Museum and gallery visits

I went to London and had a couple of days with our elder daughter before Mothering Sunday and the photos that I took have been sitting in my phone ever since. I'm posting them here and shall clear my phone space ready for other things. London is lovely in the spring, the weather was dry although bitingly cold. The first exhibition that we saw was the Chanel at the V&A. It was soon to close and we attached ourselves to a very long queue. It was clear that a great many women had had exactly the same idea as us. Was it worth the wait? Yes, it certainly was. Coco Chanel has been the greatest influence on the way women dress. There were many timeless pieces in the show, styles that I remember both my mother and I wearing, other items that I would still wear today. My going away outfit was a navy Chanel-type collarless suit with a white trim - very Jackie O, all that I needed was a pill box hat! It was interesting to be able to study the fabrics and detailing close up, they looked easy and comfortable to wear and were very desirable!

The exhibition ended with an interpretation of the famous Chanel staircase.

It was a delight!

The following day it was off to the Tate to see yet more white dresses, this time the work of Singer Sargent. There were old favourites to see and new surprises. In the middle of the exhibition my phone rang and I was asked if I had just spent £700 and if not to press '1' immediately. Needless to say I did NOT press 1! I had only used my card that morning on the underground. I know that travel is expensive, but, blimey! Nevertheless it gave me quite a wobble.

This striking painting was new to me, and I'm most envious of the dress that she is wearing!

I think that this painting is unusually ugly for a piece of work by Sargent but I am interested in it because it was painted while the Scottish novelist R. L. Stevenson was living in Bournemouth, which is where I now live. His house no longer exists, having been bombed during the Second World War.

Back in Bournemouth my Scottish cousin came to stay for a few days. (See the link!) Good Friday brought blue sky and sunshine and we walked along a crowded seafront the the town art gallery and museum.

I've posted the museum before so shall only add one or two images of a ceiling and it's history. If you google the artist, Anna Zinkeisen, you will discover a very elegant woman. She and her sister are an interesting pair.

Not all the museum is in good repair!

Small pleasures

First small pleasure was that we had a bit of sun yesterday! Only a bit, and it was accompanied by severe gusts of wind. I spent most of the day in the miniscule greenhouse and conservatory, tidying up and getting the benefit of warmth without the draughts. Outside there is plenty to see, small spring flowers popping up all over the place, looking rather shaky in my photos due to the wind.

The minnow daffodils and other early spring flowers are going over but the tulips are shaping up nicely and I'm very pleased with the pale blue muscari that I bought in the B&Q sale a while ago that are still going strong.

It's dry and bright today, once I've hung out the washing I'm going to be busy in the garden!

Easter

Illness and unpredictable weather made Easter a very strange affair this year. Older daughter stayed in bed in London and while my cousin's luggage arrived at our house his wife stayed only long enough to find out where the hospital was and spent the next three nights there on a drip. The few remaining who were left hid eggs, looked for eggs, rolled eggs and manfully ate all the chocolate! But cakes have been put in the freezer and cream made into some rather evil lemon curd icecream that will keep until the happy day that we get warmth and sunshine. Our little grandson loves the Easter egg rolling tradition. We played it on repeat until his dad proved to be the outright winner with his egg rolling way ahead of the others and still intact. That's a gold cup for Cadbury's mini eggs and some bavura throwing!

Heavy rain continues and there is little point in doing too much in the garden. My seedlings are languishing indoors and looking spindlier with every passing day. The tea rose, Maricel Neil is flowering in the conservatory but not looking overly happy about it.

The Greek boy is barely visible under the growth of rose and jasmine.

On a happier note, the camellias are still blooming, I think that they at least are enjoying all the rain.

Sunday morning 8am

We woke to sunshine and headed to the beach for a morning walk. The Bournemouth half marathon was due to start at 10am and parking restrictions were in place for where we usually leave the car by the tropical garden. We drove on a little and easily found some street parking. A calm and lovely day.

The lifeguard lookout posts are now in place ready for the start of the season next weekend. There were several groups of women swimming and the usual motley collection of dogs - and owners - relishing the open sandy space.

Clouds were already starting to gather as we turned round to go home.

We took a different route back, going over the bridge. A collection of memory locks are slowly accruing, a pattern that I think started on the bridges in Paris.

Below us we could see the route where the half marathon runners would soon be travelling.

But we were safely home by then!

Flowers in the garden in March.

You can see from the photos that we've had a LOT of rain. The good news is that the garden has loved it and everything is bursting with promise. There is plenty to look at when I venture out between the showers. I am wanting to move a number of plants and bushes into different positions but every time I go outside in my boots and look out my spade and fork the weather takes a turn for the worse. My phone has nothing better to tell me than, "drizzle for the next hour" or 'intermittent rain." Here are some photos of what the garden has to offer today.

The maple trees are just starting to colour up while the camellia bushes have been flowering steadily now for several weeks. I've treated myself to a new camellia, white with a pale pink edge. It is un-named, indeed mislabeled as it had a bright red label attached when we went to B&Q to buy some cement to patch the crazy paving. (It's always dangerous when I'm "just having a look."I invariably find a plant that has to be bought.)

The first of the tree peonies, in pots under the veranda, is flowering.

The hellebores are still going strong.

And everything, as they say, in the garden is lovely. (I'm not mentioning what is happening elsewhere in the world because the shame of it is beyond me.)

I hope, dear bloggers, that you are well and that whatever makes you happy is happening for you.