Saturday 1 March 2014

Random Notes on the First Day of March

I'm putting off the posts I want to do as they involve sorting photos!
So instead a few random ramblings.


Looking back to the last visit we made to Tiptree Jam factory - Alan and I were sitting in the tearoom next to the above painting.
I said how much I liked the above picture.
Alan being the generous man that he is said that he would buy it for me.
Immediately I got into "we just came in for tea - too extravagant to leave having bought a painting etc." As you can see he insisted and bought it. I love the sea and boats.
An added interest here was that this oil painting was painted by an old lady and she had included the history of the boat on the back.
This fishing smack, Polly was built in Maldon in 1889 for Josiah Pitt (Great Grand father of the artist A. Puttock) 
She was skippered and owned by Josiah's sons Ernest and Walter for many years until old age forced them to sell.
They sold their catches to London merchants as well as locals and tourists on 'Maldon Bath Wall' straight from the boat.
The present owners have had her sympathetically renovated and in respect for the 'old boys' have not had an engine installed.
However the fast little craft still enters Regattas and races. 


A very different kind of scene
These were my windows when I got up recently
A neighbour further up the hill had her driveway replaced and this was the result of the drilling up of the old one


and now a few pictures of a recent visit to Westfield
These charge boxes always make me smile
Who leaves home without their phones and i-pads charged!


As much as I do not like heights I always like a window seat when lunching at Marks and Spencer
and then spend my time with my back to the view!


I like this car park where green overhead lights tell one where there is a space and the blue lights show disabled parking spaces


One thing we always do is check on progress being made on the old Olympic site. Lots areas have been demolished and a public park is being added to the buildings that will stay to serve the community


Not so easy to see on such a dull and grey day.
We are planning to visit again on Monday as we have begun decorating (Alan painted some ceilings so far) and we need to visit John Lewis to start the ball rolling on the purchase of badly needed new carpets.
On a personal level I took advantage of a sunny day last Monday to begin pruning our rose bushes (17 in all excluding the newest bed) and ended up making the Sciatica that I have been struggling with for some time worse. So Osteopath it was on Wednesday.



12 comments:

Willow said...

Good morning, Barbara. I hope you have the window washer scheduled to come do his job.
The seascape painting is beautiful and it's fun to have a bit of history in your home.

Merisi said...

I love "random posts" like this! :-)

Beautiful painting and amazing to know Polly is still riding the waves!

I have never seen a "charge box" - most coffee houses around here have sockets where you can plug in your phone or laptop.

Wishing you a wonderful weekend,
Merisi

Balisha said...

Hi Barbara,
I enjoyed this post. I always wonder what countries do with past Olympic sites. A public park is such a nice idea. I can't imagine countries spending billions of dollars....like Russia just did. Sounds like they will get good use out of their Olympic places.
I often start out gardening in the spring and overdoing it....be careful and take care.
Balisha

Adrienne said...

I love your new painting! How sweet that your hubby bought it for you. I recently flew to another state for a family funeral. I had a layover in one airport and waiting time before my plane home in another airport. I was amazed to see the phone and camera and computer charging stations in each of the airports - but I was delighted to use one during one long layover. I had read most of a book on my Kindle E-Reader and I wanted to charge up the battery for the next 'leg' of the journey. Our airport has recently added the overhead lights to give direction to empty parking places. It's a wonderful addition. I'm sorry you're dealing with sciatica. Be careful and take care of yourself.
~Adrienne~

Lorrie said...

The painting is lovely and so is Alan for buying it for you. How nice to know the story behind the boat.
I think the Olympics can be such a waste of taxpayer funds. All the buildings and infrastructure cost so much and then to demolish and rebuild something more suitable for use irks me. I know this happens everywhere the Olympics are held. Tim recently read that most of the venue for the Greek summer Olympic games is deserted and falling into ruins. So sad.
I hope your sciatica improves quickly.

Sara at Come Away With Me said...

A boat named Polly - that is a treasure. I like that the artist included all those interesting facts and history. You make me smile thinking of you keeping your back to the high view while you have tea or a meal.

Gracie Saylor said...

Barbara, I am fond of seascapes and boats as well and feel blessed to have some hand painted by family members and friends...so lovely of Allen to purchase the pretty one you showed us! It is interesting to see the various views around you. I do wish you could tell me how to treat my climbing roses that are about the size they were when purchased four years ago. Praying your sciatica is healed!!!

Annie Jeffries said...

Good morning, Barbara. Alan is a peach, insisting on the painting. It has such a great history and now it is part of YOUR history.

Winifred said...

What a lovely picture & how lovely to have the history included.
I've never seen phone charging machines, & free too!

Hope your sciatica is better soon.

Vee said...

That Alan! He knows when to do a thing! What a wonderful painting to grace your home and with such a thoughtful addition by the artist so that you know "the rest of the story."

Interesting to think about what is going on with the Olympics venue. I suppose that not everything can be or even should be preserved. It will be of interest to see how it all ends up.

Hope that your sciatica is better. One often never knows what will set it off. Do take care!

Diane at My Cottage Garden said...

Hello Barbara! I'm trying to get back into blogging. Am having an awful time posting a picture though. I guess I'll have to go back to basics and relearn the whole thing. I also had just a huge amount of horrible spam in my comments. Oh well. I hope spring is coming to England soon. We are still very much under snow here in Canada.

Diane

mamasmercantile said...

Beautiful painting, rich with history and a generous gift. I was at Westfield shopping centre prior to Christmas with my eldest daughter, I found it a little over whelming being from a very small village in Lincolnshire. Thank you for your visit and lovely comments, hope you visit again soon. God bless.