![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
Weekend - Leaving House Shocker!
Sep. 14th, 2008 10:18 pmA successful weekend, but not exactly as planned.
It's only taken us 9 years, but we finally made it to some Doors Open Day stuff this year. We started off with Redcliffe Caves, which aren't natural caves but where the sandstone has been mined out of the cliffs for use in nearby industry and for ships' ballast. We got near and saw the huge number of people and thought we'd have to wait for an hour, but it was just a lot of people milling around and we got to go right in. I was absolutely blown away - they go on for miles, but sadly you can't get to the really interesting bits unless you're a Proper Caver. As Jason used to be, I didn't tell him that there's important 18th century graffitti down one of the tiny tunnels until after we got out. I was 99% sure he knows better to go charging down places like that without proper equipment, but didn't want to take the chance!
We had a quick stop at St John's Hermitage, which is just above the caves. I used to take the bus past there frequently and I had no idea that the garden it's in even existed, much less that there's a surviving medieval hermitage there! What's now the Redcliffe Roundabout used to be the Quaker Burial Ground, and all the gravestones have been stacked up in the hermitage for safe keeping. (The Quakers are working on finding a better home for them). Not much to see, but what's there is very nifty indeed.
Then on to St Mary Redcliffe church. For those of you who know anything about Romantic poetry, it's the Chatterton church. I also used to get the bus past here every day, but I'd never been inside before, which is completely embarrassing. It's probably the most spectacular parish church in England (I can name a few cathedrals that are less impressive). We went up to what they now call the "Chatterton room" - the round room in a tower where he used to hide & read old manuscripts. Had a chat with the nice man from the Chatterton Society, who I'm going to get in touch with. I'm not sure whether they normally let people up there, but I know that they only let you on the roof twice a year - if it's not raining.
You had to book for the roof tour, and we had to wait an hour and a half, so we went and had a totally decadent lunch at Obentos (which no, we can't afford). Access to the roof is by the narrowest round staircase in the world - it was actually quite scary in places. The views were quite spectacular.
It was late & my feet hurt by then, so no anarchist book fair for me Also, these things are less fun when you have no money to buy stuff.
Today I took advantage of the continuing good weather to pull all the stuff out of the conservatory & give it its annual de-scumming. Not very exciting, but I have to be able to put everything outside, and between being away and the atrocious weather it was way overdue. Re-potted some plants - so very rock and roll of me.
I am very broke. I also desperately need a new pair of trainers, as if I do any walking at all in other shoes (even ones that feel comfortable to start with), my feet start to hurt. A lot. I thought I could get a few months' more use out of the ones I have, but no. Thankfully I have a credit card (because having wet and sore feet when you have to walk for at least half an hour every day is something to be avoided at all costs) and Amazon sell the exact pair of Reeboks I want. I'm going back to Reeboks because nothing I've bought since has lasted more than 6 months & the constant need to replace something I intrinsically hate is a drag. Unfortunately I haven't bought any since my feet got bigger, so I need to find time to go into town and try some on before I order.
I would be upset about the fact I can't afford to get my hair cut, but I'm looking at it as a Good Thing because I'm trying to grow it out. I bought lots of bandanas in the States so I can cover it all up when it goes through horrible in-between stages.
It's only taken us 9 years, but we finally made it to some Doors Open Day stuff this year. We started off with Redcliffe Caves, which aren't natural caves but where the sandstone has been mined out of the cliffs for use in nearby industry and for ships' ballast. We got near and saw the huge number of people and thought we'd have to wait for an hour, but it was just a lot of people milling around and we got to go right in. I was absolutely blown away - they go on for miles, but sadly you can't get to the really interesting bits unless you're a Proper Caver. As Jason used to be, I didn't tell him that there's important 18th century graffitti down one of the tiny tunnels until after we got out. I was 99% sure he knows better to go charging down places like that without proper equipment, but didn't want to take the chance!
We had a quick stop at St John's Hermitage, which is just above the caves. I used to take the bus past there frequently and I had no idea that the garden it's in even existed, much less that there's a surviving medieval hermitage there! What's now the Redcliffe Roundabout used to be the Quaker Burial Ground, and all the gravestones have been stacked up in the hermitage for safe keeping. (The Quakers are working on finding a better home for them). Not much to see, but what's there is very nifty indeed.
Then on to St Mary Redcliffe church. For those of you who know anything about Romantic poetry, it's the Chatterton church. I also used to get the bus past here every day, but I'd never been inside before, which is completely embarrassing. It's probably the most spectacular parish church in England (I can name a few cathedrals that are less impressive). We went up to what they now call the "Chatterton room" - the round room in a tower where he used to hide & read old manuscripts. Had a chat with the nice man from the Chatterton Society, who I'm going to get in touch with. I'm not sure whether they normally let people up there, but I know that they only let you on the roof twice a year - if it's not raining.
You had to book for the roof tour, and we had to wait an hour and a half, so we went and had a totally decadent lunch at Obentos (which no, we can't afford). Access to the roof is by the narrowest round staircase in the world - it was actually quite scary in places. The views were quite spectacular.
It was late & my feet hurt by then, so no anarchist book fair for me Also, these things are less fun when you have no money to buy stuff.
Today I took advantage of the continuing good weather to pull all the stuff out of the conservatory & give it its annual de-scumming. Not very exciting, but I have to be able to put everything outside, and between being away and the atrocious weather it was way overdue. Re-potted some plants - so very rock and roll of me.
I am very broke. I also desperately need a new pair of trainers, as if I do any walking at all in other shoes (even ones that feel comfortable to start with), my feet start to hurt. A lot. I thought I could get a few months' more use out of the ones I have, but no. Thankfully I have a credit card (because having wet and sore feet when you have to walk for at least half an hour every day is something to be avoided at all costs) and Amazon sell the exact pair of Reeboks I want. I'm going back to Reeboks because nothing I've bought since has lasted more than 6 months & the constant need to replace something I intrinsically hate is a drag. Unfortunately I haven't bought any since my feet got bigger, so I need to find time to go into town and try some on before I order.
I would be upset about the fact I can't afford to get my hair cut, but I'm looking at it as a Good Thing because I'm trying to grow it out. I bought lots of bandanas in the States so I can cover it all up when it goes through horrible in-between stages.
