Chuff chuff

Having moaned at Him indoors that he hasn't taken me out for years (unlike Jenny B who seems to be always be out and about) he surprised me by saying, " Lets go to the Bluebell Railway on Friday". Now we were bought tickets by very generous senior sis-in-law and brov-in-law over a year ago and never used them because Him indoors is always busy with his bands and work. So after I picked myself off the floor and recovered, I said " Yes Please". So off we went in the sunshine and had a wonderful afternoon.

So here he is Him indoors in Sussex at the start of our steam train journey in the English countryside.

Lots of engineery things to look at. The smell of the steam and soot took me right back to my childhood, visiting my naughty Auntie Freddie in London (She was the black sheep in the family and loads of fun). I remember so clearly (I know you think I am so old now and yes I am) pulling into Victoria station and the train sighing with a finial shhhhhh as it came to a stop at the buffers!

Masses of staff all so polite and cheerful in their uniforms.

All happy in their work

Pretty stations, sadly I forgot to take pictures of all the flowers in the gardens, which is just how I remember stations all full of flowers and coal fires. My son was amazed when I told him our local station had a coal fire in the waiting room!

This nice young man let all the children climb in to look at his engine (too scared to ask if I could, being a big kid) when we had a half an hour wait at one of the stations.

At the end of the journey we stopped for something to eat, being at the end of the day and being a veggy my choice of food wasn't that great, so these very cute and tame little birdies helped me out with my cheese pasty! So all in all a lovely day, thank you Him indoors and Senior in-laws.

Thought I had better add a bit of arty stuff if anyone is still reading this! As you all know (sorry I am boring) I am doing a great on-line course with lovely and talented Claudine Hellmuth, so I thought I would show you a canvas of sample techniques that I put together.

And I couldn't finish without showing naughty Wigwam who snuck in to turn the page of a crafty magazine I was reading and went out again!

Wish I could work out how to load my pictures in order, help someone, this has taken Him indoors ages to put all the pictures in order for me!