Embroidered four letter monogram (hand embroidered by Mary Addison)
Still sluggish this week but building up stamina for another busy week in London. As the Brexit deadline gets closer, journalist daughter and son-in-law are putting in ever longer hours and, for one of them, ever greater distances with a trip to Strasbourg on the cards.
Hand embroidered four letter monogram (hand embroidered by Mary Addison)
Next week is Cheltenham Horse Racing Festival which culminates in the Gold Cup on Friday. The whole town and almost everything and everyone in it gets gripped by horse racing fever and for a week nothing is quite normal. The railway station goes into overdrive as increased numbers of trains from Paddington are scheduled, all of which arrive full, not a seat to be had and shoulder to shoulder standing – an impressive number of First Class tickets are usually sold for which there is no available seat. But then festival goers have their sights set on something beyond the journey. Station car parking is cancelled so a continuous line of buses can transport racegoers into town or direct to the racecourse. The reverse occurs at 5pm. As racing doesn’t usually start until the afternoon, the town’s cafés, restaurants and pubs fill up and spill out on to the (fortunately mostly wide) pavements; betting shops which you hadn’t noticed before, decked out with balloons and streamers, are suddenly noisy and full. But the strangest thing is the dress code. While women dress as if for a summer wedding (bare shoulders and hats), men appear in full three piece suits, all tweedy and loudly checked. We remarked on this to the manager of our city centre bank earlier this week, who rather sheepishly replied that he would be going to the races one day next week similarly dressed! We had Americans staying with us last year and seen through their eyes we found the bustle and jollity quaint, rather like market day in a nineteenth century novel. (Though, as I commented last year Somerville and Ross’s Irish RM novels come to mind too.) It may well be prudent to be out of town for the week, but I shall miss Cheltenham with its oddly flashy festival hustle and bustle.
Detail of hand embroidered four letter monogram (hand embroidered by Mary Addison)
Coincidentally, this little monogram is for a grandchild of the American couple who were with us this time last year. As you can see, she is already 6 years old – another of those presents that has taken longer than it should! The letters are from a favourite alphabet – a sort of art nouveau crossed with uncial – I found online but with no indication as to who designed it.
Detail of hand embroidered four letter monogram (hand embroidered by Mary Addison)
11 Comments
Lovely design and colors.
Nice of you to say so, Bev.
It’s lovely.
And growing up in Chester, I remember similar influxes for the Races there – although not quite as dramatically!
It’s so strange how sporting events still attract such support when they are so accessible on TV and online. I suppose both Cheltenham and Chester are very attractive places in themselves as well being beautiful settings for race courses and that people like to enjoy a full day out.
I think that’s it. I’m not that interested in horse racing, but even I can imagine enjoying the whole thing as a day out – in the right company!
It sounds like fun to me! I will have to look up what you mean by the Brexit deadline. It sounds ominous. We are heading to London in April — finally! My first trip across the Atlantic. Hopefully the trip goes smoothly. Looking forward to it so much. Lovely monogram too of course.
Well Amara, you’ll be coming at an interesting time, though it shouldn’t really affect you and your family enjoying all the things you want to see. Do hope you get good weather – London can be wonderful in April when all the trees suddenly burst into blossom. my fingers are crossed for you.
Thank you!
I read up on the Brexit deadline and wow. That sounds like a complex problem! I’m glad I’m not in charge of solving that one.
Such homework, Amara! Not sure anyone can solve this – in particular the problem of the border in Ireland between The British Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland.
Yes that border issue sounds impossible to solve.