April 2021 Archives

On Easter Sunday, I visited family in Bournemouth, and we decided to have a late afternoon walk around Hengitsbury Head. Hengitsbury Head is a headland area that juts into the English Channel between Bournemouth and Mudeford in Dorset. Deceivingly, the sunshine made the walk look warm, but it was actually pretty crisp and very windy in some places on the walk. Due to not walking much at all during the lockdowns, it was not long before the heels on my feet were rubbing painfully against my shoes. My fitness levels are in need of a lot of work now, due to all of these lockdowns.

The hill pictured at Hengitsbury Head is called Warren Hill, and the trail ascends up the hill with amazing views around. On the other side of the hill, the view stretches to the Isle of Wight, and the Needles can be seen on a clear day. 

Hengitsbury Head has been occupied and settled from prehistorical times, and it is a registered Ancient Monument. Today, it hosts a wealth of insects and mammals, some rare and endangered. For this reason, it the site is designated as an area of interest and a nature reserve. I hope that you enjoy my photographs.

A series of ponds exist on the hillside around Warren Hill where the land dips, and this site is popular with different species, although I did not see anything during my visit, but there were quite a few humans about!

Hengitsbury Head has a visitor's centre where visitors can learn about the site before or after they explore it. 

I've decided to keep my membership for the Craft Gin Club, a monthly subscription box featuring a full bottle of gin, various mixers and snacks, and a monthly magainze 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. April's box comes with a stunning pink bottle with gold lettering gin called QVT Dry Gin Edition CGC, which is from Provence in France. It is described as having a pine and juniper notes with floral tones.

In the box, we also received two bottles of Indian Tonic Water and a bottle of Soda Water from The London Essence Co. This company started in 1896 by distilling essences for London's perfume industry, but they now focus on the drinks market.

The box also contained a miniature bottle of Campari for mixing a Negroni cocktail with the gin and a small bottle of cocktail syrup called Pink Gin Spritz for making the monthly cocktail. The box also contained dried orange slices and rosebuds for garnishing the gin cocktails.

The snacks received included Snail & Garlic crisps from The French Kitchen. These are vegetarian, but I could not bring myself to eat these because I just do not like the idea of snails. We also received gourmet popcorn brand Joe & Steph's popcorn in Cambembert Cheese & Herbs De Provence flavour, which is a good savoury flavour paired with gin. In keeping with the French theme due to the bottle of gin this month, we received a white-chocolate covered meringue in either Lemon or Raspberry Crumble. I received the lemon one, and it was delicious and just melted in my mouth. I would definitely buy these if I saw them. Additionally, we received a small bar of Lindt LINDOR chocolate; I'm not a fan of this chocolate, so I gave it away. The last treat received was a Bon Maman's Madeline, a spongey buttery cake to pair with the gin.

The Ginned! magazine has a couple of recipes, one for a lemon tart, that I am dying to try, and I have not attempted any of the other cocktails nor the Campari cocktail. 

What was my verdict on the April 2021 Craft Gin Club subscription box? Overall, I was not impressed by the box this month as I found most of the snacks a miss, and I struggled with the ingredients for many of the cocktails in the magazine this month as they were not traditional and required more preparation. I've also been a bit strapped for time and health this month.

Cleeve Abbey, located in Somerset in southern England, is the ruin of a great Cistercian abbey. The abbey dates from the late 1100s but was destroyed by Henry VIII in the dissolution of the monastaries in the early 1500s. The abbey remains a peaceful place today with the ruins in a good condition as well as finer details that have remained: floor tiles, wall paintings, and timber sculptures. Visitors to the abbey can enjoy lovely walks from the abbey or a train ride from the West Somerset Railway, which is a ten-minute walk away at Washford Station. The main attraction of the abbey are the details that have been left behind.

Visitors today enter the site through the gatehouse, just like they did hundreds of years ago. The message inscribed on the gatehouse reads (in Latin) "Gate be open; shut to no honest person". The river Washford runs next to the gatehouse. The gatehouse dates from the early 13th century and would have included a small room for the poor to get food and drink that was handed out here.

Some of the buildings at the abbey today are farm buildings that were built in the 17th and 18th centuries. The ticket building and shop is one of the farm buildings. There is a small museum here with information about Cleeve Abbey through the ages. Part of the museum shows how the floor tiles could be created.

The abbey was founded in the late 1100s by Willian de Roumare and requested that his family was prayed for. The belief in those times was that if prayed for, the soul would spend less time in purgatory. An abbey was also a status symbol for the family as those who had them were considered to be wealthy. The abbey was completed quickly, by the early 13th century.

The monks that lived here were from the Cistercian way of life and completed manual labour and did not eat meat. They only had one meal a day in the winter months. They were silent and did not speak but communicated through a method of sign language.

Cleeve Abbey was one of the first monastaries to be closed by Henry VII because it had a small income.

Some wall paintings can be seen on the walls, including "the painted chamber" by the refectory. The refectory hall has carved wooden sculptures and wooden beams. The floor tiles were in various natural designs featuring animals and geometric shapes, but there are family heralds as well, and this shows off the wealth of the families with interest in the abbey.

The refectory was where the monks would have their communal meals and entertain guests. On the back wall of this great hall was a wall painting of the crucifix, but this became barely visible by 1950. The carved wooden statues in the rafters are original, and one of them depicts the green man. A door here leads to some private rooms where there is grafitti on the wall by a monk named "Thomas" and the "painted chamber", which can be seen behind glass.

The "painted chamber" is in a room thought to be the office of the abbot. The painting depicts a scene from a popular medieval book called "Gesta Romanorum". The hallway leading to the room has grafitti.

The dormitory is in a good state where visitors can envision the monks living in the open-floor area with beds on both sides. The "night stairs" is located in one corner where the monks could have gone to the floors below to pray. On the other side of the room were the latrines, and this would have been a swinging door where the monks could go in one door and out the other. The ledge where a lantern was placed for light can still be seen.

This hallway was a passageway between the cloisters and infirmary. It is known as a slype.

These rooms above were the private lodges and rooms of the abbot, which was more comfortable with more space and a fireplace. Above these rooms are others and the hallway to the refectory.

The wooden floors to the room in the hallway is exposed, and the window ledge is covered with the floor tiles. These would have been offices or private accommodation.

The chapter house is where the monks met to discuss official business. The walls were painted white, yellow, and red here. Some of the meetings held here were about punishments for monks who did not obey.

This part of the abbey was the inner court and is where some of the monks were buried. There is also the remains of a market cross here as markets were held at the abbey for additional income in the middle ages. Stables and a hostel was located here as well for pilgrims who came to see a "miracle" Virgin Mary statue. There would have also been a bakehouse and brewery here, so it would have been a busy area of the abbey.

The sacristy was also included in this part of the abbey and has wonderful floor tiles. This is where the gifts and expensive items were stored.

The old refectory is a modern constructed building with the floor tiles on display and covered for protection from the elements. 

The is the day room where the monks would have spent some of their time on their tasks.

Twenty-one bronze elephant sculptures have made their way to London's Spitalfields Market earlier this year and will remain in place until November. Twenty of the statues represent orphaned young elephants that have come into care of the charity Sheldrick Wildlife Trust, and the largest elephant represents the matriarch and protector. Each of the smaller elephant statues gives the name of an orphaned elephant and how it was found, highlighting various difficulties the species face from poaching to human conflict to natural disaster. The statues were created by Gillie and Marc, and the statues help Londoners see the elephants and to raise awareness of their struggles.

Some of the elephants first appeared at London's Marble Arch in December of 2019, but if you did not see them there, then you still have plenty of time to see them at Spitalfields Market before November. The market has now reopened again so visitors can browse and enjoy food and drink, but remember to keep each other safe. Continue scrolling to read about the elephant sculptures and to see more photographs.

Musiara was one of the first elephant sculptures that I discovered at Spitalfields. He was named after the Musiara swamp where he was found dying. Luckily, he was discovered and taken care of. While he was being cared for, he collapsed many times and took a few days before he was able to regain strength.

Several people reported an elephant that had falled into a well in the Ngilai area when they went to water their livestock. The little elephant could not escape from the well and had lost a lot of strength and also hurt himself against the walls of the well while trying to. The herd had no choice but to abandon the elephant. Ngilai was freed and brought back to health. 

Maktao is thought to have been orphaned as the result of human conflict with wildlife. He was starving and dehydrated, but he was brought back to health, and he is said to have an active character.

Mukkoka was discovered by chance via a routine patrol piloting the skies when some lone elephant tracks were spotted along the Tiva River. 

These two elephants are Emoli and Tagwa. Emoli was a victim of the climate crisis and discovered starving along the Voi River, and it is thought that his mother died from starvation due to a drought. Tagwa was rescued from Mount Kenya and suspected an orphan from human interference.

Malkia became an orphan due to the age of her mother, who was a well-known elephant who was older and who also suffered and probably met an earlier death due to drought. Malkia was rescued as she was not yet weened when her mother died.

Kiombo was discovered in the Kiombo area as an orphan and suspected that he had been without his mother, which was discovered deceased some miles away, for a long while. Attempts were made to try to get other herds to adopt the orphan, but it never worked out, so they had intervene. This elephant settled into his new life at the rescue and his routine well.

Maisha was a victim of droughts, and it is likely that she fell behind and became separated from her herd after becoming too weak to keep up with the herd's search for food and water.

Ambo was an orphan from Amboseli area. Attempts were made to reunite him with his herd, but they failed. 

Kiasa was six months old and still required her mother's milk when she was found on her own.

Barsilinga's mother was killed by poachers. The injured mother was tended to by vets, but they were unable to save her life. The baby Barsilinga was only a week old, so they had to arrange her care.

Tamiyoi was discovered abandoned and trapped down a well in nothern Kenya. She was rescued by Kenya Wildlife Service and then passed on her care.

Luggard was shot in the legs, and the only way to save his life was to provide immediate intensive care. This meant that he had to be taken away from his herd.

Mbegu was injured by attacking humans. She is a maternal elephant and enjoys mothering the younger orphans.

Enkesha's truck was caught in a poacher's snare, and she required immediate treatment to save her trunk and her life.

Sattao was discovered aged three months with predator attack bite marks; he was found away from his herd and orphaned.

Jotto, which means "heat" in Swahili, was discovered in a well in the hottest month. He was discovered by local herdsmen and rescued.

Ndotto was rescued by helicopter in the mountains he is named after and was found following a herd of livestock. He was a newborn.

Mwashoti was a poaching victim; a snare almost severed his leg.

The largest elephant is the matriarch elephant that represents the charity.

The bronze elephant sculptures can be discovered in and around Spitalfields Market. Some of them are inside the market, so you will need to ensure that you visit during trading hours in order to see all of them.

Spring is now upon us, and it's one of my favourite times of the year when the bluebells carpet the forest floor. I was pleasantly surprised when I discovered millions of them at Emmett's Garden in Kent this weekend. My first ever visit to Emmett's Garden was at the height of summer a couple of years ago when the rose gardens were looking their best, and you can read more about that visit and see photographs of Emmett's Garden in the summer here: A Visit to Emmett's Garden (National Trust) in Kent, England. 

Emmett's Garden is an estate that dates from the Edwardian period, and it is located near Sevenoaks in Kent. It is named after the ants ('emmett' is a name for 'ant') as the land here was covered with ant hills. An expert on the ant, John Lubbock, purchased the land. The gardens were constructed at the end of the 1800s. After Lubbock's death, the land was bought by an American geologist Charles Watson Boise who ultimately left it to the National Trust to maintain the garden. Unfortunately, a storm destroyed a lot of the original trees and shrubs in 1987.

After arriving at Emmett's Garden, visitors walk up a paved walk, and several daffodils were growing here, but they were nearly over for the season. Just beyond this is a small cabin which leads to the rock garden and rose garden. The rose garden was the formal garden of the house on the estate.

The rose garden has a walkway that was out in bloom.

Beyond this, there was a beautiful section of daffodils with additional daffodils planted at the bases of some of the trees in the small aboretum here. 

At this stage, I was oblivious to the millions of bluebells that I would discover here at Emmett's Garden. The trees were in blossom, and the skies were blue.

Just to the right of the arboretum and under some of the trees, I discovered many bluebells. As I continued to walk, I discovered many more going down into the bottom of the forest below. The bluebells were congregated on a hillside under trees.

The further along I walked, the more bluebells I saw until they were carpeting the forest floor.

I walked down to check them out. The trail eventually led back up to the top of the hill with stunning views that could just be glimpsed through the trees coming out in leaf.

At the back of the trail, I happened to look back and see a herd of sheep grazing. I thought they made a pretty picture. It definitely looks so peaceful here.

After the bluebell wood walk, I headed to the little cafe to get a drink and a bite to eat. They were so slow in the little cafe, and I managed to get a table with the amazing views over the hills. Afterwards, I had a quick look around the pinetum near here.

I then headed back out, capturing some photographs in the gardens and arboretum.

I absolutely loved seeing the bluebells at Emmett's Garden, and it just goes to show that each property has so much to offer in different seasons, and they change so frequently at this time of the year, and the different weather makes a difference too. 

From January, I have been walking a different section of the Celandine Route, a walking route that follows the River Pinn in west London. I started off walking from Eastcote House to Pinner in very muddy conditions and then Eastcote House to Ruislip in similar conditions before starting the next branch of my walk at the end of March with beautiful weather and much better walking conditions. The Celandine Route is located primarily in the borough of Hillingdon and starts in Hayes and completes 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 that blooms in spring. The whole walk takes six hours in total. I am not so interested in completing the walk south of the A40 because it is such a built-up area where access to the river is largely off the trail itself.

I started at the Manor House in Ruislip. This is located at the top of Ruislip High Street. On Sundays, the markets are held here in the Great Barn, which is a listed barn. There is a duck pond here and a collection of listed buildings, a theatre, and restaurants. The Manor House is surrounded by a moat, and the location was listed in the Doomesday Book.

Down the hill from the Manor House is the plains and the River Pinn, a small open field. The open field ceases when it meets one of the busier roads in the area and near the youth centre where vaccinations are taking place. Across the road is a small park area with the river on one of the borders. It is a popular place for dog walkers and it has a peaceful but community feeling here. There is a primary school gate entrance in the park here, so it is an area that is popular with families. Someone had placed many notes with birdseed on some of the shrubs here, and the one pictured is a prayer. 

There are a couple of benches to sit on here to enjoy the nicer weather and to get some shade. To the left in the image below, a small footbridge crosses the river and continues past a housing estate that goes uphill slightly.

This leads into further fields that are maintained with the river on one boundary. 

At the end of this small strip of land with the river is another more complex footbridge that leads into the housing estate at Westcote Rise, and the route diverts onto a residential street.

The Celandine Route follows a road Woodville Gardens, and it contains a mixture of bungalows and two-storey terraced homes typical of the area. The river itself is located behind the houses and not accessible. At the end of this small road is a larger open parkland that appears to have been challenging to walk through in the winter months. The larger parkland narrows out to a smaller and more narrow footpath following the river with the other side bordering the Ruislip Golf Club, which is currently closed. A couple of places along this route were marshy, and there were a couple of places where the river could be crossed to join other trails.

The river is clearly seen on the left and has a pleasant footpath, a small stretch which seems to be more remote than it is. It is popular with birds and wildflowers here, according to the trail information. 

As it's bordering the golf course, be aware for flying golf balls. However, the course is closed at present due to the HS2 works. At the far edge where the bridge is (pictured below), visitors can visit other trails. It is also possible to see the HS2 chaos here.

Walking around the bend here, it is evident at the disturbed ground and noise that the HS2 is dominating the area. The footpath is opened. The river looks very polluted here. The HS2 is not a popular site here and has destroyed some nice scenery. At the footpath here, the traditional railway for the London underground and rail services is located overhead. This was my least favourite part of the route so far.

After walking underneath the railway arch, it is only a couple of hundred yards before I was in pleasant land again, and I could not even hear the construction noises. The walkway here is maintained as a narrow footpath between pleasant-looking housing estates with semi-detached and detached homes. There were a couple of benches to sit on.

Some of the footpaths were more narrow, bordering private gardens.

Along this section is Pynchester Moated site, which is a listed area right next to the river. The river was diverted to create a moat surrounding a structure that remained here. It is thought to have dated to Tudor times, and various items were found here. There is a short diversion to check out the moated site, which is located in a quite dense wooded area. (For more information, see my post in this blog about Pynchester Moat).

The stretch of river just past Pynchester Moat has been straightened out and was covered with lovely yellow celandine for which the route is named.

A bridge here leads to a larger park and play area (known as Breakspear Park) joined by a bridge with lovely houses on either side. Some pipes are exposed over the river here.

After walking past the bridge, I came to a rope swing located at the bank of the river. The footpath is a narrow strip of land here with the river on one side.

Beautiful celandine broightened up the river banks; again, the river appeared to be straightened in places here near the housing estates.

The footpath led me to a busier road (Swakeleys Road) with road construction works. This was the second busy road that I had to cross on my walk. It is a dual carriageway road, and the Ickenham conservation area is located about half a mile if following the road. There are large homes here, and crossing the road to continue the Celandine Route leads to Swakeleys Park.  

Before getting to Swakeleys Park, there is a denser wooded area to navigate with narrow footpaths and a bridge to cross. In the woods here just north of the park, I heard a woodpecker in an old tree above. I could not spot it, though.

Soon after crossing a footbridge, I arrived in Swakeley's Park. This is a larger park area with playgrounds, benches, and a lot of open fields to explore or sit in. It was very popular.

Walking further into the park, there is Swakleys Lake on the far side of the park (opposite to the river). 

Across the lake, you can see glimpses of Swakleys House, a Jacobean-style mansion that was built for the Mayor of London Edmund Wright. The house is private property today, but it used to be the site of the Ickenham Festival and other events. The house is apparently opened once a year for Open House day.

Following the lake and footpath in the park leads to the southern end of the park and another road. Across the road, the footpath continues along the river and then leads to a footbridge that crosses the busy A40 into Hillingdon town.

See my other posts along the trail:

Eastcote House to Pinner
Eastcote House to Ruislip

Pynchester Moat is located near Ickenham and Harefield in the Hillingdon borough of London. The moated site is located along the bank of the River Pinn and on the Celandine Route, a trail which follows the river from Pinner to Hayes. (I recently walked the Ruislip to Ickenham leg of the route.) The moat is listed as a Scheduled Ancient Monument, and it is one of few that remains in London today. It probably served as a moated medieval farm house; wealthy owners in the past built moated and fortified homes to show power and wealth.

'Pynchester Ferme' was the name of the location when it was mentioned in a deed of Swakeleys Estate from 1531. It is unknown if the moat existed at that time. In the early-1800s, the moated site was listed here as "Farley's Mead". A similar moated property exists at Brackenbury Farm not too far and just northwest of Pynchester, and the estate was once combined.

The site was escavated in the mid-1960s, and flint foundations of walls were discovered along with roof tiles and a hearth with a stove. A wooden bridge crossed the moat. The site appears to have been occupied from thr 13th through 15th centuries judging by broken pottery pieces discovered. In 1996, the moat was protected further by adding fencing around it to help stop erosion and diverting the footpath.

Today, the main site can be seen via a diversion through some denser woods.

This leads to a small trail where the moat can be over-looked and visitors can see the back part of the moat, which is now close to private gardens. 

From the main pathway, there is little to let you know that there is a moated site here.

A wooden railing helps to protect the hillside from being further eroded into the moat and to prevent people from walking or falling into it.

I wonder how many other ancient monuments lie buried or are hidden in plain view, disguised by the ages.

Welcome to the latest edition of home-delivered lockdown treats. In this post, I ordered from Cheeky Dough, a cookie dough company. Cheeky Dough deliver their cookie dough throughout the UK. The company started when two friends were travelling in Asia and got caught in a storm and ended up arriving back to their hostel very late and in need of food. They came across rolled ice cream and launched that with success before experimenting with adding cookie dough to their ice cream. This started a new trend in edible cookie dough that could be eaten raw, and they used traditional ice cream flavours for their cookie dough. I placed a delivery for four different flavours and later ordered a larger tub.

Chocolate and caramel crunch, s'more, chocolate chip, and birthday cake were the four flavours that I ordered. I also ordered more of the s'more and chocolate and caramel crunch cookie dough.

The cookie dough can also be baked into cookies, but I ate it raw. What's my verdict? Well, as I placed a second order, that goes without saying that I really enjoyed it.

London Mural Festival took place at the end of the summer, and several new murals brightened up London's streets. One of the murals was Woskerski, a street artist who is from Poland but based in London and who has been painting colourful and often witty murals in London for the past few years. 

Woskerski's mural features an octopus with an ice cream bar. The mural is located on Toynbee Street and is a colourful edition.

I love Woskerski's artistic style and humour. I don't often get to see a lot of his work because the street art gets tagged over so quickly. To see more of his work on this blog, please visit:

Most Recent Street Art by Woskerski
Street Art: Woskerski
Recent Spring 2018 Woskerski Street Art

I visited the village of Dunster in mid-September after a visit to Dunster Castle (read my post about Dunster Castle here). The castle is near the centre of Dunster, which is a small touristy market village. In addition to being the village where the popular Dunster Castle tour attraction is, the village has a Yarn Market. The Yarn Market dates from the 17th century, the time in which Dunster became a popular medieval market town. I visited the Yarn Market and a couple of shops in the town after visiting the castle.

The village can be accessed down the hill from the castle, and the Yarn Market is at the end. It was probably built in 1609 by the Lutterell family, who owned the castle. The town was popular for its wool and cloth trade. The Yarn Market is a typical covered market with an octagonal shape. There was also a butter cross, but this has been moved. Some damage from cannons during the Civil War can apparently still be seen on the wooden beams of the Yarn Market.

Dunster was a centre for cloth and wool in the 13th century, and the town's market dates from 1222. There is also a certain cloth that is known as "Dunsters", so it was a popular and well-known place. 

The Yarn Market is maintained by English Heritage.

The town itself has a row of buildings on either side, which is wide and contains parking. There are some souvinir shops, museums, restaurants, cafes, gift shops, clothing shops, and a variety of other shops for the community and tourism trade.

At the end of the street, look back to see the views of the castle looming above.

I hope to return to Dunster again at some point when it is safe to do so and when I can freely walk inside the buildings and have a bite to eat in one of the cafes. Roll on to when things can be more normal again...

Aldborough (known as Isurium Brigantum and founded around 74AD) was the capital town of the Brigantes tribe in Britain. They were the largest tribe in Britain at the time and had immersed themselves in the Roman way of life, giving rise to the town here in North Yorkshire near Boroughbridge. The site at Aldborough contains a small section of wall, a museum, and a couple of well-preserved floor mosaics.  

There is a small museum at Aldborough Roman Site that has some of the Roman finds at the site. These include pottery, amphorae, decorated pieces of wall plaster and broken pottery, clothing fasteners and buckles, game pieces and a section of game board, keys, section of mosaic, glass, jewellery, lamps, and coins. The Helicon Mosaic is a small section of a floor mosaic from a town house dining room dating from the late 3rd or early 4th century. The writing on the mosaic refernces 'Helicon', the site of nine muses.

After exploring the museum, I had a walk around the section of the old wall. Most of the town remains buried in the fields.

The trail led to a couple of buildings set up to perserve the floor mosaics in situ so that visitors could look through.

One floor mosaic was in decent shape but slightly worn with missing tiles. The other remains in great condition.

Aldborough Roman Site is managed by English Heritage.

Ludgershall Castle was built as a medieval fortress in the late-11th century in Wiltshire, and this was my second visit to the castle at a different time of the year. (You can see my first visit here: Ludgershall Castle.) Before the castle, there was an Iron Age fort near to where the present castle is located, and there are earthworks around the castle. The castle and apartments were created out of stone and the ruins remain, but there would have been other buildings made from timber that no longer exist today. From 1210, the castle was repaired and used as a residence and a hunting lodge by King John and and was later used by Henry III. The castle ceased to be used by the 15th century. Today, it is a visitor attraction maintained by English Heritage, and visitors can also walk a couple of minutes to the main street of Ludgershall in order to see a piece of the old market cross.

The ruins can be walked around and include earthworks (a moat) that surround the remains of the castle.

Various army planes wre flying past during my visit.

After visiting the castle, I had a quick walk to the remains of the market cross on the main street. It dates from the 14th century, and Ludgershall was a popular place then. It was frequently visited by Edward III. One of the sides of the cross depicts Jesus and the cross and the resurection. There are remains of carvings that are largely weathered away on all sides of the cross.

On the walk back to the car where the parking is, visitors can see a sign with information about the castle. The Iron Age fort was located here, and there are many earthworks.

Have you ever visited Ludgershall Castle and market cross?

Due to the third national lockdown, I needed some new local places to walk around as I was getting a bit bored of visiting the same old places for a walk. In late February, I opted to visit Rickmansworth Aquadome on a day that was meant to be clear and sunny, but they got the forecast wrong as the day ended up being cloudy and grey. I am a little late to post these photographs, and I will re-visit the aquadome again at some point and visit the other lake areas.

Rickmansworth Aquadome a public park and nature reserve located in Rickmansworth. The two lakes that I walked around (Batchworth and Bury) are man-made lakes constructed by extraction of gravel, some of which was used for the original Wembley Stadium. The gravel extraction ceased in the 1920s. The area is known as the Colne Valley, and the River Colne runs on the other side of the lakes by the nature reserve, and the Grand Union Canal crosses south of the lakes. There are additional lakes through the valley, and they stretch for several miles.

Batchworth Lake is used for water skiing, and Bury Lake has the Young Mariners club for sailing and canoeing. Bury Lake is the larger of the two lakes, and paved walkways around the lakes give access to visitors. There is a cafe on site near the parking just south of Bury Lake. Of the two lakes, Bury Lake is more picturesque and borders the nature reserve. Batchworth Lake has views of large stores, bridges, and part of the Grand Union Canal. It's also the busier of the two lakes due to its closee proximity to the facilities and footpaths to the town. 

The Grand Union Canal is located nearest to Batchworth Lake and on the other side of the parking. There were several canal boats moared here as it's quite a convenient place with a large shop and nice walks.

I hope to return to Rickmansworth Aquadome on a nicer day to walk around the lakes, and I'd like to walk around the other lates.

Over the winter, I have managed to use up a few beauty and skin-care products despite being in a third strict lockdown and not leaving the house most of the time. I decided to post these products to help me remember which products I would purchase again, and it may help others too. So, let's begin from left to right.

British Rose bubble bath: Included in a gift set to me, this bubble bath had a faint scent of rose when placed into running water. Would I buy it again? No, although this was a fairly decent product with a good lather, I would not buy it again.

Charles Worthington Volume & Bounce Body Booster Mousse: This product promises to add some bounce and body to your hair when sprayed on. Would I buy it again? I am not sure. When I went to use this product, I noticed that the product was damaged and had leaked out into my drawer before I really had the opportunity to use it; it's a product that I would only try if I have a reason to style up, and there has not been an opportunity in the past couple of years.

Good Housekeeping hand soap in 'peppermint swirl': I received this Christmas peppermint scent for the holidays one year. Would I buy it again? No, the product does not really lather up and does not have too much of a scent. It seems like a sub-standard product when compared to Bath & Body Works, which have a very similar hand soap.

Bath & Body Works mist in 'Fresh Sparkling Snow': This is a quick misting fragrance spray that is a fresh scent. Would I buy it again? Although I love the brand, I probably would not buy this mist again as it doesn't really have longevity. It is fine to use around the house or if just needing a quick top off to head to do a couple of errands.

Mary Elizabeth Spearmint & Tea Tree Nature Balm: This product can be used in multiple areas - lips, nails, hands, and heels. It contains moisturiser and is made from natural products. Would I buy it again? I found the product to personally be a bit too sticky instead of absorbant, so I would not purchase it again.

Fake Bake Sport Daily Tan: The fake tan product can be applied overnight or during the day over a few days to add a subtle glow to skin. Would I buy it again? No, and this is because I don't really do fake tanning. The product has a bad smell like most fake tan, and it gets on bed sheets and rubs off easier than it stays on skin.

Zolly Soy Candle in 'pink champagne': This little pink jar is a champagne-scented candle made with soy. The product smells like champagne and is a zingy and party scent rather than a soothing one. Would I buy it again? I received this as a free product, and the candle burned slowly to allow the maximum use of scent, but I would rather have it in a different scent.

Marks & Spencers mini essentials nail polish: There is not a colour on the nail polish, but it is a tiny little bottle of blue with glitter polish. This colour goes well with blue jeans and a casual look. Would I buy it again? I would if it was available, but I am happy to buy the same or similar colour in another brand. This brand did tend to apply fairly well and stay put.

Marks & Spencers lip gloss in 'wowee plum': This shimmery gloss has a faint purple tint to it. Would I buy it again? No, the product is far too sticky. My hair kept sticking to it.

Lyn Candles in 'cinnamon' and 'relaxation': I picked up these candles from a family-operated shop in Exmoor, and they had all sorts of different fragrances. Would I buy it again? Yes, the candles lasted a long while and burned evenly. I enjoyed both scents. The cinnamon was very festive for the cooler days, and the relaxation helped manage stress and long days.

Dove Energy Glow daily face moisturizer: This tinted facial moisturiser helps add much-needed moisture and glow to skin, a perfect combination for the dark winter months. Would I buy it again? I would consider purchasing this again, but the fragrance was not my favourite as it had that "tanning" scent.

Lush lip balm in 'Maple Taffy': This lip balm helps add deep moisturising to dry lips, and this product is one of the autumn flavours, The product is a little bit thick but is perfect if your lips are really needing extra TLC. Would I buy it again? I would purchase lip balms from this brand again.

Ed Hardy body lotion and perfume in 'Born Wild': I purchased these products in a gift set in the after-Christmas sales a few years ago. The scent is a fresh 'young' one. The body lotion had extra shimmer to it. Would I buy it again? I enjoyed the products and the fragrance. The perfume does not have the longevity that I would like, but it was fine to wear around the house to do some errands. I preferred the moisturiser more as it absorbed into skin and had a nice shimmer to it. However, I probably would not consider this a "must buy" product.

Mentos bath bombs: Designed for the bath based on the fruity Mentos sweet brand, these miniature bath bombs are a candy for the bath. Would I buy it again? No. I bought this product because of the packaging and because I love Mentos. I thought that it was cute. However, the product did not have any scent, and each bath bomb was individually-wrapped and a struggle to open when I wanted to use them.

TonyMoly "I'm Avocado" face mask: Avocado is good for the skin and helps keep it moisturised. This came in a cute package design with an illustrated avocado. Would I buy it again? I would not consider this product a "must buy"; I've used better moistirising masks.

Aliver exfoliating foot mask: I bought a pack of five of these lavender-scented foot masks to use to try to help me remove hard skin on the bottoms of my feet. The product is worn like socks, but you have to wear them for about 1.5 hours to get the full benefits. Would I buy it again? No, I actually did not have any change in my feet after using the products as directed.

Fruit Sorbet Antioxidant Peel-Off Mask by Superdrug: This product promises to protect and revitalise skin. Would I buy it again? I am a fan of the Superdrug face masks, so I would purchase this again.

Boots bath gel in banana and chocolate flavours: I received these products in a set of other Boots body lotions and shower gels. I used up the banana and chocolate flavours. Would I buy it again? No.

Oshima Tsubaki Hair Cream: The yellow tube is a leave-in conditioning product that promises to make hair shiny and moisturised. It includes camellia oil. The product should be applied to damp hair after a clean. Would I buy it again? No. This product was heavy on my hair and left it feeling and looking oily.

Additionally, I had lost the berry red shade of lip gloss that I was using, and I cannot remember the name. I was about twelve remaining applications of the product before finishing it when I dropped it at Spitalfields Market. I suspected where I dropped it, but I did not venture back to collect it because my feet were shot and there were a bit too many people around where I needed to go.

This was my second ever visit to Osterley having visited the first time in lockdown last summer. Almost a year on and I am still waiting for the house to open so that I can finally see inside, but museums are still shut for now. However, I did manage to have a wander around the gardens and enjoy a little bit of nature in London. The daffodils, blossoms, and other spring flowers were in full bloom. Enjoy the photographs below.

Previous visits to Osterley can be seen here:

A Visit to Osterley Park: Lockdown Edition

Street artist Paul 'Don' Smith, who has also tagged as 'the banker' using his banker-tap stencil, has created some new work in Soho. His work used to be found throughout London with more focus on east London, but his work quickly became tagged over in more recent years, so he tends to only paint in Soho now. Paul 'Don' Smith uses stencils to create portraits of famous people and fictional characters. One of the latest pieces is the character "The Joker" with text "Just Smile" above it. 

Previous work by Paul Don Smith on this blog:

New Sreet Art by Paul Don Smith in Soho
Paul Don Smith Paints 'Legend' Mural on Hanbury Street & Other Work from the Summer
Paul 'Don' Smith's New Street Art: Spock, Heath Ledger, Loki, and More
Don "Paul" Smith's New Street Art: Elvis, Mad Max, Hulk, Bob Marley, and more
New Summer 2014 Street Art by Paul 'Don' Smith (the Banker)
Whitecross Street Party 2014
Street Art on Whitecross Street
New Street Art by C215 and Paul 'Don' Smith
Recent Street Art in Early 2014
New Street Art from Don 'Paul' Smith, including pieces from Whitecross Street
New Street Art and a Meeting with Paul Don Smith (the Banker)
Street Art: Don Smith

Street artist LT66 is a London-based street artist who has recently pasted up several stencil-based artworks around east London, particularly on and around Brick Lane. I've noticed work from the artist before but never featured them until now. The paste-ups photographed below appeared in early 2021. The artist mainly paints portraits, including some celebrities such as Amy Winehouse.

Street artist Margaux Carpe is an illustrator based in London, and her work is characterised by bright colours and simple geometric shapes. Cheshire Street was the location for her previous murals, which featured a cat and a human. In her new artwork, the subject is the same, but the piece is more stylised and geometric. Both pieces have featured the cat on the head of the human.

For more posts about Margaux Carpe and to see the previous mural on Cheshire Street, see below:

Cheshire Street Murals by Fin DAC and Margaux Carpe

A new mural was painted on Shoreditch High Street at the end of last year, and it is located in what used to be the site of a fairly large street food market that was set up in an empty parking lot. The mural features the word "Sky High" by the artist of the same name (5kyH1gh), and two astronauts in space. It's a stunning piece with high detail, particularly in the helmets of the astronauts and the reflections. 

More street art by SkyHigh and JXC can be seen in the following posts on this blog:

• Camden Street Art Self-Guided Trail
• Manchester Street Art
• Leake Street Recent Street Art
• Street Art: 5kyh1gh Kingfisher
• Street Art: Artista, DecoLife, Binty Bint, Ino, Irony, Pixie, SeaPuppy

This year is another lockdown Easter Sunday, and it has been tough keeping indoors, particularly as the weather is less than ideal. Earlier in the week, we had some warm and sunny days, but the last few days has been overcast and cold. I've been sleeping in and eating far too much this time, and I am just looking forward to being able to safely go out again and for things (theatres, museums, galleries, shops) to reopen again after more than a year in some cases. 

I bought some beautiful daffodils to brighten up the room, and I have been thinking of past Easters with friends and family or a trip away. I hope that I can do that again soon.

I hope that all of my readers will have a nice break for Easter.

It's another lockdown Easter this year, but I was able to pick up a few Easter treats in central London unlike last year. This year, some of London's best-loved bakeries are serving up Easter treats at a reduced opening days and hours. So, I thought that I would share with you, even if you're unable to get into London at the moment or are curious to see what is out there.

First up, we have Yolkin, which is famous for their ice cream macaron sandwiches. Yolkin have remained closed through this lockdown and have only just opened up last week. Always catering to the seasonal, Yolkin's treats are cute and flavoursome. This year for Easter, they are selling four different ice cream sandwich flavours with the Easter designs and a special ice cream sundae with a chick macaron and sprinkles. The ice cream macarons include a chick, rabbit, egg nest (pictured below), and lamb. The rabbit is a "rabbit candy" flavour, the chick a lemon cream cheese, the egg nest is chocolate, and the lamb cookies and cream. I had the chocolate egg nest, and it was delicious, and I would not expect anything less from them.

Additionally, they were selling four different types of macarons in the Easter theme - lamb, rabbit, flower, and chick. The chick was not available on my visit, but the other three are pictured below. The lamb is a matcha flavour, and the rabbit is chocolate. The flower, which was my favourite, is a rose and raspberry flavour.

Next up, we have Whipped, which is famous for their cheesecakes and moved into their new premises on Endell Street above Covent Garden. They have only fairly recently reopened again too, having been based on Drury Street around the corner but happened to close to move premises right before the first lockdown. I am not a cheesecake lover, but they have started to create stuffed cookies. They only had this one Easter cookie on the day, which was a stuffed carrot cake cookie. The cake inside the cookie had a cheesecake base, so I was not the keenish on it. However, I had also purchased a cinnamon bun stuffed cookie, and it was the best ever. 

Lastly, we have Humble Crumble! They have been open during the lockdown and have become quite popular! Their crumbles are often seasonal and draw large crowds. For Easter, they had toasted meringue nests topped with Cadbury's Mini Eggs. There is also a choice of two flavours - blueberry and cinnamon or rose and raspberry. I opted for the first option, and it was one of my favourite crumble fillings from them.

For Mother's Day, they did extend their Valentine's Day offering featuring a heart-shaped chocolate. They just completed this before launching their Easter range.

Quite a few places have either shut permanently or temporarily and have not reopened, and I did not cover some of the options simply because I have not been making needless trips and have scaled down any time spent outside the home where others may be. I hope you manage to enjoy the day and the remaining time off.

Welcome to the newest edition of the home-delivered treats; these treats are what I have ordered for delivery across the UK during the lockdown. This time, I have ordered from Thomas Cookie Co, a small artisan baker based in Kent. Thomas Cookie Co started selling their treats five years ago, and all products are made with the best ingredients. Easter products were on the menu, so I ordered the Cadbury's Creme Egg stuffed cookies, the Creme Egg Crownies (a cross between a cookie and a brownie), and the Mini Eggs cookies.

The Creme Egg cookie cups contained half a creme egg on top. I would not really call these cookie cups because they are not filled. I would have liked to have seen the Creme Egg mashed up. The cookie around the Creme Egg also tasted too dry and perhaps over-cooked instead of lovely and gooey as a cookie cup should be.

Next up are the Mini Eggs cookies. These cookies have Mini Eggs built on top of them, providing an Easter theme. Similar to the cookie cups mentioned above, I found these too dry and unfortunately inedible. 

Last, we have the crownie - a blend of cookie and brownie. In the middle of the creation is a whole (or maybe a half?) Creme Egg. These ones did taste pretty good with the soft and gooey brownie texture. The cookie base was too dry, though.

What's my verdict? I would avoid this one, sadly. The cookies were much too dry and not very tasty when compared to other cookies I've eaten. The crownies were okay, but even the cookie portion of this tasted too dry. Items are baked and shipped in 24 hours, so I cannot imagine that the items were delivered out-of-date.