Eccentric Amblings and Ramblings From Gnat Bottomed Towers

 We haven't put the trap out at all this month, so I only have one offering to share...however, I hope you agree that it's rather a stunner. This is the Scarlet Tiger Moth and is one of the daytime moths. We saw it when we were away. Hope everyone has a lovely weekend. I'll be back next week with some tales of my recent travels. Arilx

If you point out to your wife that "there's the "Green Man Ceramics over here" when you're out walking there's only ever going to be one outcome💚 The owner told me that he had based his design on a medieval one that he'd seen in Paris. As for that book...there's no point calling yourself a bibliophile unless you always take the opportunity to have a nose around any second hand bookshop the National Trust has. Normally I come away empty handed, but this one was standing proud on top of a pile of other titles. I reckoned that the universe was dropping a large hint that it was sitting waiting patiently for me...I try not to ignore those little nudges these days. This is my personal take on the traditional holiday souvenir! Arilx  

 My friend Arty L has spent most of her adult life in London and prior to Covid she was a nature lover, but preferred living in the city with all it has to offer. As for many of us the lockdowns forced her to find new ways of coping. Until that point she'd only visited Bushy Park if she'd been taken there, but in a bid to escape the crowds she worked out one day that she could walk there from her home. She's never looked back since and this has become a special sanctuary for her with all the wildlife to see. Often she's amazed to find that she's been out for six hours enjoying all its delights and I've loved all the photos and videos she's shared with me of what she's seen. On this trip I was lucky enough to be able to accompany her and I now completely understand why she's fallen in love with it. Bushy Park is the second largest of the Royal Parks and was "given" [I use that word in its loosest sense] to Henry VIII by Cardinal Wolsey in 15

 Can you believe it....I have nattering away for nine whole years on this old blog of mine. Back then my son was just finishing year 10 and here we are now with him having moved into digs and working fulltime in his chosen career field. He was 24 recently👀😲 In the days prior to his leaving [he'll be coming back to catch up with friends etc regularly] he disgorged the contents of his bedroom...who knew so much stuff could be stuffed into such a small space. I've reached the conclusion that the walls must bow outwards in there to have fitted it all all. The recycling bin was rather full last week and various things have come my way because he knows how much I loathe how perfectly serviceable things are just tossed thoughtlessly into a hole in the ground. Like me he's not very sentimental about many possessions and he's got rid of lots of uni notes....I have done the thrifty thing and gone through the pile retrieving any blank sided sheets to add to our scrap paper box.

 One of those glorious moments at Clapham Junction when the train is late and the wires have got crossed between the driver and the station. The information board said the first stop would be Surbiton....as soon as the doors had slammed shut the information on the train said first stop would be Woking. Umm...ah well get off at Woking and go back up the line. Just as well I'm an old bird who likes to be punctual and always leaves herself a big old chunk of spare time [anxiety does have its pluses]. Besides had I not had my unexpected little travel add on I'd never have seen this sculpure "Seated Man" by Sean Henry on the platform. I really rather like it. Arilx

 Referring back to a post from earlier this week here we have a very young looking Jona Lewie with our friend Keef Trouble on the monkey stick [now in the Okee Dokee band] when they played together in the Terry Dactyl and the Dinosaurs. They got to number 2 in the charts in 1972 with another of their songs the "Seaside Shuffle" which I regret to say I'd never heard of! Have a good weekend....TYM is moving out to the badlands of Surrey so he's nearer to London for work. However, I suspect he'll still be putting in a regular appearance at GBT. Just so long as he doesn't arrive with all his washing he's always welcome! Arilx

 "How do you fancy popping out to see if we can find that well you texted me about last week?" asked my friend WW on Saturday. As a Druid I have a love of sacred places like stone circles and wells. We have some good examples of burial mounds up in the South Downs, but I long ago accepted that we don't have the stone monuments [Sussex is not known for its sarsen stones!] and any holy wells there might have once been round here have long since disappeared. The one in Horsham is now under a private carpark I do believe😢 Flummoxed is the only word I can think to describe my feelings when a chap put up photos of a sacred well within 7 miles of here on the local FB group. Never have I read anything about it or heard a whisper of its existence until then. Even my friend M says that he's only read the briefest mention of it in a couple of books and he's a chap who's written and published books on the county. It seems very few others knew of it either if it's rat

 TYM informed me with a hearty chuckle that the hip way to refer to the events of last weekend was the "Platy Jubes".....I feel so much better for knowing that I'm now down with the cool kids😆 Despite having allowed all the celebrations to pass me by [bar the paper Union Jack flag that my Republican son erm "liberated" from a pub in Surrey😉 having enjoyed a few sherbets out with his mates] I did want to capture the flavour of some of it as we'll never experience the like of it again in my lifetime and these historic moments are so fleeting. Having decided to walk across the town to see my friend WW rather than driving as I usually would it seemed to present the perfect opportunity to take a few images. I've included a range of the things I found. One of the town centre pubs went as far as to have its whole ceiling repainted in red, white and blue! Many went for the traditional decorations, but I secretly rather enjoyed those that injected a dollop of h

 Whilst I didn't cancel working over the Jubilee I ended up with Thursday off so completed the "joyful" task of defrosting the freezer and dutifully listing all the contents. Although that's given me a snapshot of what we've got in there and made the weekly menu plan a heck of a lot easier it hardly makes for a lifeaffirming, gripping sort of morning, so Mr GBT and I hatched a plan which would reward us for our diligence😆 It would be a disappointment to many I'm sure were you to discover that our plotting didn't involve a local hostelry [within walking distance of GBT] and a pint of locally brewed ale. Besides with such a tempting invitation as this on the A board outside who was I to refuse😀 In truth the pair of us don't do spontaneity so we'd prearranged to meet up with a friend to listen to this local lot of reprobates. The Okee Dokee band are hilarious. Songs which generally take the rise out of the irritations and quirks of of everyday life

Enjoying a bit more woolly craft on my way home from work last week. I've seen a couple of toppers locally with her Majesty, corgis etc in wool, but the randomness of this Jubilee one was rather curious. Lovely to discover that it's been done by the village "Learn to knit/crochet" club who meet once a week in a room in the pub. I'm not an ardent Monarchist [not anti either], but hope you have a fabulous weekend whatever you're up to. Arilx  

 It's some four years ago since E and I paid our first visit to the local Hannah Peschar Sculpture Garden. E's suggestion of paying a return visit was a mighty fine one and it was just as magical as last time. I think it's the way that the pieces are blended so carefully into their garden surround which makes for a successful display, but still leaves space for all the borders and landscaping to shine through. No one element dominates or jars. These were the ones which appealed to me. The garden limits the number of visitors on any one day [it's prebooking only] which keeps it as a very serene place to spend time in. Thanks to E having a card we were both able to benefit from a discounted entry price. Arilx