Sunday Sevens #61

I always love updating you all with a Sunday Sevens! It’s been a busy weekend, so here’s a quick update.

RSPB Membership:

David and I had a few days off work this week, so on Monday we headed towards RSPB Marshside near Southport for a few hours walking while overlooking hundreds of wading birds and gulls.

David

Wigeon

Avocets

Lapwing

Shelduck

We spotted a few species we hadn’t seen before, like the shelduck and wigeon.

Riley in the Lake District:

Tuesday dawned grey with heavy rain, however we decided to continue up the M6 towards the Lake District with Riley and my brother in tow. Our destination was Grizedale Forest. On our journey we were hampered by car crashes and flooded roads. The rain thankfully stopped when we arrived at Grizedale. We then spent the next four hours walking paths that had turned into streams, losing our route and getting very muddy! It was a fun adventure!

Riley

Selfie

Daniel and Riley

Path

David and Riley

#Walk1000miles:

This week, like last, has been hampered by longer days in work and late buses! My miles this week has been a lowly 36, bringing my annual total to 471 miles.

Book I am reading:

I’ve picked up Jeanette Winterson’s The Gap in Time, a retelling of Shakespeare’s Winter’s Tale. Have you read this book? If so what were your thoughts?

The Gap in Time

Macbeth at The Epstein Theatre, Liverpool

The Epstein Theatre, Liverpool

The Epstein Theatre, Liverpool

Theatre:

Staying with Shakespeare, this Saturday David and I went to Liverpool’s Epstein Theatre to see a production of Macbeth (or the Scottish play). I’d not visited the Epstein, formerly the Neptune before. It is one of Liverpool’s smaller theatres and had a tired quaintness to it. I quite enjoyed the play but was not fussed with the actor (Sean Jones) who played Macbeth. I felt his voice wasn’t very strong.

Have you seen this play? What were your thoughts?

Family walks:

I finish this post after taking a fantastic, yet tiring, wind blown, five mile walk around Formby Beach today. Riley looked like he had a wonderful time! We even spotted a starfish or two!

Selfie

David and Riley

David and Riley

Starfish

Riley

So, that was my week, how was yours?

Thanks for reading, Christine x

Sunday Sevens is a series devised by Natalie at Threads and Bobbins!

Longer Days are Coming…

The nights are drawing out and the clocks have not gone back yet! However we have had a few ‘spring like’ days in the NW of England recently and whilst on my walk to work I have smelt the promise of warmer weather and longer days. Even the birds are getting ready for the new season, as whilst I was standing at the bus stop on Friday a Magpie flew overhead with nesting material! Spring is such an exciting time as the world slowly awakens from the cold grasp of winter.

This weekend I have been busy hunting for more ‘spring’ flowers for the garden with insects in mind.

David took me to my favourite garden centre Lady Green in Ince Blundell and I spent over £50 on plants! In my defence half of that was on a Magnolia, ‘water-lily’ tree, I just hope it grows. I have had two other Magnolias before and they have both died. 😦 Third time lucky I say!

Amongst the purchases I bought an Erysimim which I found out was a Wallflower and an Anemone which is a kind of Poppy! I went shopping with a list and came away with everything other than what was on the list! I just followed the RHS sign of ‘Perfect for Pollinators’

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The weather forecast for the UK this weekend was supposed to be warm with sunny spells. It did not feel like that on Saturday, it was cold, grey and miserable. So I have planned to plant my purchases tomorrow. Hopefully Sunday will be a brighter day?

Whilst pottering about the garden today I noticed my Sedum has sprung back to life! That was a plant which was covered with bees and butterflies last year so I hope it will be the same this year!! My Cat Mint and Oregano has ‘spawned’ again as has my Aquilegia, which is such a prolific plant! This will be the second spring it has reseeded itself!

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Amongst others, David’s Acer has started to re-bud and my Hellebore has grown, I have high hopes for that next winter. My Jasmine, though it looks a bit twee seems to have survived the wet winter and my Passion Flower has grown astronomical! I hope there are flowers this summer, it will look beautiful!!

Things are slowly awakening and hopefully once the warmer days are upon us, the garden will start to have the buzzing of insects and the chinking of wine glasses! I can’t wait to sit and enjoy my outside space. I have been stuck inside for way too long! Fingers crossed there will be at least as good if not better summer than last year ahead! We can but pray!

Christine xx

It wasn’t the Best…

…but the 2013 Southport Airshow was entertainment enough for one day. We arrived at Southport around 12 noon and found that there were more people about than usual. Probably because they had cancelled the Sunday display as bad weather was due… though I don’t think the Autumn storm was as bad as the Met Office suggested it would be!

After lunch we headed towards the beach or more truthfully towards the boundary fence. On one side people paid £9 and on the other, it was free! You can guess which side of the fence we were on?? 🙂

The wonderful Red Arrows opened the event with their eye catching display of acrobatics. I simply love them, they make me feel so proud to be British!

Some of the aircraft did nothing for me, like the helicopters. I don’t know why but they leave me feeling cold. We waited for The Blades, another aerobatic display team I like. However the last time I saw them they were blue! This time they crept up on us and were painted red and totally threw me!!

Then the highlight of the show appeared roaring through the air, it was the Eurofighter and though the display was short and sweet, it left you wanting more! The Battle of Britain Memorial Flight then followed and I was glad they were amongst the planes on display.

My favourite plane was last on the flight schedule, the Hawker Hunter, Miss Demeanour! Why do I like it? Because its a fighter jet, but ultimately I love it because of the colours! To me it looks like a supernova! 🙂 

I did enjoy my day at the Southport Airshow, David even got a sunburnt face!! However it was not as enjoyable as previous events, though if you have not been before it is well worth the visit! I wish the Tornadoes had been present, and also would love to see some different aeroplanes, as the lineup is now getting a bit stale for me! Let’s keep fingers crossed that 2014’s airshow is even better!!! 😀

 

Is is a bird, is it Superman? No it’s an Aeroplane!

Back to work this week from a lovely weekend away almost killed me!! Although I will get used to the early starts and long days in the office. I am just not looking forward to the dark mornings and cold days of Autumn/Winter.

This weekend is the Southport Airshow and for the past two years David and I have been attending. This year we will be there on the Saturday as I love seeing the Red Arrows and can’t wait to see the Typhoon again (it was rather thrilling last year!) and the return of my favourite plane of all, Miss Demeanour! Although it looks like the Tornadoes won’t be there this year which is a shame. I will try and get better footage than I did last year as I had the wrong setting on my camera!

Flying Times

Aircraft – Saturday	Time	Duration
Model and light aircraft landing	10:30	60 mins
Red Arrows	13:00	22 mins
Autogyro	13:27	8 mins
Spitfire XI	13:37	10 mins
Royal Navy Historic Flight Swordfish	13:49	4 mins
Navy Swordfish	13:54	6 mins
Black Cats (solo display Lynx HMA8)	14:02	8 mins
Red 10 & 11 – Squirrel HT1	14:10	2 mins
RV8tors	14:13	10 mins
Strikemaster	14:25	8 mins
Sea King	14:35	15 mins
Tucano	14:51	8 mins
The Blades	15:02	15 mins
F-86 Sabre	15:19	8 mins
Xtreme XA41	15:29	8 mins
Lynx AH7	15:39	8 mins
Typhoon	15:49	8 mins
Battle of Britain Memorial Flight	16:00	18 mins
Bulldog	16:20	8 mins
Merlin	16:30	10 mins
Miss Demeanour	16:42	10 mins

Better Late than Never!

Below, footage of the Southport Air-show that David and I went to this September. It was a lovely sunny Sunday and that was what caused the crowds to swell. I tried to get some good footage, hope the video is decent enough!

I loved the Red Arrow’s display, this year seemed better than ever! I was also thrilled to the bones with the Eurofighter (Typhoon), the floor vibrated as it flew past! 😀 I just wish I had footage of the Tornadoes! I knew they would have been there, but I let David take me home!

Hope you enjoy!