Taking a break.

I'll be taking a break next week.

We will be going to the Blind Veterans Complex just outside Brighton.

It's such an amazing place, set up after the first World War for the benefit of visually impaired veterans.

Training and rehabilitation are a major factor of the Centre, and  many young people who have been in Afghanistan or Iraq have benefited from their rehabilitation here.

The centre has so many facilities, an IT suite, Craft workshops, gym, pool and sports facilities. Needless to say, I shall make the most of the indoor heated pool!

Holidays, respite care and nursing are all offered there.

The Centre faces the sea, is situated withing easy reach of Brighton and other towns. I shall be using my Bus pass to potter off, and hope to meet up with Betty, aka Wood Fairy, as I did last time.

It's wonderful that we can enjoy a holiday in this way, where everything is accessible and blindness is understood.

Roses, The Shepherdess, Graham Thomas, Dancing Queen, and Dr Jo in the centre. Mixed with a pretty little Orlaya flower.

A visitor to the bird table.

Look at this naughty visitor to my bird feeders.

I can't get too cross with him, as he comes only now and then, and doesn't stop long.

Maybe he /she has a family to feed?!

A few roses for you.

The Shepherdess, Molyneux, Dancing Queen, 

Golden Gate and Scent-sation. All mingling together to make a very highly scented delight.

Using up

Finding that I had half a loaf of brown bread which was a day or so past its best, I thought I'd do a 'use-up' recipe of my Grandma's.

She called it Apple Charlotte, but I think it is also known as Apple Brown Betty.

It was easy to whizz the bread into crumbs and mix them into melted butter till they browned.

Then a layer of crumbs, followed by sliced apples tossed with brown sugar (and a pear that was needing to be eaten).

Then a top layer of crumbs and into the oven for about half an hour.

It was very delicious served with cream!

And here is gorgeous Patty's Plum (nothing to do with a pudding), flowering bravely in the rain.