Holiday charity shops

A blogger was asking if anybody else goes into charity shops on holiday. I do usually though didn't during my Scottish week as I was too remote to see any.

On holiday in Clacton with DB though we went in several plus the stroke association book sale. This is mainly as DB is disabled and uses a mobility scooter so he is limited as to activities and he enjoys charity shops.

Anyway this is my haul from the week.

The books were 20p each and 2 are for children I know. I'm looking forward to using the afternoon tea book and having friends round. The Body Shop body butter is new and sealed a bargain at 99p and my daughter will love it. At the bottom is a set of tea towels with oven gloves and sleeve all new.

I finally gave in and these are for our first grandchild-a girl due in October. They are as new and the dress set had the label still on.

Last are 2 items for me. Cotton trousers as mine are getting shabby and a smart linen dress for an upcoming Bible convention.

We are visiting a fete tomorrow so we may end up with more purchases.

Enjoying my garden

We finally seem to be having a good summer to the extent I can even have breakfast on the patio.
The patio is old and needs repairing or replacing but I don't look at that. There is so much activity and beauty to focus on.

The bees on the lavender.

The sparrow family on the fat balls

There are so many birds on the feeders, coming and going plus the flowers and the peacefulness.

Who needs to go to exotic places?

Day in London

I planned another one day holiday for last Friday and it was brilliant.  For about the last 4 years I have wanted to swim in the lady's pond on Hampstead Heath so I had hoped to do that until I discovered there are no lockers for valuables and I didn't fancy leaving mine on the bank as I was on my own. It was a very hot day and I still wanted to swim in a natural outdoor venue so chose the Serpentine in Hyde Park. There are basic changing rooms and about 30 lockers so being a mid week school day there was plenty of room and spare lockers.  It was fantastic swimming in a lake among dragonflies, ducks, swans and geese etc and unbelievable we were in the middle of London.

As you can see there was plenty of room and only about 6 people in the water at first and still not more than a dozen when I left. I had a cold shower by the side on the bank without soap or shampoo as the water drains into the lake. When dressed I enjoyed my picnic lunch and water brought from home. Not as frugal as my last day out as apart from the bus ride to Epping , I used my Oyster card for the tube to London and back.  The swimming was £3.80 as being a "pensioner" I had a concession.

I then made my way by tube to Stratford for the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park which I have never visited, buying an Earl Grey tea in my travel cup and a muffin to enjoy by the river and beautiful flower beds. I saw the Meccano like sculpture but did not join the queue to climb to the top but will do on my next visit.  I just walked about enjoying the gardens and the river views.

The sculpture is the Arcelormittal orbit.

One of the day's highlights was at the start walking through Hyde Park to the lake when I heard the wild ring necked parakeets and saw people hand feeding them.  So piece of cheese sandwich in one hand and camera in the other and this is the result below.

Two friends have agreed to join me in my swim in the Hampstead Heath ponds so I look forward to sharing that in a few weeks.