I promised a few friends that I would post some photos of my birthday gifts, so here they are. Forgot to put my bracelet in the photo but suffice to say it's black, silver and sparkly! My brother gave me the lovely brown croc bag and sent me some money, and of course my break to the Cotswolds was my main gift so I am blessed. I have a lunch on Monday where more gifts will appear! I do love giving gifts as much as I love receiving them and it's Sophie's birthday next Friday 6th, she was born on 6.7.89 and she is as special as her birth date! Oh no more food!!!
The tan bag on the right has another bag inside, handy! From Sophie
Oooh! Three more lovely perfums, Paris YSL from Sophie Pamplemousse Guerlain from Bryn and Fig by Arran from Sophie
This lovely sheepskin wrap came from Trina and Emma of Gushlow and Cole, it's so beautiful even if it is upside down! Thank you so much girls!
A vintage Avon black cat and lovely scarf from my friend Cheryl and a Bee spoon from another friend Inge
Lots of lovely creams including my fav Creme de la Mer
A beautiful kaftan from Sophie and White Gardenia Petals from Mike
Everyone who knows me knows about my love of Bees so here we have a beautiful black enamel and rhinestone bee, one of Sophie's gifts and a little bee key ring from my darling Jessica, she also gave me some lovely flowers which she picked out herself!
A gorgeous Croc bag from my brother
Fab YSL lipstick I wanted and more creams and cosmetics (are they trying to tell me something?)
Books, can never have enough, both set during WW2, my special interest
We have decided on a picnic by the river on Sunday with some Champagne hope the weather keeps fine! And hope you all have a lovely weekend, hugs, B xxxx
My birthday celebrations are still continuing! I love it when that happens, and earlier in the week we all went to lunch at a lovely hotel and golf club near Tenterden in Kent. The weather was kind to us so we sat outside overlooking the course. Really I just wanted to share some oh so cute photos of my Granddaughter Jess in her little sun hat she looked just like Holly Hobbit. She is becoming quite the little food critic, she eats everything that we do and seems to love everything. My brother did bring her favourite fruits though, strawberries and bananas, I remember when I was expecting my son Piers those are the only two things I could eat for ages! Jess reminds me so much of him at her age, so happy and contented and loved going out and being with people, it's like turning the clock back! They are both doing such a wonderful job in bringing her up and I am so proud of them.
I am not very good at holidays, hate airports, flying, the crowds, heat, sand and just the hassle of all it entails and always feel like I need a holiday to get over the holiday! I much prefer to go by car so that you can just shove everything in without worrying about what to take, just take everything! So we set off for our break in the Cotswolds which is one of my favourite places on earth, we rented a stunning Jacobean house in Bourton on the Water one of England's prettiest villages. The house and gardens literally took our breath away, we had landed in heaven! Built in the early 1600's when James I was on the throne, it had been lovingly restored to an immaculate home with every convenience but losing none of the historic features. My four poster bed was the most comfortable bed I had ever slept in and on the second night I slept for twelve hours which has not happened in years! There was complete silence except for the birdsong, I could have stayed there forever, the house had a wonderful atmosphere, I sensed people had been happy there and who wouldn't be? We visited most of the surrounding villages and had some wonderful meals, Broadway, Burford, Stowe on the Wold, Chipping Campden which is full of the most stunning houses and buildings, ancient golden Costwold stone abounds. Have you guessed we adored it? I have travelled all over the world but I honestly don't think you can beat England on a lovely Summer's day, I wanted to hug the trees I loved it so much! We intend on going back as soon as we can, once you have seen the Cotswolds you are hooked!
Beautiful view from Sophie's room
The most comfortable bed ever!
We stopped off here in Chipping Campden for a cup of tea
Bourton on the Water
Chipping Campden
Heaven for me! Cotswolds perfumery where we spent a lovely hour browsing the perfume, of course I had to buy some!
We love birds and there is Birdland in the village, wonderful place!
Fosse Manor, Stowe on the Wold where we had a delicious Sunday lunch
Sophie outside The Swan in Broadway, we had a fantastic lunch there, superb food!
Birdland has the only group of King penguins in the UK
On the way back we stopped of at Bibury, I have stayed here before, these are the Weavers cottages
The Swan Hotel, Bibury, some years ago we got snowed in here! Didn't mind one bit!
We stopped at The Swan, Bibury for some lunch on the way back
These are just a fraction of the photos I took, hope it gives you some idea how stunning the Cotswolds are, do visit if you can I am sure you will adore it as much as I do. Have a great week, hugs B xxx
Granny and Grandad Amelia and Charles, Grandad is wearing two flashes on his arm which denote being wounded, he was actually wounded three times not two
With my late Mum Jess
Today 16th June is HM Queen Elizabeth II official birthday and on this day every year the magnificent Trooping of the Colour is performed for HM, I was watching it on tv this morning when I was having my breakfast and I always watch out for the Grenadier Guards as my maternal Grandfather was a Grenadier and he took part in this wonderful spectacle when he was a young man. He was also stationed outside Buckingham Palace. I never knew my Grandfather, he was gassed three times during the first WW and he died of Leukaemia at a very young age thought to be due to the gassing's, but of course I felt I knew him through the stories that my Granny and Mum would tell me. One of the sweetest is how my Granny and Grandad met, my Granny was walking along the street and on the pavement she saw a medal shining in the sun, she picked it up and it had a name on the back (guess who's) she put an advert in the local paper and low and behold my Grandad came forward to claim it and also claimed my Granny! I loved that story, so romantic!
The video is of The British Grenadiers at The Trooping of the Colour, I have been lucky enough to attended this wonderful event twice, it never fails to bring me to tears, the history, pomp and pageantry are stunning and something that Great Britain does best. Please pause the music on the right hand side to watch this video
My Grandfather would have been on guard here although in his day the sentry box was actually on the pavement outside the Palace but due to being harassed by the public and tourists (can you believe) it was moved inside the Palace gates. I so wish my parents were still alive, I miss them so much, if you are lucky enough to still have your parents ask them about your heritage, ask them to tell you family stories, for when they are gone those untold stories will be gone too.
Wishing you a wonderful weekend and week ahead, take care, hugs, B xxxx
