BIG News

Yesterday I got BIG news.

It wasn’t totally unexpected, but it will be totally life changing…

The news came from my husband, in the form of a text message no less! (This was BIG news after all!)

Our Australian Visa application has been approved!

This means that later this year, we will be leaving the UK behind and heading down under to live in Australia.

Art work by Michael Tompsett

Of course this gives me really mixed feelings: I’ve never been to Australia before, so it’s both exciting (I love new things) and scary. There will be new opportunities ahead, but existing ones will be lost. Australia has big countryside and amazing wildlife, here has my familiar and beloved (if, sadly, reducing) countryside and wildlife. And most importantly, while Australia is reputed to have an amazing outdoors and friendly lifestyle, the UK has my dear friends and family who I will be devastated to leave behind.

I’ve noticed that we are both dealing with this huge change very differently – my husband is far more nonchalant. He broke the news to me and his close family by text message! On the other hand I made sure that I called my mum and brother to speak to them personally (they are too far away for me to actually go round to tell them in person or I would have done that) rather than text.

When I said that I felt a bit melancholy because of leaving everyone behind, he pointed out ways I could make new friends over there. On the other hand I see these as two separate issues – yes I want to make new friends when we get there, but I see this as a thing in itself rather than as compensation for what I’m leaving behind. For example my best friend and her sons: I won’t simply find another woman my age, who has a couple of children, and suddenly think “well I have new friends, I guess I don’t miss those old ones anymore! Now to replace my brother…”

I’m sure that this side of things will catch up to him eventually – I just hope that it does so before we leave so that he doesn’t end up in a situation where he regrets not having more time with people…

Fun times with friends

Fun times with friends

Of course it’s not all sad. To turn this to a positive, this news provides extra motivation and impetus to do all those things you always think you have plenty of time for… spending time with people who may be difficult to catch up with, seeing all the places you haven’t gotten round to yet…

This had started already, I went away for a little holiday with my best friend for the first time ever, I’m getting in touch with people I don’t see so often these days to make sure that I will see them. I’m pushing myself to make crochet gifts for certain people before I leave, I’m noticing little things a lot more – such as on our recent walks; I’m not just thinking that everything is nice, but I’m noticing and relishing the different types of woodland flowers, song birds, enjoying the trees with their bursting buds as they thrust their new leaves out into the world. I dwell on the historical imaginings that the rolling chalk downland here invokes, and I love the voluntary work I’ve been doing to help maintain a little part of this. I feel very attached to all of the country houses, castles, and formal gardens that we have here, and the very idea of having a National Trust to maintain them all – I’m feeling nostalgic for things I haven’t left behind yet, and I’m glad about that because I would hate to only realise how great they are once I have gone.

As well as revelling in Britain and Britishness, I am also trying to learn about Australia, and northern Queensland in particular, as that is where we will be heading.

I’ve already been writing about things I’m doing here in Britain, so I’ll do a bit of forward looking now to the fascinating things that await:

Have you heard of Gondwanaland? It is the name given to the more southerly of two supercontinents that were part of the Pangaea supercontinent. These existed when the Earth and the land masses were extremely different from the way they are today, with continents joined in very different ways to their current configuration. Approximately 510 to 180 million years ago!

The fossil record shows that at the time Gondwanaland existed, it was covered in rich forests. Well, Australia is home to the most extensive area of subtropical rainforest in the world, and the species that are growing there today are the same kinds of species that show up in that ancient fossil record! How utterly incredible is that?

I couldn't find many copyright-free images of these forests, but try Googling it...

Of course, being “an outstanding example representing major stages of Earth's history, including the record of life, significant on-going geological processes in the development of landforms, or significant geomorphic or physiographic features", these areas are naturally designated as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, the Gondwana Rainforests of Australia. They don’t form one continuous area, but rather are spread across various national parks. The parks within Queensland are Lamington National Park, Mount Chinghee National Park, Springbrook National Park, Mount Barney National Park and Main Range National Park. None of these are very near to Townsville, where we will be moving, but I reckon that something like that might just be worth a trip…

How utterly incredible to have a link – a living link – to the history of our whole planet? Almost puts our British castles into the shade ;) 

A Bit of Modelling

I’ve been feeling a bit weird today. I’m not sure what’s caused it, but I’ve just had one of those days where you feel all restless, but can’t figure out what will satisfy that restlessness…

I thought of going out for a run this morning, but I was first put off by the rain (very lame, I know!) and then I was hindered as I had to go and collect something my husband had won in an Ebay auction… He does love Ebay, but somehow whenever he wins something that is ‘collection only’, it always seems to be when he is not available to actually go and collect, so I have to do it…

The drive took me out past Aylesbury, and through the small village of Waddesdon. This was really pretty, and particularly interested me as Waddesdon Manor is on my National Trust hit list since I became a member the other week. In the village there was also a sign to another National Trust property, Claydon, so heading out there again sounds like a good plan for the next nice day!

On the way back through Aylesbury I passed a Hobbycraft shop. I don’t normally go to Hobbycraft as a first point of call, as I find them a bit expensive; but on this occasion I’d had an idea floating around in my head, and like I said I was feeling restless, so I decided to indulge myself a bit.

I had a good look around, the store was full of people with their children buying things for Easter crafts, and some of the things available looked so fun that I wished I had some children in the family I could do messy crafts with! But there was still plenty of stuff that caught my eye. Besides replacing my 4.5mm crochet hook (mine has a scratch in it which is just bad enough to snag yarn fibres while I’m using it) I was also looking for Fimo polymer clay.

I had first used this as a child. My mum had come across it aaaaages ago while we were visiting my Nan in Weston-super-Mare, and thought it would be fun so she brought some home with her. I clearly remember me and my brother having a great time creating little models at my Nan’s kitchen table, then waiting impatiently to see the finished results. I can’t remember everything we made, but I do remember that one of mine was a caterpillar with a top hat!

Today I bought black, white, brown and a bright red/pink packet of Fimo - I wanted to keep things simple so that I wouldn’t waste money. I also bought a reel of magnetic tape, which also happened to be adhesive on one side. The shop assistant assured me that this could be cut easily, and it therefore seemed much better value than buying the individual magnetic pieces.

Back at home I got to work trying to think of how to make my idea. In the end I simplified it a lot – I figured it was better to start simpler and build up, plus I have no modelling tools so I thought that was another reason to keep things simple.

My first go at playing with the white Fimo was slightly disastrous! I had washed my hands, and the fibres from the towel when I dried them were highly visible in the white clay! Oops!!

I started over, this time rubbing my hands together after drying them. This reduced the fibres getting into the Fimo, but a better solution is still needed. Maybe I need to develop the patience to let them air dry?

I modelled away, using the white first then the darker colours. The white still showed up in the black, so I had to wash my hands between each colour change. I haven’t done any kind of modelling in years and years, and like I said I have no modelling tools or anything, so I kept the design really simple.

I only made 3 little things to start with as I wasn’t totally happy with the way they were turning out, and also it occurred to me that I would also need to check the setting I would need to use on the oven – the Fimo instructions give the temperature in degrees, but my oven is gas so uses gas mark.I didn't want to put loads of effort in making lots of models, only to burn them all!

I didn’t take any pictures while modelling, but here they are in the oven… 

I put them in on the slow cook setting, for roughly 30 minutes, then took them out and did some rippling while I left them to cool… This oven setting seemed to do the trick, and they came out hardened but not overdone.

Then I cut the magnetic tape into short strips, peeled off the backing and firmly pressed the Fimo models onto the adhesive side. This seems to work fine for now, but I will keep an eye on it to check if the adhesive lasts, or if it needs to be superglued instead.

So I’m sure you’ve guessed by now that I was making fridge-magnets… would you like to see them? I have other ideas for further designs, but for now this is what I have:

I was keeping with the woolly theme by making sheep. Do you see the little curly horns and the black splodges? I’ve made Jacob’s Sheep like my mother-in-law’s flock!

I tried to make little flowers to brighten them up, but when I pressed the flowers onto the sheep they all squished out of shape, so I need to figure out how to do that better. I also didn't do very well at giving the legs black patches, so I'll work on this too.

I used a biro to make the eyes, and you can see that it marked the horns as well, so that's another thing I need to do better with. I used the end of a screwdriver to make the nose, it was cumbersome but I think it worked ok?

Still a long way to go with these, and plenty more options for different designs, but it was pretty good fun to play around with this stuff!

While Out Walking

The Ashridge Estate and Ivinghoe Beacon

I think I have mentioned before, but I have a big trekking trip booked for this summer. Therefore it’s really important that I get out walking as much as possible. As I’m recovering from a hip injury caused by overtraining, and now also recovering from whiplash, I have to be sensible when it comes to my return to exercise.

Taking things too easy is very frustrating for me – don’t get me wrong, I love to take it easy sometimes. But sometimes I want to be able to just get out there and get the adrenaline flowing!

Fortunately, I currently live near to the Chilterns Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB), the North Wessex Downs AONB and the Dunstable Downs (part of the Chilterns). This is an area of rolling chalk downland with lots of wildlife and beautiful views and a great many footpaths, making it a great area to use for my return to long-distance walking. The last couple of weekends we have therefore headed out on easy longish walks so I can begin to build up my walking fitness.

Yesterday we began our walk in the picturesque village of Aldbury. This looked like a ‘proper’ southern English village; it had an old fashioned red phone box and post box, beautiful cottages, a pretty and well-kept church and a lovely duck pond in the centre.

From our start point we walked up the hill through woods to the Ashridge Estate, a large estate of woodland, parkland and downland run by the National Trust. 

Spotting pheasants on the way.

Near the visitor area there we saw a chainsaw sculpting display taking place, and stopped to watch for a little while.

Richard Balaam ~ Mr B's Chainsaw Carving

Then we carried on, walking all the way through the woods. The trees were mostly bare and the beautiful woodland flowers were little pops of colour amongst the brown and green of the woodland floor.

Gorse

Wood Sorrel

We continued walking until we left the woods behind and were out in open downland. The ground was gentle rolling hills with fields of rape noticeable as their yellow flowers coloured the landscape. Ivinghoe Beacon is a prominent hill in this area, although the countryside is so gentle that its elevation is just a mere 233m. Its prominence means that it was a beacon site in ancient times, from where a signal could be shown for great distances to give warnings in times of crisis.

From the Beacon you can easily see across to the Whipsnade White Lion, cut out of the turf to display the white chalk below, in the same way as the more famous chalk carvings such as the Cerne Abbas Giant or the Long Man of Wilmington, although the Lion is obviously much more recent. Created in 1933 for the Whipsnade Zoo, apparently during World War 2 it was all covered up so that it wouldn't provide a landmark for air raids.

The open rolling landscape also creates ideal conditions for model aeroplane enthusiasts. Someone was flying their model glider as we walked past, then from the other side we also saw a real glider being towed up by a light aircraft.

Model...

...and real!

Dropping down again from the Beacon, we walked back through the fields of rape and up the hill again back towards the Ashridge Estate visitor centre. 

On the way we saw three red kites, two of them attacking the other. I have never seen this behaviour before, although I see red kites almost every day where I live. I have posted a question to see if I can find out more, but I wonder if it was a fight over a mate.

Edit to add: The RSPB, who I asked about this, came back to me with this answer: "Apparently the fact it was three red kites makes it likely to be an established pair seeing off an interloper. In the winter, red kites are social and at that time of year they are tolerant of each other. In the spring and summer they become less tolerant, especially of lone birds they don't know. Neighbouring birds who are familiar (red kites nest about a kilometer apart) would not be attacked. But a strongly-bonded pair (red kites will stay with the same mate year after year) would see off a single strange bird. If it is a female, the female in the pair would lead the attack, and if the strange bird is a male, the male in the pair will take the lead." This fits in with what I saw, as if they were fighting for a mate then you would expect to see 2 birds chasing the third while fighting with each other, but it was definitely 2 birds working together to fight the third, so I reckon that's the mystery solved!

You can see gaps in the feathers of the poor victim!

Returning to the main visitor area, we saw that the Bridgewater Monument was now open to visitors. According to Wikipedia, the Bridgewater Monument was “built in 1832 in memory of Francis Egerton, 3rd Duke of Bridgewater (1736–1803), ‘the father of inland navigation’. It is 108 feet (33 m) tall, with 172 steps inside, designed by Sir Jeffry Wyattville in a Doric style. It overlooks the village of Aldbury and the Grand Union Canal. It was built away from Ashridge House as his mother wanted "not to see or be reminded of my infernal son".”

The Bridgewater Monument

Our National Trust membership cards had arrived the previous day, so we showed these to get free entry to the Monument and took in the views from the top. 

Satisfied, we came back down again and headed to the visitor centre restaurant. After all, if the opportunity is there then it would be silly not to finish a country walk without a cream tea!