Week three....

...in the Gallery, done!!

I love our little Gallery team and I love the Art Department. Really lovely people and the most inspiring, creative place to work. There's no sense of dread in a morning, just a nice day ahead of me. I have to be organised meal wise, as there is no time to shop after work really, but I can also be quite disciplined, as I can only eat what I take in with me!

I also had an hour of exam training, ready for the November mocks. It was nice to have a bit of a catch up with a few of my fellow invigilators. Just one more full week to go in the gallery, then a couple of days the following week, then it's the student exhibition in January.

Jeff pops in from time to time, which goes with out saying, is also a nice little bonus. Occasionally, he'll call for me and we walk home together. When I'm doing invigilating I can move around campus more but with the gallery, I stay put all day. I have to lock it up every time I leave the room, so he has to come and see me!!

After a disappointing Exeat weekend, and more rain this week, it has been dry this morning. Jeff got some of the Spring bulbs he'd dried out, planted out it the lawn and I went to Sainsbury's and did a food shop! The weather has been really disappointing, especially as we had a rubbish summer. Looking forward to Spain at half term more than anything!!

Tried to get Coldplay tickets this week, but with no joy. Sophie did get through eventually and was offered seats at £880 each!!!!!!!I think they're brilliant live, but not for that sort of money. I did however get tickets for the pianist Tony Ann. Google 'Icarus' and you'll probably recognise the tune. It accompanies many a reel on Instagram and TikTok, and at just £27 a ticket, bargain! Moulin Rouge tickets come out next week, so I need to remember to book those!! I've a couple of things still in the diary for this year. Fairground Attraction and Will young with my sister, our birthday treat to each other. Then Mary Poppins, my birthday treat to myself and the Christmas Spectacular near to Christmas!! 

It's always nice to have something to look forward to.

Autumn touches!

Another busy week. I started off the week on Monday, in my exam invigilator role. A practice exam for an A'Level student and it felt like a practice exam for me too!!It was odd to begin with, remembering what to do!! It was only June, when I last did it, but it somehow seemed like ages ago. So it was a good refresher and some money in the pot!!

My fig season has come to an end. I have still been picking in October in previous years, but I think this is my final few. The tree is covered in fruit, we've just not had the fig wasps to pollinate them or enough warm sunshine. There's always next year!

We've had a real mix of weather this week. Beautiful, late, warm, autumn sunshine to start the week off, and biblical rain towards the end of the week, which of course was timed perfectly for the weekend!! Thankfully it was dry on Tuesday morning, so Lynn and I were able to get out for a walk and headed up to the Tor. Enjoying a coffee, sat outside in the sunshine at Middlewick, once we were back down.

So many house martins flying around at the Tor.  

I was back in the Gallery on Wednesday, Thursday and was supposed to be meeting my friend in the evening but she had to cancel, and it coincided with Sam returning from London. So I was a nice mum, and collected his from Wells bus station. Brought him home, made him something to eat, then waved him off, heading back up to Cardiff for the new term. He seems in a good place at the moment. One more year left of Uni.....then no idea!!

After a cold spell last week, the weather has warmed back up! 

The geraniums and sunflowers are loving it and 

still putting on a colourful display out the front of the house.

It's typical, that it was nice, warm sunshine whilst at work and then the weekend, rain!! Especially as it's an EXEAT weekend. Jeff finished at lunchtime on Friday and gets the Saturday and Monday off! I left just half an hour early but got the Saturday off too. My time is whizzing by in the Gallery, that's two of the five weeks already done!

Thankfully it dried up by Saturday evening. We met up with Sophie over in Bristol. We went to the Hat Bistro for tea before another show at the Hippodrome......

....Grease is the word.....

Jeff delighted in telling everyone he was going to Grease this weekend!! 

Going to a Greek restaurant was as close to the real Greece as he was getting!!

Today (Sunday) is the Autumn Equinox and has been wet again. 

It poured all morning. Jeff was refereeing, rather him than me!! 

I spent my morning faffing!!

Just adding a few 'autumnal touches'....

...and collecting a few more conkers when it stopped raining!!

We had hoped to go over to the Newt tomorrow. Our membership runs out on the 1st of October and as yet, Jeff has not been!! He has used it to go to the Eden Project and the Lost Gardens of Heligan but not the actual Newt!!! I think I will carry it on but as a single membership or add Sophie as my extra instead of Jeff!! So it will depend on what the weather looks like when we wake up. The forecast isn't great but if there's a hint of a dry spell, we will head over. There are quite a few new bits that have been added since he last went but it won't be worth doing in the rain!!!

Let's hope the weather forecast is wrong!!

Back to the Gallery

It's been a busy week, back to work, the Private View, coffee with friends, a theatre visit!!

The start of the week was unseasonably cold and the real autumnal feels kicked in.

I think I mentioned it last week, the summer duvet has gone away. 

Thankfully it's been dry and we've had sunshine, albeit it on the chilly side.

I'm back in the Gallery, and it is nice and bright and cheery in there.

I feel really lucky to be working in such fabulous surroundings.

The current exhibition is Women in Abstraction.

And on Friday evening, after a full day in the gallery, I went back in in the evening, for some talks by the exhibiting artists and the Private View. It was a lovely evening, didn't feel like work at all. The exhibition has been very well received and the evening well attended.

I went in a little earlier on the Saturday, just to hoover and do a few bits of clearing up before the gallery opened it's doors to visitors. Before I got the job, I had already bought theatre tickets for a show in the afternoon. So I was able to leave at 1pm and someone covered the afternoon for me. 

So I headed straight over to Bristol, parked up and met Sophie on Cathedral Green.

The show was SIX. 

It tells the stories of Henry the VIII's wives

"The Six musical tells the story of the six wives of Henry VIII like you've never heard before. At the start of the musical, the six women argue with one another as they try to make out they had it worse. But as they listen to their stories, they open their hearts to each other and realise it's better to stick together."

It was only an hour and 20 minutes long, no interval but so much energy and production in that time. 

A fantastic show.

They encourage you to video the last bit of the show and share it on social media, which is probably part of it's success in having 'sold out' shows throughout the tour. We're back at the Hippodrome next week, with Jeff in tow, to see Grease. I really should get a job there!!

So today, Sunday, and a day off, although the alarm was set early for a Sainsbury's delivery!! I occasionally get these vouchers, £12 off a £60 shop, so it's so worth doing and I go for the delivery 'saver slot' as it's cheaper, a four hour delivery window, which today was 8-12. Of course it arrived at 8am!!! I guess, it means I make the most of the day! We woke up to blue skies and sunshine, so the washing basket is empty and now out on the line and it's a day of catching up with jobs around the house. Sam was supposed to be coming back from London but it now staying on for a few more days (young love) so I think we may see him the end of the week, to collect the car and head back to Cardiff for the start of Uni. 

So it's been a busy week and more of the same next week. I've signed up for a bit of exam invigilation too, just to top up the money pot. It's an EXEAT weekend and the school closes, so I get next Saturday off and Jeff gets the Monday off too. Let's hope it stays dry, so we can get out and do something. 

First week of September feels

First conkers of the year!!

It's been another busy week, catching up from the summer holidays. 

Jeff went back to work 'proper' on Monday and I dropped Sam off at the train station, London bound for the next couple of weeks.

On Tuesday we were up early to book our Summer 2025 flights. Martin Lewis gave us the tip off and we always get up early now on a flight release day. Our flights, if we were to book them today, just a week later, would be £100 more expensive. So worth setting an early alarm!

I then had a bit of training to go in for, gallery related, then spent the afternoon with friends enjoying a coffee in the sunshine. Yes! we did have a tiny bit of sunshine worth noting. The rest of the week has been grey, damp, wet and miserable.

On Wednesday, I had a date over at the Newt. 

I'd promised to take my old Sainsbury's Manager there as a leaving gift! 

She'd never been but I knew she would appreciate it. 

So we had breakfast in the Garden cafe.....

....and then had a good wander around.

Thankfully it stayed dry but the rest of the week has been pretty soggy...

....damp and chilly!!

We haven't turned the heating on but are changing over to the warmer duvet today.

I can't complain, because we had July in Greece, but Summer here in the UK has been very disappointing and the promise of an Indian Summer doesn't look likely. 

The Christmas chocolates are already in the shops. I always buy the 'Chocolate Tin' pouches as soon as I see them on offer, and this year Morrison's had them at 2 for £6. So I've separated them all out and popped them away in the tin at the back of the cupboard. Got a bag of the ones we don't like, ready for Halloween and that's one thing done!

On Thursday I had a coffee and catch up with my walking friend, Lynn. We didn't walk as it was raining but we'd not seen each other since the end of June. Lots to catch up on. Then I had three clear days. My plan was to sort out holiday accommodation, now we had our flights booked. I don't know if it was the number of tabs I had open......but my computer didn't like it, and ceremoniously 'died' on me! 

Unfix-able!!! 

Jeff had said all summer "I must get you a new computer" but it was just one of those things that we never got round to doing! I think I had an old computer of Sam's, which was fine, but had started making a lot of noise/struggling when it was on! So I am having to make do with another old one, Jeff kept 'just in case' and hopefully a new one will arrive on Monday! When I will enter password hell, trying to log into everything!

On Saturday, I made use of the 'dry' weather window, and popped over to Somerton to drop over some flyer's for the Gallery. Whilst I was there I had a peek at the current Exhibition 'Hanging by a Thread'. This exhibition has been 2 years in the making and showcases the hand stitched work of .....

...Angela Knapp

and Kara Chambers

Beautiful work, detailed, such skill. I loved it all. 

So today is Sunday!

Another grey day, with rain forecast. 

Autumn has arrived early. The trees are turning, the evenings are drawing in and summer clothes need to be put away for another year.

 I start back in the gallery next week, for the next five weeks. I like the money but do not like being tied to something. I can guarantee the weather will be dry and sunny on gallery days and wet and miserable when I'm off! It's always the way! So next week looks busy. I have a coffee date on Monday and new computer arrival. A catch up day on Tuesday or maybe a Bath shopping trip, but I don't think I'll have time. Gallery days on Wednesday, Thursday and Friday, with artist talks and the private view on Friday evening. Then a half day on Saturday, as Sophie and I have a theatre date in Bristol, which was booked before I even got the job!! Sam needs to be collected and returns, 'for one night only' on Sunday, before he heads back to Cardiff and Uni!! So a busy week ahead. 

Pinch and a punch.....

.....hello September!

And what better way to start the new month off, than with a 5am alarm and a car boot over in Cheddar with Sam!! It's a whole new ball game, car booting!! Jeff and Sam did one last week and then Sam and I did another one this morning. Topping up his uni fund!! It's the people in the boot before you have chance to even get anything out!! To be fair to Sam, I left that first bit up to him and on the whole, I'd say he quite enjoyed it!

Across the two weekends he's made about £500, so that should keep him going for a bit! And we have a lot less stuff in the house!! A quick charity shop run in the morning with what's left and a few bits will go back to Cardiff for Sam to try and sell online, job done!!

I started the week with Sam....

....out for a walk along the Poldens, making the most of the sunshine.

He then headed back to Cardiff for a few days, before returning on Friday, home for a friends birthday and the car boot. I'm dropping him off at the train station tomorrow afternoon, as he's off to London for the next couple of weeks, before he heads back to Cardiff for Uni.

Most of my week has been occupied by getting stuff together for the car boot, but in between I've dropped some flyers off for the Gallery exhibition over in Glastonbury and Street. I've had the dentist, got my hair cut....all those end of holiday jobs!

Jeff's had INSET and meetings, so although term doesn't officially start until Monday, 

he's basically been back in this week.

It has felt autumnal, the seasons shifting! The sun will no longer set after 8pm. The nights will start drawing in, misty mornings, that lovely 'bonus' warm late summer sunshine (when it happens)

On Saturday I headed over to Bristol to meet up with Sophie, to see the musical Come From Away. I went knowing very little, and came out having seen the best bit of musical theatre I've seen in a long time. It's based around the true events of 9/11, when the planes got divereted away from New York 

"shares the incredible real-life story of the 7,000 air passengers from all over the world who were grounded in Canada during the wake of 9/11, and the small Newfoundland community that invited these ‘come from aways’ into their lives with open hearts.

We both thoroughly enjoyed it, and it was lovely to spend the afternoon together.

A much deserved standing ovation too.

We have a couple of shows booked for September, SIX and Grease. I have an ATG membership, which gives me early access to tickets and usually they have a few at a cheaper price. We paid £13 for our tickets on Saturday and I think I've paid the same for Grease. Some tickets are more, it depends on the show, but I don't mind supporting the arts and it means I get to see and spend time with Sophie too.

So a busy week. Well, a busy August to be fair and now we head into a new month. I love a September start! It's a better reset for me than New Year! The summer has been lovely and it's been great having the whole of the summer off together, but I also like routines! Jeff starts back at school, Sophie working, Sam in his last year at Uni and me....about to host the new exhibition in the Gallery. We still have a bit of coming and going. Sam doesn't actually start his final year until the start of October but he'll head back to Cardiff soon.......and it'll be Christmas before you know it!! Sorry for mentioning the 'C' word!! But, the way time is whizzing by, it'll be here before we know it.