Good rainy afternoon from sawrey, the heavens have certainly opened today! its a quiet day, just me and the lavender shortbread for company ;-)
Its also quite windy and we have had to tie up the brolly outside, feels very wintery today

Had to pop to troutbeck to pick up a parcel at the post office, on my way to the ferry via rayrigg road I saw several thousand canada geese, it was quite spectacular! All casually stood there eating worms...........Anyway, I got to the ferry to find it closed, long drive round ensued...
Unfortunately the parcel was not exciting, just another tree full of paper documents from the county council regarding my case, the postage cost them £20.02!!! All so very un-necessary...

A few customers have been asking for tins of rice pudding, so we got some and boy are they selling well, sawrey likes its puddings!
We have to do a stock take of the shops contents tomorrow for our year end, not looking forward to that one at all!

I will end with one of the very few jokes I know......

What do you call a mushroom who buys everyone drinks and is the life of the party? A fun-gi.


Happy tuesday

:-)

Greetings bloggers.............the hangover has left the building! the stiff hips remain tho! Sawrey knows how to party........It was the best birthday party I have ever had, everyone came and it was just fab, I met partners of people whom I had not met before which was nice and all of the children from the village came dressed to party and all looked really lovely! I was given lots of cards and gifts which were totally unexpected but were all lovely......My ex husband once said to me if I was a car I would be an AC Cobra? Anyway I discovered that they are curvy and powerful and I am still more than happy to be compared to one.................So I opened one of my presents and found an ac cobra in a box, so now I have my very own! The card accompanying it said something along the lines of curvy and powerful.......cumbria county council know just how powerful! I am still smiling, what a top present! THANKYOU.you know who you are....

Cleaning the village hall yesterday took all of the strength I had and I was very very kindly helped by Denise from Beechmount guest house, who arrived armed with rubber gloves and a bucket! THANKYOU muchly denise.....I would have stilll been there now if it was not for you....and finally...........my little friend Alan came along to the shop as usual on saturday morning....only this week he did not leave until 5pm when he went home to get ready for the party.......ALAN you are amazing and the buffet would have not looked anything without your artistic hands and creativity in preparing the hall with me, and then with only several hours sleep he came back to help clean up..........WHAT A STAR!

Its been a blue sky morning here in Sawrey, there are quite a few people about and quite a few cars on the road.....On my way to work this morning I passed 2 young deers crossing the road near esthwaite, they looked lovely wandering off towards the lake....

Mum has got her car back today, several weeks after I thought I had written it off! its come back all shiney and not a bump in sight, Better not let me behind the wheel....I am a liability at the moment, I reversed out fo the shop yesterday in the van and managed to kill the plant pot! Ooooooopz!

I am just off to Ambleside to get this weeks supply of lavender shortbread, I can hear it calling me from here!

Happy Monday :-)

Greetings Bloggers........Been a busy day here in the shop, gazette day always brings a few more customers in......The woodpecker noise mum heard yesterday was heard again this morning by me, I have never heard a woodpecker before! I have asked many customers who come in the shop and apparently there are several woodpecker families in the village! So I have been reading up on woodpeckers in and amongst today
http://www.rspb.org.uk/birds/guide/g/greatspottedwoodpecker/index.asp
Having heard a woodpecker I am now on the look out to see one somewhere in the village, will let you know when I do....

We have all of the food for the party tomorrow apart from the fresh fruit and salad which wil arrive tomorrow from ther supplier, we are both really looking forward to partying...One thing I realised I had not gotten was table cloths, but I mentioned it to two customers today and I now have table cloths! THANKYOU ladies!
The shop has received a 1st birthday card from a customer today! :-)

Sheepy magnets have sold well today, as have mars bars, I bet I have sold nearly half a box today?!? this weather must lend itself to Mars Bars when out walking as everyone has bought one who is out walking!

Helen who writes the blog in the next village is not very well this week, we send her our get well wishes and wish her a speedy recovery...there are lots of people who are a little under par in the village this week also, that with a broken pelvis and a broken leg.........Sawrey Stores sends you all GET WELL WISHES

A customer who is holidaying in the village has been in, he has very sore legs today, he parked his car at langdale yesterday, went up onto the tops and says that his compass did not work when he went over some ground with Iron Ore in it, anyway 20miles later he ended up in Borrowdale! he had to get a bus to keswick, a bus to ambleside and a taxi from Ambleside back to langdale to pick up his car! Thats lost alright!

Another customer who has recently moved back to the village has been in today, he is thinking of displaying some of his art here in the shop for this years FRED art exhibition, which is a project where artists bring art out into the community for people to see art in unusual places, there is a link to his site below, we look forward to been a FRED art venue possibly
http://www.bryaneccleshall.co.uk

Thats about all for now..I am off woodpecker spotting :-)

Goooooooooood Afternoon........Wet day in the village today, only the brave out walking..I have been to Kendal to get some bits for our party on saturday night, going to celebrate the shops first birthday and my birthday....

Had to laugh coming back over on the ferry, the ferry man came and had a chat and said thank goodness you have got a van, you and your mother looked like you had just done a bank job in the other little car filled with stock............still laughing as its so very true!

Shortbread and white chocolate brownie going down very well, we are now onto the home made flapjack.....YUM YUM......My friend who makes all of these delicious cakes is making the puddings for our party on saturday night....PARTY ON!!!

The daffodils are all starting to pop up in the village, they are in abundance all over the village, daffodils combined with the snowdrpos its all blooming in a very winter kind of way....ONe of our customers has a front garden full of yellow winter aconites which look really spectacular....Hoping this year to do some work on the garden here at the shop, the trays of bedding plants we sold year went very well....The birds here outside the shop are getting quite cheeky and are coming to the ledge outside the shop and literally singing for their supper! Mother thinks she heard a woodpecker today, not sure if there are woodpeckers in sawrey, or maybe I am just nieve!

Time to shut up shop for now :-)

Good Morning from Sawrey.......

Well my barrister has confirmed that no appeal has been lodged, guess there was always a chance they could have put it in late last night, but thank goodness it appears they have not! It is extremely hard to articulate how I feel, relieved but still cautious, guess 2 years of litigation does that.....The issue of the psychiatrist still rattles on tho, i have to go and be assessed to see just exactly how mad they have made me, I could tell them for free! :-)

I note 2 comments in the box relating to what Miss Potter is saying in her poster! very good anonymous!

All of the lavender shortbread sold out yesterday, 2 trays! Today is is white chocolate brownies.......

The weather is dry as I type and there are a good few people out walking...

Happy Tuesday from Sawrey

NO APPEAL LODGED AS YET..........I THINK THATS GOOD!

Greetings from far Sawrey......its raining its pouring.......BUT the tray bakes have arrived! The Lavender shortbread is truly delicious and very very moreish......we also have plain shortbread, chocolate brownies, white chocolate brownies and apricot slices, one for every day of the week,...YUM YUM...

Last night we were invited to a dinner party to celebrate the anniversary of us being here at the shop, it was a great evening, great food and company and lovely champagne and lots of laughter, here is to many more years at the shop!

Benny is not well today :-( he is very lethargic and not himself at all, he is indoors keeping warm, perhaps he senses my anxiety about my case.....I have just telephoned the Court of Appeal in London and as yet no appeal has been lodged, but the council have until 4.30pm, thankfully the offices close at 5pm so I will call back later, all crossable bits are crossed!

Some more gifts ahve arrived today for the shop, they are sheepy fridge magnets and the chap who makes them fromt he north lakes has written Sawrey on them for us, they look great, I will try and remember my camera tomorrow!

Mum is down the lane today doing some rug making with some of the ladies in the village....

With all the faff about my case I forgot to mention that one of our friends and blog readers in Yorkshire has gone into hospital for an operation on her knee, I hope it heals quickly and wish you a speedy recovery Brenda... An ambulance came through the village the other day, no one seemed to know where it was heading, however I have heard today that it was for one of our customers from Near Sawrey who has had a nasty fall and broken her pelvis! OUCH! Get Well wishes been sent out to her too...

I have put a cut out of Miss Potter in the window today, fromt he promotional material, not sure what to write alongside it yet, suggestions from customers so far are for adult eyes only and incude "I know who stuffed Peter Rabbit" If you have seen the picture it is of Renee Zellweger promoting the film with her finger over her lips, the link is below........Suggestions in the comments box please! Best suggestion will win a little gift from Sawrey
http://www.misspottermovie.co.uk/

That about all for now folks, will blog if I hear anything from London

Good Sunday Sunny Morning from Sawrey....what a glorious spell of weather we are having.........The shop has been busy this morning, sold out of fresh bread and bath buns in record time........Both Mother and I came in to open up this morning as we predicted a but of a rush.its funny, despite the sign saying we open at 8.30am people come anything up to an hour before...which makes putting inserts into the papers a bit tricky, but hey....we aim to please....

I was asked a question by a customer yesterday which threw me a little, a chap came in, bought some carrots and asked me if their was a gay scene in the area and if not where could he find one! I know we are a local information point but unfortunatley I could not help...I pointed him in the direction of Windermere, I will endevour to find out and so I wont be caught out again!

Two new great editions to the local produce range this week......Cumberland Sausage from Keswick which is selling well alrady and coming soon will be their home made black pudding. Another new edition/ editions are a range delicious puddings from a friend who has set up making all things sticky and lush in Ambleside and called her business "Sweet Home Ambleside"............The range includes Chocolate and Damson puddings, Chocolate and Cherry puddings, Cranberry and Orange puddings and Sticky Toffee and Date puddings......Having tried every single one (well it had to be done) I can wholeheartedly recommend each and every one of them... the packaging is a work of art too and would not look a miss in a frame!
Starting tomorrow we are going to start selling some of "Sweet Home Ambleside's" tray bakes, we did a tasting day with some tray bakes last week and they went down exceptionally well.....So I am going to christen Monday as tray Bake monday. Wednesday is Bath Bun Wednesday and we have Cumberland Sausage Friday... YUM YUM.....

Its been brought to my attention by a blog reader that the time I appeared to blog was in the middle of the night, just looked into that and the blog was set to the wrong time zone, think I have fixed it, and also I always wondered about comments, think I have set it so blog readers can post comments....will wait and see....for reference, its just after 1pm int he agternoon as I am typing, as I have said before, technology and I do not go hand in hand!

Tomorrow is another milestone in relation to my case, its the last day the council can appeal the appeal....bearing in mind when they last lodged and appeal they did it via fax at 4.57pm on the last day I will be crossing all of my crossable bits that when 5pm arrives tomorrow I can breathe a huge sigh of relief..I will blog and let you know.... Anxious times call for Chocolate and Cherry cake....I am off count down the hours to what could be the start of a much less anxious year, must n0t forget the cream ;-)

Happy Sunday to one and all :-)

HAPPY VALENTINES DAY

Good Morning from Sawrey, its a lovely blue sky morning and for the first time in many many years I have recieved a velentines day card here in the shop! I am still smiling! It has a badge on the front and inside the card it says, "dare you to wear it all day" Which I am doing! The badge says "SUPER SEXY PERSON" ... I am still blushing but what a great start to the day!

We went to Consiton Gifts yesterday and bought a few gifts for the shop, t towels and the like, we are continuing with the sheep theme.
As its half term I bought a box of "squeamish Squeezers" a toy ball filled with wiggly worms and other slimy things........However the children have not had a look in! three of the villages most discernable gentlemen have bought up all of the wiggly worm ones, here is hoping they are not valentines gifts!!!

So many people are coming into the shop asking where Hill Top is, they must have all seen the Miss Potter film...Think if a charged 10p for everytime I am asked I would soon get rich! Only kidding :-) Best question I have been asked to date is, "can you swim in the tarn where she used to row!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!" I hope they mean in summer not now! Brrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr

Its half day closing today, My badge and I might go into Kendal and get a few bits this afternoon......I hope you all have a lovely Valentines Day

Love from Sawrey X

Good Sunday Morning from Sawrey.................Its a fresh morning, it was raning when I arrived but has stopped now......Had to do the sunday inserts inside to avoid paper mache newspapers, although a customer who has been in has bought a great gadget for recycling old newspapers, its a press machine that you place wet newspapers in, then you squeeze all of the water out with a handle and leave them to dry and you have paper bricks that apparently burn for around 2 hours! Want one!

I can tell that its half term, its only 11am and we have already sold out of bread and bath buns!

Well Benny certainly had a good time yesterday with a customer, he was out over 4hours and came back looking exhausted, infact his little legs would not get up the stairs at home this morning, he is laid outside the shop with a look on his face that says "dont even ask" :-)

Reports from the village jumble sale yesterday were good and I believe over £350 was raised for the hall restoration fund, when i popped up after work members of the committee were having a big bonfire and a sort out, from a distance it looked like the hall was on fire!

I popped to the pub last night with benny as mum is away teaching this weekend, there were quite a few people in, I intended to have a couple of drinks and then was going to stay at mums so I did not have as far to drive this morning, then I remembered I had to go into amblesode to pick up the bread, so I drank orange juice and went home..

Decorating is nearly finished,.. just a few shelves left to varnish... It will be nice when everything is back to normal and in its place, feel really silly when someone asks for something and I have absolutely no idea where it is, bearning in mind the size of the shop!!!!

Half day today......Going to give the dog a back massage I think, he looks so sorry for himself!

Happy Sunday :-)

Greetings.....Its been a while I know!.........Well the blue skies went.......the snow came.......the snow went and now its raining cats and dogs....

Mothers car is at the garage and she has a lush courtesy car to play with...I note I am not on the insurance! I am just keeping my fingers crossed that they do not write her car off, its such a good car, despite it been annie'd

Benny has very kindly been taken for a long walk around coniston this afternoon, he wont know whats hit him! Its been a while since we went for a long long walk

There is a jumble sale in the village at Braithwaite Hall today....reports are that it is quite busy....Bonus ball tickets are selling ok this week too, someone will hopefully be in for a nice suprise tomorrow

I note in the local paper this week that Tesco is coming to the lakes! World domination or what! They have been given permission to put a store in Bowness on Windermere on the site of a former pub.....Ironic really, one has to jump through so many hurdles to put up a sign advertising a village shop....Yet there seems to be no problems with plonking a tesco store in the hart of the lake district....strange hey

No news on my case and whether or not the council are going to appeal the appeal, instinct says they will just because they can, but fingers crossed someone puts a stop to any more public money being wasted and money is committed to putting right the many wrongs.....

A couple who are blog readers are up for the weekend and they have popped in and bought some sheepy things....

Well folks thats about all from Far Sawrey today..Happy Saturday :-)

Greeetings from Far Sawrey...............Its another beautiful blue sky day. birds are singing, the van worked, I have not fallen over and all is good.......THANKYOU SHEEP!!!

Today we have taken delivery of some long awaited maps......they are packs of 5 local walks in a waterproof bag and are a snip at only £1.80, already sold some and some of the sheep that we got over the weekend, which is promising as its a monday in february!

Today is the 18th birthday of one of our customers who is called Esther....SO here is a BIG BIG HAPPY BIRTHDAY for Esther....

Benny has assumed his position right outside the shop today as mum is teaching some rug making today, he and the little robin get along famously.....strange but true.....

I am having a big big sort out today, all of the drawers that get things put in them never to be found again have all been sorted and put in order.....for now!

I keep popping outside to take in the lush weather its just so beautiful, I hope you are all enjoying similar weather, if not a warm welcome and blue blue sky awaits you in Sawrey

Happy Monday

:-)

Greetings from far Sawrey, ....its another outstanding morning here, the sun is shinning and the birds are eating all of the nuts...........Good job we have 20kg of bird nuts for sale :-)

Unfortunately the van would not start again this morning......then again I was having trouble starting as it was bitterly cold, called out an RAC man, thought Alan and his dad deserved a break, they have done so much for us......anyway......the RAC man has filled a new battery, fingers crossed it will be ok now.......

Renovations in the shop are still underway.......mum varnished some more shelves yesterday, varnishing them reallt does make a difference to the way the shop looks........

Have just noticed that the bananas are outside with the rest of the vegetables, as its sub zero temperatures I better go bring them in and wrap them up and keep them snug....

We popped into the sawrey hotel for a drink after work last night, it was quite busy for a t time, decided as its been one of those weeks we would have a glass or two of wine, well mum did, I was driving, still it was a nice atmosphere........

The Braithwaite Hall Bonus Ball has been won by a man in the next village this week...the committee bought mum and I two plants to say thankyou for selling the bonus ball.....put one of them in the window of the shop and someone tried to buy it yesterday and whats even funnier is mum nearly sold it!!! Dont know what she was thinking... DOH!!!

Happy Sunday

PS.........The jury is still out on the worry sheep ;-)

you could not make it up!!!

Greetings................Bet you thought I was still swimming in a hangover!?! Unfortunatley not...its been another one of those weeks, managed to write mothers car off and fall flat on my face......ONLY ME! But I am ok, physically anyway!
The village is experiencing extraordinary weather this week! Blue skies, and very dry....amazing for the time of year....there are as many walkers out today as there was in peak summer....

My case managed to hit the local newspaper yesterday, it was only a small piece but as the council still refuse to comment on the problem its all very one sided, the right side I may add,

Today in the shop we have taken delivery of some of the new stock for this season, we have gone with a sheep theme as thats what we are surrounded by, they look great....

Another top seller at the moment are cadburys cream eggs...we are selling lots and lots of them!!! Guess they are going to be the only kind of eggs we sell soon as the news reports bird flu has landed! Worrying!

Anyway just when I thought our tumultuous week was over...the new van would not start this morning.......Could not contact mother to tell her she would have to go open up.....rung several people in the village to ask them to go wake her up but they were all asleep.........But to the rescue came my little friend Alan and his dad who went up and woek mum up, then drove around to my house and proceeded to fix the van! How amazing is that! I feel very fortunate to know such wonderful people who can help in such a crisis! Here is a big thankyou to Alan and his dad for being men that can......PHEW!!! anf they say its quiet in the country!!!

Oh yes and there I was yesterday having a quiet moment in the shop when along comes a hellicopter and lands just behind the shop and out jumps a celebrity who I have sworn will remain nameless to preserve his quiet escape to the country once a year, needless to say him and 40 of his friends are staying at the hotel for the weekend.......party on!

There was a quiz at the Braithwaite hall last night, it was a "town and country" quiz.........about 20 people attended I am reliably informed and a good night was had by all....

So apart from winning my huge court case, writing off mothers car, falling over and doing my finest damsel in distress impression and watching celebrities fly into the village its been a busy week here.........Ironically one of the packs of sheep that has been delivered today is a bag of "worry sheep"........seemingly you tell them all your worries, put them in their bag, put them under your pillow and when you wake up all your worries will have vanished...........

Time for bed I think........I'm off

:-)