Tuesday, 15 December 2015

Once last autumn....

Dear Thathu,

Once, last autumn, we went for a walk...among many afternoon walks that we do.

That could happen anywhere in the world, but it was not anywhere. It was just 5 minutes away at a park near our house. I know that where you live there is hardly any empty space where you can take your daughter for a walk and here I am blessed.  Indeed, really blessed. There are several parks nearby where mine can play and walk and run. And no, there aren't any dangerous dogs around. At least I haven't come across any.

It's gorgeous and quiet. And in the afternoon autumn sunshine, it is just perfect. Bedford is a small town but it has ample places for children to run around and play. But because there are many small parks, they are not crowded at all. Far from it.

I walked towards the setting sun with her running in front of me. The golden leaves spread in multitude around my feet. The trees had shed most of it, but there was enough left on the trees to enjoy the change of colours. I walked without a care in the world. Just smiling at her chattering away. It was one of those mother-daughter moments - in Blissful Bedford. 

Here are some photos of one of those days...

enjoy! And with our shared love of poetry, my friend, I leave you in the good care of Keats. 






To Autumn

John Keats, 1795 - 1821

Season of mists and mellow fruitfulness, 
  Close bosom-friend of the maturing sun;
Conspiring with him how to load and bless 
  With fruit the vines that round the thatch-eves run;
To bend with apples the moss’d cottage-trees, 
  And fill all fruit with ripeness to the core; 
    To swell the gourd, and plump the hazel shells 
  With a sweet kernel; to set budding more,
And still more, later flowers for the bees, 
Until they think warm days will never cease,
    For summer has o’er-brimm’d their clammy cells.

Who hath not seen thee oft amid thy store? 
  Sometimes whoever seeks abroad may find
Thee sitting careless on a granary floor, 
  Thy hair soft-lifted by the winnowing wind;
Or on a half-reap’d furrow sound asleep, 
  Drowsed with the fume of poppies, while thy hook
    Spares the next swath and all its twined flowers:
And sometimes like a gleaner thou dost keep 
  Steady thy laden head across a brook; 
  Or by a cider-press, with patient look,
    Thou watchest the last oozings, hours by hours.

Where are the songs of Spring? Ay, where are they? 
  Think not of them, thou hast thy music too,--
While barred clouds bloom the soft-dying day, 
  And touch the stubble-plains with rosy hue;
Then in a wailful choir the small gnats mourn 
  Among the river sallows, borne aloft
    Or sinking as the light wind lives or dies; 
And full-grown lambs loud bleat from hilly bourn; 
  Hedge-crickets sing; and now with treble soft
  The redbreast whistles from a garden-croft, 
    And gathering swallows twitter in the skies.

Monday, 14 December 2015

Stollen, snowflakes and shopping

Dear Thathu,

Yes, It's that time of the year. For Shopping, Stollen and Hot Chocolate with loads of whipped cream. And smell the roast chestnuts. And walking on the High Street, with the lights twinkling around and listening to the sound of "It was on a starry night"! 

Don't you miss this? 

I love winter. And December. And mince pies. And all those things that come along with Christmas. And especially, yes, especially Stollen. My only problem is to decide where I can get the best stollen and to be frank, I tend to vary from year to year. Some years, I love the Stollen from Marks and Spencer. (Yes, we have a branch in town). And other years, I love the Stollen from Waitrose. (Yes we have one in Bedford). Or some years I prefer the ones at Sainsbury's. (Yes, we have one too). 

I must confess this year I got some from John Lewis. And sadly, we don't have a shop in Bedford. But they do have one in Milton Keynes which is just next door. So there.


Well, here are some shop windows from Bedford. I just love walking down the High Street, window shopping.






And here is especially for you,





Sunday, 13 December 2015

Falling in love a year on - with Bedford

It's been a year since I last posted on this blog. It's one of those things. I started with good intentions, taking up a challenge from my friend Thathu, in the Maldives, to blog for 30 days about the place where we live. Mine lasted 12 days and I fell by the wayside.

Well, in my defence, I did better than her. She only lasted a few days. 

So I thought I will take up the blog again this year. Let's see how far I get. :-)



Dear Thathu,

It has been a year but my love for this town has grown immensely since then. I have discovered new places, new walks, moved house and fell in love with the town all over again.

It's one of those English towns that grows on you. When I have friends visit me, they don't find anything special about the town at first. "It's just another town", they laugh at me, in a polite sort of way. But then after a few days, they too admit, it starts to grow on you. Slowly but surely. Like the mist rising from the distance, it creeps on you, hugs you, embrace you and before you realise it, you are enveloped by it. Yes, that is Bedford for me.



My jasmine plant. Yes it is massive and in the evening in summer, just to lazy by it, lying in the hammock is just bliss.  The fragrance is just mind-blowing. 

And not too far from where I live, the beautiful walkways near the Priory Country Park. 





'I Watched a Blackbird'
I watched a blackbird on a budding sycamore 
One Easter Day, when sap was stirring twigs to the core; 
I saw his tongue, and crocus-coloured bill 
Parting and closing as he turned his trill; 
Then he flew down, seized on a stem of hay, 
And upped to where his building scheme was under way, 
As if so sure a nest were never shaped on spray.
THOMAS HARDY