Stitching and a Footplate Ride

On Saturday I went to the Knitting and Stitching Show in Brighton with two friends and we had a lovely time. We parked at the back of Brighton and walked through what my friend described as the hippy lanes. I have been before but it was a very long time ago. We found some beautiful shops selling jewellery, fabrics, paper, beads, clothes and bags. Heaven! We crossed the main road and wandered down through the real Lanes and drooled over more jewellery and food and finally got to the Brighton Centre. The show was great and mostly had what we were looking for, my friends wanted wool and I wanted cross stitch supplies. Has anyone noticed how gradually the nations love affair with cross stitch seems to be fading? Or perhaps it was that what I was looking for just wasn't at the show. There were kits, aida and some buttons, but very few books. I am beginning to wonder if I will have to go to London in March to find the little charms and bell pull hangers I am looking for. I could buy it off the web, but its nice to go and find the things you are looking for. Later in the day we walked back to the car retracing our steps from our morning route and found some more lovely things to buy.
On Sunday I went on a steam footplate experience ride with the Mid Hampshire Railway - Watercress Line. It's ok if you think I am a bit weird, at school this week I mentioned it a couple of times and then gave up. I got very bemused looks and I have the distinct impression they thought I was bonkers! If you are interested I rode on a GWR 5224 tank engine which belongs to the Waterman Railway Heritage Trust. It was a fantastic feeling and fascinating to watch the Fireman and Driver at work. They were both very friendly. We chatted about driving the engine and the line. The gradient is 1 in 60 from Alton to Fourmarks and the steepest that an engine can manage is 1 in 45 on the North Yorkshire Moors Railway. Tony is more interested in electric and diesel engines, not steam. So he and Em enjoyed the ride in the carriages behind.

Today at school was Hearts for Haiti and the students brought in £1 or £2 and in return were allowed to wear home clothes. They were given a little packet of love hearts - yum! I have saved a couple for Tony as the staff were also given a packet each. It is also the start of half-term yipee! A whole week of fun and Tony is on holiday as well. I have finally finished my purple scarf mentioned in the previous post it is lovely and long. I used two balls of 4ply but I knitted the scarf using two strands of the yarn to make it double thickness. Happy Valentines Day for Sunday. Love Jane x