Traff on Nob hill

Inside the ruined church

Today I went back with proper shoes and reinforcements.
Definitely worth the walk, but we did nearly end up in the celler. Or crypt. Whatever deep spaces under churches are called.
Apparently its only been like this since kids set fire to it 5 years ago. It's amazing how quickly nature takes things back.

New hair

Sooo.. I dyed over the green. It's still a bit green, but a slight improvement.
Work ready.

Moochy day

I wasn't convinced that the weather would be up to much today.
I spent two hours colour stripping my hair. Its,exactly the same shade of green it was before. So that done I needed to escape the house and the smell of the chemicals.
Thankfully it was really sunny.
First I went to the cemetery. You know my love of graveyards and death ritual. Lots of impressive victorian monuments.

Then up to town gardens, which I had been told was awesome. It's beautiful. Theres rose gardens, an avery, a pond and a cafe that sells milkshakes!

On to old town, and to the derelict church.

Then swindon house ruins on the unfortunately named "nob hill". Good views though!

Then back to town via the roaring donkey pub and queens park.

I went to boots for dark brown hair dye. No surprised faces now...

Ray's birthday picnic

Today we had a lovely if slightly rainy picnic for ray's final birthday celebration.
Ingeniously we ate in the bandstand for a bit of shelter!

Rosie and Tim's wedding

The guest room

I guess it's not the guest room.any more...

Rays birthday

Today we went to the comic book store, then to old town to rays ice cream parlour for turkish delight.
Then to the skate park to see the grafiti and then to buy door letters.

Then back to town for a family meal.
Somewhere in all that I wiped my phone... so I only have pics from dinner.

It was still an ace day!

Sunset

Ballet

Ballet was interesting...Basically I gatecrashed a class where I was very out of my depth. They had a uniform. The instructor was awesome though. Really funny. So she's there like "5th, j'ette, arms, 2nd, arabesque and finish" and i'm there at the back like "sorry, I thought I signed up for ballet, not french with movement..."

Walking to toothill

So, yesterday I tried to find the forest park and was foiled. Today I tried a different route, walked 30/40 minutes and again, ran.out of footpath.
I.should have taken my bike as this time it wasn't a dual carriageway so I could have cycled the last little bit on the road.
But i'm getting closer!
Instead I followed the cycle network path to toothill, because the name was cute. It's not cute.
I got followed about by a strange man.

I walked back along the cycle path rather than the road and at the water plant found another footpath that comes out on the other side of the rec.
All footpaths lead to the park!

I had a nap in the park in the sun for a bit before heading home for a well earned cuppa.

Mannington rec

My gym is awesome!

Yesterday I went to body balance and today I went to yoga.
My local gym is one of 6 Turkish baths in the country and has an.unheated very art deco lane swimming pool. I have been stoked about the baths and the pool so the discovery of the class workout room has pleased me greatly.
The room has carpet. And a fire place complete with mantle and hearth. And crazy tiles! I'll try to get a picture after a class. I haven't had the chance yet.

There are also mouldings for chandeliers.
This place is awesome!

Pineapple plant

Kirstie and phil bought us a pineapple plant!
I'm going to use all my best skills to.keep it alive I promise!

Housewarming bbq

Home made house warming gifts!

Phil made traff and I a clock for our front room. In our respective favourite colours!
Awesome no?

House warming gifts

Jay and josh have come down.a day early for the party to catch up before josh goes to japan and to help set up.
Most people will be bringing baked goods or food tomorrow and so.housewarming gifts were unexpected and definitely not required.
Josh bought us a bottle of jd which was a lovely and a very traditional idea.
Jay bought us an indian fertility symbol... amongst other homewares.
Difficult to beat!

Record shop finds

Yaay! 90s placebo single from our local record shop.
Very pleasing.

Pictures from the Hike to the Barrow

I'm pretty snap happy when it comes to photographs- as a result, unless it's the odd selfie- you don't find many pictures of me doing anything.
I AM the photographer!

So, I'm pleased to be able to post photographic evidence of me, hiking and getting out of the burial barrow (goodbye dignity!) Thanks to may for the photos. :)

Letters

Lisa is off back to Germany to start university, via the isle of Wight. I.was delighted to receive her postcard and slightly flat Turkish delight.
Turns out it posts ok!

Bbq and fire

For our last night we sat out until it was really dark toasting marshmallows and eating them with strawberries.
We roasted the strawberries too but it made,them taste like jam.

The hike to the long barrow via prema arts centre

We decided to go for a hike to see the  local village. Following the Neolithic Cotswold way.
It's a footpath that is part of the route that links all the standing stones in the country and was walked by the stone age people making pilgrimage for the solstice festivals.
There are loads of burial barrows along the route as it the Neolithic people liked to take their ancestors remains with them to celebrate.
It's a well established route and it links lots of places so continued to be used during the iron and bronze ages, and by the romans.
Lots of good history.

We walked to the village and accidentally trespassed through a manor house garden. Stopped off at the arts centre for wees and directions then.on up the hill to the iron age fort and the long barrow.you can go inside it!
Well worth the walk.

We went to prema for a late lunch of roasted vegetables and flat bread. Then back to the campsite to mooch.