An Extraordinary Amount of News

I can't believe I have so much news to share - I know I was busy last week but I didn't realise I had this much LOL.

Firstly - my three PIF winners were Jan, Kathy and Maria and I stitched them each a pinkeep. These are the three desings I used.

The Sweatheart Tree - Teenie Hardanger I
28ct evenweave in ecru
DMC floss - Ecru, 316, 646, 931, 3051 & 3052
Mill Hill Beads 42027
DMC Perle #8 & #12 ecru

The Sweatheart Tree - Teenie Hardanger II
28ct evenweave in ecru
DMC floss - Ecru, 316, 646, 931, 3051, 3052 & 3802
Mill Hill Beads 42027
DMC Perle #8 & #12 ecru

Hardanger House in Canada - The Aroma of Lavender
28ct evenweave in ecru
DMC floss - 827 & 825
DMC Perle #8 & #12 ecru

I hope you all liked your gift, happy stitching.

I have been stitching for Miss-tree again and hopefully will be able to make the ornaments up tonight or tomorrow.

Tuesday was Slimming World night and I lost another 1/2 a pound. I was very very pleased with this as although I do hope to lose more than 1/2 a pound a week I needed to stay much the same or my dress would have looked too big. As it was it fitted just perfect. We've had a fabulous weekend in Warwick. Friday Nick and Philly picked me up from work and we went straight to MIL's to drop Philly off - she has also had a great time being spoilt by Nanna.

Our hotel - Lord Leycester - was in one of the main streets in Warwick but thankfully had a car park. Our room on the second floor had a great view of the castles highest turret - it peeped over the top of the buildings opposite but looked really close.

As I said my dress fitted lovely and we had a really nice evening at the Warwick Arms Hotel for my friend's 40th Birthday Party. My friend looked stunning in a beautiful blue evening dress. There was a live band most of the night with a disco in their breaks and for the last hour - my legs did ache from all the dancing. One of my colleagues was also staying at our hotel so after the party finished we decided to have a night cap in our bar - it was 1.30 by the time we got to bed.

Saturday Nick and I wandered around Warwick and found a the beautiful Mill Garden (open to the public to raise money for charity) which was right next to the castle and River Avon. We spent ages watching a beautiful swan swimming around and eventually returning to its nest. The flowers were gorgeous and the views stunning. We sat for quite a while on the many benches dotted around, it was so peaceful. These are just a few of the photos Nick took.

We found a lovely Bistro for lunch then went back to the Hotel. We were thinking of having a quiet rest after being up so late but events took over resulting in an amazing moment. First we heard loads of sirens going up the street, two fire engines followed a while later by the Simon Snorkel with the crane; followed by ambulances, police cars and the air ambulance. We thought it was a bad smash as the motorway is nearby but the helicopter appeared to land at the castle. For the next couple of hours there were sirens going up and down, then a really noisy helicopter sound. To our amazement the RAF Rescue huge yellow copter was coming right over and began to hover over the castle's turret, narrowly missing the flag pole. Nick grabbed his camera and zooming in we realised the people at the top were not tourists (as before) but fireman and they had ropes going down the outside. The helicopter winched someone down and a few moments later he went back up carrying a large bundle (at the time we wondered if it was a baby), he then let the winch line down again and another emergency man and a civilian were winched up into the helicopter and flown away. It was so dramatic and looked very dangerous. Nick has some of it recorded but here is one of the photos he took.

We found out today it was a man (who we also found out was coming to stay at our hotel) who had had a heart attack after climbing the turret and the emergency services could not get him down the stairs. The were going to winch him down the side if the helicopter could not manage becauseof the flag pole. Such excitement and we had a perfect view - hopefully the man is recovering well in hospital.

After all the excitement we decided to go back to the Bistro and have a light tea - we each had a plate of nibbles on a Lazy Susan - great idea which I might do at home.

Today we went to The National Herb Centre - I bought some new herbs for my garden, a beautiful flowering tyme, an indoor gerannium, a pot of mixed salad for the kitchen window (so I can pick and it will regrow) and a lovely flat terracotta pot to grow our own lettice outside.

Quite an exciting weekend really.