The Easter holiday weekend came in like a lamb and is going out like a roaring lion!
Good Friday was a glorious Spring day and reminded us how lovely a sunny day in the garden can be. I worked hard clearing dead plant stems and weeding flower beds . . . with a little help from my under-gardener Ivy!
Then in the afternoon I went for a walk along my new favourite route, I was joined by one of my Twitter followers and her family, she'd asked if I might let them join me to see hares . . . luckily the hares obliged so everyone was happy!
The weather has been changeable, I hope you managed to dodge the showers!
On Saturday we went to Southend-on-sea, the main reason was to see 'Out of the City', landscape paintings of East Anglia by the East London Group – and almost forgotten group of talented artists for the 1920s and 30s. Their work appeared on some of the iconic Shell posters of the time, I like the graphic, pared down quality of their landscapes. If you're in the area it's worth a visit.
It wasn't 'sea-side weather', it would have been madness to brave a walk on the pier! we had fish and chops in a characterful 'caff' and managed to walk back to the car park without getting blown off our feet.
It wasn't 'sea-side weather', it would have been madness to brave a walk on the pier! we had fish and chops in a characterful 'caff' and managed to walk back to the car park without getting blown off our feet.
Twitter is amazing for discovering things that are right on your own doorstep but somehow you've missed . . . and this was just what happened when I saw a tweeted photo of a beautiful field of flowers and discovered it was just off my route when I visit my Mum. So on Sunday we went to see the National Collection of Hyacinths . . .
It's in a field in the Fens near the Cambridge-Ely railway line. Behind the farm buildings are row upon row of perfumed hyacinths growing out of the black fen soil.
Delicate species varieties and rich deep coloured named varieties . . .
We timed our visit between the heavy showers and when the dark clouds loomed again on the horizon we quickly made our way back to the car . . . getting out of the car park in a neighbouring grass field was an interesting wheel spinning and very muddy challenge!
We joined my Mum watching the Boat Race on TV. Well done Cambridge! and well done to the Cambridge girls for bravely carrying on rowing while almost sinking.
So, as Storm Katie still rages outside, stay safe and dry and enjoy the rest of Bank Holiday Monday.
Celia
xx
Happy Easter Monday to you, Celia, and many thanks for this very interesting post. Great to see those hares in the field, and to see the rows of hyacinths in another field.
ReplyDeleteI would have also enjoyed seeing the East London Group exhibit, having first learned of the group's existence via my pal, the Gentle Author's posts in hisSpitalfields Life. I like their paintings very much.
I've got lots of thank you notes and emails to write now, but am enjoying every unfolding minute of my retirement! xo
I'm glad the hares did their thing for you. That field of hyacinths is stunning, I bet the scent was amazing too. Storm Katie seems to have blown past here now so I was able to get outside and enjoy some Easter gardening :-)
ReplyDeleteCelia...that field, beautiful! :) xxx
ReplyDeleteOooo - might have to take a trip up Ely way and what a relief to see the Cambridge ladies reach the finish!
ReplyDeleteYay! Cambridge!
ReplyDeleteI remember going out to Spalding once when flowers were out.Fabulous sight.
I have a niece who lives in Waterbeach, I must remember this for next year.
ReplyDeleteLovely to see Ivy doing her work.
Oh I love hares, I love everything about them! lucky you to be able to go and see them, we have seen them but only chance meetings. Good Friday turned out to be the best day of the Easter weekend didn't it...went down hill after that! xxx
ReplyDeleteI love the sight of those hares enjoying the sunshine. That is interesting about 'Out of the City' in Southend - I'll see if I can make it over there.
ReplyDeleteThe scent of all those hyacinths must have been incredible.
We escaped Storm Katie and have been enjoying some fantastic sunshine although it is still changeable. Hard to believe it is April already and I'll soon be on the lookout for returning swallows.
ReplyDeleteWe have three hyacinths in the garden that belonged to my Mum and every year I am surprised they survive and come again so to see a field of them is fabulous. I always think of them as potted plants and they seem incongruous in the ground. I never knew there were species varieties so yet again I learn something new here!