Walking East Stoke's lanes: February 2025

Last month’s post ended with a greyest of grey days shot looking from the bridge on Moor Lane, what I didn’t know then was that February would continue to be grey, and then some. Though at least it’s a short month, and well there wasn’t much more to say about the month until the very end when the sun did start to show itself.

So once again there was only one venture out - we have a couple of set routes, and it all depends on whether we go left or right at the crossroads, which can often be a last minute decision, though it can also be based on footwear!

We set off early afternoon, when we were hoping that the temperatures would be at their highest - and after a round of watching Six Nations matches on the TV and ahead of watching Liverpool in the FA Cup, it was good to get out and stretch our legs. We opted for a road-based walked, heading once again down Moor Lane. Our choice was rewarded by the flowering gorse as we followed the road as it rose up over the A46.

As we walked down the other side of the A46 I paused as the area alongside the bridle path (and the path to Elston) looked different, with several of the bare, twiggy shrubs down. MOH hadn’t noticed, but I think that’s one of the things that these posts do is make me more aware of my surroundings, which I’m grateful for. Looking again it was clear that some large machinery had been amongst the still-standing shrubs.

It wasn’t until we were a little further along that it became apparent why, some work had clearly taken place to clear the ditches which run alongside the fields, as they were also looking much clearer, with much less debris - and no doubt this is part of the management of the area to catch water draining off the fields and generally manage its flow safely. And to my non-qualified eye, it looks a job well done.

But it really was grey, even the buzzing electricity pylon agreed.

But at least my photo from the bridge was slightly less grey than MOH’s photo which I ended on last month - though you can still see it’s pretty grey, and murky!

Thanks for joining me for this update, if you enjoyed this post you may also like to see all of the posts in this series. It’s less than a week into the month and I’ve already got one walk under my belt, and have booked onto a guided talk and walk for next week, so I already know there’s going to be content for next month, so I hope to see you then!

Inside the fabric and haberdashery departments at Liberty

Having filled my cup as it were with the homewares in Liberty I headed further upstairs to the fabric and haberdashery departments, which for me could be a much more dangerous place for my purse! Initially I headed past the world famous prints and into the haberdashery - perhaps attracted by all the shiny things, who knew?

I couldn’t think of any good reason to buy any of the buttons or ribbons, but was totally in awe at the choice of buttons and almost instantly transported back to ‘The Button Shop’ in South Norwood High Street in the seventies, though to be clear I don’t think it could ever claim to be on a par with Liberty, but I do remember endless displays of all colours, sizes and shapes of button nonetheless.

I was intrigued by the artwork on the walls too - though again it’s not for the fainthearted at a mere £2,495 - my usual don’t look at the price routine scuppered by the label below. But it was very nice, though part of me wonders if this was the wrong department to hang this, as surely crafters are more likely to think to themselves ‘I could do that’ though admittedly it would also probably go onto a long list, and they’d probably never quite get around to it!

The haberdashery was laden with baskets of tempting Liberty fabric - some already made into pincushions, and others into equally pretty rolls and bundles. I was tempted, but out of the corner of my eye I saw the wall of quilting fabric and I had a new destination in mind.

Yes a wall of shelving of Liberty Quilting fabric, which was actually less densely populated with customers than most of the rest of the departments put together. And for Liberty the majority of this range wasn’t extortionate. Clearly I was tempted by the bright and pretty colours, but also I remembered that I was on a ‘grey fabric shopping’ general mission, and so I hunted out the greys, of which there were at least five different shades to choose from! I left with half a metre of a dark and a light grey to add to the stash for my extended Floral Fancy.

Having paid I left the haberdashery before any more damage could be done, and headed into the almost equally dangerous fabric department. Actually it’s probably less dangerous as I think if you’re spending this much on fabric you really need to have a plan. The Tana Lawn fabrics were easily ten pounds more than the quilting fabric I’d just purchased.

But they are ever so nice. And iconic. But also which one to choose?

For me I think I’m destined to have do something with the Ianthe range (pictured above) as every time I visit, or even look online I always find myself drawn to this design - but as yet, I’ve not bought any. I love the design and how elegant it is, but I’m still holding out until I have a plan as otherwise I don’t think I’d ever cut into it. Ever. Though actually that’s not such a bad plan either now is it?

This February...

Well, for a short month I seem to have a packed a lot in, including my first visit to our gym - which is good news after a stuttering start to the year - and there’s been glimpses of sun too, which always makes things better.

In the garden the snowdrops which I planted last year started to emerge; a solitary flower to start with and then slowly more flowers arrived. I’m sure over the years the two clumps I have now will spread throughout the border as is their wont - and I can’t wait. My pots of daffodils and tulips are making good progress and hopefully it won’t be too long before they make an appearance.

Wildlife antics to make me smile

A bit of sun, the garden reawakening and it’s easy to really believe that spring is on its way, but I wasn’t the only one enjoying the sun, or our garden. The garden had a visit from a wayward pheasant, and my innate city-dweller will never fail to be amazed at the beauty of wildlife when you see it first-hand - the colours of its feathers in the sunlight were truly jewel like.

Our visitor didn’t seem the smartest though, seemingly bemused by its surroundings it ran along the wall a good few times, sat down for a rest, did a few more lengths of the garden at speed before deciding that up was a good option, and landed on the top of the wall, and straight over the other side!

As predicted last month we’ve been groaning at the contestant’s efforts on The Apprentice - every series I’m amazed that none of them appear to have seen the show before, so appear to have little idea of what’s going on, or what’s required. Which on reflection is not that much different to my garden visitor!

As well as a visit to the theatre in Newark to see Ben Elton - definitely a blast from the past - we’ve been following the tribulations of Drew Pritchard’s Georgian House Restoration though (thankfully) can only imagine having to deal with the highs and heartbreaks that come with such a project. Both the England performance in the Six Nations rugby and Liverpool’s challenge for the Premier League title have kept MOH shouting (quietly) at the TV at times.

London, Liberty and a Club Orange

My exploration this month has mostly been in London with my first solo trip - not a huge adventure really, but somehow its the first time I’ve ventured down on the train on my own. I spent the day at the Garden Press Event and I’ll be sharing some more posts from my day and discoveries over the next few weeks, but it was good to get out and see people from across the gardening sector and all being enthused by what the gardening year ahead has to offer.

Making the most of my day I headed over to Liberty on Regent Street on a mission. Part of that - to secure some Falcon Enamelware failed, but the other part - to acquire some Liberty fabric, was much more successful! It was only two half metres, and on first glance not the most interesting of purchases but the two intricately grey patterned fabrics will take pride of place for my longer-term project to extend my floral fancy quilt.

I love a wander around Liberty, which manages to combine really useful things, the most amazing haberdashery and fabrics (look out for that post next week) and the truly most bizarre things - anyone for a Club Orange handbag?

New machines

There’s been two new machines in my craft room this month; the Sizzix die cutting machine which I promised myself after the Floral Fancy workshop. I’d looked on eBay and was tempted but decided for the small saving and peace of mind to get a new one and to make use of the Hobbycraft online offer. I also had a bit of a result as I browsed looking for similar dies that I’d used to cut out my applique shapes, finding the exact same leaf die and a similar-enough multiple sized flower die - both of these were on sale too, and so they arrived too. I’ve had a quick test and everything’s working as it should, but most of the month has been spent on my other new arrival.

And that is my new sewing machine - I’ve opted for a Bernina in a change to my previous machine, and clearly its much more modern. I’ve a couple of projects under my belt now, and they’ve helped me get comfortable using it - though there’s nothing quite so scary as when an error flashes up on its digital display, and you know you have to fix it yourself. But that’s part of the learning process, and I’m already convinced it’s a great machine. I’ll be sharing more about those ‘try out projects’ which have both already been put to use around the house.

Having a new machine did put my quilting plans back a little, as I didn’t want to muck those up (not that I think I would have, but…), but I have finished my third charity donation quilt, and made my first block for the mystery block of the month and I’m really pleased with both of them. I’ve started the test blocks for February, and they’re challenging me more than I’d like - but I’m getting there, slowly.

So hopefully there’ll be nothing to hold me back, though I’m sure as the month’s get warmer they’ll get busier and that in itself could be a whole other kind of challenge - we’ll see.