Tidza Wakes

Ok, so it's been a while since I last posted, and it's been very hectic around here. Yes, I know, when is it not hectic?  But it's been even more so than usual, if that's possible.

Spring has gone and summer is finally here (at last), and I've been enjoying the change on the hills and in the valleys. It's amazing how the flowers change from the yellow of spring (I'm thinking dandelions and buttercups - this one was taken on the approach to Attingham Park when we went to do a mud day(!) at half term)...

...to the white of ox-eye daisies and cow parsley mainly, though apparently that's not such a good thing.  There are some beautiful pink and white flowers on the way to Tideswell, I'm going to have to go back and take a proper look to identify them.

Talking of Tideswell, we visited the well dressing (aka the Tidza Wakes) on Thursday and had a lovely time looking round the village.  We saw the well dressings, as well as two exhibitions and a whole street of houses done up as Victorian shops, and I finally got to see inside the church, known as the Cathedral of the Peak.  You can see the full photo story (thanks to Google) of our day here.

And we had lunch in the Methodist/URC church which was an unusual but delicious curried apple and parsnip soup.

Sometimes it's nice just to have time to explore together, just the two of us, without having to worry about the small people.

And then, just to finish off the day nicely, we had a cream tea in the Angler's Rest (a community owned pub/cafe/Post Office in Bamford, highly recommended, especially the scones!) which is fast becoming one of my favourite places just to sit and relax in.

This photo was taken on a previous visit, as I was too busy enjoying myself to take any on this occasion! They have a enviable collection of teapots, you can see the house one above, and this time we had the most enormous willow pattern one.  And you get different china teacups too.  So much tea - what's not to like?!

After drinking as much tea as we could (and in time to pick up the children) we drove back over the newly repaired Snake Pass. We are so lucky to live in such a beautiful part of the country, and I love watching the seasons change the landscape.  Coming back there were just a few patches of heather starting to come out on some sheltered south-facing slopes.  That'll be the next change - heather and blackberries.  Ah, summer, I do love you!