Reading spooky stories

Posted on October 26, 2025October 26, 2025 Posted in Memories, UncategorizedTagged afternoon entertainment, Anxiety, Confidence, Penkhull, Pub, Reading, writers group3 Comments

My writing group put on a show this afternoon. All of us got together to read out spooky stories we had written. They were not specifically done for the show, but after writing for ten months we all had something to contribute.

We got organised and even had tee shirts made up with our logo on. Everyone read out one or two stories in a local pub. They were pleased to have us and asked if we would go back at Christmas!

I was very nervous. My heart was racing and I struggled to just turn the page. But thankfully my stories were very short so I got off the stage area quite quickly. I think blogging here has made it easier. Being in the group has really helped.

Out to lunch

Posted on December 29, 2024 Posted in Memories, UncategorizedTagged Canal, Countrysiide, drive, enjoyable, Friend, lift, Lunch, Pub, Towpath, Trent and mersey, Visit3 Comments

My friend took me out this afternoon for lunch. We went to a pub called the Star at Stone and had a pleasant lunch. It’s on the Trent and Mersey canal and sits next to the towpath so it’s reachable from the water as well as the road. The decor is quite rustic and a nice mash up of old chairs and oak tables.

On the way home we drove home through the countryside on a road that parallels the main road but is more twisty and interesting. The sun was low and shining on the sides of buildings giving them a beautiful glow. A definite pick me up after days of grey mist.

Kate playing fiddle

Posted on August 14, 2024August 14, 2024 Posted in Memories, Sketching, UncategorizedTagged boatband 2014 memories, fiddle, Fun, Music, Night out, Pub, scurling, SketchingLeave a comment

2014 drawing, we used to go to the pub and watch the Boatband playing cajun and folk music. Sometimes I would get up and sing a song a cappela, I like “Summer time” from the musical “Porgy and Bess”. I never remembered to learn new songs, life was too busy then. Now I long to time travel back to those days. I’d give anything to be back then sitting listening to the fiddle, guitar and accordion while beautiful music scurled around us.

Terry

Posted on August 8, 2024 Posted in UncategorizedTagged Art, Drawing, Hat, Life, Pencil sketch, Portrait, Pub, Sketch, sketching group, TerryLeave a comment

Ten year old sketch. I used to like drawing people when we went out to the local pub, or to visit friends. It’s just an easy and quick way of keeping my hand in for drawing portraits.

There are groups you can join on the Internet to draw portraits of each other but I always forget its on until it’s over and I hardly go anywhere anymore.

Day out

Posted on July 29, 2024 Posted in Memories, UncategorizedTagged Barge, Beatrice, black lion, Canal, Churnet Valley, Consall forge, Day trip, Life, Pub, Steep2 Comments

After a long wait we finally went on our choirs boat trip. It was arranged for the singing for lung health group I am part of. It had been postponed due to a mechanical problem, but today was gorgeous, hot, sunny. Ideal for a canal trip on the boat Beatrice which is used to give people with disabilities the chance to get out on the water.

It was a slow journey, a bit nerve wracking because there were steep steps to got into the barge then uneven paths to negotiate to get to our destination a pub called the black lion at consall forge. We sat under an awning and sang a few songs that we have practiced for months. We didn’t have an audience except for a few people sitting on benches at the front of the pub.

Then I carefully picked my way back down the steep path with someone helping me as I was feeling very unsteady and a bit breathless. We meandered our way back along the river Churnet, entering a lock to get back onto the canal and back to our dropping off point. I was tired but I’m glad I went.

Window view

Posted on December 8, 2023 Posted in Memories, UncategorizedTagged arrangement, Busy, Hot chocolate, Life, Pub, Stoke-on trent, Tiring, Window2 Comments

I had various things to do today. Part of arranging my late hubbys final passing. I find it hard to know what to say. My friend came with me to help and we went in the local pub to get a hot chocolate and try and take my mind off things.

Thinking about what hubby wanted I have chosen something very simple and have asked people to think about him on the date and time of the cremation as I am not having a service (we discussed things a while ago). I thought it better to explain so people know well on advance and don’t ask to attend a service.

I really want a celebration of his life, but it will be after Christmas because something so sad needs thought, and the festive season is looming,

Looking out the window, the world was zooming past, unaware of how my day was going. I’m glad we had a break…..

Tonights walk

Posted on August 4, 2021August 4, 2021 Posted in UncategorizedTagged Car, Dark, Etruria, Ford consul, Pub, Sunset, Trent and mersey canal, Walking2 Comments

A car at one end and a sunset at the other!

Walked about 14000 steps. We were walking along the Trent and Mersey canal to a pub at Etruria and back. We were slightly late setting off to come back home and it was getting very dark so we came off the canal and went along a main road. Still it was a good walk, we had a small meal, so overall it was enjoyable. X

Boatband at Beehive

Posted on May 2, 2021May 3, 2021 Posted in UncategorizedTagged Beehive, blankets, Boatband, Cajun, Calypso, Live music, outside music, Pub, Stoke-on trent6 Comments

Today we actually got out to see the Boatband. They are a cajun band based in Stoke-on-Trent. They have played in Glastonbury and many laces around the UK.

Today they were playing outside the Beehive pub on Honeywall, Stoke-on-Trent. They played cheerful cajun and calypso music today. They tried to make a warm atmosphere out of a cold day. The pub landlady came out and gave us blankets to wrap round us! We stayed for a couple of hours with masks on except to drink and socially distanced. But it was great to see people I hadn’t seen for a year! Scary but good.

2011

Posted on January 12, 2021 Posted in Sketching, UncategorizedTagged Art, Drawing, Friends, Landscape, Life, Memories, Pub, Riverside, salts Mill, Sketching, Ten years agoLeave a comment

Visiting my friend in Yorkshire in 2011 just after he moved their. I can’t believe it’s so long ago.

In fact I remember the day we’ll. We went to sit by the river at Salts Mill and called in a riverside pub. We were looking over a cricket pitch and the wooded hills in the background. It was a hot sunny day. I love sketching instead of just taking photos….

Boat Band live!

Posted on August 2, 2020August 2, 2020 Posted in UncategorizedTagged Afternoon, Art, Boatband, Books, Careful, Design, Drink, Environment, Fun, Gin and tonic, Life, Music, Pub, Science, Socially distant, SpaceLeave a comment

I went out for a walk today up our steep hill and then called into the local pub to see our friends in the Boatband who were playing outside in the beer garden. We stayed to listen to the music, it was the first time we had been there since March. Everything was socially distanced with a one way system in the pub so you could use the facilities. The music was cajun. You can find them on YouTube. We had an excellent socially distanced afternoon although I drank far to much gin and tonic! (it’s taken me three goes to type something coherent here).

Mallaband-Brown

Tag: Pub