Weekend - hello week...

I don't know where time has gone this weekend. It started with breakfast with friends on Saturday morning and now I am finally sitting down to blog.

After breakfast we made our way to a Wood Fair in Selham in West Sussex. The drive is beautiful all the way along the South Downs which were bathed in a a hazy light. I did not try any photography. Along the way we passed this driveway lined with copper beeches. These trees are another characteristic of the scenery along the way.

We stopped in Midhurst for refreshments and a stroll around the town. It is filled with buildings with yellow window frames.

We walked passed the church.

This is the view down the road. The sign on the right says Comestibles which is a wonderful little shop where we bought delicious fudge.

Across the road on the right of the photo above is the coffee shop we found. It is the first time we have had successful foraging in Midhurst, having tried several others at various times and found them all wanting. It helps that this one was off the beaten track away from the antique shops and tourist attractions. We had the view of a beautiful chandelier from our table.

Then the coffee arrived and nothing else mattered, one Columbian and one Latte, so pretty it was almost a pity to consume them.

As the caffeine induced euphoria subsided, we realised we were in a strange place.

There were doors with keys, big ones. It dawned on us that we were in the town jail. Actually, it was the  town hall with jail included.

The manager saw my delight at the strangeness of it all and told me I could look inside. This is the size of the cell.

Midhurst is filled with lovely old buildings

and the local hotel. It was lovely to explore.

All too soon we were on the road heading towards the wood fair which is held in a lumber yard. I love how the wood is stacked in the shape of the tree trunk. This is all oak.

From the car park, you can see the sheds and the yellow tents that the Solent Guild of Wood carvers were in.

They were so friendly and helped us solve some of the issues that Borneo is having with carving at home. It meant a trip to B&Q later. Here are some works in progress. There were too many people in front of the display so I could not photograph the finished pieces.

We entered the shed through a tunnel of wood which left Borneo drooling. I got to see what my face must look like when I enter a Fibre festival. This is only one of the many passages through.

Inside the hall there was a hive of activity.

There was beautifully crafted furniture

and musical interments with hand carvings.

I found this very fascinating. It is how a carving develops from the block of wood to the finished item. I have seen Borneo do this but it takes a long time. If you enlarge the picture you will be able to read about it.

I found this stall with inkle looms on it and a stand on woven braids. I was enchanted. I do not have enough hands!

All to soon it was over and we were on our way back home.  We passed a pond with a black swan. I think it is a youngster or a female.

Today dawned, a beautifully sunny day. This morning I started the day by breaking my spinning wheel which made a trip out to the Weaver's loft necessary where Borneo was able to repair it at the Wood Turning Studio downstairs.

 It was beautiful out.

We came home to an afternoon of crafting. My beautiful wheel is fixed and works like a dream.  I harvested bounty from the garden for a super fresh supper. This lot the snails did not get.