Cragside, Holy Island and Cullercoats a Happy Time with Janet

Image

9

After leaving Tricia’s house, I went to stay with Janet.  Billy and Janet kindly took me on a road trip to Cragside in Northumberland.  It was the home of William Armstrong and the house was the first house in England to be lit by hydroelectric power.  It is a most impressive house and the architecture, furnishings, and innovative technology of the day are just wonderful to see.  I enjoyed every room in the house. 😊

A photo of Billy on the entrance path leading to the impressive house.

A massive cutting-edge of the day kitchen.

An automatic dishwasher!!!

A cozy nook to rest a bit.

A peek to the outstanding gardens from a window.

I took photos of the beautiful rooms.

Paintings lined both walls of an upstairs hallway. This painting reminded me of Tricia as I imagine her as a little girl and knowing her love of cats. 😊

Billy and Janet enjoying an ornate fireplace.

A replica of Princess Alexandra’s dress.  The Princess visited Cragside.

We walked the pathways surrounding the house.

Cragside is a very beautiful place to visit.

————–

Now, onto the Holy Island visit 😊

Bill drove Janet and I to see Holy Island in Northumberland. Twice a day the island’s access road is cut off by tides.  Holy Island is a holy place steeped in a rich history and people make pilgrimages to visit this special Island. Sadly, I only took a few photos.

The priory and cemetery photos.

The castle was under renovation construction so not open to tours.  A really beautiful and serene area by the sea. ❤️

We stopped at a few shops before we left Holy Island. A great day!

 

The next photos bring us back to Cullercoats ❤️

We walked one morning to Riley’s Fish Shack. It is a beautiful walk along the North Sea.

A feast for breakfast!  So yummy! 😊

Both feet into the Sea!!

We had time to play with dolls during my stay which was so nice. After the SCW, I bought several outfits from Janet that were left on her sales table, lucky me! This outfit is so lovely on Morgen and her sandals were made by a Marti.  She looks great. ❤️

Dear Gertie also has a new Janet-made outfit to wear and she stands next to her twin sister Edith. Gertie brought presents for her beloved twin. She missed her so much! ❤️

Finn also scored a new Janet-made outfit and he loved spending time with Glory. You can see my sweet Minnie in the background. We all had a wonderful time. ❤️

Janet and I went to the beach for a picnic on a nice sunny day. 😊

Janet showed me this neat cave.

Janet enjoying the tasty red rice salad that she made for our picnic on the beach. What a lovely day! I had the best time at Janet’s house.  She and Billy were so very kind and the very best hosts. I felt very welcome during my stay and I am grateful for our friendship. ❤️

Janet, Tricia, and I flew from Newcumberland to Rome, Italy. This is the view of the Alps as seen during the flight. Gorgeous!

Thank you for visiting the blog. I hope you enjoyed this final post of the visit to England and the next post will be in Italy  🇮🇹. Have a wonderful week! 😊 xxx

Visiting England and Scotland with Tricia

Image

21

After the SCW, I left Nottingham with Tricia Jackson and spent the next happy days with her and her family in South Shields, England.  You can see the North Sea from Tricia’s window.  So lovely. 😊

Views of the beautiful North Sea and some wonderful seafood we enjoyed one day.

A ferry on its way to Amsterdam. We waved at the passengers lacing the upper decks. 😊

Delicious!

One day we traveled to see Durham University. It was such a nice visit and I have always loved college campus life. You can sense the excitement in the air. Tricia and I shopped there too! 😊

Amazing architecture.

 

We returned home by train.  It was a a great day and I am glad to have seen Durham University.  I would love to return one day. 😊

Another day, we traveled to Scotland which was a dream of mine since I was a little girl. My grandmother was a “Buchanan” and she had always wanted to visit Scotland, as did my Mom, but sadly that did not happen. They talked about Scotland often over the years.  When I arrived, I was so very happy and felt like they both were with me in spirit and that they were happy that I made it back to the land where our ancestors had lived. ❤️

View of Scotland from the train.  We made our way to Edinburgh.

We arrived in Edinburgh and walked along the Royal Mile. 😊

A happy arrival in Edinburgh! 😊

It was a real treat to be able to hold an owl and to see one up close. They are beautiful birds. ❤️

We stopped at a pub and had a tasty meal. 😊

At the top of the walk along the Royal Mile was the Edinburgh Castle. Very impressive!

The lay of the land on one side of the Castle. You can see the intense sky so full of clouds though we managed to stay dry as the rain held off. 😊

Of course, we managed to shop in the some of the many shops aligning the roadway.

A piper was so nice to see! 😊

A view inside of Jenners Department Store. Tricia and I shopped a bit and stopped for tea before the train ride home. 😊

A beautiful view from the train as we left Scotland and headed back to England.  It was a fantastic day in every way possible.  I was on cloud nine most definitely that entire day.

I am so grateful to Tricia for wanting to spend time with me and for arranging to see such interesting places during my time with her, Ray, and Matt and their special resident kitties, (especially Fizzy).  I had a most wonderful time! ❤️

Thank you for visiting the blog today and I hope you enjoyed the post. There were no Sasha dolls featured in this post’s photographs but Sasha dolls have brought us all together, from different lands and different cultures, and yet we are so much alike in our passions for Sashas and our affections for one another.  Have a blessed week. ❤️ xxx

 

 

The 2017 Sasha Celebration Weekend

Image

17

The Sasha Celebration Weekend was held at the very nice Eastwood Hall in Nottingham.  I arrived May 11th and departed on Sunday May 14th. First, I want to thank Janet and Tricia for all the hard work they shouldered to provide us such a happy time together.   I had a most wonderful time and it was such a joy to see everyone again.  Others have already posted photos and information on Facebook and blogs that well captured the wonderful time had by all. My little post will hopefully be a happy reminder to those that attended and a nice little peek into that special time for others. 😊

 

Seeing Janet after a year’s time was so nice. She is meeting Morgen for the first time. ❤️

Liss also meeting Morgen. ❤️

Please meet Pio. Janet repainted, wigged and dressed this dear Gotz doll and I adopted him from Liss. 😊

DollMum at dinner and her amazing pram. ❤️

Raffle items in the next few photos.  More raffle items were put on the tables after my photos were taken.

I am very happy here because I actually made the red leather satchel that Gertie is wearing.  This happened thanks to Brigitte and her patience plus I sat next to her which helped me a lot. I also made a wooden duck toy at DollMum’s table which was so cute. There were more crafts and I did get kits to take home to make at a later date. All wonderful crafts! ❤️

The very lovely Theresa and her beautiful studio doll. ❤️ ….I see you Mary!! 😊

These photos were most if not all of the dolls in the international contest. I could not pick a favorite and was just amazed at the talent shown in these beautiful entries.  I think that Sasha would have loved to see these beautiful Sashas. 😊

These dolls were displayed by attendees as their favorite dolls. More were displayed after my photos were taken.  Just amazing! ❤️

Finn knows he is my favorite boy. ❤️

Diane’s clan looking bright as always!

At the end of the SCW, Janet drove away home on her Vespa 🛵

Bye Janet.  Thank you and thank you Tricia for a most special time together as we enjoy each other’s good company and our Sashas. ❤️❤️

Pio and I want to thank you for visiting us today. We hope you have a very happy day and weekend ahead. 😊 xxx

❤️

A Lovely Lunch with Friends and Sashas

Image

12

On Wednesday, Diane, Judith (who joined us the day before), and I went to Dawn Law’s beautiful home to have lunch and enjoy Sashas. It was a lovely day with lovely ladies that also joined the gathering and of course, lovely Sashas. The dolls are all very special, well loved, and well dressed. It was a real privilege to see them.  The doll photos capture most of the dolls that were brought to share but I am not certain that I photographed them all. So, here is the sampling caught by my camera. 😊

These outstanding dolls were kindly brought by Brenda Walton and they are very, very special as they were painted by Sasha herself.  They were displayed openly for everyone to see and enjoy. My special Morgen, also painted by Sasha, is on the window ledge looking over her sisters.  It was heavenly to see these amazing works of art.  I so admired each of these works of art but I fell in love with Freckles.  ❤️

Beautiful Sashas. ❤️

Among the Very Important Sashas (VIS), were Trendon toddlers at play among friends. ❤️

Gorgeous Sasha dolls. ❤️

Hello Spike! So nice to meet you in person! 😊

I have been an ardent yet remote Archie fan for years and seeing him in person was a real treat. ❤️

Brenda happily greeting Granny Peggy who joined the festivities. 😊

Brenda meeting Helen, a world traveler. 😊

Brenda is introducing Freckles to Granny Peggy. 😊

I think Brenda is introducing the lovely Alice to Granny Peggy.  Sharing Sashas. This is the best of the very best!!! ❤️

Dawn ensured everyone was well fed and welcomed. She was a wonderful hostess.  The food was beautifully laid out in the conservatory and we ate outdoors.  It was delicious and the company was wonderful.  Just a terrific day! Thank you Dawn for a fantastic time with Sasha friends. 😊

Granny Peggy meeting a special Sasha. ❤️

A photo taken by Brenda’s daughter of the group attending the lunch and shown on Facebook.  Rosie missed the photo. It was so nice to spend time with these lovely ladies.  😊

The next photos to share are of the lovely house and grounds. It is was so beautiful and peaceful. 😊

Swans! What a delightful surprise! 😊

The wonderful day ended with happy smiles, friendships renewed, and treasured memories in our hearts. ❤️

On Thursday morning, I took a last look at the restful view that enveloped the kind hospitality bestowed on me by my host and hostess. We packed up and left for Nottingham and the upcoming Sasha Celebration Weekend.  What a wonderful week I had with Diane and her husband, Tony.  They both made me feel so very welcomed. I am thankful and blessed. 😊

A peek photo of Eastwood Hall.  The next post will be memories from the SCW. Thank you for visiting the blog and I hope you have a wonderful rest of the week! 😊 xxx

❤️

 

Beautiful England…Visiting the Cotswolds and Stratford-Upon-Avon

Image

8

After reading about the Cotswolds for years, it was a real pleasure to actually visit in person.  On Monday, Diane drove us through the countryside full of gentle, rolling hills leading to Chipping Campden and later on to Broadway. I really enjoyed the entire time and it was a dream come true to be there in person to see the beautiful countryside, the people and also the unique architecture. ❤️

What a nice place to live!

After shopping in several places, we stopped in the local church in Chipping Campden because they kindly offered tea and a place to sit for a while. We met the nicest ladies and they just loved Finn.  One of the ladies kindly allowed her photo to be taken with Fiinn. What a nice respite! 😊

Diane and I climbed the stairs to a small silver craftsmen shop and they encouraged visitors to walk and observe the craftsmen at work making silverware.  It was interesting to watch and observe them making their works of art in silver.

The Chipping Campden Market Hall.

Finn resting in the Market Hall. 😊

So many lovely shops and I took this photo to capture the wonderful bowed window.

Another window photo to capture the Queen.

This inviting door and passageway totally captivated me and I loved how it beckoned for me to enter but the tiny private sign gave me an entirely different message.  😬

Interesting doorways.

We traveled on to Broadway.  A view of the High Street shops in Broadway. 😊

Shops line both sides of the street.

On the upper end of High Street, I saw beautiful horses in a field.

A lovely lunch anyone? 😉

Tuesday, we visited Stratford-Upon-Avon.   Home of the most famous poet and playwright William Shakespeare.  How exciting! 😊

The William Shakespeare monument is very impressive. I loved reading his books as a child and I still do today. I first read a work by Shakespeare at the age of 12 and it was Romeo and Juliet.  Over the years, I became an avid reader of Shakespeare’s works and so visiting the town where he was born and raised and buried was wonderful to do. 😊

Poor Gertie was scooped up by Lady Macbeth. 😬

Help me Mommy!  She has an iron grip on me! 😮

After rescuing Gertie, she then spent time with Falstaff….I’d be careful there sweet Gertie!

Gertie wanted to meet Prince Hamlet but he was feeling quite depressed and did not know what to say to her!

I think Gertie finally felt free and happy with Prince Hal. 😉

The next photos show the amazing Royal Shakespeare and Swan Theatres.

Amazing sculpture created by hanging wires wires suspended in different lengths with stars on the ends.

A very grand area and I was fascinated by the architecture and the dimensional sculpture. So beautiful.

We stopped for tea and I spied a gingerbread man! Yummy!  We sat outdoors along the Avon River. So nice. 😊

This was the first time that I had seen swans in person. They were so beautiful and I learned that all the swans belong to the Queen. They are very special. 😊

The view of the rear of the Theatre.

A whimsical street lamp.

The grand door of the Holy Trinity Church where William Shakespeare was baptized and buried.

A most lovely church. ❤️

We then stopped in several shops and had a wonderful lunch. 😊

We were able to have a second visit with Granny Peggy and it was so enjoyable. Gertie was excited to meet Granny Peggy and Granny Peggy was happy to meet her. 😊

My wonderful hostess made me feel so at home and we rested at the end of the day to enjoy this beautiful view.  There were sheep grazing in the field lying beyond the fence and they move throughout the day. A very relaxing place to be.  ❤️

A beautiful view from my bedroom window and you can see the sheep (white dots) in the distance. I loved this view. ❤️

A most special welcoming committee waiting for me in my room. How sweet they are! 😊

This beautiful Kathe Kruse doll and a Baby Patrick also made me feel so at home.  Diane made my visit so very special in every possible way.  I am grateful for her kindnesses.

Thank you for visiting today and I hope you enjoyed the post. There will be one more post and then we moved onward to the Sasha Celebration Weekend! 😊 xxx