Chair rugs...using up small balls of yarn.....

On the coach trip to Warwick and Chatsworth I took some small balls of yarn and a hook to keep me occupied on the coach....so I began the squares...got them all to the same size at home...when I can get at the balls of grey and black I will "frame" them firstly with the pale grey, then the mid grey if I still have it and not given it away...then the black....I think I can see in minds eye what it will look like....

 all the small ends of yarn were crocheted into chair rugs....

 they add to the hooked chair rugs

road closed for Vista festival

Princes Avenue is closed to traffic once a year for the Vista Festival organised by the local traders. There were tents and gazebos with singers, comedians, magicians and story tellers in. Lots of food stalls outside their own restaurants. Beauticians and hair stylists demonstrating outside of their shops. Scrap store was there and the resident arts worker Liz showed her "gowns"...many people had their photos taken with their heads popping out of the neckline..a bit like the seaside comedy bathers where you can pop your head through the hole and have your photo taken....the black and white one is made of aerosol lids and the blue and white angel  outfit is made of latex gloves....

found Waynes tent where some of his youth club were helping him with his elephant camera

I have removed the  original picture as I didn't ask the young lads permission....so took a photo of my screen... you can see the reflection of my top......I don't know how to edit.......crop...whatever...

Its a homemade old fashioned type of box camera....I dare say it has a type name.....it has a cloth hood at the rear where they make sure that you are in the frame....the book raises and lowers the box for focus.......on the left side is a leg off a pair of jeans.... this is to block the light whilst inserting the arm in it to manipulate the prepared photo paper into the right position ready for the front cap to come off and count one elephant two elephants three elephants ......up to thirty elephants....the equivalent of 30 seconds...

this produces the equivalent of a negative which is dunked in a developing solution and then into a stop bath. the results are then photographed and changed to a print and printed off...

There were lots of artists stalls with paintings and photographs and a tent where you could pose as a model or try your hand at drawing....

A super patchwork stall....and many more ......all of which I forgot to photograph..........

there was quite a lot of people around but because of the threat of rain...forecast for the whole afternoon the bands were moved into the church halls etc....so the sounds were missing and empty spaces where they should have been....There was an area roped off for dancing and a older generation couple lindy hopping in 1930/40s style clothing were giving a great show. At Artlink there was an opportunity for the children to  decorate a white baseball cap.....and inside a vintage fair..      Lots of charity stalls too. The shop that belonged to Ronald Gifts mother was open too. The pub car park had a BBQ and a band in a lockup at the back....so there was plenty going on but with the threat of rain and the sensible moving of the bands inside ....the atmosphere had changed

I met lots of people I hadn't seen in a long time and got plenty of hugs.......

Warwick and Chatsworth House weekend

I got a last minute ticket to join Lyn on the coach trip to Warwick Castle and Chatsworth House. My mobile phone died late afternoon the day before we went...I use it to take photos with.... I had the phone looked at...no good...didn't want to get another phone yet...waiting for new i phone coming out in September.....So last minute dash to buy a cover for my ipad so I could take that with me to take photos on.....With it being school holidays both venues were packed with people. Warwick Castle was over run with families.....the children enjoying Horrible Histories in the grounds of the castle....and there was even a medieval style tent to housed the baby buggies whilst the families went on the castle tour. On the whole the children were very well behaved in the castle.....no fraught parents constantly telling their children off... which was refreshing.
I think the first fortified dwelling on the site was 840 ish and by 1066 it was a wooden Mott and Bailey structure. To be able to gently touch something that was touched by human beings hundreds of years ago....and look out of the windows on the same (ish) views.....always gets to me. I didn't attempt to take any photos as my ipad was too big in the cramped conditions...Lyn had to wait for a gap to get hers !!! So to see some of the things we saw....go to Liniecat@Large or liniecat.blogspot.co.uk.
I want to go back to both venues to take photos....At Chatsworth inspiration for patchwork and applique was everywhere.
The hotel.....I won't name it....staff were lovely, food was lovely, rooms were lovely.....but....you knew there would be a BUT didn't you...lol....yet another trip where the hotel has a wedding party booked in the function rooms.......not just a wedding party but...............................................................................another
Indian wedding party with the throbbing music blasting out....bass on full.....everything vibrating and pulsating....the drivers room was directly above the function room and had to be moved.....we were told  the music would be turned down at 8pm............11pm...
fortunately I was in the roof and with my hearing aid out....bliss.....
apparently it was a proper wedding...complete with a big noisy argument at 2am !!!or so I was told.
I really must record.....the size of the sheets of toilet paper.....9cm square !!!....I brought one home to put in my diary ! Go on get the ruler out....!