The Wayfaring Path

…sung to the tune of Four Seasons in One Day by Crowded House 🙂

The week that was – was a a bit quieter, so hopefully not such a long post this week, although you know me – I love to blather! Sunday was a rest day, and Monday pretty chill – we walked up to the old Abbey but there’s not much to see outside of Sunday services in the chapel. But there’s a nice woodland walk that we took to the supermarket and then came home via the ice-cream truck in the park!

On Tuesday Regan had a visit to a Star Wars prop making business (he had a ball!) and when they heard his accent they said “he’s from Middle Earth!” so of course he was then required by law to regale them with his stories of being an extra in the Lord of the Rings movies 🙂 I had a nice chat at the bus stop with a volunteer from the local museums trust, then had acupuncture, then wandered into the CBD. I thought I might buy some makeup but got TOTALLY overwhelmed and went to an outdoor store and bought a £7 backpack instead – my normal daybag is really good for protecting my laptop and external monitor when travelling, but it’s just a bit too grunty for a quick trip to town. I spend so much time in museums and I’m terrified I’ll knock something over with it!

Wednesday was Graves Gallery day. We were on the hunt for Pre-Raphaelite paintings and had heard there were some there, but only one was on show – a goodie though! The Hours (1882) by Edward Burne-Jones (see top of page). We both love Pre-Raphaelite art (even though the art world is a bit snooty about it) and are on a mission to see as many as we can while we are here. Lots of other good art though, it’s a really well-considered and well-presented gallery. I tried again (and succeeded!) to buy an eyebrow pencil, then we hit Tesco’s and had a swift half a pint of cider on the way home. There were DOZENS of kids in the pub, with frazzled looking parents in tow. Weird.

Speaking of kids – on Thursday the Weston Park Museum was heaving with them – it’s school holidays here. There were some nice ones who were interested in the different exhibitions but all that was negated by a groups of kids running around and screaming, with no parents in sight! I could feel my internal grumpy old lady getting ready to snap when happily they vanished, and I could get back to looking at wonderful old artefacts in peace! There was a room of stuffed animals, which make me so sad, but also it’s kind of great to be able to see a polar bear up close with zero risk of becoming its dinner, so there’s that. This one was stuffed with a slightly too jolly expression on it’s face, for someone whose insides are sawdust.

I had my usual extended visit to a local post office to post a parcel back. Every few weeks I post 2kgs worth of stuff home and every time it’s a drama. Either the person behind the counter doesn’t believe me when I say there’s a cheap method (by sea), even when I produce receipts! And/or there’s not enough room on the customs form, or I’ve forgotten what’s in it (I make notes now!), and it always takes an age and involves a queue out the door behind me. Everyone is so good about it, nobody has yelled at me (yet) but I’m trying hard to streamline the process.

On Friday we were both feeling a bit blah so postponed our trip to Totley (the next suburb south from here). Instead we went to the cute local cafe in the Abbeydale Industrial Hamlet that’s really near here. We had a feed, then Regan went home and I wandered around the Hamlet. It was impressive, an early factory that made scythes and with lots of the original MASSIVE bits of kit still in place. It would have been noisy and dangerous but also a real centre of the community and a good local employer. There were also some domestic spaces, which are always my favourite.

Saturday saw Regan push through his blahness and do a day trip to the Robin Hood festival in Sherwood forest. He had a great time (and bought a really choice t-shirt that I’m coveting) but it was a real mission to get there and back on public transport. I was thinking of going next weekend (we have to take it in turns to be away all day so someone is home for the dogs) but I’m not sure now, with 2+ hours each way. On our next long trip we might buy a car as we are missing out on lots of cool out-of-the-way places – just a dunger that we can sell again before we go. No idea if that’s feasible, but that’s a problem for future Linda and Regan!

I jumped on the bus that stops literally outside our house and went out to the cute town of Bakewell. It’s a bit of a bargain, as a return trip is only £6 and the bus ride is 40 minutes through lovely Peak District scenery, and through the huge and lovely grounds and villages around Chatsworth House. I didn’t go to Chatsworth as the tickets were spendy, I opted to go to the excellent Old House Museum in Bakewell instead. Tickets were a lot cheaper and it is a medieval house with domestic spaces much less grand that at Chatsworth – and I decided to give my money to a small local museum rather than a fancy-pants place. There were SO MANY people at Chatsworth I don’t think they noticed my absence!

After the museum I wandered around the All Saints church, which is very old, and which has a great flyer that points out all the interesting bits. There was a surprise Pre-Raphaelite stained glass window! Also Anglo-Saxon chunks of carved stone and a (rather tenuous) link to King Alfred and Lady Aethelflaed. It had a lovely feel to it and I spent ages there. I wrote in the visitor book and had a giggle when I heard someone exclaim “someone has been here from NEW ZEALAND!”. I refrained from shouting “me, me!” you’ll be pleased to learn.

Poor Regan was definitely feeling sick on Sunday, so the daily trip to the supermarket is now on my to-do list. I went via the Abbey, and managed a quick 5 minute look around the chapel (complete with box pews!) between their Sunday service and a Christening. Just what everyone wants in their Christening photos, a sweaty tourist in the background! So I scarpered and went and sat by the duck pond and left a voice note for my friend. I really love doing the voice note thing, it’s like we have our own private podcasts for each other! I walked along a bit of the Sheffield Round Walk, then via a cafe for a coffee, then through the huge cemetery and down to the supermarket.

It’s Monday as I write this, and wet today, but I have to go to the vet to pick up some drops for Harland, and will need to buy food for dinner on the way back. I tried and failed to set up home delivery, first with Tesco’s (website wouldn’t accept Regan’s UK phone number) and then with Sainsbury’s (website kept freezing then the delivery fee was appalling). Good job I bought myself a good raincoat recently! I’m not really complaining as we’ve had amazing weather most days. But yep I’m missing my car today!

This is our last full week with the dogs as we leave here on Thursday next week and have a couple of nights in a hotel before heading up to Edinburgh. I’ve still got a few things I want to tick off my list, but I think we’ll both be pretty excited to be heading up north in a little under a fortnight. And my dig is coming up so soon! A month away yay!

Ooo I nearly forgot – last night I heard a weird noise and looked out the window and saw a FOX! There was a cat hanging out with it, which was odd. I’m sure I wasn’t dreaming as I have video, but the cat ran away before I started filming.