Friday 24 April 2015

A few bits/what's up

A few weeks ago I was lucky to see the partial eclipse of the sun.  Here are some photos - there was cloud cover but there were enough breaks in the cloud to get a view from Chester.  It was really quite special.
 


















I was just back in Amsterdam the weekend before last to see Dutch National Ballet in La Dame aux Camelias - it was fabulous.  Sadly we had wanted to see the Keukenhof Gardens long story but basically the bus got caught up in roadworks and it all ended with us not getting to the gardens :-( we did see some of the bulb fields from our plane home:-

I think mainly hyacinths in bloom here
pink and purple.

































Life is changing for me very soon as after 25 years service I am being made redundant from my job.   I have no idea what to do, whether to stay in the same line of work or whether to try something different.  It will be a huge change because after so long in one place you become somewhat "institutionalised"!  I just said goodbye to the majority of my colleagues today, as most left today.  Just a tiny number will remain, myself included, until mid June.  

Next week I will be visiting one of my most favourite places - Highgrove Gardens in Gloucestershire.  I go every year now as I love it there so I am looking forward to seeing the garden's delights this year!  Sadly the weather forecast is not brilliant despite the fact we have had a wonderful spring week - some of the our sunsets have been amazing!   Then I will be going to see the Hermes Wanderland Exhibition and the Alexander McQueen show at the V&A and finally I will be jetting off to New York (while I still have a wage coming in!) to see mainly ballet but also Dame Helen Mirren in The Audience - can't wait, and the new show An American In Paris which has had rave reviews!  So it's a busy time ahead.  

I will leave you with some photos of our lovely sunsets here over the Dee Estuary and Hilbre Island last week.  Have a great weekend everyone!