Two great British institutions - Pashley bicycles (I love the way they look but found the one I tried once quite uncomfortable though they go surprisingly fast - Nigel was happy as they are very expensive) and Paddington Bear. The original Paddingtons were made by Jeremy Clarkson's mother but I'm not sure the new ones are even made in this country. Another day of work with a dog walk thrown in but I did manage to plant a few new things in the front garden. While I was digging I was chatting to the neighbour who lives at the bottom of our garden (she was walking her dogs) and when I looked up there was a huge rat running across the road behind her. I had a horrible sensation that it had come out of the hole I was digging even though it obviously hadn't. Any way it was an opening to telling her that I am busy poising the rats under our shed - the compost heap and hens are miles from our house but I am very aware that they are fairly close to hers. She was fine about it but we both nearly had a heart attack when Rafiki's brown furry head appeared from under the corner of the car! Said cat failed to spot the rat and the dogs (luckily) completely failed to notice the cat sitting right behind them.
Three good things:
1. A good day at 6th form induction though I swear it is no more than 5 minutes since Year 7 induction.
2. Teenage boys arriving unexpectedly on a night when I have excess BBQ food.
3. M&S Chocolate Honeycomb Happyness ice cream (spelled with a Y).
Looks as if the bicycle basket is just waiting to catch Paddington falling out of the store front window! Heart warming shot. Glad no one got bitten by the rat!
Did you find this bike and wheel it to the paddington bear store? If not then this is a lucky find and brilliant composition. Did Jeremy clarkson's mother really make the originals? I always waned one but too expensive. Would love to have joined you on your dog walk today, lets do another time with cake thrown in.
Nooo paddington is related to that idiot. Thats very distressing. Clarkson wouldn't know a nice bike like this if it ran him over. What a good idea though... I see snoopy too.
@lucypics Mostly lucky because no cars to ruin the shot. Yes Mrs C made the originals and did very nicely for a while - we never had one either for the same reason but my mother was a dab hand at making Wombles. Defo for a walk and there's a 'London Underground' photo exhibition on - thought we could make a trip of it with cake @tishpics , @katharinehubbard , @busylady , @helenmoss and any others??? On till 27 Sept so we have a while to fix a date.
@fueast Well Mrs C didn't bother to sort out copyright for a very long time and nearly got sued so Mrs Marsh Lane was safe making her own - at least the Clarksons couldn't complain.
A classic bike if ever I saw one & smart move to make it look like it has a basket full of Paddingtons!! Love your rat tale & like when you itch when talking about nits you would jump as you saw Rafikis little head!! I think you were brave mentioning rats to the neighbour, I would have kept dead quiet!!!
I never that about Jeremy Clarkson mother!! I want a new bike as well and we have a scheme in work ( most jobs do) and the company pay the vat and this is to encourage you to cycle to work to save the planet. you can then pay for the bike out of your wages every month, neat huh!
Ha! I remember seeing Jeremy Clarkson have to use a sewing machine for some TV challenge or other and he was very proficient as he used to help his Mum make the bears. :)
I love the look of the bicycle basket but it doesn't hold as much as my panniers! I can bring 4 huge bags of groceries home in them! Not funny about the rat! Hate 'em!
@maggiemae I've got my eyes open for some 'leave on' panniers as my basket it definitely too small - there used to be a lady on the market who made them but now I want some she's nowhere to be seen!
My husband had told me about the Clarkson thing because like him he is from Doncaster. We' ve just had two days of induction. 'Boring' was the overall verdict and the team building activities were deemed to be 'cliched' - oooh get him! I thought that the whole thing would have gone down better given that the school is taking a few girls into the sixth form for the first time this year. but no. I don't think we even had an induction day.
@jantan Oh there was some sort of 'meet the teachers' thing with 'summer work' handed out - he did say there was a girl in his psychology class who should have been in geography so I don't think it was too heavy!
Great bike/basket shot...I had no idea you know so much about cycling! Must admit our chicken food did seem to attract the rats into the area...not great for the chickens, but great amusement for the cats!
Fabulous shots of your British institutions. I have always loved Paddington bear. Not familiar with Pashley, but they look very sleek. And that ice cream sounds outrageously yummy......
Oh, and I am completely against rats. :)
This is a proper old fashioned toy shop. There aren't that many around here any more. Love the Paddingtons and Shawn the sheep looking out of the window and the lovely old fashioned bicycle in the foreground xx
July 7th, 2013
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Oh, and I am completely against rats. :)