VALENTINE SPECIAL

Hello lovely readers,

I hope you all had a very HAPPY VALENTINE'S DAY! David and I celebrated with a glass of cider in the shed, followed by curried vegetables and rice - a Valentine Special!

We also had a midweek trip to Barnsley, Thursday, no market, it was a wee bit quiet but we picked up a few essentials and then had lunch in the Falco Bar, next to the library. That was quiet too, but we had a laugh, especially at the window decoration cum promotion cum I'm not really sure, of a lady about to either dive into the pool (none existent), or else the North Sea, a good two hour's away. Whichever, it put us in a jolly mood with David saying, 'I feel like I'm on holiday.' Maybe that is the reaction the widow dresser had in mind. We ordered three little dishes of tapas and larger to complete the mood:

Frighteningly funny! 

Brilliant little nibbles!

Storm 'Dennis' hit on Saturday/Sunday, but Birdwell is on hilly ground so we were safe from all the flooding. Apparently the river at Darfield came dangerously close to overflowing, but it seems like Wales and York got the worst of it.

After two days of rehearsing for my set at the Barnsley Spoken Word event on Sunday, I was ready for a relaxing evening and a cosy up. You will find the account of how the event panned out in my next blog, but you won't have to wait a week, it will be out as a simultaneous blog, right after this one.

So, if you are ready to see what I got up to yesterday, (Sunday), or if you just want a good laugh, read my next blog post.

See you on the other side of... (sanity)!
Love and Hugs,
Jane x

P.S. Oh, I forgot to mention, I've had another little success, I have had two poems accepted for the Voices of Change anthology, Sheffield, to be launched on 1st May. Yeah!

Unplugged in Doncaster

Hello everybody,

I do hope you have come through the storm without much damage. Ciara blew her way through Birdwell yesterday taking our garden fence with her, but luckily it will soon be repaired. We had a cosy-up day in the house listening to the wind and rain, reading and watching TV, it was the right thing to do, especially as we had been out and about in Doncaster on Saturday. And why were we there? Well, we'd seen on Facebook that there was an Unplugged session at the Brewery and Tap. It's a place we had never been to before, so it was bus pass out, and glad rags on.

We are so pleased that we made the effort. It was jolly, and a great environment with guitar music, song and recitation, and yes, I did join in.  Fun! fun! and that's what everyone needs. Here are a few pics:

We were lucky to get a seat.

Alison was having fun too.

While Ian was busy in the back making sure the brew was perfect.

Add caption

Now that's a barrel!

Behind the scenes at Doncaster Brewery

Thanks, Alison and Ian for a perfect afternoon. We hope to see you again soon.



















Today, Monday, has been cold but otherwise not too bad. We tripped off to Morrisons this morning for essentials, and we were back in time for the Daily Politics on BBC2. 

Now it is time to do a bit of washing before thinking about making tea. Oh the joy of housework!

I did manage to read a book last week, The Castle of Otranto by Horace Walpole. It's claim to fame is that it is the first novel in the genre 'Gothic'. Well, I did enjoy it because of the language - Medieval English - even though the story did have a few quirky moments, but I'm not sure gothic is my sort of stuff. I may be proved wrong. 

So, it's all steam ahead to prepare for the Barnsley Spoken Word Valentine's do at The Old School House, this Sunday at 4.30p.m. The entrance is whatever you can give towards the Barnsley Food Bank - Tins of meat, beans, tomatoes etc or toiletries always wanted. Come along if you can, you will be well entertained.

Ta Ta for now, have a good week and I'll be back soon with an update of my 'exciting' (could do better) life. I'll be glad when the weather improves, my little shed is being neglected.

Lots of love and hugs,
Jane xx

P.S. I have two wonderful reviews on Amazon this week, (thank you dear readers) - you may not think that is going to improve my lot, but it did bring a smile, and that is enough to put me on for the time being. Higgs Bottom you'll be a winner one day. Click to find out more.

A Midweek Treat in Barnsley

There were one or two things we needed to get from Barnsley, so mid morning, we caught the 66 bus into town. First, Morrisons for a few odds and sods, then on to Wilko's, where we priced up some paint (it's that Spring decorating time), and then through the Alhambra shopping centre into the open air of Barnsley High Street. As we approached Boots the Chemist we could hear the music of a young lad busking in the street. I don't know who he is but he is very good, and he really adds to the enjoyment of High Street shopping. There were several market-trader stalls in the middle of town, but our next destination was the new Market Hall eating centre on the second floor of the inside market.

We were so surprised to find such a pleasant space, so well lit that it is an 'almost outside', inside experience. The wall of windows gives a view over the town, while modern seating and tables give comfort and practicality. After a walk round the many different food outlets ranging from coffee shops to a bar, and buns to burgers, we settled on a vegetarian pizza, freshly made to order and absolutely delicious. Of course we sat near to the bar and completed our midweek treat with a glass of cider (for me) and a guinness (for David). Pop music blurted out getting our toes tapping, and the area was filled with midday chatter. Next time, (for we shall certainly go again), we may try a taste of the Middle East, which is very tempting, and if we were not vegetarian (most of the time) we would certainly be up for the Shredded Duck and Chips. 

Barnsley Market Hall Pizza Place

Delicious!

A midday tipple in Barnsley Market

Barnsley Market Foody Place

So, recommendations all ways round, and I can't wait for another Barnsley treat day.

And now it's Shed Night eve and I'm planning a bit of a party for Brexit night, well, any excuse! Personally, I think we live in exciting times. We are on the very edge of a new IT future, electric cars, climate change technologies, medical breakthroughs, and much, much more that I can only dream about. So, if nothing else, let's celebrate all of that.

See you on the other side, as they say, oh, and it's going to be relatively warm for the next few days, so it might mean I don't need my furry hat in the shed.

Lots of love and hugs, bye for now,
Jane x

Don't forget, if you really want something to comment on, then take a look at my book, Higgs Bottom, it should at least cause a slight titter. Click here to read all about it.