I went on a little holiday (part 5)

 Hello again!

I've had a really busy past couple of weeks. How has yours been? It feels like life is saying: "Had a few weeks holiday, did you? Feeling kind of relaxed now, are you? Let's give you a little kick up the bum..."

It is probably rather indulgent of me to write all these posts just for one trip, but so much happened! Everyday was packed full of places and things and smells and all of the things. 

I'm a crocheter, yeah? So what yarny delights were there?

On the flight from Melbourne I crocheted 2 hot pink bucket hats for the Bear and I to wear at Eurovision in Liverpool. The lead singer of last years winner for Ukraine Kalush Orchestra wore a big fluffy hot pink bucket hat so we thought it would be our show of support...

I posted it on Twitter and SBS Television, our local Australian broadcaster of Eurovision displayed it during the broadcast...

A hasty screenshot taken on my laptop when I paused the show.

Apart from crocheting those pink bucket hats, I didn't have time to do much crochet during our travels but we spied some lovely yarny things here and there.

In London...

In Liverpool...

I don't know what the green creature is. A dragon? A seahorse? A mythical bird? Someone please enlighten me! It's adorable whatever it is, next to heart shaped balloons in the colours of the Ukraine flag. There were so many signs of love and support for Ukraine around Liverpool as they were hosting the Eurovision Song Contest on their behalf.

Near Bolton Abbey in Yorkshire we found this rather grand postbox topper...

I also had a rather self-indulgent little side trip after leaving Liverpool.

We visited Black Sheep Wools in Warrington.  

Be still, my beating heart...

So much overwhelm...

I literally had to sit down and have a coffee and cake because I couldn't decide on what to get. 

Then I left the Bear to have another coffee and to play games on his phone while I fluttered about like an over-excited butterfly in a field of opium poppies.

Before leaving Oz, I was researching for places in England where I could buy some Stylecraft Special DK and found this had the cheapest in the UK at that time. I had read reviews online from others who had shopped there and said it was a great place to go. 

BUT

it wasn't just 'great place' to go buy some yarn... 

IT WAS FREAKING AWESOME AND THE YARN SHOP OF MY WILDEST DREAMS!!!!!

There is expensive yarn and cheap yarn. Cottons, acrylics, alpaca, wool, big balls (tee hee), little balls, hooks, needles, 50 millions different types of scissors, cute totes bags, coffee cups with cool crochet and knitting puns. Anything you could possibly want that is yarn related. 

I think that's what is missing in Australia. A dedicated yarn shop that caters for all budgets and needs as well as a good range of yarn related gifts as well. Cute needle minder brooches and little tins with Janie Crowe blanket patterns on them. If anyone knows of one (particularly in Victoria) please let me know!

I walked out with yarn and those tiny Janie Crowe blanket tins and Scheepjes tote bags and some Stylecraft Special DK and Scheepjes Catona. 

I sheepishly (no yarn pun intended) walked out with my bags filled at the same time as another lady who also had bags and bags of yarn to find both of our men together outside talking about their cars and about what yarn-crazy nutbags their partners are.

After Yorkshire, we only had a few more days left in England so we headed south.

England. Stop looking so gorgeous.

We stayed in Derby overnight, then headed towards Stratford Upon Avon the next day.

Much history, very Tudor.

We had stopped on the side of some random street when I realised it was next to an old church and a beautiful graveyard. And it occured to me... maybe like, Shakespeare is buried here?

So we decided to have a little walk around.

Old English graveyards are amazing. Apart from the fact they seem to frequently be home to squirrels, they have some beautiful memorials.

This one was so beautiful. The carvings of ivy leaves is incredible.

I could tell poor George Warmington was devastated at the loss of his beloved Sarah. I mean how sad does this angel look! Ugh! 

Believe it or not we had literally no actual cash money on us to pay the fee to go in (this church didn't have eftpos!!!) and pay our respects to Will Shakespeare, whose remains were intered inside the church. So we waved from the outside and said, "Thanks for Much Ado About Nothing but you can keep that sad one where the king kills his uncle and mum" and hit the road.

This trip wasn't just about the places I wanted to visit. The Bear only had one place he wanted to visit.

Diddly Squat Farm Shop is on Diddly Squat Farm just outside the sweet town of Chipping Norton in the Cotswolds.

Why did the Bear want to visit a farm shop?  Diddly Squat Farm is owned by former Top Gear host Jeremy Clarkson and features in his TV show Clarksons Farm. 

We had heard it is quite popular so arrived in town early, had a hearty breakfast at a local cafe and then arrived at the farm shop just before it opened. There was already a queue of people outside. 

The farm shop heavily features local wares from other farms in the Chipping Norton area including a selection of locally sourced meats, fresh milk, sweets, fruit & vegetables, snacks etc. 

There are also hilariously overpriced novelties. Bear bought a 6 pack of Clarksons' own Hawkstone Beer and said that as a self-declared beer expert he thought it was delicious.

We then left Chipping Norton and immediately headed back to London.

Dear sweet little bone-jangling Fiat 500. Thank you for carrying us and our many bags of large luggage 1400 miles around England and  North Wales.

We said goodbye to our faithful mechanical steed and went to London St Pancras Station for the final stage of our trip.

Louise

🚜 Red Haired Amazona🚝