Card Tricks and Pans of Peace

Facebook solved the mystery of the saucepan drawer a few weeks ago,
when it reminded me of the day when a saucepan parted company with its handle,
the pan plummeting to the floor,
leaving DH holding just the handle.

We had all completely forgotten that this momentous happening had ever taken place,
but we were equally mystified, as to why there were more lids than pans in the saucepan drawer.
We all secretly suspected that someone else had had a major culinary disaster,
completely wrecked the saucepan and secretly disposed of it in the bin...
Facebook had reminded us of the truth.

Today I was heading off to an out of town, home store.
I wanted to replace the bathmat, upon which something had been spilt,
leaving a pale trail across its surface.
At the time I had innocently imagined that this would come clean in the wash.
As it hadn't, it had been scheduled to be replaced.

So we headed off to Worcester.
"Bring your National Trust card," I advised the KHT, "Unless you want to pay admission charges."

At the retail park at the edge of the city, a new saucepan and bathmats were successfully purchased. Then we headed into the city centre.
In the heart of the city is Greyfriars - a mediaeval merchants house owned by the National Trust.
Despite its closeness, we had never managed to visit Greyfriars,
as it is never open on a Monday,
and we never remember that it is open on a Friday.
Today was different.
We had remembered.

A quick investigation revealed that there were outdoor cafe tables but we couldn't see anywhere to eat indoors.
It was a lovely day but as the KHT is not good with wasps,
we headed off for a cafe where we knew we could eat inside, free from striped terrorists.
However, a few doors down we passed a cafe.
It had plenty of indoor tables, so got our custom.
The KHT and I opted for a Tomato, Onion & Cheese Tart, which nestled on a bed of mixed salad including courgette.
It was an interesting mixture of flavours,
but the KHT would have preferred a Quiche Lorraine from Tesco, and no salad...

After lunch we returned to Greyfriars
and joined the melee casually milling around the small garden,
trying to convince themselves that this was a place of great interest - when in reality they were just waiting for the bells to chime
and the doors to open.










The house is small,
but there are interesting information panels to read.
Items that belonged to the family are on display,
Including a letter written by the former owner.
The books on the bookshelves are just as the family left them.
As the house is largely untouched from when the family lived there, it still feels like their home.
You feel as if you could bump into one of them around any corner.












True to form, the KHT found something to dress up in





















I loved the light in one of the upstairs rooms.





The last room we entered was the indoor seating for the cafe.
"We could have eaten here!" exclaimed my fellow traveller.


Next, we headed down to the cathedral, where I was hoping to purchase some baptism candles from the cathedral shop.
Unfortunately, it was a day of graduation ceremonies.
The cathedral precincts were heaving with gowned grads and proud parents, all poshed up.
We decided to avoid the main part of the cathedral and pop in the back way from College Green.

BIG MISTAKE!!! 

The shop is off the cloisters, where post-ceremony refreshments were being served.
We had to battle our way past canape and wine clutching parents and their triumphant offspring.
"We could have had a free lunch!" I observed.
"Hardly, we are not dressed poshly enough." replied my fellow traveller.
She had a point.

Finally, we fought through to the shop.
"Two baptism candles, please."
A man hurriedly, and worriedly, disappeared to a stockroom and reappeared shaking his head.
"Sorry, we have none left. I have been on holiday for two weeks, so none have been ordered."
It was worth a try.
We exited through the near-empty Cathedral
"Ha! We would have been much better coming through this way rather than battling our way through the cluttered cloisters."
Hindsight is a wonderful thing.

In Cathedral Square we discovered an amazing photographic exhibition, 'Fields of Battle, Lands of Peace' featuring work by photojournalist Michael St. Maur Sheil - looking at the impact of war upon the landscape.
I would encourage you to go and see the exhibition, but it finished on Saturday.
The photography was amazing, and every time I thought I had found a favourite,
I would turn round and see another incredibly moving scene.
The size of these prints helped you to feel as if you were there,
even though the landscapes varied enormously.

We did a bit more shopping.
The KHT purchased a smart casual jacket to wear to the wedding on Sunday
and we ended up in the foodhall at M&S,
where I purchased some cakes for the first Afternoon Tea Service next Thursday.

When we arrived home the KHT helped to carry in the bags of shopping and was heard to mutter
"Huh! So much for needing my National Trust Card!"
"Hang on, Greyfriars was National Trust! You needed your card there!"
Admittedly it lacked the vast landscapes of Croome Park or Packwood House, but a National Trust property it certainly was!
And then she remembered.