Lovely day ...

... yesterday.  Took myself to the theatre.  Sunny Afternoon, the Kinks story.  You've got to have been a fan and like/d them, both now and back in the day.  Theatre Royal hasn't put on a panto for a few years now, instead they've put on alternative 'family' shows.  Have to say I think they've failed this year.  Enjoyable as it was it's not really a show I'd like to take younsters to and for one reason only ... the language.  Quite a few profanities used and, although it's to keep things real, it's not language I'd like our little ones to hear because of us.  They hear enough without parents or grandparents seeming to condone it's use.  Old fashioned idea???  Probably but there is no need of it, to my mind.  Having said that, the show is excellent.  The language relevant, to keep it real, and the lads taking the parts are excellent in their roles.  Certainly a trip down Memory Lane for me.

Night had fallen when I left the theatre (I did a matinee) so thought I'd take a look at Brighton's Christmas lights, such as they are.  Quite pretty, especially Bond Street and around the Clock Tower ...

The area I spent the majority of my working life in, inlcuding the building (blue lights) where I had my very first full time job.  It was a bank then.  Now it's a Wetherspoons pub/restaurant

Mid November - a very special weekend, craftwise.  The 2nd full weekend of crafting hosted by John Bloodworth for his All Counties Challenge in aid of MIND.  This weekend was different to the April/May one in that we had to choose our workshops from a selection.  John was dedicating his time to teaching the Scan & Cut (his forté) but to support him and for those of us that don't own a machine there was Leonie Pujol (using her own range), Paula Pascual (Tonic Studios), Jenny Meyes (Hobby Art), Sarah Milsop (Beads Direct) and Dean Wilson (DIY).  John's report of the weekend is here

Kim & I chose Leonie, Paula and Jenny as our choices for the weekend.  The results .

Leonie's - backgrounds with sparkle pens and some mixed media

Paula's - crepe paper flower, tissue flowers and wreath, card - all using Tonic products

Jenny's - using Hobby Art stamps,  Kuretake Zig Clean Color Real Brush pens and other 'stuff' - loved those pens 

...

.Great weekend and learnt a lot.  Waiting for the next one to be announced now *wink*

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Martlets' Snowdogs ...

... are going to a good home.

Last week was the end of the Snowdogs in Brighton. They had 2 days of them being all in one place for people to go and view. I went. Took lots of photos (to follow at some point) and then, on Dec 6th they were auctioned off to raise funds for the hospice. I watched the auction live online and kept a tally as each sold. 44 snowdogs, lowest price was £3,800 - highest £22,000. (Full auction results here)  A grand total of £337,900 raised on the night. What the overall total will end up being when they've added on the sales of all the additional merchandise and the ticket sales for the Festive Farewell - well, I'll guess we'll be told at some point. In the meantime I found this ......

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As up-to-date ...

... as you can get, pretty much. Brighton in all it's aspects!

Life is busy at the moment. Little time to blog and not likely to be able to until nearer the end of the month, if at all before the next.  It'll be catch up time soon *sad*

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Still ...

... working on the Norfolk photos, although I had a break from them yesterday.  In the meantime ....

I had a busy week of appointments this week.  Makes a change from them being for the OH.  I've run nearly the whole gamut - feet, teeth and tits - ROFL!  Breast screening.  I'm fast becoming of an age where I won't be automatically invited for one.   I shall soon be classed as being out of the age range to warrant them - unless there's a reason presents itself - or I ask for one.  Possibly 2 more to go but may only be 1.  We'll see.  Whether I continue with them once the automatic invites stop I'm not sure.  Mum never had one in her whole life and neither did she ever have a cervical smear.  Strange on the breast screening though 'cos her mum, my nan, actually had breast cancer.  She had a breast removed but the day she was being discharged from hospital she had a heart attack and never survived - or that was the reason I was given for her death.  I've never seen a death certificate to deny or confirm that.  Perhaps I should get one for my records .....

Moving on.  The breast screening unit is near Preston Rock Gardens, aka The Rookery or the Rockery, on Preston Road, Brighton.  I'd not visited for a long time so, knowing I was going to be close I took my camera and so glad I did.  The autumn colours were stunning.

All photos were taken from the lower path.  I should have walked up through the gardens to take photos from different perspectives but my lungs weren't being very good to me and the slopes I'd have had to climb did not look very appealing at the time.  I wish I'd been feeling a tad better and I'd have done them but anything's better than nothing, as they say, so this is the anything.  Beautiful late October morning and pretty warm considering how late in the year it is.

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Another trip ...

... to the cinema.  This time we saw Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children.  Very different film for us but we thoroughly enjoyed it.  Before we went to the cinema the OH had an appointment with the Chemo Dept at the Cancer Clinic.  Ostensibly to collect his next month's drugs but we had to go in early as his bloods from the day before showed a raised potassium level so they wanted to repeat.  Repeat results came back fine so it must have been the banana he'd eaten not long before Dracula had arrived to suck blood the day before.  She had arrived a lot earlier than they normally do and he'd not long had breakfast.  Anyway, that dealt with, drugs collected and off to the Marina we went.  Lunch first, a little stroll (to kill a bit of time) and cinema.  

A while back - a few months ago, if truth be told - I mentioned about some Snowdogs that were being decorated and would be forming a trail at some point in the year to raise funds for the hospice that the OH has spent a lot of time in over the past year.  The snowdogs are now in situ on the trail and we went to see a couple residing in the Marina.  There is another but wasn't sure where it was and didn't have a trail map.  Turns out it was near the cinema but we missed it.  We did, however, get 2 of them so now I've seen 4 .... 2 unofficially way back in the spring.  Disco Dog lived in the foyer of the hospice for a long while and the other was in the back of a pick up in the car park (this post here).  It transpires that one is now outside the Sea Life Centre and is called Under the Sea.

SNOWDOGS BY THE SEA

Sand Sculpture in Marina Square

Brighton Rock

Bone China

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Time has ...

... flown this past month - or would that be because I was otherwise engaged?  Photo book is done, was ordered and has been received and yep ... I found a mistake and a couple of pages that could have been better had a bit more thought been taken over them.  Doesn't seem to matter how long I take going through them before ordering I always seem to miss something so I'm still waiting for that 'perfect' one - ROFL!  I love it though and it will bring back memories (some good, some not so good) when I'm in my dotage and living in the past *grin*

While compiling the book the OH and I had another day of being a tourist in our own town.   We took a stroll along the front and on the pier.  Haven't been on the Palace Pier for as long as I can remember. Not sure I've ever been on it with my kids and they're both in their 40s now.  Guess I must have taken them on it at some point but, for the life of me, I can't remember.  Anyways, a stroll on the pier and a fish & chip dinner, which we were lucky to get as they closed to everyone else just 15 minutes after they let us in.  A few piccies?

Such a shame.  Hopefully repair and renovation won't be left until it's too late!

Rampion Wind Farm in progress.  A possible blot on the landscape?

Large pic - click on to enlarge.
Brighton seafront to the left of the Palace Pier (if on the pier).  The old and new - West Pier ruins (150 years old a couple of days ago) and the Eye Sore .... i360 stick with pod on the ground, where it seems to spend most of it's time - or stuck part way up the pole!

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Doctors, nurses ...

 ... nothing much more interesting except we've had a day looking after this little one.

This past week we decided to be tourists in our own town and take a boat trip from the Marina. Just 45 minutes along the coast, from the Marina, out past the Palace Pier and on to the West Pier ruins and then back again.  On buying the ticket the guy said it was choppy and we may get wet.  'Tis only water!  It was a tad choppy but I was able to stand when I wanted - and we didn't get wet.  Well, one spray hit us but that was all.  Kids were loving it - just like a theme park ride was the general concensus.  I thought it better *LOL*

The West Pier will never be restored.  There's a new attraction where the entrance to the West Pier used to be.  It opened towards the end of August.  The i360 or i-Sore as some have dubbed it.  Have to say it's a weird looking thing.  The pod looks so tiny compared to the pole it travels up but it's supposed to carry 250 people.  I've not been up in it yet.  I'll wait until the novelty has worn off then go and register as a resident and get the ride half price *grin*.  I'll go up once, to say I've done it.  Doubt I'll bother again.  I've heard complaints that it's not a long enough ride.  I'm lead to believe it's 20 minutes in total.  The complaints I've heard about say you don't get long at the top (which isn't the top but quite a few meters below the actual top of the pole) - not long enough to take everything in, anyway.  Guess half price might be as much as anyone should pay???  I'll find out when I do it.  It did look as though it spends longer at ground level than 'up the pole' *LOL!*

On the way back to the Marina I got some shots of the coast the other way ... Rottingdean, Saltdean, Peacehaven and beyond ... Newhaven, Seaford

The only other thing of note that happened ...

The OH drove for the first time in over 2 years *YAY!*  My car is booked for it's MOT and should be back on the road at the end of the month - over a year since it has been.  Just hope it doesn't need major works.

Nothing crafty to show.  Workshop card from last week hasn't been finished yet.  I've flowers to roll - or replace.  Not decided yet but will at some point.

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