Friday, 12 January 2024

Dry January

These cold bright days are wonderful, no rain, we can wrap up warm and walk, I have not done any jobs in the garden, it's too cold, but I am very happy with this view. Having put a few things back out, it looks like our garden.
I have finished the first sock, 
I love the colours so much, these are knitted in 3ply. 
My little display on my desk is looking good. 

My Albucas sprialis frizzle sizzle, has a second bud, the first is really tall and looks ready to open. The second bud in on the new forming plant, so I was not expecting it to flower in it's first year. 
The bulbs in my sitting room are a bit mixed, my brother purchased me a amaryllis with two buds, but they had hardly grown, and the one planted new, is just showing the tip of new growth. My hyacinth's have done better, the two in water are just forming roots. 
I got this book from our library, I read the back and brought it home, once I started to read it, I was not sure, it's set as a 7 episode TV programme,  6 experts trying to solve a historical murder, it twist and turned, right up to the end, I loved it. Book 3 read this year.


I am loving this cold spell we are having, and a week without rain is perfect, it did try and snow on Monday and we had a sprinkling when we woke on Tuesday, but so far we have managed to avoid it. 

I have walked to our library, I am trying to stop purchasing so many books, most I get from charity shops at a pound each, I got 4 which I should enjoy reading. 

Ashcroft Arts centre is where I do most of my local craft courses, I am extremely saddened to read it is being closed down, this is it's last year. The local council has rebuilt their local large centre, where they aim to promote all the plays and productions, so the Arts centre will not be required. They do more than that, all the classes for art, craft, dancing and drama, but the council is not answering any questions about any of these, just saying it can't afford to support this centre anymore, the local museum is being shut as well, they have asked the council for more funding, which was refused. Like everywhere councils are struggling, we are lucky so far we have not seen too many changes. 

I did mention before Christmas Hampshire county council had agreed a change in road layouts just outside our village going towards the local town, they are making bus lanes, so all other traffic will be swashed into one lane, there is now single lanes both ways, and it's causing chaos through out the day, it's taking much longer to get to the motorway junction, and traffic is backing up back into the town. No-one is happy, loads of moans on our local facebook page, people are trying to get it stopped, it seams no-one wanted this project to go ahead, it's going to take a year to build.  

8 comments:

  1. It's been lovely now the rain has stopped, I need to get out in threes garden to cut back a few things but everything is still a bit muddy. Your socks are lovely, I've never seen 3ply sock yarn I always use 4ply. Have a good weekend

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  2. Council funds put aside for building obviously need to be spent otherwise funds will be cut. It is ridiculous the way funds are allocated and not allowed to be transferred to other, perhaps more deserving, areas.

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  3. We are having some strange road issues here as well. Things like replace a road lane with a cycle lane where nobody ever cycles, buses that stop in the middle of the road instead of at the side, lane marking poles that stick up exactly where you need to drive when turning onto another road - sometimes I wonder where everyone's logic has gone.

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  4. I am so sorry to read they are shutting down the place where you get to take classes. I hope they add those into the new building.

    God bless.

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  5. It's been so nice to enjoy cold, but dry days hasn't it.

    So many councils are looking so closely at their budgets and closing centres/cutting services etc. it is such a shame.

    Wishing you a good weekend.

    All the best Jan

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  6. My your garden looks so tidy...hint...ours isn't! x

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  7. Like youself, I love this cold dry weather. I don't mind wrapping up warm. Sorry to hear your local arts centre is closing. I hope you'll still be able to do crafts at the new centre.

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  8. Shame your local arts centre and the museum will be closing down . It will be a sad loss.
    I can also understand the traffic woes of your village. The council adjoining ours is wanting to make quite major changes to how roads are used which will impact a lot of people. I'm sure they will push their ideas through regardless of what people want or don't want!!

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