Today's content was supposed to be about my most recent trip, but I am up to my old tricks again and fancied showing you this box of cat litter instead which arrived last week. The wording made me chuckle....life is full of little surprises....
I can vouch for the fact that a dreich February afternoon is much improved by afternoon tea with an unexpected cat thrown in for good measure. This particular feline rather sniffily accepted a stroke, but he wasn't moving for any annoying biped. I can't say I blame him because he'd nabbed himself the perfect warm spot in the hotel foyer. Us guests just perched on the sofa in the remaining space.....cats are supremely confident beings who always get the upper paw.
It was a lovely way to spend time indoors. As ever, our eyes were bigger than our tummies so I did that most unbritish of things and asked if we could take the rest of the cakes home with us so that they wouldn't be wasted. TYM had bought his Dad the afternoon tea voucher for his birthday last summer. David had saved it so that we could have a treat in the quieter months of the year. Perfect.
One of the BT boxes in the local park got its very own makeover a few months ago. I finally found my way over that side of town earlier this week and snapped a photo of it. Much jazzier than its former olive green.
I see a lot of this type of art in the cities I visit, but this is Horsham's first example. Maybe just maybe the council will go wild and commission some more. Fingers crossed. Have a great weekend. Another wandering to come next week.
Thus far February has done a rather splendid job carrying over the leaden skies of January. I really don't mind this time of year, but I am not big on dull colours. It was meant to be dry last week when we paid a long overdue return to the Farnham Sculpture Park, but Zeus and Jupiter had been busy boys and instead we got showers. Somehow though, being encased in suitable waterproof clothing with brollies and under the tree canopy, it didn't seem that bad. If you are craving anything that isn't grey right now then please let me bring to you the pieces that stood out for their colour with a couple of cheeky pieces thrown in for good measure.
It's open every day (including Christmas day) and we were able to use our BBC Gardeners World voucher to get a 2 for 1 entry.
Before our overnight stay in Harrogate last September I had never heard of jewellery made from human hair bar the lockets and rings with hair mounted in them. I saw my first pieces in the museum up there and weirdly I have encountered yet more on two separate occasions recently. The latest was here as part of Horsham Museum's newest exhibition last weekend. Intriguing.....
Mourning jewellery has been with us since at least the 1600s, but as ever the Victorians took it to a whole new level following Prince Albert's death in 1861. Human hair was woven and then covered in glue to enable it to become rigid. Some designs have it plaited or laid flat under glass. The idea behind it was that it was a way of keeping a part of your loved one with you at all times and keeping their memory alive. Unfortunately, as with any business, there are those who operate without scruples and at times the hair was replaced by some from living people [often bought from the poor or brought in from abroad] or even horsehair as it was easier to manipulate than hair from the deceased. As ever there were ingenious solutions offered to circumnavigate this problem with the publication of DIY guides showing people how they could make their own items. Ultimately this style of remembrance fell out of favour with the introduction of photography which gave those left behind not only the memories, but a precious image of their loved ones. Jewellery incorporating the hair of those we've lost or stones created from their ashes remain a popular choice with some today.
Hasn't everyone shoved a garment into the washing machine at some time only to find little stray bits of tissue attached to all their clean laundry because someone hasn't emptied their pockets🤣. I'm glad that I checked this particular pocket hidden round the back of this fellow I met today🔥
It's been another mischief Monday and I have seen many wonderful things. This one is my.top find by a country mile. Make sure that you don't leave your baby dragon in your pocket people!