Sky Watch Friday - Nellie!

The following photo's were taken on a previous visit to my friends area near the South Downs but are typical of today...And, can you see her???"Nellie the elephant, raised her truck,
And waved good bye to the circus!"
Okay, I have plagiarised the rhyme to suit my purpose.
It really goes like this:-
"Nellie the elephant packed her trunk
And said good bye to the circus...
Off she went with a trumpety-trump
Trump, trump, trump."

True Colours Thursday - CANARY YELLOW, Take 2!

Having reached my latest destination, WelshAire Country, I couldn't resist including this photo of 'nephew' Taffy's elongated CANARY YELLOW tennis ball...

This Welsh Terrier, who's always ready to plays idea of a perfect greeting, is to immediately fetch you a toy.

And, how can one resist such an approach when offered by such a cute nose & those pearly white little teeth???

True Colours Thursday - CANARY YELLOW!

I always say, my first ever family pet was Wire Fox Terrier 'Sister' Judy.

But, it was in truth, it was Joey, a YELLOW Canary.

I can just remember him, singing sweetly everyday in the window, when the sun shone brightly into his cage.

And, then he was gone???

My Mother explained, that come one Winter, the cold gave him Bronchitis, so his little spirit flew away to sing elsewhere.

Guess, that's why I have a fondness for 'Tweety Pie'...

Moving on - whilst away in Brighton, I was of course, in search of CANARY YELLOW!

I found no Canaries but these 'caged' swimming marker balls waiting for their time again next Summer...

'Noddy' in his car with his girlfriend in the Pier's Amusement Arcade...

And, these blooms @ my favourite florist, from where I always buy my 'Remembrance Flowers'...

Then, last Sunday's Veteran Car Run provided Marshall's in noticeably YELLOW wet weather attire...

Immaculate vehicles...

That looked so much brighter, when the rain finally abated & the sun shone...

And, more than a few bikers were parked up in Town, as they are every weekend...

Now okay, my cake today has only an element of YELLOW!

But, I had to feature it, as it is the 5th of November - Guy Fawkes/Firework Night of 'Gun powder, treason & plot'!

It was today in 1605, that Guido [Guy] Fawkes, Robert Catesby & others, failed to blow up King James the 1st & the Houses of Parliament.
The capturing of these plotters has been celebrated enthusiastically across the country ever since, with spectacular fireworks displays & huge bonfires, on which a 'guy' is ceremonially burnt.

However, back to the cake, @ least one of it's Catherine Wheel's elements is YELLOW, as is the Rocket's tip...

To join True Colours Thursday, all you need, is to post a photo/photographs & text, or better still both, on the specified colour of the week.
If you simply want to use the idea as a 'prompt' for a post, as I do now, with many memes, that's fine.
But, if, you'd like others including me, to visit you, please leave a comment below, so we know you are 'IN'!
For this meme only, I lift my 'Comment Moderation' to help players connect with each other.
Everyone, who to my knowledge has participated recently, is named in the TCT Roll Call in my side bar.
Next weeks colour is VIOLET!

NB...

Although, I've only been home a day, I'm heading off again!

This time, I'm going to WelshAire Country to see Molly, Taffy & Monty.

Same rules apply as last week - I will not be visiting anybody's post till after arriving there in the afternoon!

Wordless Wednesday - A Fishy Tale!

Two fer Tuesday - York Place!

On a mission yesterday, instigated by Angie, who now lives in Western Australia, but was born in Brighton - I went in search of her birth place.
She, in a blog 'Comment' to me, said if I was walking in the vicinity of York Place, check out No 13, as she was born there on the 2nd floor, & jokingly added "not on the actual floor"!
And, since it's been a while since she has been back to Brighton, she was curious to know if 'Grubs' an original 1970's Burger Bar was still flourishing below her one time home.

Now, that sounds, a simple enough task to complete, but sometimes my 'Senior Moments' get the better of me!

In my mind, it wasn't No 13, I was in search of but No 3, which which proved to be opposite the impressive St Peter's Church, re-opened this Sunday after extensive structural renovations...

And, No 3 York Place, is now a family run chemists - so in my misguided quest, I went into enquire if the upper floors were still lived in...

An interesting conversation with the current, second generation owner ensued.

He said that the pharmacy was initially set up in the early Sixties, by a Mr Ross, still a live today but over a 100, who eventually sold the business onto his own father after he completed his training as a chemist!

He understood that before that, the premises had been a Gentleman's Outfitters or Haberdashery Store, as under the present modern shops fixtures & fittings, the original facade still lurked - and old grates & gas points are to be seen on the upper floors now simply used as storage space.

He was most intrigued by my tale of a friend being born up there in the mid 1930's!!!

And, I was soooo pleased with myself, till I re-read Angie's 'Comment' later in the day, and I realised I was ten numbers out!

DRAT, drat, drat!

So, not to be beaten, I've returned to York Place and found No 13...

Yes, it still looks inhabited by the bamboo window blinds on the first & second floors.

And 'Grubs' is still serving 100% British Beef burgers plus a Vegetation option, however the kids working there, weren't interested in talking to me!!!

So there Angie - mission finally accomplished.

Twofer is a meme started by another blog friend Jonna!

Remembrance Time!

Today is, what was, my late Mother's birthday!

She, we spent, shared, many such happy celebrations here in Brighton - which is why, as old friends know - two years ago on what would have been her 90th, I stole down to the foreshore, to scatter her ashes along with my Springer Spaniel Hero's on the waters edge, with flowers, for the ebbing tide to carry away!

Since then, on every visit, I cast, two similar single blooms ribboned together, on the water in remembrance.

But, today's act is always the most poignant, the hardest, the one most emotionally charged with memories.

This anniversary, I bought my mini bouquet early, so I could enjoy/share them during my stay...Now though, the time has come to part with the flowers, the Rose for my Mother & the Gerbera for Hero and I can only blame my leaky eyes for me not focusing this image properly this morning!

"They are all gone into the world of light,

And I alone sit lingering here;

Their very memory is fair and bright,

And my sad thoughts hold them dear. "

Anon

Poscript...

As the tides swell remains strong, I knew my fragile flowers would be battered & brocken before going out to sea.

So, for the first time, I went along the length of Brigton Pier, and cast them away from there!

Mellow Yellow Monday - 'Rock On' ; But First!

Wow!
What a huge difference a morning makes...After taking the above photograph & yes, I have cleaned & polished my camera lens - as I had a lunch date @ Bill'sProduce Store with friend JI - my Brighton visits have rituals that must be observed - LOL; I headed to the North Lanes, which can always be relied on to produce something different, in this case for a 'Mellow Yellow' post...I just love the quirkiness of Brighton, which is why I must get my act together regarding moving here!

Waves and Wet Cars!

Yesterday I had a seriously busy day planned out.

No visit to Brighton is ever complete without seeing my favourite WFT Jackson.

Therefore, the mornings first plan of action was, that I accompany him & his JI on a leisurely walk.

Next, was to meet up with blog friend Dina & her husband Mick for the first time.

They were driving down for the annual London to Brighton Veteran Car Run, now in it's 79th year!

Both meetings, promised lots of photo taking opportunities.

But, things did not go quite to plan regarding the first!!!

The previous night, I was woken by the sounds of a ferrous storm battering my hotel bedroom's french windows.

So much so, I feared their latch's wouldn't hold & I might be blown away!

The wind & rain didn't abate in the morning, the wild sea lashed the promenade with vengeance!

Jackson's walk was put on hold re a lull in conditions.

A brief respite, saw me dash across to the Palace Pier in hope of capturing the storm waves, which I did with mixed results.

As it's Monday, I'll start with the Monochrome Maniac's take...

The sea breaking over the groyne was spectacular...

However, the sound of the surf, violently crashing on shingle, meant I didn't hear calls from JI.

Subsequently, she & Jackson did their walk without me & got exceedingly wet doing so!!!

I was [still am] grieved, to have missed my one chance to see the Jax this stay, but it was my own fault.

The weather having taken another turn for the worse - more torrential driving rain, with winds strong enough to almost blow one over, I retreated back to my hotel, from where I checked on Dina's whereabouts - they were on the outskirts of Brighton.

So, out I went once more, this time to way lay them, as they drove towards the seafront!

As, the Veteran Car Run takes place what ever the weather, spotted this one driving past the Pavilion as I waited...After flagging their Land-Rover down - I was easy to spot, a solitary, rather damp disheveled female, we found dry underground parking & said hallo properly.

Then, it was out to brave the elements again.

After battling along the promenade to Madeira Drive, we watched the cars arrive @ the ceremonial finishing line.

It says a lot for these fine old vehicles engineering, all are pre-1905, for them to have made the run in good time, in such adverse weather conditions.

However, never ever, have I ever, seen such bedraggled, be sodden drivers & passengers.

But, they waved brightly on arrival and we clapped & cheered them in!

I, as usual snapped away...The original Genevieve, made famous by the film of the same name, was there again...

I found a blue car for me...

And, a green jacketed Dina...

And, although some photo's look very atmospheric re the rain/sea mist, the soft [fuzzy] effect's are actually due to moisture having got under my camera's lens shield whilst on the pier - hence no crisp shots.
I spent last evening, deleting, deleting deleting - one of the merits of digital photography!

On the positive side, the day did clear up, & the sun broke through by late afternoon...

And more importantly, meeting, Dina & Mick was a genuine pleasure, another fine example of friendship made by blogging, working.

Just wish we had, had longer together, as they had to head home early.

But, hopefully there will be a next time.