A Good Read

The Travelling Cat Chronicles

by Hiro Arikawa

Nana the cat is on a road trip. He is not sure where he's going or why, but it means that he gets to sit in the front seat of a silver van with his beloved owner, Satoru. Side by side, they cruise around Japan through the changing seasons, visiting Satoru's old friends.

On their travels Nana meets Yoshimine, the brusque and unsentimental farmer for whom cats are just ratters; Sugi and Chikako, the warm-hearted couple who run a pet-friendly B&B; and Kosuke, the mournful husband whose cat-loving wife has just left him. There's even a very special dog who forces Nana to reassess his disdain for the canine species. But what is the purpose of this road trip? And why is everyone so interested in Nana? Nana does not know and Satoru won't say. But when Nana finally works it out, his small heart breaks.

There was a little bit of meandering about the friendship between Satoru and Kosuke. I think it might have lost something in translation. But overall it was an endearing, sad and happy read, I enjoyed it.

∼ Happy Reading∼ 

Polly x

Saffron Walden

My U3a bus pass group had an outing to Saffron Walden on Friday. Saffron Walden is a lovely picturesque market town with a history dating back to the Neolithic period. It is believed that a small Roman settlement and fort existed as an outpost of the much larger settlement to the north. The town was originally just called Walden, derived from the old English 'walhdenu' meaning 'valley of the Britons'. In the 16th and 17th centuries the saffron crocus was widely grown, thanks to the town's favourable soil and climate, and that industry gave Walden its present name - Saffron Walden.

At the heart of the town lies the historic Market Square, where markets have been held since 1141.

Opposite the square is the lovely old library building 

with some nice bright open spaces

I love the sentiment but the grammar is very bad! It should read either "Time spent is never wasted" or "Times spent are never wasted" I was contemplating telling a member of staff, but didn't!

There are lots of lovely independent boutiques, shops, and cafés

and lots of charming cottages

the church is magnificent

The Fry Art Gallery is a lovely little building showcasing an impressive number of paintings, prints, illustrations, wallpapers and decorative designs by artists of the 20th century and the present day who have connections to the area.

I really wanted to get a photo of the whole wall but people kept getting in the way! This represented the cattle markets from years gone by.

this sculpture represents many of the artists in the collection

Beyond the gallery and this lovely house is a serene garden

We had a lovely day with sunshine.

oOo

I catch a bus into town from a neighbouring village. When I left that morning there was a Canada Goose at the pond flying around making a lot of noise. I wondered if he was protecting his mate from possible predators but didn't have time to investigate. When I returned I looked around and sure enough there was Mrs Goose on the little island sitting on her nest.

She has chosen well.

That white statue is in memory of Godfrey

who used to be the resident patriarch of the pond.

I hope it protects Mrs Goose and deters predators.

∼ Be safe and well∼ 

Polly x 

A Good Read

We Have Always Lived in the Castle

by Shirley Jackson

I have always thought that the title of a book bears a resemblance to its content, not so with this, there was no mention of a castle anywhere, unless the family saw their home as a castle - remote from anywhere else.
Rich New England landowners, the Blackwood family, are well-aware of their presumed class-snobbish superiority over the inhabitants of the nearby village. They are met with distrust, fear and even hatred - not quite unfounded. Six years ago half of the members of the Blackwood family were poisoned by arsenic in their food. Three remain: Uncle Julian, left crippled by the poison, hanging on to the remnants of his mind, obsessed with the tragedy of the day of the murder; Constance, an agoraphobiac trapped in the narrow confines of her domestic universe, cooking for the remnants of her family with a strained chirpy attitude was the cook on the day of the fateful poisoning and therefore is considered the poisoner in the eyes of the villagers; and Mary Katherine, Merricat, the narrator of the story, now eighteen, who was sent to her room without dinner on the day of the poisoning, and now serves as a link between her diminished and scorned family and the rest of the world. Merricat just wants to protect her family and preserve their delicate way of life.
But when Cousin Charles arrives, armed with overtures of friendship and a desperate need to get his hands on the Blackwood fortune, the family is thrust into turmoil.

Despite no castle I did enjoy it!

∼ Happy Reading∼ 

Polly x

Easter

∼ Be safe and well∼ 

Polly x 

Crockery Art

These lovely panels are on display in a stairwell in one of the wings of the hospital. Anne Schwegmann-Fielding is an internationally renowned British sculptor and mosaic artist. She produces work for hospitals, gardens, schools and private clients. 

The mosaic panels are made using assorted crockery, china and tiles.

The designs are developed from a continuing series of doodles that originally stem from studies of aerial views and maps. They're colourful and happy and sparkle when the sun shines through the windows.

∼ Be safe and well∼ 

Polly x