ABritAbroad

One of my favourite painters, actually from Notts, Arthur Spooner. This painting of his of Goose Fair I'm especially fond of, to me it's just magical. I can smell and hear the sounds of the fair when I look at it. There are much clearer pics of it online if you wish to see, or even better, in person at Notts Castle. http://

Oh, you make me laugh, must have been a good story to go along with that Sounds like a dream to me too, I can't help feeling like I was born in the wrong era. So swooned with things of the past, they resonate much stronger than anything of today's day and age.

Thank you Jill! They don't make em' like they used to do they? I can just imagine you in a Victorian or Georgian abode, your profile pic reminds me of the lovely Old Masters paintings, I could easily see you in lovely foil-backed Georgian paste jewels and all the accoutrements of the era.

Stripped to the wood, 15+ layers of ugly paint later... He has to sit a year or so to get used to the dry weather before I start restoring the wood, replacing losses, re-glueing dowels, etc. It could crack in 6 months if I start now, gotta let this old boy's joints settle into his new retirement climate! http://

This took longer than I dared dream, twenty hours in, a gallon of Brasso and a half pound of wire wool down, I questioned my sanity. I could have paid someone to do it but it meant something to me to tackle it alone, I look at it now and see blood, sweat, and tears, (a bit of carpal tunnel too! ) http://

What to do about a pole? I managed to track down an original English Anderson galloper pole, had it packed up and shipped to Canada. The British Customs Officer had a great time ribbing me about the "brass pole" I was clearing, cheeky bugger. Oh, but was it ever in rough shape. Likely not been polished in a 100 years and the only reason you could see any brass shining through was because it was covered in remnants of varnish. I had my work cut out for me, my scullery maid skills were about to be tested... http:// http://

Not really sure this warrants it's own post but don't where else to put it! I have always loved carousel horses, I blame the gallopers at Goose Fair for it. Well, forward a good few years and I came across an old beaten up carousel horse head that sold at auction, I had missed it by a couple of weeks. Hoping to find another, I began researching them. They have a fascinating history in the UK, Europe, and the US. Stemming from ancient Arabian games to test a warrior's skill, that in turn inspired medieval jousts. So began the hobby of collecting and restoring, as o

http:// Just a quick share of my sweet boy, Rogan, riding shotgun my way to the mountains

That's the ticket, no stress = happier ticker

This is really interesting, sat on those lions many a time and never knew any of this, thanks for sharing.

Hello Melissa! Yes I'm pretty sure that's the one, in Hucknall right? It's been a while, had to clear some cobwebs Makes me wonder who looked at stinging nettles and went "let's me a cup of tea out of it"

Ayupmeducks, sorry to hear you got Lyme, are you all good now? Argh, I don't like cockroaches on me. Don't mind if they are around me, but not in my house or crawling on me, $od that. When I worked in India they were everywhere, a total infestation where I worked, but you could step on those and they'd die. Those Central American ones, not a chance, I think you could drive a tank over one and it would get up and run off. I saw cat trying to kill one once and the roach walked off in victory, the cat gave up. I only put DEET on my socks and other clothes as it's carcinoge

katyjay, oh you are killing me, I haven't seen or heard dock leaves in eons, I'm suddenly well and truly homesick. I felt like I could live in Colwick woods when I was growing up. I'd spend all day playing in the forest, building forts, eating blackberries, unripened hazelnuts, apples, mushrooms, walnuts. There was no lack of fish (though the big pikes in The Loop always scared me!) and lots of pheasants, it really was a wondrous place.

Oztalgian, I have seen some of the critters you get in Oz, geez, I'd never put a pair of shoes on without shaking them out first I once worked in Honduras and woke up many times to find a cockroach in my bed (this is not a testament to my taste in men) and I assure you, no one jumped out of bed quicker than I each morning when the roosters crowed. I actually considered plugging my nose and ears with tampons when I found out there were no bug nets anywhere.

loppylugs, I'm surprised there's no mosquitoes back home, or is there now? It's sure wet enough and it's not like Canada is hotter that the UK, we have tonnes up here. I have an Argentine Dogo and he hates mosquitoes, feels every bite like it was a rat biting his ankles, he gets right upset. When I lived in Airdrie the city released adult dragonflies because it got so bad, thousands of them, within two days you couldn't find a mosquito, it was brilliant.

Ayupmeducks, I don't recall having ticks in the UK, never saw one once and I literally lived in the forest, are they there? We have a big tick problem up here this year, nasty buggers, it's the Lyme disease they carry that's the problem, it's an awful disease to get. I have never been bit by one, but then I go hiking here armed with DEET spray, bear spray, sunscreen spray, the works, it's like arming yourself for battle against the wonders of nature.

Livin' dangerously, on both counts, PP! Them woods hold a lot of secrets, I'm sure the park wardens have a lot of stories to tell

Lizzie, that sounds brilliant, what a great time to visit, your boys must have just loved it. Yes, everyone is pretty friendly over here, very Brit friendly and there's lots of us. I work with a few Brits but we are on different rotations so ships passing for the most part unless we get called in off rotation. It's joked by colleagues that we aren't allowed to work together because the banter gets so bad no one understands us by the end of shift, funny how that happens isn't it? Glad you had such a good time here

katyjay, wouldn't find that on mug or pen would I? No, I got teased on occasion for my name spelling imoan, backwards. Funny, kids at school would ask if I knew that's what it spelt, like they were telling me something I didn't already know! One of my very good Blackfoot friends here jokingly calls me white buffalo... cheeky mare, she used to be a bartender in New York, she's the most un-aboriginal Native I know, jokes I'm more an Indian than she is, told me she draws the line if I start trying to teach her how to make moccasins. Love that woman, she's a good egg. Could never find N

Ayupmeducks, do we have chiggas in the UK? I never saw any, only thing to ever give me grief back home was stinging nettles.

Those look delicious, nonnaB

We sure do get around don't we, Ayupmeducks? Funny, I did know a Graham here from Nottingham and for a moment I thought it might be the same bloke but the rest doesn't add up so it's not him. I haven't been to Missouri, how did you end up there and how long have you been there, may I ask? So you're telling me this is not the year to visit Savannah then, Cicada wise? The tour guide was definitely talking about some kind of big flying bug, I'm sure it was cicadas. As long as they don't bite I'm alright.. maybe. We have these big giant water bugs that fly and are as big as

Yes, it was one big kitty, right at the main entrance revolving doors too, lucky it didn't get in. Only ever seen one other cougar once in Canmore whilst hiking, I went back to the car pretty swift like! Never been hiking here and not run into a bear. I saw about a dozen last year, I'm less concerned with them though, never had an issue with one. It's the tourists that get too close trying to take selfies that are the problem. They've seen Winnie the Pooh too many times, not realizing Winnie can run faster than a horse and can rip your head off. They shut down the beautiful wild bison par

Hello fastfil, Lake Huron is a beautiful place. Funny how so many of us Brits move to Canada... we're a wandering breed

They think we live in igloos, loppylugs