There have been times when looking up beneath the shelt’ring Trees, I could invest every leaf with Awe.
Samuel Taylor Coleridge
8 Comments CherryPie on Nov 28th 2010
Today I managed a short visit to Attingham Park, it was nice to have a few minutes away from my busy schedule. There was hardly anyone else around on the route that I took, just me and nature. I particularly wanted some pictures of the trees still laden with their autumn leaves next to the snow on the ground. As you can see there are still quite a number of trees complete with their leaves. They won’t be there for much longer though the cold snap was making the leaves fall to the ground like confetti, as you can see in the last photo.
It was very chilly at -4 so I think I deserved my cup of coffee and a piece of my favourite cake. When I was struggling to get a slice out of the stand which was rather high up and difficult to reach I think I rather annoyed the man standing next to me in the queue. I think he thought I was in his way but there was not a lot I could do, struggling with a bag, a camera and cake whilst trying not to drop anything…
Attingham Park warden, Ron Ironmonger explains why the colours have been particularly good this year:
The best autumn colours are experienced when there has been a warm, wet spring combined with a summer that has not been too hot or dry and there has been a spell of warm sunny days with cool but non freezing nights in early autumn.
If you click on the top left photograph it explains in more detail about autumn colours.
24 Comments CherryPie on Nov 28th 2010
This morning I woke up to a covering of snow, these pictures don’t do it justice because there was really about an inch but the back garden is so sheltered it takes a lot longer to build up there. Due to a busy schedule I knew I wouldn’t have much time to get out and about with a camera today so I grabbed I few shots whilst I could.
There was a lot more snow out of the front of the house but it isn’t very photogenic with so many cars to spoil the view. I love the way autumn and winter combine into one, it is not something I have seen before. Hopefully I will get the chance to go further afield tomorrow so I can show you what it really looks like.
I was a little bit apprehensive because I am not really keen on driving when the roads are snowy and icy and I had an appointment to sell my Dad’s car this morning. I have only driven it a couple of times so I was not very familiar with the way it handles itself, let alone drive it in icy conditions. There was a slight hiccup in the middle of the transaction which slowed down the procedure and I thought at one stage I was going to be late for my hair appointment. Luckily everything sorted itself out in the end. Prior to that I was sorting other things out with my Mum in the local town centre and things there weren’t quite as straight forward as they should have been.
I seem to have been having another of those days.
The hairdresser seemed to be having the same problems as me because she was running late too. Which meant that by the time I came out of the hairdressers I decided it was a bit too late and too cold to be going out and about with my camera. On the way home there was an amazing bright orange glow as the sun was going down, which contrasted with the sky and the silhouetted buildings.
12 Comments CherryPie on Nov 27th 2010
Make of it what you will 
12 Comments CherryPie on Nov 26th 2010
Subtitled:
Another of those days…
I knew that yesterday was going to be a problem day because it got off to a bad start. When I arrived at the petrol station on the way to work two of the lanes (4 pumps) were closed and there was a small queue. I wasn’t too worried because the queue normally moves quickly, but not on this occasion. I sat and waited for 15 minutes, I was completely boxed in so I couldn’t even leave to try again later. By this time the queue was baked up along the road. This made me late for a work on a day full of meetings.
I just had time to do a few bits and pieces before my first meeting of the day. This was actually a briefing of staff to update them on current issues relevant to them. On this occasion it was in an interactive way, completely different from previous briefings. The chairs were colour coded and we were split into four groups according to the colours. We then had to answer 4 questions about the forthcoming restructuring, move to new premises and how we felt in general. This was done by brainstorming and involved lots of post it notes. The information was then collated and the key points were highlighted and questions answered by the head of our business unit. It was an excellent way of getting staff involved with the process and a start to improved communication.
Following the briefing I had just enough time for lunch before my next meeting which was the a Trade Union pre meeting in advance of a Trade Union and management meeting that was taking place later to discuss and address issues on the document detailing our restructuring. Both of the meetings went well.
Then came a further problem. I had agreed to give a colleague a lift after the meeting which was scheduled to finish at 5pm. I had to be at Weight Watchers around that time to help out with members attending the meeting so I told him I had to leave dead on 5 at the very latest. I had to stress that meant leaving the bldg at 5 and not going up to the 3rd floor to pick up coats etc. It was hard work getting through and he didn’t bring his belongings into the room where we were having the meeting but left them in the Trade Union office meaning he had to collect them afterwards. It is a good job the meeting finished 10 minutes early because there was a lot of dithering about which included the meeting starting 10 minutes late because he was fetching his coat from upstairs!!!
On the plus side I lost 0.5lb this week despite still not being quite back on track after my few days away.
8 Comments CherryPie on Nov 26th 2010
After our journey through the woodlands, following the trails of the gods and planets we reached the car park and took a short drive to the Tudor City Park:
The Tudor City Park covers 40 hectares. There is a physic garden, beehives and Tudor-style castle. *
The castle is now a restaurant and conference centre which is available for hire.
*Bruges smart guide (Insight Guides).
4 Comments CherryPie on Nov 25th 2010
In the grounds just outside the cafeteria, next to the nature centre and planetarium are a number of statues which feature Gods and their related planets. These statues stretched out into the woodlands back to the car park. There was speculation on whether the distances between them was representative to the distances between the planets. The nature centre was supposed to open at 2pm, but after waiting some time it seemed to be closed! So we are non the wiser and the website provides no information on the subject.
I would have taken a few more photos of the statues but some of them were quite creepy with holes for eyes and inverted nipples. I suppose it is just artistic talent, but it didn’t work for me.
19 Comments CherryPie on Nov 24th 2010
