Wednesday 28 April

[Kath Mulligan]

After several lovely sunny days, it has been quite dull here today, with just a few spots of rain as we were coming home a little while ago. Bit disappointing really since the girls and I had planned a picnic at Castleton in Peak District, followed by a climb to the top of Mam Tor, in the hope of getting some lovely panoramic photos. We still went there, and had the picnic in the car but just had a walk around the bottom of the Tor since the light was hopeless for photos. Elizabeth is finally at the end of her mammoth stretch of late nights and weekend working so we have been going out and about after tea and enjoying some fresh air.

Monday night saw us at Lyme Park, only about 3 miles from here where we walked up to Lyme Cage, an old hunting lodge for the estate. You get a spectacular view from up there when it is as clear as it was on Monday. We could see from Kinder Scout at the foot of the Pennine Way, round to the Lancashire hills towards Bolton, across the Cheshire Plain and right out across the Dee Estuary to the North Wales hills. It felt like being on top of the world, and there was a glorious sunset to boot. Also got quite close up to the large herd of red deer that roam free in the Park (sorry Linda, I know deer are a sore point with you but these guys were lovely!).

We had hoped to be going out on a bluebell hunt this weekend but our forecast is dire - heavy rain on Saturday and more rain on Sunday - typical Bank holiday weather in fact. Hope everyone else fares better than us for whatever you have got planned.

Kath

[Sybille Weber]

Sorry to hear the weather has not been quite up to your expectations today, Kath, but lovely to hear you had a few nice days before that.
After hot weather all weekend over here the temperature dropped to just 13 degr. on Monday, and we had a few heavy showers, but in the afternoon the sun came out again, and the temperature quickly climbed again, too. We had a lovely walk by the river, quite a few swallows there, too. Since then temperatures have been up in the twenties again with lots of sunshine. I have a few days off work, so yesterday saw us at Villa Hügel Gardens here at Essen again which was extremely peaceful and quiet. We met just two persons. This is the advantage if you can go and see places other than on the weekend. The first bluebells were out, also a lot of rhododendron blossom, magnolia blossom and still some daffs and tulips. Today we went to Gruga Gardens to see the tulip gardens. Will post some pictures when I get the time. The highlight of today though is the return of our swifts. Saw the black body and heard the characteristic sound of one of the birds as it took up its usual residence under our roof. The forecast for tomorrow is dry and sunny, too, with temperatures rising to 27 degr., but as from Friday it's going to become very wet and considerably cooler, at least according to the forecast. Poor swifts.

[gloria townsin]

Can't bear the thought of more cold weather - the few patches of sun this week have made all the difference to how the garden looks and generally makes you feel better. Hopefully our heating will be on tomorrow..........seems like we will need it. It has been very cold here in the evenings with only one small electric heater in the bedroom to huddle round. With little furniture and no floor covering to hold any small amount of heat generated it soon cools down. But tomorrow.........really looking forward to it. Toilets all working I'm pleased to say.

[Gill Bilcliffe]

This has certainly been a lovely warm and sunny week with the gardens and mayflowers blooming. Sadly the forecast is not good and we will all feel the cold yet again! Tiny little plants attempting to root will need help to survive. I shall keep my undercover for a while longer. The warmer days has us all fooled but "ner cast a clout till may is out". Is this flowers or the month of May? I used to believe the month but now tend go with mayflowers but maybe that is wishful thinking that the weather will be warmer sooner rather than later.

Hope you will manage to keep warm over the weekend Gloria but hey the good news .......... toilets all working!!

[gloria townsin]

You're right Gill about the toilets.........but the heating..........no!! The plumber arrived this morning to do one tiny job, heavens only knows why he didn't do it last night and the announced the chap would be along on Tuesday to inspect the boiler work for it to be put into use........we were flabbergasted as we had understood from him that the heating would be on today. So that was it for Eddie, he finished the painting he was doing and we set off for Herts. Had a really stop go journey and arrived back tired and dirty. We really couldn't stay there over a cold weekend without heating and beside that we were desperate for a shower, walking about in builders dust for over a week .... well I don't have to draw pictures. So we were pretty fed up as I had been determined that we wouldn't leave until all the work was finished and we had the keys back from all the different trades.......however, the plumber still has his set, the electricians still have theirs as they have a couple of things to finish off and the builders still have theirs as they have to take the patio apart again.........hey ho!! So no 'Obby Oss Day.......but would we want to go if it is going to be horrid weather? I doubt it.......rain followed us from the West for most of the journey and it's coming down in buckets now.

[Sybille Weber]

Poor you, Gloria and Eddie. This doesn't seem to have been a good day for you at all. Fingers crossed that in the not too distant future you will finally have all keys back. Sorry to hear about the bad weather, too. I guess this will now be on its way over to Germany. We have had another hot and sunny day today (29 degr.), and it has been humid, too. Hence, no pleasure to go out for walks although we did go for a walk in the woods and by the lake, but the weather soon left me out of breath. Visited the abbey of Essen-Werden on the way back where it was nice and cool. Severe thunderstorms forecast for tonight, but at the moment it is still quiet.

[adesmith]

Oh dear Gloria, I am sorry that you were so disappointed. How frustrating! I am sure that you did the right thing coming home because the nights have been so cold and yes I can imagine how much you wanted a shower! Hope that next week things get sorted. Not long now.