Some days out this summer

 We went to Gawthorpe hall - a beautiful house standing in some sad remains of a garden. It makes me want to get out my gardening history books and start making the outside as good as the inside. The best part of the visit was the opportunity to see part of  the vast needlework collection that it houses. Racheal Kay Shuttleworth started the collection and it has everything from historic garments and fine embroidery to contemporary pieces. I could spend the rest of my life in their archives if they but knew it. I wonder how I could get involved there? I will have to think about it.

Next is a view of the famous Liver buildings which face the Mersey. The photo is taken from the new Museum of Liverpool which turned out to be an absolute treasure trove of information about the city. What I finally like about Liverpool is that it is a city that wears its heart on its sleeve. I can't imagaine anyone in Leeds being emotional about the place!!  The museum manages to convey this quality - emotion - without being overtly sentimental. We spent two afternoons going round Albert Dock and visiting the tall ships and then the museum and then we found that we had only scratched the surface of what it has to offer. We will be going back .

 This photo was taken at New Brighton on yet another rainy afternoon. New Brighton has undergone a major transformation in the last few years and now has coffee shops, an ice-cream parlour (!) a cinema and a supermarket. I thought that New Brighton would be spoilt as a consequence but I was completely wrong, and it is fun to go there to walk Martha, and have an ice-cream watching the shipping come and go along the Mersey.

 Talking of Martha...

 We took J's mum out for the day and went to Ruthin craft centre where I took this photo. These days out are precious and will be a store of memories in years to come, something which sadly I will never have with regard to my own family, but which makes me appreciate these days on J's behalf. We went to Nant-Clwyd house . had lunch and finally made our way home via Moel Famau, yet another favourite place.

 I love the colours of autumn. I can never have enough photos of the trees as they almost defiantly put on their finery before their long sleep.

 Castle Howard was a surprise. We have visited twice, once to do the house itself and the second time to see the grounds and gardens. The house itself is wonderful - gaudy, overblown and yet utterly grand, although it spent a great deal of its life in a state of dereliction.

More to follow!