Shedcast 25 - And my encounter with a £30,000 sapphire and diamond ring

Hello Everyone,

It is Monday, and my apologies for being late in putting this blog out, but David and I have been away from home, verily gadding about in North Yorkshire. After a wonderful week together with friends we are now back and excited about starting our 100 miles in July walk to help raise money for the Barnsley Hospice. So, a big 'Thank You' to our mates over in North Yorkshire for giving us such a lovely break, hope to see you again soon.

Here is our Shedcast, this week from a small but perfectly formed shed, at the bottom of a large and perfectly planted garden, It makes the little patch at the back of our house look more like a field than a garden, but as David says, wild flowers can look just as beautiful. Anyway, I came home with a bag full of Begonias so we can posh it up a bit. When you have watched the blog take a look at what else we got up to during the week, in photos below, including my encounter with a £30,000 sapphire and diamond ring. 

The week started well with a walk in the countryside while the fellas got to work building a raised patio at the back of the house.

So, guess where I am? I thought it was Cape Canaveral or a secret rocket base in the heart of Yorkshire. Beam me up Scotty!

The chaps were hard at it when we got back

The next day we went to see David's sister, Nan and Lawrence who we hadn't seen for over two years. It was so good to get together again.

Our drive out to Ripon and beyond took us to The Black Sheep Brewery at Masham where we bought a quantity of beer and a beer mat for our shed, yeah!

The it was back to work on the wonderful wall.

Meanwhile it was back to the woods for us.

The next day we went to Salt's Mill, at Bingley where we mooched around the book shop, the David Hockney paintings, the Simon Palmer exhibition, the antique shop and cookware department. It was all very interesting, and a little surprise when we found the Valley Press Anthology of Yorkshire Poetry was on display and for sale in the book shop. And guess who has a poem in that little book - Moi!

And to end the week we had a barbecue and bubbly event.

So let me tell you about the £30,000 sapphire and diamond ring. It just so happens that a long time ago, I was given, as a present, a rough emerald from Brazil. I have always wanted to have it made into a ring, though I know it is not terribly valuable. So while I was in Skipton I popped in to a little jewellery shop in Sheep Street. It had been recommended as a place that did jewellery repairs and commissions as well as selling exquisite items, Isaacs Working Jewellers. As I suspected my stone was not at all valuable, but Mr Saj Anwar told me it could be made into a beautiful ring, or perhaps a pendant, if I so wished. To show me some of the exquisite work of the shop, Saj disappeared into the back to bring me a commissioned ring that was waiting to be picked up. It was the most fabulous ring set in platinum, and I could not resist popping it onto my finger. Well, it fit perfectly and it looked as though it should have been mine, large enough to be pleasing whilst conservative enough not to look too 'in your face' as they say.

I enquired as to the price - £30,000. You should have seen the jaw drop. I think my words were, 'it's out of my league.' As proof of quality workmanship it was second to none, and Raj told me that platinum being more difficult than gold to work, makes it so valuable. 

I know that my rough emerald will be in good hands when I hand it over to Saj to make into a piece of jewellery for me, even though it won't be in platinum. It may not be this month (unless I can persuade David not to eat for a month) but the idea has been born, the goal is in site and now I just have to make a plan to make it happen. Everything is possible! Thank you, Saj for the inspiration. So now you know where to go for that special piece, it's like opening the door to a secret garden of exquisiteness, right there in the middle of Skipton - Isaacs Working Jewellers

So that's all folks, back to Monday washing. Oh and maybe a little warm up walk to ease the legs into July. Have a good week. David and I will be back in our humble shed on Friday. Keep safe and keep smiling.

Love and hugs,

Jane and David xx

P.S. I'm still suffering from bling blindness - £30,000, on my finger, whatever next!

Oh, and yes the new patio wall did get finished.

Anthology of Yorkshire Poetry

Well, lovely people, Spring has sprung, and with it I feel my strength coming back after months of ill health. Not only that but I am thrilled to bits to have a poem in the Anthology of Yorkshire Poety, published by Valley Press. Click the link and see for yourselves, I am in the midst of exulted company, Carol Ann Duffy, our Poet Laureate to name drop just one. This has been great for my moral, which I have to say has been at an all time low. So, it is onwards and upwards from here.

As to the onwards and upwards I have been working on my second novel, which after dozens of re-writes over a number of years I now consider to be finished. Yeah!

   

Watch this space for updates on my poetry too.

A few weeks ago Simon Armitage came to Barnsley to give a talk about his work. It was one event I could not miss, and what a splendid evening of poetry it was. Of course I am in love with Simon Armitage, and can't understand anyone who isn't.

The other activity that has consumed me of late is 'heir hunting,' and to that end David and I have been trailing various graveyards around Barnsley looking for trace of my relatives. Well we have been very successful. Only two or three miles away from where we live is Elsecar, and there we found the grave of my Great, Great Grandmother and Grandfather, Ellen and Joseph Royston. In the same graveyard, that of Holy Trinity Church, is my Great, Great, Great, Grandmother and Grandfather, Sarah and George Royston, plus children they had, one of which, Walter Royston, is named on the grave as having died in Canada. So looks like I may have relations over there too. In Monk Bretton we found the grave of my Great Grandmother and Granddad, Annie Elizabeth and Arthur Clarke. 

So now I really do feel that I have returned to my gene pool.

I have to say, I did shed a tear. It is a strange feeling meeting the past in this way.

I now know that I come from at least four generations of Barnsley coal miners.

No silver spoon as yet!

I am now going to practice my pitch for my poetry which I will put before publishers in the near future.

I hope all is well with you, and that you are feeling the wonderful effect of Spring too.

I promise to write again soon to keep you up to date with my life around Barnsley, and beyond.

Love and hugs,

Jane x