Sandringham

Beware! This post is going to have a great deal of photographs in it... 

Last week I went on the second part of my summer holiday. I was pretty excited about both weeks, because I haven't properly been on holiday for about 2 years, having worked over the summer last year. We went up to Sandringham, and stayed in a small village called Great Bircham.

The place where we stayed was a really fancy house called The Granary, which, being a Royal Collection place, was decorated with Royal Collection stuff, from photographs and paintings to royal memorabilia (there was a cabinet of china cups from the coronation and Charles and Diana's wedding!) and this beautiful oak writing desk from 1912 with George V's emblem underneath. I think I was a little bit in love.

We did all sorts during the holiday, including a visit to Sandringham estate itself. I hadn't been up to Sandringham since I was about 8 or 9, so this trip brought back a lot of memories.

I decided to jazz it up a bit with some black lipstick and an old dress I dug out. 

 You couldn't take pictures inside Sandringham itself, but you were welcome to do so in the little museum. I loved some of their art:

Later on in the week we went to the seaside and to a place called Walsingham. We got there by taking a miniature steam train (!) which was very exciting indeed. Apparently the place is very strongly catholic and there was going to be a huge pilgrimage three or four days after we visited. The buildings were beautiful, and I even found a little tearoom that had some seriously cool teapots in the window.

The seaside was equally beautiful, and right next to the car park we found my future home, a tiny 1-up 1-down:

We stayed by a windmill, where we would buy our bread loaves and rolls from every day. We also bought a delicious little pot of sheep's milk yoghurt, which they also make themselves.

At the end of the holidays we headed back home and it was back to work. This week I've been helping out at a children's holiday club on my days off and have had great fun dressing up as Elastigirl from the Incredibles!

Jess xx

Scandinavian cooking

I have been doing lots of cooking recently. And by lots of cooking I mean these things here, four more cakes, pulled pork for 32 people, pickled cucmbers, cardamom buns, scrambled eggs and lots of smørrebrød. Below: spinach soup, the dough and the finished brunsviger, and smørrebrød with battered lemon sole, basil and parsley dressing and prawns. I'll post some recipes soon.

The allotment is in full bloom at present, and the evening primroses are in season. 

Finally, I haven't been dressing 1940s (again). Because of the wedding I have been a little more occupied in pin curling the hair of the bride, mother of the bride, and a couple of aunties, as well as assisting as breakfast-maker and make-up artist for my youngest sister and younger cousins. My new fringe makes life a lot easier to manage. Forgive the rather stern expressions. My colour palette has been mostly black these past two days.

Jess xx