They reside in Scotland and came down to Lancashire, in their moho, to visit her parents before crossing into Derbyshire to visit us.
After so many years there was a lot of catching up to do, reliving of childhood memories of time spent together and a renewed interest in the family's ancestry to compare notes on.
A box was unearthed and out came masses of old family photographs, birth, death and marriage certificates, all curated and handed down by my mother in law, to be copied and shared with other family members living around the UK.
Many stories were exchanged, (I certainly learned a lot about my in laws) there was much laughter and of course a few tears too.
We enjoyed visiting the gardens at Chatsworth together and they brought back a beautiful Chatsworth rose for our courtyard garden as a reminder of a lovely visit.
Yesterday the SP and I drove over to medieval Haddon Hall, a former residence of the Dukes of Rutland and now the home of the current Duke's brother, for the Early Summer Mercatum artisan market.
Despite a few spits and spots of rain and gloomy grey skies we enjoyed strolling through the grounds (like Chatsworth Haddon Hall itself is not yet open to the public following Covid - 19 guidelines) admiring the many varied crafts for sale.
Displaying a variety of skills we discovered wood turners and carpenters, photographers, soft furnishers, jewellers, cake makers, gin makers and organic veg sellers.
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| an amazing topiary in the gardeners garden it's a hog! |
A vintage yellow upcycled Citroen van and a very posh, state of the art, street food truck situated beneath the towering walls of the Hall were offering tasty artisanal food and beverages and soon had socially distanced queues (lines) of early morning visitors and exhibitors.
As a keen photographer myself I couldn’t resist bringing home some samples of the work of two artists that I met at the Mercatum, Phil Sprosson and Emma Clinton.
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| Highland Cow by Phil Sproson who lives and works in the Peak District National Park |
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| Sweet Peas in a jar notecards by Emma F Clinton Fine Art Photography and Haiku Poetry |
# 90 this week!
Go Angie!
@ Letting go of the Bay Leaf
Enjoyed your post, Maggie. Great to be able to meet the SP's relatives, sounds like you got on well together!
ReplyDeleteWow! Im so glad you had a good visit with cousins and then were able to get out to an actual !Event! ... A fete... a celebration ... an arts and craft show ....( almost) like the good old days! ....I’ve just about forgotten what those things were like. (I am a bit envious I must admit ... We are a little behind ...in so many ways ... over on this side of the pond.)
ReplyDeleteGood that you were able to meet up with relatives. You certainly live in a beautiful part of the uk. Love the yellow Citroen van. We own a turquoise blue 2CV. B x
ReplyDeleteIsn't it lovely to start doing normal things again!
ReplyDeleteHello, it is awesome you and your hubby could meet up with the cousins. It is fun showing visitors around your area. The National Park and the Haddon Hall and gardens all look beautiful. I would like the artisan market and the food truck. Take care! Have a great day and happy new week!
ReplyDeleteFamily is what makes life complete - lovely photos!
ReplyDeleteHappy Monday Maggie. Thanks for stopping by my blog today
ReplyDeleteMuch💖love
That last photo of the card you bought is beautiful! I miss going places and finding pretty art to bring home! Oh and that rose bush is gorgeous. How nice that you had a good visit. Those family visits are fun and keep you young! Enjoy your week!
ReplyDeleteWhat a great time, a visit, sight seeing and a lovely garden. I love the highland cows! so adorable.
ReplyDeleteDawn aka Spatulas On Parade
I thought the hog was Peppa Pig...I'm spending too much time with a two year old 🙂😟
ReplyDeleteHello Maggie
ReplyDeleteHow nice to have your husband's relatives visit and reminisce. It sounds like you all had a nice time at Chatsworth gardens. The Haddon hall outdoor fair looked interesting. So many of these types of events have been cancelled here and I miss them. The photography greeting cards are very pretty and the cow portrait is stunning!
How wonderful the meeting of family not seen for so many years. Lots of catching up and of course laughing
ReplyDeleteMB
Maggie, Nice to have visit from folks you have not seen in years. Lovely rose bush. Supporting local artists is important! Great post. Have a great week. Sylvia D.
ReplyDeleteMaggie - so many thoughts on this post! First, I couldn't help but notice the use of the word "vintage" a couple of times - just a coincidence? Second, I am very homesick for the historic homes and gardens of the UK - every photo makes me pine to be there again. Third, isn't family ancestry so much fun? I was able to trace my mother-in-law's family and found its original coat of arms! Finally, thanks for your cheering me on - I hadn't quite thought about MM #90 until you mentioned it - wow, how time flies!
ReplyDeleteHow wonderful to be visited that way. And you also took the time to share your beautiful country :)
ReplyDeleteIt's such fun to look at family photos with the family. I'm hoping when my family reads my book they will see a photo and go, "Wow!"
ReplyDeleteYour Wuhan Virus Rules must now allow visits from other areas.
ReplyDeleteSounds like a lovely visit.
Simply gorgeous country side, in which you live.
💛 💛 💛
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