Louise in Yorkshire

 You may remember a short time back I bought a film SLR camera. A Canon EOS 1000F. Something I could only have dreamed of owning as a photography student at secondary school in the 90s, and yet I picked it up with a lens for around £30 on eBay. Mother’s Day Lillie’s using the built in flash It sat for a few weeks while I waited for the opportunity to take it out for a test run. That opportunity came the day we decided to go to York Minster. Loading up the camera I realised I’d made a rookie error. I’d bought ISO 200 film. Not a disaster but not ideal for the overcast day and definitely not for the interior of a medieval cathedral. Nonetheless, I was determined to try this camera out, so accepted that this roll would probably produce less than ideal results. Boring skies, but check out the definition on the building  Once I’d finished the roll I sent it to Leeds based, Take it easy Lab, and then I waited. Oh the thrill of waiting to see if you’ve got at least one decent image f...

 Last week brought glorious sunshine. Even the North Yorkshire Coast gave the impression that summer was on the way, paving the way for a fun filled week.  On Thursday I was in London. It was a work trip, and as much as I do enjoy an odd trip to the London office, I do find it exhausting. Early in my career I used to spend a lot of time in London, but I never found it as draining as I do now. I did also live a few 100 miles closer to it, which is probably a factor. Anyway, it was lovely to be in the office and catch up with so many of my London colleagues. I’d been saved a desk with a view out over the City skyline and at lunchtime a few of us went for a wander. Someone who obviously knows their way around led the expedition and within 10 minutes we were standing in the middle of the crowds on Petticoat Lane market. I’ve never been here before and was awestruck. There were Indian and African fabric shops and lots of street food stalls selling cuisine from every corner of the g...

If you live in the UK, then this weekend (Sunday) was Mother’s Day. I started my Saturday morning with a long overdue return to the gym, before the pleasant weather enticed us into an afternoon on the seafront.  We started off with lunch at the Cats Pyjamas, before thing the Victorian tram down to the beach. We walked Thelma along, enjoying the heat (yes heat) of the sunshine. It was busy as so many people had obviously took advantage of a glimpse of fair weather to have a day by the seaside.  Whilst we didn’t do all the tourist in our own town things, we did go for ice cream, and have a beer in a seafront pub while enjoying some live music. All in all a good afternoon! Then I got home to find a parcel waiting for me! My new Fairfax and Favor boots! I’ve wanted these since 2020 when I first bought a Fairfax and Favor bag with the money I saved from one month of commuting, during lockdown. The boots are as gorgeous as I hoped, although I need to wear them every day to break the...

 Despite the bursts of sunshine still being somewhat sporadic, it is definitely improving my energy levels when it does arrive. Although I have been paying more attention to my diet of late and trying to eat more protein and less sugar, which is probably helping too. Anyway, it was an astoundingly busy week. At work I chair our Women in Technology International Women’s Day committee, and with it being the run up to International Women’s Day (which was yesterday if you didn’t know) we had a busy week of events planned. Talks with ladies on the leadership team, tea cake and inspirational discussions with a female business leader. It was all good stuff, and I’m pleased to say very well received. After having been in the office on Wednesday for one of the events, I met up with the chap and we went for dinner. We visited a spot we’ve not been to before, the Corner Grill House. It’s in a lovely location, on a cobbled road near the river. The interior is lovely and we had a warm welcome. ...

 I’ve not written in a while. Life has felt busy, but mostly with work and not feeling well and the fact that I read too much news and it’s depressing. You may recall, however, a few weeks back I was cutting out some fabric. After a long hiatus, I am slowly getting back into some of my old beloved crafts, dressmaking being one of them. Anyway, this weekend I finally finished what I was making. A truly fabulous top! I mean look at those sleeves, and that silver velvet.  I had to take 4 inches of length off the sleeves because they were massive, and too long and I felt like Batman! Adjusted though, they are perfect. I’ll make the adjustments to the pattern before I make another version (and I definitely will be making more versions of this beauty). The pattern was by Chikafrik on Etsy and the velvet was deadstock from Minerva fabrics. I absolutely cannot wait to wear this out and I have just the event coming up this weekend!