March 2021 Archives

One of the latest community projects is the yarnbombing of postboxes with seasonal designs and to highlight charitable causes. The creations on the tops of postboxes are also known as "postbox toppers". Their aim is to bring smiles by allowing a change of scenery on daily walks and to raise money for good causes. Toward the end of January, I made a banner and highlighted on the community social media to add a heart for the community to find in windows, gardens, drive-ways, or somewhere else where they could be spotted as we are in lockdown in depressing winter. By the second week in February and in time for Valentine's Day, three postbox toppers with hearts appeared on the streets. These have then increased to over thirty in the area in the run up to Easter with the original heart ones being re-dressed for spring.

Of course I went looking for them. I love art trails and am a big fan of those art charity sculpture trails, which I do hope to visit in the summer months as I have been looking forward to some of the ones that are coming up. These postbox toppers were mainly located in Ruislip almost exclusively, although there were a couple in Ickenham and a couple in Eastcote, which closely borders Ruislip anyway.

More of these are appearing all the time on the streets, and at least one new one has been added since I published this post. But keep on reading, and I may get photographs of any new ones and post them on this page.

In keeping with the Easter theme, we had Easter eggs, chicks, hens, and flowers. This was located in Ruislip on one of the roads with nicer houses. 

Also in Ruislip and outside the main post office were eggs with a grey bunny and flowers. This postbox topper sadly disappeared on the day that I published the post.

Another theme, in keeping with the community and remembering the NHS, is the beautiful rainbow. This postbox topper in felt includes colourful rainbows, clouds, and sun rays. 

Not only postboxes, but this random street furniture metal box has also become home to a knitted bunny and flowers.

One of Ruislip's prettiest streets - St. Martin's Approach - has a beautiful postbox topper with a chick and bunny and a clutch of eggs and flowers.

This postbox, which originally had LOVE, has been reclaimed by a roosting hen and her chicks and is surrounded by eggs. It is made of felt and burlap.

Ruislip Gardens contains a couple of nice creations, including this lovely woodland-inspired scene that appears to mention and be inspired by Yeading Brook, located just behind this street that it appears on.

A school here at Ruislip Gardens contains another woodland scene with all sorts of critters - snakes/worms, slugs, snails, birds, mice, and more. Two children dressed in the school's uniforms and the school's logo with a tree also appear on this postbox.

A turkey or hen has been put on the top of this postbox.

Located near the cinema and ASDA, this postbox was decorated with the roses for Valentine's Day and remains in theme for spring and Mother's Day.

One of the cutest postbox toppers is this bee hive, surrounded by flowers and bees. It had been removed and placed on top of another postbox nearby, but it was fortunately recovered and replaced. It is located in South Ruislip.

Another lovely Easter postbox has been placed in South Ruislip / Eastcote and contains a combination of pastel flowers, bunnies, eggs, and chicks.

This striking black postbox topper contains beautiful flowers, and they really make the colour pop.

More rainbows, butterflies, a bunny, and what appears to be a nest with a pigeon graces the top of this postbox between Eastcote and Ruislip Manor.

Another cute postbox topper with bunnies and chicks, bees, flowers, and a hedgehog. This one is located in Eastcote.

Another one of the cutest postboxes is this depiction of Captain Tom. Captain Tom was nearly 100 years of age and helped to raise money for charity to help the NHS by walking. He became a symbol of the support of the NHS and a glimmer of hope in pandemic times. Sadly, he passed away from coronavirus earlier this year, but he lives on in spirit and on top of this postbox, which also contains Easter motifs.

The lambs are amongst my favourites. This one also contains some bunnies and nesting bluebirds.

This bright yellow postbox topper contains a couple Easter friends on top of it, and it is located in Ruislip Manor.

A nest of many birds sits on the top of this postbox. The chicks are so many different colours. They are surrounded by flowers and knitted bunnies and hearts.

This is a large knitted lamb, and this postbox was used for Valentine's Day too. I love the lamb with the flowers. It is located near one of the entrances of Ruislip Woods in a housing area at the top of Ruislip Manor.

More chicks and bunnies...

One of the newer postbox toppers is this woodland one featuring foxes, mice, sheep, and a rabbit.

This little creation is also a recent addition to the streets of Ruislip Manor.

Humpty Dumpty sits on top of a postbox with other eggs and flowers in Eastcote.

This cute bunny holds and egg and is surrounded by cupped daffodils and other flowers.  

Ruislip Manor post office also has its own postbox topper complete with a postal lorry, postal worker, postbox with knitted top, and a bag of letters.

Another large lamb with flowers also decorates a postbox above Ruislip and Ruislip Manor in a housing estate near one of the entrances to the woods.

A basket of eggs contains a knitted bunny and chick and a lot of spring flowers. This postbox is located in Ickenham.

Also in Ickenham is this cheery Easter bonnet with chocolate boxes and flowers.

A very large and striped purple and white rabbit sits happily atop a postbox in Ruislip Manor.

Another cute postbox creation, this postbox was inspired by "Peter Rabbit" and includes a bag of eggs.

Several orange, white, and pink bunnies grace the top of a postbox in Ruislip Gardens.

I hope that you enjoyed the photographs, and keep coming back to check for any additional postboxes.

Street artist Fanakapan is a London-based artist who often creates murals across the city. The artist is mostly known for painting a style of street art with reflective materials. Most recently, he has mainly been painting foil helium balloons. His newest edition to London's streets is based on Pedley Street off Brick Lane and features two laughing smiley helium balloons and laughing gas canisters with the words "HAH" above them.

These canisters can be found aroung the Truman Brewery, particularly after a weekend.  

More street art by Fanakapan is located here:

Halloween Street Art by Fanakapan
Fanakapan Street Art on Mornington Crescent and Star Yard
Fanakapan Paints PacMan Pizza on Brick Lane and Other Street Art
Fanakapan Star Yard MagnaDonuts Mural
"Follow the Leader" by Fanakapan
Peace for Manchester
Fanakapan Paints Shoreditch Clowns
Chrome Balloon Dog in Star Yard
Fanakapan Paints "Power Tools" on Village Underground Wall
Fanakapan Paints "Drunk Glass Elephants"
Fanakapan, Horror Crew, & Jerry Rugg
Louis Masai and Fanakapan: "Freedom?"
New Chrome Street Art Mask by Fanakapan
Balloon Animal Street Art
Cranio & Fanakapan
Fanakapan and Horror Crew
Camden Street Art Self-Guided Trail
Halloween Street Art (2018 and 2019)
Cranio Returns to London in 2020 and Paints Brick Lane

One of my closest National Trust properties to visit is Ham House, and we have to stay local in the lockdown. A visit to the house and grounds was on my itenerary for early March in 2020, but the bloke was feeling lazy that weekend, so I agreed that I'd move it to visit the following weekend. That next weekend was the one of the lockdowns with everything closed. We did attempt to visit the grounds, but the National Trust had then opened them to invite everyone (not just members), and people flocked in. We saw how busy it was and promptly drove home. So, I never got to visit Ham House.

Although the house is still closed to visitors, we were able to explore the grounds and gardens toward the end of the winter (a year later than I had originally planned). To visit the grounds and house, there is a short walk from the parking along the Thames at Richmond; the house itself is just set back from the Thames.

Ham House dates from the 17th century, and it is one of the grandest Stuart houses in England. The house itself is rumoured to be one of the most haunted. Of course, we will have to come back another day in order to visit the house. I hope that it will be reopened soon as my National Trust membership runs out in a couple of months.

We listened to an audio tour while exploring the grounds. The above photograph shows the front of the house as approached via the Thames.

The kitchen gardens had an abunance of yellow daffodils and a parakeet. These birds are popular in London as they had originally been kept as pets.

On the other side of the kitchen garden are the formal gardens, which were filled with beautiful purple crocus flowers. They were so beautiful and so picturesque. The house appears to sit on a purple carpet. The formal garden design also dates from the 17th century.

At the back of the formal gardens is an area in woodland called "The Wilderness", which contains rows of trees and hedges that form a series of lanes connecting each oher amongst a few round summer houses. These small summer houses could be rotated for a unique view.

Some of the hedgerows created small secret garden spaces, and these were filled with beautiful daffodils. It is a nice place to get lost in, though it is a small area so it is not possible to get physically lost here.

Glimpses of Ham House can be seen from "The Wilderness" between the naked trees and hedgerows.

Signs of spring were beginning to emerge when I visited in mid-March. Blossoms were on some of the branches on some of the trees.

Another secret garden has been sculpted with evergreen and lavender with patterns cut into the hedges with little "windows" to peer inside to frame the space. This garden is used as a filming location.

That concludes my visit of Ham House. Overall, it is a small property with a diverse set of lovely gardens and a historic grand house. I hope to visit the house when it reopens and once it is safe to visit, so keep watching this space for updates.

February was my first Craft Gin Club subscription box, and after I saw what was on offer for this month, I decided to renew and also received a special additional free full bottle of gin as a promotion. March's monthly box comes with a full-sized bottle of gin, a selection of tonics and mixers, a few snacks, and the monthly magazine Ginned!. The Ginned! magazine contains information about the products in the box and highlights the special gin of the month (the large full-sized bottle) and includes various cocktail and food recipes that you can use with your gin. This month's box features The River Test Distillery Chalkstream Gold gin, a gin born in Hampshire on the River Test. This was an exciting box because I lived for many years in Hampshire before leaving it not long ago for the outskirts of London because I was tired of long daily commutes, and the river runs through from Southampton up to near Basingstoke.

The River Test Distillery Chalkstream Gold has a juniper berry and herb flavour and is made with Maris Otter barley to give a sweet taste. It is an easy-to-drink gin. The box came with another product from Hampshire, Hartridges Grapefruit Tonic. The company have been producing drinks since the late 1800s, and the tonics are gluten-free and vegan. The grapefruit tonic paired nicely with the River Test Distillery Chalkstream Gold gin.

We also received a Prodigy chocolate bar in one of two flavours: Peanut Caramel Cahoots or Dark Chocolate and Sea Salt. Prodigy are a vegan brand of chocolate that use the best ingredients free from palm oil and artificial sweeteners. It also uses less sugar and pairs well with the gin.

A can of Flawsome! Sweet & Sour Apple was included in the box along with two cocktail recipes featuring it. The drinks company use mis-shaped fruit that will not sell in stores for the juice to create these delicious mixers, and I did really find it to be a delicious mixer. The product also does not contain added sugar/sweeteners. The two apple-based gin recipes with the Chalkstream Gold gin were delicious.

Another mixer received in March's box was from The Soho Juice Co. The Cucumber, Mint, Lemon & Lime flavour is what I received, but others may have received the Apple, Honey and Lemon flavour. I enjoyed the flavour, and it worked well in the Chalkstream Gold gin from The River Test Distillery.

This month, I also tried my luck at making the cheese scone recipe provided in the magazine, and it worked out well. I enjoyed the cheese scones with garlic butter and a glass of gin and tonic.

The final item received for cocktails was a syrup mixer to make the cocktail of the month. The cocktail syrup this month was Riverside Sunrise cocktail syrup, and it was a fruity but slightly tart syrup; it was paired with the Flawsome! apple mixer that I mentioned above. Lastly, we received a packet of dried cucumber and lemon slices to garnish the cocktails. 

I enjoyed most of the cocktails that appealed to me in the Ginned! magazine this month and noted which ones I preferred over others. My preference has always been for fruity and sweet cocktails that do not have a strong alcoholic taste. Anything with juice added to it or mixers along with a bit of alcohol works best for me. I tried a wide range this month.

Before I end this post, I wanted to showcase the beautiful bottle of La Distillerie de Monaco's Gin Aux Argumes that I received this month as a special promotion. It is a sweet but citrus gin with notes of orange and other citrus, and I enjoy it. I also love that bottle design.

Throughout the first part of this year, I have explored different parts of Ruislip Woods. Ruislip Woods is over 730 acres of woodland located north of Ruislip and Ruislip Manor and is congregated around Ruislip Lido, and each area of the woods has a different name. Directly above the lido is Copse Wood, which lays on the highest point and known as Duck's Hill after someone's surname; across the main road to the left of Copse Wood is Mad Bess Woods, and a walk through the woods and over another road is Bayhurst Wood. Above the northeastern edge of the lido, bordering Copse Wood, is Poor's Field (see my post about Copse Wood and Poor's Field). Poor's Field is a slightly overgrown meadow, and cattle graze here. The southwestern tip of Copse Wood was once the site of a mansion known as the Battle of Britain House, which was reclaimed by nature after the house burnt down in 1984. Park Wood is located to the south of the lido, just above Ruislip and Ruislip Manor and off of a housing estate with large detached and semi-detached houses.

At the end of February, I explored Park Wood. Due to the lockdown, the public footpaths and trails through the woods and everywhere else have been exceptionally muddy.

At the Ruislip Manor entrance to the woods (near King's College Cafe, named such because the land in Ruislip was originally the property of King's College in Cambridge), was a postbox decorated for Valentine's Day.

The water was very deep in some places.

I don't think I'll be sitting on that bench...

The main throughways through the woods are bridleways. There are horse farms located on the edge of the woods. I have also heard stories about fields of ponies and a beloved donkey that people used to walk past when they went to the woods.

I walked in a loop and made my way west. The entrance off St. Martin's Approach above Ruislip is located here, and there are more wooden pathways and bridges here. Out of all parts of Ruislip Woods that I have explored, this is my favourite part. I think the wooden walkways speak volumes for the use of the trails through the woods here.

On my way, I noticed a lot of green shooting up from the ground. I believe these are bluebells, so I want to come back to have a look in mid-April.

Dan Kitchener, a London-based street artist who is known for his darkly-lit street scenes and portraits of Japanese women, has recently painted a mural on one of the high profile walls on Hanbury Street. The mural, titled "Midnight Drive", shows a neon pink and blue cityscape somewhere in Asia. A sports car with its reflecting headlights is located in the background and the figure of a woman with neon glasses is in the foreground. Unfortunately, a large supermarket delivery van was parked in front of the mural for a over an hour, and this was the best photograph that I could capture.

For more work by Dan Kitchener (DANK) featured in this blog, please read the following links:

Street art by Dan Kitchener in Summer 2020
Dan Kitchen Returns to Clifton Street with "Tokyo Graffiti" Mural
Latest Street Art by Dan Kitchener
Dan Kitchener Paints 'Ghost Cities' on Pedley Street
Dank Paints 'Ghost Cities - Bristol' for Upfest 2018
Dan Kitchener Paints "Meeting of Styles"
'Future Tokyo and Tokyo Ghosts'
Dank "London Rush"
Dan Kitchener's Street Art on Sclater Street and More
Street Art: Dan Kitchener
"Downtown" Mural by Dan Kitchener
Goswell Road

Welcome to the latest edition of home-delivered treats during the lockdown of the pandemic in 2020-2021. This post covers Gookie Dough, a cookie dough treat delivered UK-wide. Gookie Dough (by Snackcidents) was created by Anja and Olly from Nottingham. In 2015, they invested in creating the ultimate cookie treat and creating unique flavours, and cookie dough became an obsession for them to create a safe dough that can be consumed as ice cream. In 2018, they quit their jobs to focus full time on Gookie Dough and also to innovate other snacks. The gourmet cookie dough is sent in recyclable packaging so that it's also good for the environment.

At present, there are five flavours of cookie dough to choose from: funfetti, vanilla, chocolate chip, triple chocolate, and red velvet. I selected one of each flavour except for red velvet. 

What is my verdict? The cookie dough is very delicious. I ate it raw, and I did not try it heated up with ice cream nor cooked into cookies. Perhaps I will do that next time. The only negative is that the packages are too small!

Nearly ten years ago now, I visited the Tudor-style Hampton Court Palace in London, and I only just realised that I never posted about the visit. Hampton Court Palace is most famous for being Henry VIII's palace. It was built in the early 1500s for Thomas Wolsey, a friend of the king. It was then gifted to the king and became one of his favourite residences. The palace is open to visitors and is a major tourist attraction. It also hosts several events throughout the year, such as the Hampton Court Palace Flower Show. The main attractions of the palace include expansive kitchens, a hedge maze, banquet or great hall with wooden vaulted ceilings, gardens, and the largest grapevine in the world, which has its own building. I visited with my parents, and we spent half a day here.

I enjoyed my visit, and I would like to visit the flower show that is held here as soon as things can get back to normality.

Street artist Ben Eine is a high-profile street artist from London who now lives in the USA. When he returns to London, he often adds a new mural or refreshes one of his older murals. His work can be seen in various spots throughout London from the Olympic Park to Petticoat Lane and near Shoreditch High Street. Many steel shutters include letters painted by him. His most recent work in London was a refresh of his "Love" mural on Ebor Street. Both sides of this street contain the artist's work, and it has changed over the years. Last year, it was looking tagged over, so the refresh was needed. The new mural was created in collaboration with Dotmasters and reads "I don't like this anymore".

The mural's statement may be that the street artist is tired of the wall, perhaps, or it could be a statement following the "Love" statement that was painted by the artist on the same wall in 2019. Perhaps it is a statement about something else entirely or about London or Shoreditch in general or the pandemic time. I am not really sure.

Dotmasters collaborated with his smiley print in alternating red, orange, yellow, and white colours. These smiles are patterned behind the statement in bold and bright typography that Eine painted.

More street art by street artist Ben Eine on this blog can be seen below:

New Ben Eine Street art "Love" in 2019
Ben Eine "Peace is Possible" Street Art
Street Art: Ben Eine
Ben Eine Paints 'Like Nothing Else' on Ebor Street
Ben Eine Tribute to Grenfell Tower Victims
Ben Eine 'Last Days of Shoreditch'
Ben Eine New Street Art Summer 2016
Ben Eine 'Extortonists' Refresh

Street artist Zabou, who is based in London, has refreshed a couple of murals in east London. These murals have been frequently tagged over, so it is good to see them repainted and refreshed. I enjoy seeing Zabou's work appear, and it is good to see pieces refreshed from time to time as well.

The Salvador Dali mural located near Spitalfields Market on Commercial Street has been refreshed a couple of times, and the newest refresh includes Dali with a pink leopard-print shirt and a cat. It was refreshed at the end of March in 2020.

The other mural is located on Brick Lane, and it was painted over a couple of times almost soon after it was originally painted. Thanksfully, the repaint has lasted for some time, but the artist does return to remove the tags and refresh it.

Previous Zabou murals that have appeared on this blog include:

Zabou Paints "Good Vibes"
Zabou Paints "Sisters" on Kingsland Road
Zabou Paints Audrey Hepburn on Brick Lane
Zabou: "Jack the Ripper" Street Art
Zabou: 'Racism is a Virus' Street Art
New Murals by Zabou in East London (Clockwork Orange, Sherlock, David Bowie)
Zabou "The Shining" and Refresh of Salvador Dali in Spitalfields
Villana and Zabou Collaborate on Amy Winehouse Street Art
Zabou paints Sid Vicious from 'The Sex Pistols'
Zabou Paints Freda #2 at Broadway Market
Zabou Paints Salvador Dali on Commercial Road
Koeone and Zabou Collaborate
"Keep Out!" Street Art by Zabou
Zabou's 'Cabinet of Curiosity' Street Art
Leake Street Tunnels Street Art, Spring 2016
Recent Street Art by Zabou
Street Art: Zabou

When we entered the first couple of months of 2020, I felt relieved and excited at what was to come for the year ahead. I had finished my freelancing job at the end of January and started a new job in February. I was looking forward to reclaiming my personal life as I had been over-worked over the last few years. I was desperately looking forward to enjoying many adventures abroad and visiting my family abroad. Unfortunately, the year did not go to plan for anyone, and today marks one year of pandemic lockdowns.

On the afternoon of March 16, my colleagues and I were told to work from home. I don't think anyone understood the severity of the pandemic and virus at this stage. I certainly did not, but medical staff were quickly being overwhelmed and people were losing their lives due to this and due to the lack of known treatments. So, the first lockdown began. A year later, we are still in lockdown and have had restrictions throughout the past year. We will be locked down for another few months at least. I am hoping that the vaccines will help surpress this pandemic and allow us to get back to normality and keep us in some form of normality.

A year on now from the first lockdown, and I wanted to highlight some areas of what it has meant for me and what I have also seen change in the past year.

Work & Working from Home

Since 2015, I was used to working from home in a full time or part time capacity (depending on the project), so this aspect hasn't changed for me and was a continuation of my life (minus the pressure to work myself to death). Overall, I enjoy working from home and prefer it as I've previously spent far too much of my life before 2015 in long commutes. Commuting for four hours of your life a day is not fun, and that's what my life had been like previously.

I know that working from home has either been uncommon or non-existant for a lot of people. Video conferencing tools and chat tools to help manage long distance colleague relationships and meetings were familiar to me but not to many others. I think those reluctant in home working now realise that they can trust their employees and that the work still gets done.

The company I am working for allow Friday afternoons off, and this has helped to provide a balance between work and personal life, which is ultimately more difficult to manage when working from home. I know that some still struggle with the balance, particularly those who have small children or when their school-aged children were unable to go to school due to the lockdowns. 

Social Life

Even though working from home was common to me in previous years, I did not feel isolated because I was still able to go out for a meal or to visit friends. The lockdown put a stop to this. I did manage to see a couple of friends once in late summer, but it's been over a year since I have seen anyone outside my home with the exception of others on my street and the postal workers! It will still be a few months (or at least a year in some cases) before I am able to meet up socially with my friends and family. This time has been very difficult, particularly when life has been difficult with some people I know, and I am unable to do anything to be there for them. It is feeling stuck, and it is harmful to mental health, which I will discuss later. 

Although I have been unable to see my friends and family and my social life has been non-existant over the past year, I have still managed a chat (although it is not nearly the same), and one decent social item to come out of the pandemic is community.

Community

Over the last year, I have noticed that community has been pulling together. From clapping for the National Health Service to socially-distanced drinks with neighbours, I believe that most of us are trying to make the most of a bad situation. Here are some examples that I have seen in the community over the past year:

• Clapping for the NHS
• Giving to charity to help those who have lost their jobs or loved ones and also to those who have children struggling with meals while children are stuck at home
• Giving technology to children in need to help them with their education
• Socially-distanced drinks with neighbours and creating a sense of community in our road/area; it has been great to get to know everyone, and this has allowed a social aspect.
• Putting hearts or toy bears in windows, lights and Halloween decorations on display, and yarn-bombing on post boxes to bring smiles
• Helping look after each other, particularly when individuals are unable to leave home due to shielding and need a helping hand
• Providing surprise Christmas gifts to people
• Donating food, technology, and time to help other members of the community
• Local businesses providing support to the community and community services - free coffees, doughnuts, etc.

So, while our social lives have been non-existant largely, at least a sense of community has helped fill a bit of the void, and hopefully there will be many large community parties in the not-too-distant future.

Local Exploration

I'd previously touched on this aspect in relation to my working from home, but it is worth a larger note because we have all been stuck at home and in our local areas for a year. I moved into the area that I am living in now at the end of 2015, and I had not yet explored a lot of what the area has to offer until this year. Of course, I actually did have plans to explore a couple of places in the spring of 2020, but the pandemic hit and I didn't actually leave the house during the first lockdown. Not being allowed to travel out of the local area has meant that everyone has had to exercise and get out of their houses locally. In my Friday afternoon walks this year, I have enjoyed visiting amazing local places. 

Arts / Exhibits / Museums / Attractions

Readers who know me know that the arts, museums, and other attractions (zoos, exhibitions, etc) do mean a lot to me. Unfortunately, these areas have suffered the worst and have had to shut for the past twelve months. Art and creativity has always been one of my main interests; this goes as much for creating as well as appreciating art. Continued learning about the world around me through museums and attractions is also important. All aspects are coping mechanisms with life.

Not being able to partake in these ties to mental health and well-being, so the fact that we (as a society) cannot do this for the past year has a very detrimental effect on community and society as a whole. All of these are an important part of society and community and help personal and individual well-being and purpose. I am saddened that they have been largely forgotten about at times when we need them the most. 

Shopping / Eating & Drinking

Both of these activities are social ones for me. While I have never been an avid shopper, I do appreciate browsing shops, particularly when I am visiting a new place. I do also enjoy the social aspect of visiting pubs and restaurants, and I enjoy visiting them for a change of scenery and to "get out of the house". Sadly, shopping and restaurants/pubs/cafes have been taken from us for the majority of the past twelve months, and it will still be awhile before we can enjoy these again. Shopping has primarily been a pain for me because I've had to do without or shop online. 

Shopping online is not something I enjoy. It is not a new concept for me, but it's one that never did too often. Most of us have spent a fortune on one online shop that I will not name. I don't like supporting this large online retailer; it has stolen High Street business, and some shops will never reopen. While there are times when it is useful to shop online, there are certain items that I'd like to look at before I buy. For example, I prefer trying on clothes before I buy them. I have also bought items online during the pandemic, and it is a huge hassle. Plant pots that I have bought turned out to be the wrong size: once too small for even a tealight and once too large for my succulents. Clothes do not fit and are about a size too large (or small) or they do not look like the image. Items have been delivered broken. Items have been delivered with missing parts. Items have been delivered that are nothing like what I ordered. Items that I ordered were delivered with substituted items or expired items that I will not eat/use.

Additionally, I've had to go without some items. They have sold out or discontinued the items or perhaps the items are not available to buy online. Additionally, I am unable to get a delivery slot for my preferred supermarket.

I also have some other things that I will not buy until the shops reopen, and these are items where I do need to visit a shop. These items relate to the house with the majority of the building work completed just before the 2020 lockdown. I need curtains or blinds (I'm unsure which), new couches (mine are over fifteen years old), and I need to exchange incorrect items. I've had to go without items deemed unessential.

Holidays

It has been eight years now since I have had a proper break/annual leave. Last year, I did have four short long weekend breaks amounting to ten days off in total. Changing my employment last year meant that I am allowed to take time off, but there is no point in doing so when nothing is open and going abroad is out of the question. Staying at home does not cut it for me.

Travel is important to me and something that I enjoy and look forward to. I enjoy the thrill of seeing a new place. By chance, I got into full-on projects and rolling-monthly contracts since the start of 2015, and that started a crazy cycle of a few years. Previous to that, I would plan a trip to give me something to look forward to in the months ahead. I am looking forward to seeing new places again.

Mental Health & Isolation

Everyone has suffered in some way during the pandemic. I have had my struggles. Being stuck at home has been very difficult, and then there is the anxiety about when we will be able to safely go out again and see friends and also questions as to whether life will get back to normal. I have also had regrets about working my life too hard and not taking breaks since 2014. I've been hard on myself, and this regret has angered me as well. 

Not being able to see friends and family, particularly when people are going through bad times, is also difficult. I have felt helpless. 

I know that when things get tough for me, I tend to drown myself with work or withdraw into myself. This is not healthy, but it makes an effort for me to speak to people. I also focus on other things. I over-think things.

Everyone has their way of dealing or not dealing with it. There will be much impact for years to come.

Also, although many have helped others in the community, I can see that some people have gotten more rude and more selfish. I guess this is part of it with everyone having their battles and going through stuff.

Illness & Health

Illness can be linked to the mental health concerns mentioned above. The pandemic and lockdowns have impacted our mental health, but they are also causing other health concerns. A couple of items to add from a personal level for me are being out of shape due to a lack of exercise. I did not leave the house at all during the first lockdown, and that played heavily on me. I am still not going out at all some weeks. Like most people who live in a city, there's a lack of nature, and this provides well-being. There's also a point to where one gets bored of visiting the same places.

My health has taken a nose-dive with being out of shape and other problems due to the pandemic. Weight is easy to put on with comfort eating during the lockdowns, and I am drinking much more too. I never did drink a lot, but I have been drinking more in the lockdown. 

The NHS is also back-logged due to the pandemic with appointments being cancelled and people suffering in silence because they are either too afraid to speak up about problems or do not wish to add to the burden.

Pets

I am happy that I have my cats. They can annoy me sometimes, but they have enjoyed hanging around me, even if they just sleep and beg for food all day. They have enabled me to cope.

During the lockdown, I read that over a million people or something similar got a pet in the past year. I've had my two cats for a few years now.

Other

I have a couple of other observations here to mention. One is the fact that I have not had a hair cut since November of 2019. My hair is a mess. I have attempted to trim it myself; it does not look good, but I am sure that they can fix it. I have not concerned myself with my hair because I do not have the skills to do it myself and feel that we just have to make do at present.

The other item is make-up. With not being able to venture out, make-up has become pointless. I think skin-care is still important, but the make-up industry is probably being harmed. I think make-up products for lips and blusher is probably the lesser-used products because of wearing masks.

The other item to mention is that builders and tradespeople are in top demand during the pandemic. They are over-worked with a lot of new jobs. Although the majority of my building work finished right before we went into lockdown the first time, I still have to wait for several months for them to come around to complete and rectify some of the issues. I was also without a working stove from the start of the pandemic until Christmas Eve! 

Conclusion & What I am Grateful For...

I just have hopes for the future that life can start to get back on track soon. At the moment, I have my fingers crossed for June 21st, as the government have stated that is when the restrictions will end. I know that there will be some more minor changes before that. It has been a year of these lockdowns, and yes, it does feel like a year. It has not gone quickly for me. It has been slow and unforgiving. I just hope that I am able to see my friends and family abroad soon and to be able to have holidays abroad too. I have not counted that this will happen in 2021 though.

Throughout the pandemic and the really bad times, I am grateful for my friends and family to chat to on the phone and on social media. I am grateful for my pet cats; even though they can be annoying and expensive, they have kept me sane. I am grateful for a nice community. I am also very grateful for my job. I am loving my (not so new) role working for a fantastic company and enjoying the perks - books! Books have kept me sane as well. I am looking forward to making up for lost time with holidays and friends and family abroad; I'm disappointed that I did not take the holidays but I cannot see how things could have been different at those times. No one expected a pandemic, and I thought that if I worked hard enough, then I could have some time off later. Only later came during a year of the pandemic. However, there should be bright times ahead when I can enjoy those things and make up for the lost time. It will be another few months, but I am anxiously waiting. 

A couple of weeks ago, I posted my first entry in the "Walking the Celandine Route" in west London from Pinner to Eastcote House (Walking the Celandine Route: Eastcote House to Pinner (Hillingdon, London)). This time, my walk covers Eastcote House to Ruislip along the River Pinn and the Celandine Route trail. The Celandine Route is primarily located in the borough of Hillingdon in west London, and it follows the River Pinn from Hayes and finishes at Pinner. The trail is a twelve-mile walkway through meadows, parks, and woodlands along the river, and it is named after the Lesser Celandine, a yellow flowering woodland plant. The walk takes six hours in total, and I have completed the walk in sections. This post covers Eastcote House to Ruislip, and I completed the walk in mid-February.

My first stop was Eastcote House, and I walked to Lawrence's Pie & Mash. It is located in a tiny parade of shops formed of older buildings near the entrance to the grounds of Eastcote House. There's also a pub and a couple of other restaurants there (fish and chips and Italian) and a newsagent and corner shop. Lawrence's Pie & Mash offers traditional pie with mash and liquor. Liquor is a type of herby sauce that is put over the pie and mash. I had the vegetable pie and a slice of chocolate fudge cake with custard.

I visited during the coronavirus pandemic, and the little cafe at Eastcote House was not open until recently, though it does not offer the full range of items, and queues are long and time-consuming. The pie and mash was provided as a takeaway so that I could enjoy it in the walled gardens.

There are some old cottages and buildings along this little part of land between Eastcote and Ruislip; I believe it's known as Eastcote Village and is in the Eastcote Preservation Area.

I explored a little bit of Eastcote House gardens, which are really coming to life now with the earliest flowers and plants in bloom, promising that spring is on its way. Primroses, crocuses, and snowdrops cover the grounds, and the daffodils are starting to make an appearance too. I've visited the gardens a few times a month over February, so I was able to see the gardens transformed a little bit each time.

There are a couple of walks through the grounds of Eastcote House to find the river, and the below is a small pathway that follows the boundary of the road.

I took a wrong turn and found the river, but it was fenced off near the Eastcote Cricket Grounds and exceptionally muddy here.

But I soon got back on track and crossed the bridge with views over the river, which I then followed along a better-kept pathway. Of course, this pathway was still extremely muddy.

This goes past the Eastcote Preservation Area, which is located in front of the little parade of shops where there's pie and mash, fish and chips, a pub, and other shops. There were a few crocuses coming from the lawn here.

At the end of this section (and you can see the parade of shops in the photograph below) is a bridge over the river. I crossed this bridge, and on the other side of it on the right is a patch of beautiful wildflowers - crocuses, snowdrops and some daffodils. It's a beautiful little patch.

At the end of the bridge, the route follows a muddy section between the rivers and houses on the other side. It is very muddy here.

After the muddy trail, a road is crossed, and there is a section of paved trail that takes you to another road along the river and then to the start of large open fields that are playing fields.

Pinn Meadows is the name of one section of the playing fields, and the entrance here was muddy as well as were the pinch points along the trail through the trees. 

After crossing this field, another field comes into view with houses along the edges of the field. These are the King's College Playing Fields. The fields probably obtain their name from the fact that the land in Ruislip belonged to King's College Cambridge, and it was sold off to developers to build the housing estate on the fringes of London during the 1930s.

The river borders on edge of the playing fields, acting as a natural boundary.

In the middle of the playing fields is a concerte bridge. This is the main road through the playing fields - King's College Road. The road leads to housing estates with large houses at the end and bordering onto Ruislip Woods. Across the road here is a circular King's College Athletic Track and skatepark with more playing fields and King's Cafe. There are several athletic facilities here. The Ruislip Woods has a main route along the top of this road as well, and it's easy to walk to the lido from here too.

After the Athletic Track, the trail crosses the river again on a tiny narrow bridge.

This takes you past more open space fields, the boundaries of the playing fields and housing estate with large detached houses.

There are a couple of additional bridges here, and these grounds are also very muddy.

Another bridge across the route is for St. Martin's Approach road, and there are open fields on both sides.

The last section of ground here in Ruislip is the road Pinn Way, bordering these fields. This is where you can break from the Celandine Route and visit Winston Churchill Theatre, which is along the route here bordering the field, and at the top of the small hill is Ruislip Manor house and barn and Duck Pond Market, which is open on selected weekend days each month.

The Ruislip Manor House is a motte and bailey site, and the ditch on the far side (down closer to the river and at the bottom of the little hill) has contained some Roman pottery and artefacts, suggesting that it has been settled here for many years. Read more about Ruislip Manor Farm and Ruislip Castle.

I have yet to walk the Ruislip to Ickenham part of the Celandine Route, but keep checking back for an update.

More posts about Ruislip:

A Wintery Walk in Mad Bess Wood (Ruislip, West London)
A Snow Day in Ruislip
Visiting the Battle of Britain House Ruins in Ruislip Woods
Ruislip "Summer of 1939" Vintage Car Show
Ruislip Fairy Village
Easter in Ruislip (Easter Eggs & Duck Pond Markets)
Ruislip Lido Railway & Ruislip Woods Open Day

Last month, I signed up for my first ever monthly membership to Craft Gin Club. The monthly box comes with a full-sized bottle of gin, a selection of tonics and other mixers (syrups, juices, sodas), a few snacks, and the monthly magazine named Ginned!. The Ginned! magazine contains information about the products, highlighting the gin and information about its location and founders, and includes several different gin cocktail recipes.

The box included a full-sized bottle of multi-award-winning Seppeltsfield Rd Distillers gin. This gin comes from the Barossa Valley in Australia and is an easy-going and light gin with an citrus and a sweet and fruity botanical fusion of juniper, cinnamon, peppercorn, chamomile, elderflower, orange, and grapefruit. Not too strong nor dry, this gin is easy to pair and mix, and it is a winner by my tastebuds.

The mixers contained in February's box were two bottles of Amalfi Lime Tonic from Artisan Drinks Co, a bottle of Martin Frobisher's Cranberry juice, Soda Folk grape soda, and Craft Gin Club's Cosmopoli-gin syrup. Additionally, the box comes with a selection of dried lime and cranberry slices to use as a garnish.

A selection of sweet and savoury snacks includes Nuts For... selection of nuts in Rocky Road Riot, Cheesies crunchy popped cheese in the cheddar flavour, and Willie's Cacao in Luscious Orange. The Nuts For... selection includes a mixture of nuts with miniature marshmallows and malted chocolate, and I found it tasty with a gin and tonic cocktail. The cheddar Cheesies were so delicious and paired so well with the "Gin of the Month" cocktail that I had to purchase some; they are a light popped cheese snack. The chocolate orange was my least favourite of the snacks; I dislike chocolate orange flavour as it's always made me ill in my stomach for some reason; some subscribers got the lime and ginger flavour, which I would have much preferred. 

First up is the Gin Cocktail of the Month. The recipe for it is in the magazine, and it's esentially the Craft Gin Club's Cosmopoli-gin syrup, the Martin Frobisher's Cranberry juice, and Seppeltsfield Rd Distillers gin. This is the typical type of cocktail I normally mix myself (cranberry juice features a lot in my cocktail-making as I use it as a mixer with gin or vodka), so it was enjoyable. The cranberry juice is a flavourful variety; the cranberries are harvested in the autumn for maximum flavour.

The next cocktail is the simple classic gin and tonic with Amalfi Lime Tonic from Artisan Drinks Co and Seppeltsfield Rd Distillers gin. This was also a winner.

I made the two cocktails that required the Soda Folk grape soda mixer in the magazine. I had a taste of the soda first; unfortunately, it's not a sweet grape soda, and I absolutely love grape soda as a drink. Grape soda is not easily found in the UK, but it is popular in the USA, and it's one of the flavours I seek out. Soda Folk celebrate good deeds with their brand, so it's a charitable brand. Vanilla and caramel syrup, lime juice, the grape soda, and Seppeltsfield Rd Distillers gin were included in one cocktail. The other included Campari, grape soda, lime juice, and Seppeltsfield Rd Distillers gin. Both of these were strong cocktails, and the Campari is a very strong taste. I didn't care as much for these two cocktails.

The last gin cocktail that I made included Seppeltsfield Rd Distillers gin with Amalfi Lime Tonic and a mixture of lime juice, pineapple juice, and Angostura bitters (I used the orange flavour as I didn't have the standard flavour). Again, this is a very pleasing cocktail and went down easily.

There's still a few recipes in the book for additional cocktails that I have not tried, so I will keep the remaining gin to have an attempt to make those. I need some more of the ingredients and syrups for some of the other recipes. In addition to cocktails, there's also some food recipes in the magazine! I am tempted to try those as well.

Overall, I enjoyed my first ever Craft Gin Club box, and I've already purchased the March edition, which arrived yesterday. So, keep checking back for my reviews on it.

Barrington Court house and gardens is located in Somerset in southern England and is managed by the National Trust. The house was built in the mid-1500s and is a Tudor-style building. The land was given to the original owner, Earl of Bridgewater, for services to Henry VIII, and a house was being planned but the fall of Catherine Howard put and end to it. Barrington Court has a house, gardens, and workshops that are open to the public with craft, furniture, and jewelery shops. I visited Barrington Court in the middle of September, and while the house was listed to be opened the week before, some bad weather had done some damage to the house and forced it to close.

The Tudor house was restored from in the 1920s as the house had become derelict, and the farm buildings, orchards and the gardens were planted. Colonel Lyle of the Tate & Lyle sugar fortune, was responsible for saving the house, and he was very interested in architecture. 

Barrington Court has a formal garden called the "white garden" and also the kitchen gardens, which supply the restaurant on site. I visited the kitchen gardens first as they are next to the parking and walled, flanked by fruit trees.

The kitchen gardens had a large range of fruits and vegetables. The fruits looked like they were ripening well, and I saw beans still in blossom. I also saw pumpkins and squash ripening on the vines.

After visiting the kitchen gardens, I walked to the more formal gardens. I took my time a bit because I did not realise that the weather had damaged and closed the house then. 

I found the farm building, just next to the formal gardens at the back of the house, to be interesting. No animals were living there when I visited, except a straw pig. The cobbled floor shows that it was used a lot.

On the side of the house is the formal white garden, designed by Gertrude Jekyll. It is designed with white flowering plants with a statue in the centre.

Through the wall at the back is an entrance to the other formal garden with a pond. This was my favourite garden because of the beautiful views of the house.

The National Trust took ownership of the house in 1907, and it was one of its first large properties. In 2014, it was used in the filming of "Wolf Hall".

The perfect view is the pond with the bright red dahlias.

At the end of the visit, I walked to the workshop buildings to visit the shops.

I hope to visit Barrington Court some day once it is reopened to do so.

Street artist David Shillinglaw has recently painted a large-scale mural on Zetland House in Shoreditch. It has been awhile since the artist has painted a mural in London, and this one was painted on behalf of London Mural Fest, London's first mural festival that took place in the autumn. Shillinglaw is influenced by tribal, abstract, and pop art. 

More posts on this blog with David Shillinglaw's work is located here:

Street Art: David Shillinglaw
Street Art Round-Up to July 2015
Malarky Returns to Create Street Art on East London Shutters

Middleham Castle was built at the end of the 1100s and is famous for being the childhood home of King Richard III. Before the stone castle was built, it as the site of an earlier motte and bailey castle. In the 1200s, the castle was owned by the Neville family, a family who were instrumental in the War of the Roses. After Richard III was killed in battle, the castle became the property of Henry VII. It was later used as a manor house but was quickly abaonded, and the stone was used for other buildings in the town. I visited the castle at the end of July, and all of the castle was accessible except for the top of the tower, where you can see a view. This is closed due to coronavirus. 

A statue of Richard III has been commissioned to guard the ruins of his childhood home, Middleham Castle.

The castle is moated, although the moat is now dry. 

English Heritage maintains the site and visitors to it. There is a small shop on site and information about the castle can be obtained through guide books or the manager. Inside the shop is also a small exhibition for the Middleham Jewel. There is a replica of the jewel to see here.

The Great Hall is a two-storey building. 

On the far side is a kitchen that serviced the Great Hall.

The buildings at the back of the castle would have been workshops, store rooms, or kitchens probably. On the ground of these buildings were semi-circular and circular patterns. The manager of the site explained that there was a brewhouse and mill here, possibly dating from the late middle ages and after the castle was abandoned. 

The ruins are in pretty good condition with the walls primarily standing, so visitors can envision what it would have been like.

Below is the replica of the Middleham Jewel, which may have held religious relics and a bit of cloth. The gemstone is a sapphire. The jewel was discovered in a field and it may have served a purpose to prevent sickness.

Not far from Middleham Castle, down the road, is Brymor Ice Cream. It is a local ice cream company created in the 1980s; the cream used for the ice cream is from the milk of Gurnsey cattle. There are over 25 different flavours. I had the cinder toffee and brownie swirl. This was two scoops, and the portions are more than generous. I had a stick of fudge and chocolate syrup. I did not realise that the portions would be so generous! But, this is very good ice cream, so if you do visit the castle, make sure you stop here on the way to (or from).

I plan to re-visit Middleham Castle in order to finish the tour and check out the view from the top. It really is a nice castle with a wealth of history.

Cookie Crumbles Bakery started operation in the summer of 2020 in the Midlands, and it originally started as a small operation baking for friends and family during the first lockdown. They quickly expanded to bake and home-deliver across the U.K., and one of their popular treats is stuffed cookies. I ordered a box of four of these, and they included two Cadbury's Caramel Eggs inside a milk chocolate chip cookie and two Cadbury's Creme Eggs inside a double chocolate chip cookie. 

During the lockdown, I've ordered cookies to help with the stress of the lockdown and as a treat.

The cookies were delicious, and I would love to order more of these, but they keep selling out. They are one of the better home-delivered cookie bakeries that I have ordered from.

Today is World Book Day, and there are many people who sadly do not have books to read or know how to read. I have always loved books, and reading is highly important because it enables learning and enjoyment. Books have the power to transport and educate. I know that not everyone is able to read for other reasons, so I have included some an audio book, and many of the books listed are also available as audio books. I've always loved to read but did not get to read as often as I would have liked until last year. Reading has largely replaced holidays, events, galleries, museums, restaurants, walks, and socialising for me while we are in lockdown. The below selection are books that I have enjoyed over the past couple of months, though it does not include everything I have read as sometimes a certain book just does not speak to me.

"Exit" by Belinda Bauer
Penguin Random House UK Audio, published 21 January, 2021
Felix is a member of a group called the Exiters whose primary purpose is to allow people struggling with life to end it all, but he makes a terrible mistake and accidentally assists the wrong man. However, it comes to light that some sinister play appears to be involved. The book is witty, enabling the characters of Felix and the police involved in the case to be instantly likeable and very human while tackling a difficult crime. My only negative point is that I feel that the cover does not fit the book. The cover feels too "serious" for such a light-hearted and fun journey.
My review: 10/10

"April Lady" by Georgette Heyer
Penguin Random House Cornerstone, published 2 June, 2002 (audio book published 4 February, 2021)
This is a Georgian drama novel that reminds me of traditional social standing classical stories. Nell's relationship with her wealthy husband is strained due to her brother's borrowing, and she struggles to pay for her clothing and feeling that her husband may believe she married to better her position. Meanwhile, her husband's young sister falls in love with an unsuitable match and threatens to run away. A lack of direct communications causes the havoc, but it's a nice journey into the drama of Georgian life.
My review: 8/10

"Eudora Honeysett is Quite Well, Thank You" by Annie Lyons
HarperCollins, published 17 September, 2020
Eudora is a lady of a certain age who is not enjoying her life, and the story does reveal glimpses of her life in her younger years to help understand her character and life. When a new family move next door, Eudora is forced into a new purpose with the guidance of an innocent and wise little girl named Rose. Rose helps (or forces) a reluctant Eudora to make friends and to start to begin to enjoy her life.
My review: 10/10

"The Hatmakers" by Tamzin Merchant
Puffin, published 7 January, 2021
This delightful children's book focuses on the hatmakers who create hats with magical spells for the king and inhabitants of the kingdom. Each skillset in maker families (gloves, boots, watches, etc.) uses special magical powers, and few of these families now remain. Cordelia is the daughter of the hatmaker, and her father goes missing in his ship on a journey to find magical ingredients for hats. Cordelia suspects that something is fishy, so she embarks on a journey to find the truth, despite her aunt and uncle's wishes and despite fall-out from other maker families. I believe that this is the first book in a series, and the whole world created could produce many more stories. I feel that this story has all of the ingrednients to make a great movie or series.
My review: 9/10

"Piranesi" by Susanna Clarke
Bloomsbury, published 15 September, 2020
I listened to the audio book for this novel, which I would best describe as a fantasy with elements of crime. The book focuses on a main character who is trapped in an abandoned ruin filled with different statues. The character, dubbed Piranesi by another person that sometimes visits the same rooms, explores the ruins and starts to piece together notes discovered. It's written beautifully, and I thought that the audio book made the story come to life. 
My review: 9/10

"The Boy, The Mole, The Fox & The Horse" by Charlie Mackesy
Ebury (Audiobook), published 12 November, 2020
The story is about a boy who has an adventure with a mole, fox, and a horse. It is a highly visual book to enlighten the senses and to adjust ways of thinking. Kindness, hope, friendship, and understanding our vulnerabilities and internal conflicts is what the book explores through sensory dialog and imagery.
My review: 6/10

"The Runaway Girls" by Jacqueline Wilson
Puffin (Audiobook), published 18 March, 2021
Lucy lives with her well-to-do father, new mother and baby, and a new nurse in Victorian London. After her mother's death, her old nurse was asked to leave when the new mother settled in. Lucy befriends Kitty, a girl of a similar age who grew up in the country and on the streets. Both girls find themselves having to survive on London's streets and risk people who try to exploit them. This is a children's book, but it is equally enjoyable as an adult, and the characters are brought to life through audio.
My review: 9/10

"Forest 404" by Timothy X Atack
Penguin Random House (Audiobook), published 21 January, 2021
This BBC science fiction thriller comes to life with Pearl Mackie, Pippa Haywood, and Tanya Moodie. Mackie, who starred as a companion in "Doctor Who", plays the main character, Pan, in a world in the future when nature has been wiped. Data warehouses have consumed resources at a cost. This nine-part audio story follows Pan across her journey after becoming obsessed with sounds from nature in the time that humans once lived on Earth and in a time when Earth supported life. Each episode comes with a podcast and a nature soundscape. The podcasts focuses on environmental concerns and nature as introduced as subjects of each of the episodes. The editing, sound, and acting really makes this an enjoyable experience. 
My review: 8/10

"Kawaii Kitties" by Olive Young
Quarto Publishing Group, released 6 April, 2021
The word "kawaii" means "cute", and it is the term given to a typical Japanese form of characterisation that has been particularly popular for the past several years. Learn how to draw a selection of cats in different poses in this unique illustrative style.
My review: 8/10

The town of Haltwhistle in Northumberland considers itself to be the centre of Britain, and this was the first place that I stayed in mid-July after the lockdown earlier this year. The town has a lot of history, and I stayed at the Centre of Britain Hotel, which was a 16th century bastle house (another word for a house that was enforced for defense). The town is in the area known for the border reivers. 

Outside Haltwhistle (but actually closer to the town of Bardon Mill) is Crindledykes Limekiln. They were erected in various palces in the country to convert limestone into the powdery quicklime for farming. This would help boost the nutrients in soil. The limekiln is a listed building.

Haltwhistle has some points of interest in the town. The market square has a stone and pavement decoration, and it contains some information boards. King Edward I and King Henrvy VIII stayed in the town and allowed a popular fair to be held here during the middle ages. 

The town was a popular one for the border reivers. These were people who lived on the border between England and Scotland who would devestate the town. The feuds caused a lot of problems for the town. There is also a legend of one of the girls marrying a Scotsman Border reiver, and the couple were hanged because of the intermarriage not being accepted.

The border feuds were why defensive houses were build, such as what is currently known as the Centre of Britain Hotel. The hotel has secret tunnels (known as the Border Reiver Tunnels) underneath it too, but these have been blocked up and cannot be unblocked due to risking the stability of the buildings above ground.

The hotel has original features as well, from the beautiful fireplace to wooden beams. Visitors to the hotel or restaurant/pub can see the tunnel entrance and also discover more about the features of the old bastle house.

Lastly, Haltwhistle is in one of England's tourist towns due to it being close to the Roman Hadrian's Wall and ruins as well as beautiful Northumberland walks. I recommend a visit.

Cityzen Kane creates street art sculptures in the shapes of tribal masks or insects, inspired by tribal designs. These have been pasted up around London's streets as well as streets in other cities. The newest edition was discovered on Pedley Street last summer and features a mirrored scupture.