Autumn Sunshine

What a glorious day, a jewel of a day. I went with my Mum and The WonderDog down the road to Symonds Yat. How lovely, I thought, we can have it all to ourselves again, the tourists will have all gone home. I forgot it was half term. It was very busy but we were able to park and it was nice to experience the lively holiday atmosphere. There were lots of families walking and cycling and the pleasure boats were still running with their flower bedecked roofs. The sun was warm and lit up all of the autumn colours on the trees. I can't even imagine how many photographs I took and I am looking forward to seeing them on screen.

We walked for about three miles and were joined for much of it by the lovely Bertie Eden who lives at Garth Cottage, a guest house by the river. Bertie, who must be in his 90's, told us much about himself, his experiences during WW2, his work building Concorde, the iconic aeroplane and his disappointment that he was never allowed to look inside it when it was finished. We parted at The Biblins bridge where we were to turn around and walk back but Bertie was going to go on to the cafe on the other side of The Wye for tea and cake. He walks along the river everyday and picks up any litter as he goes 'Its a sad world' seemed to be a favourite phrase of his but I couldn't feel so pessimistic on such a treasure of a day.

I had forgotten to take any water so that Jasper could have a drink, dogs walk about three times farther than we do as they have to keep turning back to follow scrumptious smells. There was no alternative, we had to do it -just for him, of course. There was a big bowl of doggy water amongst the tea tables at Rose Cottage so we just had to go and have a cream tea, only for his benefit you know. Now I ask you, would we really want to sit in the sunshine beside the river scoffing scones, strawberry jam and clotted cream if we didn't have to? The things we do for that dog, but then again, he is a WonderDog.

Craft Club Alert

I am making plans to start a Craft Club at Trumpet Corner (http://www.trumpetcorner.co.uk/).  It will be a place to gather and make new friends, learn new skills and share ideas. The theme for this term will be 'Thrifty Christmas', a chance to try out some ideas for presents and decorations. The proposed starting date is Wednesday 16th of November and the time will probably be 10am to 12.30pm. The cost will be £3 for the morning plus the cost of any materials that you might like me to provide if you don't have them or can't get them yourself.  There will, of course, be delicious refreshments available for purchase in the tea rooms. If anyone would like to book a place please email me (Angela) at LadyGreenwood6@aol.com or Katie at Trumpet Corner (hello@trumpetcorner.co.uk).

This will be a social group meeting for fun so all abilities are welcome. If you have never made anything before so much the better, you may surprise yourself!

Trumpet Triumph

Busy, busy, busy working hard in my new little studio at Trumpet Corner. Enjoying meeting all the lovely people and decorating the space with work old and new. I am rediscovering lots of unfinished pieces that I now have time to develop and designing new items for Christmas gifts. At the grand opening on Saturday I was pleased to share the indoor room with Jenny from Stroud with her beautiful mirrored mosaics.  Such an interesting lady. I hope that our paths cross again in the future.

This is also an opportunity for me to discover early mornings, I am usually working until the small wee hours and collapsing into bed in exhaustion having stayed up just that bit too long. Now I can appreciate Homer's references to 'dawn with her rosy fingers' as I watch the sun rise in the east as the light rises up over the hill before I set off to Trumpet along the road through Much Marcle and Pixley.  Bed time is getting earlier and earlier and I am gradually beginning to adjust to living by the clock once again.  There is a part of me that still lingers in that place where time is an irrelevance and reality is just a construct of the mind. A friend's son recently described the two of us as 'living in the land of Fable'. I only appear to step out of it for a while. Fortunately, the ever present imagination kindles the creative flame and keeps my feet firmly planted in the air.

Exciting new venture

Opening on Saturday 22nd October, Trumpet Corner Tea Rooms and Artist's Studios'. Lady of The Greenwood Studios is branching out and stepping outside of the forest to set up another studio space at this new venture near Ledbury, Herefordshire. Have a peep at the website: www.trumpetcorner.co.uk and come and visit and take a look around . There will be plenty to delight in the lovely tea rooms and we will all give you a warm welcome.