Paycocke's

 The tulips are in full bloom at Paycocke's, the National Trust House where we volunteer.  Looking at them back-lit by sunlight is just lovely.  Behind is the part of the building dating from 1420.

This is a really extensive garden with some shady areas.

Two different seats.  Visitors often take trays of teas and coffees out to enjoy in the garden.  It has been bitingly cold this last week, with hail showers, but also sunny intervals.

Some of the quainter detailing around the house.

And another jumper for Knit for Peace.  I found the yarn in a box in the attic, along with a part-knitted back.  This smaller jumper uses up some of the rest of the yarn, which must have been there a good twenty years.  

Tower Bridge

 To London, to meet my younger sister for lunch.  The weather had turned again - back to bitterly cold with brisk showers.

This is a part of London we do not know well, but it is familiar to my sister through her work.  We met at Shad Thames, a street of former warehouses, south of the river, now packed with eateries.  We were soon ensconced in The Chop House, with a fine view of the river.

 

Such an assemblage of buildings from different periods across the river.  It's always interesting to spot the remaining spire among newer shapes.

 

The Shard, the top of which was shrouded in mist when we arrived.

 

And back over Tower Bridge to explore the area around St Katharine's Dock. 

 

Those of you tracing the progress of spring might be interested to see that our pear trees are in blossom just now, while the apples have still some way to go.  Since we are still having frosts in the mornings, the apples may be taking the wiser course.

 

 

Showers of blossom on the viburnum at the bottom of our garden.

 

 

And all the yellow tulips out this week.

Wash out...

So, as usual, we went north for Easter.  However, this time the weather was stereotypical.  Each night we watched the forecast, and it was all the more galling to know that "Down South" it was lovely spring weather, while where we were there was a sequence of rain squally showers, hail and a bitingly cold wind, interspersed with tantalisingly brief sunny intervals.

We  went out for our regular walk around Lorton, and ended up quite wet. 

These two were just taking their ease.

A slate-hung end wall.

Everywhere, and especially leading into Cockermouth, birthplace of William and Dorothy Wordsworth, great swathes of daffodils.  Enough already with the daffodils.  What's wrong with primroses, or even celandines as seasonal flowers?  Wordsworth was surprised when he saw the original daffodils; no one is surprised by them today.

A little knitting.  This is Nantucket, by Alice Starmore.  That strange feature of starting the cables up through the ribs does tend to pull in the fabric.   I used most of a large ball of Hayfield Traditional Aran.  The clue is in the name.  It is 100% wool - or more correctly, 99% wool and 1% vegetable matter.  Every few inches there would be a piece of dried grass to pick out, a process which became quite addictive in itself. 

This has gone off to Knit For Peace, hopefully to keep someone warm.