it doesn't really matter does it?

Anyone for a Father Christmas Balloon? Just after l took this image, one of them got loose and floated up into the sky. There was a shout from the crowd..."Oh look mummy, there is Father Christmas up in the sky but where are his reindeer"?

 The local Town Crier just about to do his bit with his voice and the hand bell.

 Christmas lights at Auntie Mo's.

 The snow in the flower pots, outside the flats at Aunty Mo's really did look as if it was sparkling like diamonds.....beautiful.

 This is what it was like at 16.00 hours as we started our journey home!

A walk to the hospital gym and back!

We went for a small walk today as we both need to get fit again. The weather was not brillant but at least it was not rainning, as the weather man on the radio had fortold! As we came out of the gates to my 1930's Estate, we were confronted by the sight of a purple jag!!! Such a beautiful car deserves a more respectible colour than this shade of purple. Maybe Racing green, deep blue but purple!!!!!!

Roehampton, which is just around the corner from my home, has a reputation for being quite rough and full of gangs and drug dealers but l have to admit we are very rarely troubled by it. There is a monument on a piece of green, which celebrates the World wars. Each Remembrance Day, wreaths are layed on the steps of this monument.  Frequently there are youths sitting on it smoking and drinking but the wreaths stay there untouched. Quite a feat l think, considering the reputation this area has. I have walked past this monument hundreds of times but it was only today l realised that one of the figures around the top of the monument has it's head missing. Not a mind shattering discovery but for some reason it upset me!

In one of the small streets in Roehampton, is a Convent and looking through my images, l realised that l had no photographs of it. I keep a journal that has images in it, of the area around my flat. I record new building going up, old ones coming down, the trees each year, gardens and so on. So l thought l had better rectify the fact. The Covent appears to also have either rented or sold of parts of it off for flats and also seems to have some sheltered accomadtion flats too. The door to the Convent is quite ornate l think.

As we walking towards St. Mary's Hospital, we went passed this Lilac and l remembered some thing from my childhood. When l was about 12 and at Boarding School, l decided to send some Lilac to my Mother for Mother's Day. I carefully picked a good spray, wrapped it in wet tissue and posted it on Saturday morning. I didn't think how long it would take to get to my parents house....3 days later it arrived...very dead! but the thought was there.

The image below caught both our attention as we carried on walking. The bush was so striking, it appears to us, that the leaves are deep purple and the new growth is pale green. The contrast is very striking and if l ever have a garden again, l want one!

As many of you may remember l love rust and wood, so this next image must be added to my favorites list!

The area we are now walking in, is no longer full of council houses and flats but very large and very expensive detached houses. As the image below will tell you..need l say more?!

In one of these wonderful homes, we saw this wall. What a wonderful way to use drainage pipes! The ivy growing through the terra cotta coloured pipes is gorgeous and has a very softening effect on the bricks as well.

Just along from this decorative wall, we saw this baby's feeding cup. I wonder, if like my children used to do..for fun!..threw the cup out to see if l noticed! Why my little rascals thought it was funny, l never worked out !

We had been to the hospital to find out about their gym, which we had just discovered is open to the public. Anyway, finding out about fees and times, we had a very nice coffee in one of the cafes in the hospital grounds. As l was pouring in my second packet of sugar, l noticed that although they are meant to be the same, one brown sugar was darker than the other! Strange!

After this, we walked home via the woods again. I had not noticed on the way here but on the path was a chalk mark. This normally means to me, a Hash House Harriors running group had been through here recently. When we lived in Dubai, we knew they were around because as well as the signs you would here..a horn being blown and someone shouting..ON ON! I reaslise it could be another running group but the sign means the same...go this way!

As we reached home, l saw this tree and for the first time, l saw this shape on it. Not sure what shape you would call it but l like it!

Night allx