A fun post that’s been put onto social media by the theatre.
@davenhamtheatre
TRUTH OR LIE
Angela (playing the part of Donna) enjoyed life as an international spy before settling down to 18 years as a French chateau owner. She now enjoys competitive basket weaving.
#bogusbiog #onetruthtwolies
Thought you may like to see it but I think you guys will all know the answer 🤣
#davenham #davenhamlife #amdram #amdramtheatre #cheshirelife
Getting ahead of myself today and preparing a cake for a family dinner tomorrow.
Here is a a wonderful recipe from my cousins wife @suegd1 for a very yummy Bakewell Cake.
I’ve adapted it by simply swopping in a GF flour. It’s a really easy ‘all in one’ recipe. I will put the photo of Sues handwritten recipe on my stories…
Tandem Tour Day 8. A day off in Cadiz.
Cadiz is a busy tourist city where large cruise ships drop off their passengers for day trips.
The famous seen from Die Another Day was filmed here at the beach. Halle Berry looked fabulous walking out of the sea towards the bar where Pierce Brosnan was watching her from the beach bar and offered her a Mojito. We found the beach location quite easily with the castle in the background but I think the bar was a product of Pinewood Studios imagination as there was not a bar to be seen let alone one serving Mojitos 🤣🤣
There are plenty of historic buildings and lovely squares with cafes, bars and restaurants. The people are very friendly and welcoming.
Our hotel here, the Soho Boutique, has been our favorite hotel of our stay. It’s very close to the central square and has lovely stylish bedrooms with a good breakfast selection too.
Can you feel a but coming on?
Sadly there is…
But…..when you move away from the busy cosmopolitan squares the city is sadly lacking… it feels like there has been very little investment in recent years and little love given to the area. Many of the old buildings, once majestic, are falling into disrepair. The streets are untidy and to be absolutely honest, a little smelly.
There’s lots to love about Cadiz and it’s defiantly worth a day trip but did we love it? No we didn’t. Will we revisit? Very unlikely.
#tandemtour #biketour #dieanotherday #jamesbond #halleberry #cadiz
Today we’ve had a day off from the bike so we could enjoy Rhonda. We drove through here a few years ago on a classic car tour but only stayed one night and didn’t get enough time to look around.
If you haven’t been here yourselves I suggest you put it on your wish list.
It’s a beautiful town steeped in history with both old and new streets to visit. From the old town, a dramatic path takes you right down to the bottom of El Tajo, to the foot of the mighty “New Bridge” that spans the canyon. It’s a steep climb so take some sturdy and comfy shoes… we have walked miles!
#rhonda #andalucia #espania #wishlist #padronpeppers #spanishtomatoes
And just for fun ….. a little bit of kitchen disco !!! 😂🤣
#kitchendisco #justforfun #arianagrande #newbuildhome #newbuildhome #newbuildhomes #dresser #dressermakeover #spring
Tulips… after plain old simple daffodils, tulips are my next favorite spring flower.
The snowdrops, daffs and camellia are now out in the garden and I just needed a little ‘springness’ inside the house.
What do you think of these beauties?
Of course - I can’t pull the wool over your eyes, you knew all along that these tulips are not real……but they are really good faux.
The secret to using faux flowers in the house is to only display them when they are actually in season. Use different vases to give them a different look and if the vase is glass, like this one, add a little water for a more realistic touch.
#fauxflowers #fauxflowerstyling #fauxtulips #tulips #cutflowers #freshflowers
I know how you guys love to read my trivia so I thought you would like a to hear this.
It’s opening night and my first performance on stage. Don’t say ‘break a leg’ and instead wish me ‘bonne merde’ or ‘chookas’. Isn’t language both wonderful and funny 🤣
It’s traditional to wish the cast and crew good luck with the saying ‘Break a leg’ but where does this term originate?
The most common theory refers to an actor breaking the “leg line” of the stage. In the early days of theater, this is where ensemble actors were queued to perform. If actors were not performing, they had to stay behind the “leg line,” which also meant they wouldn’t get paid.
If you were to tell the actor to “break a leg,” you were wishing them the opportunity to perform and get paid. The sentiment remains the same today; the term means “good luck, give a good performance.”
In Australia they wish you ‘chookas’ - This term seems to have come into use during the early days of J.C. Williamson’s dominance of the theatre scene in Australia. In the early 1900s chicken was very expensive and regarded as a treat.As most shows paid fees depending on the box-office take, a full house meant that the performers would be able to afford a chicken meal. The cry ‘chook it is’ was shortened to ‘chookas’, and eventually used by performers to wish each other a successful show regardless of the number of people in the auditorium.
Our current play was originally performed in French and so it feels right to go with the French theatre tradition. They say ‘Bonne Merde’ which directly translates to ‘Good Sh*t!🤣🤣
It’s generally accepted that this relates back to the 19th century, when people would go to the theatre in their horse and carriages. If a performance was particularly popular, there would be carriages lining the street in front of the theatre and theatergoers wouldn’t be able to avoid stepping in the horse poop from other carriages’ hors
Small room……. BIG statement.
After waiting the obligatory 12 months
of no decorating aloud in a new build, I’ve finally got started.
What better place to start than the smallest room in the house….
The cloakroom.
Some of you will recognise this wallpaper. We used this gorgeous wallpaper from @littlegreenepaintcompany on our bedroom walls at
the chateau. I had one full roll left plus a few shorter pieces and I am so pleased I packed them away and brought them with me.
This dramatic paper certainly packs a punch!
Notes:
- sorry, I completely forgot to film myself wallpapering 🤦♀️
- the walls were sanded lightly and any dints filled before I started.
- I sized the walls before I wallpapered to help with the adhesion.
- I sanded the plastic tile trim before painting with gold paint but I didn’t like the finish. I decided to gold leaf it instead. ( sorry, forgot to film that too 🤦♀️🤦♀️)
- I used a tinted paint to match the wallpaper from @tikkurila_uk
Love it 😀😀😀
#cloakroom #littlegreenepaintcompany #wallpaper #goldleaf #doityourself
Going in there early ( and strongly) with a lunch time pancake!
I have a busy evening ahead so instead of having to rush my pancakes or worse still…. Not having any pancakes, I have decided to cook and enjoy them now.
This one has banana and cream topping but my favorite is a simple sugar and lemon one.
What’s your favorite way to eat your pancakes?
#pancakes #schrovetuesday
Snowdrops.
My garden is waking up at last.
As you know I’ve only been in the house for just over a year and so this will be the first full year since my garden was created.
I planted spring bulbs on mass in autumn and they are now starting to poke their heads above ground. These beautiful little snowdrops, the first flowers of the year, were planted much earlier when my Dad dug them up from his garden last March and I planted them ‘in the green’ here at mine. It feels good having something from mum and dads place (my old childhood home).
The snowdrops signal the start of the garden season, and they bring a smile to my face.
#snowdrops #snowdropseason #garden #flowers #springiscoming #flowerbulbs #springbulbs
When I’m not cooking, baking or decorating I’m busy rehearsing for the play that I am in at my local amdram theatre.
Unlike many amdram groups The Davenham Players own their own theatre. Davenham is a small village in the heart of Cheshire and The Players, run as a charity by volunteers, purchased the building over 50 years ago. It’s a small theatre seating between 60-80 and we’ve just had the most wonderful new seating making it a wonderful space to enjoy theatre, music and comedy.
Acting is something new to me and I’ve thrown myself right into it with both feet. I really fancied the idea of being in a play and I’m really enjoying the experience but OMG, learning lines is not an easy task. Over the last few weeks there have been many moments where I’ve held my head in my hands in despair! Talk about working your brain cells, it’s blown my mind. I have 4 weeks left to opening night and I am now feeling a little more confident… fingers crossed 🤪
I’m working with a lovely bunch of likeminded folks, all with far more experience treading the boards than I do. With their support I’m just about keeping my head above water.
This little video mashup from a recent rehearsal gives a little flavour of what’s in store ( I love the music). The set is still being built with props and costumes slowly appearing.
If any of you fancy coming along to watch. Tickets are available
https://www.ticketsource.co.uk/whats-on/northwich/davenham-theatre
#localtheatre #amdram #davenhamlife #davenham #localtheatre @davenhamtheatre #outifmycomfortzone #justdoit #dosomethingnew
Gluten Free Shortbread biscuits.
This is my go to, - never fail-, recipe for perfect GF shortbread.
Shop bought GF biscuits are so expensive and there’s usually only about 10 in each packet. Steve tells me they taste pretty dam awful too. I know it’s great that the supermarkets are catering for GF folks but I think there’s a lot of work to be done on biscuits!
I always make plenty as they get eaten so quickly.These biscuits are a great accompaniment to desserts such as panna cotta or taste great with a cuppa. They will keep for a couple of weeks in an airtight tin.. if you want to store them this long I suggest you hide them as they are hard to resist.
#glutenfree #coeliacs #wheatfree #shortbread #biscuits #homebaked
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Happy Christmas Everyone.
What a fantastic year it’s been.
This reel has filled me with inexplicable happiness….. I think I may well be a little bit weird but I don’t care.
Anyone else get a buzz just looking at pretty, clean and neatly ironed fabrics?
The weather has defiantly turned and after putting it off for as long as I could, the time has come to bring the soft furnishings inside and out of the cold.
I have brought the suite cushions in, washed and stored them, before protecting the the bases with their covers. The dining furniture has been stored in the garage and the bunting taken down.
I made this bunting for Jamie and Jemima wedding from scraps of fabric I had at the chateau. It’s now been up in my new garden all summer and I’ve loved the colourful, pretty display as well as the reminder of chateau living it provides.
I have washed and ironed it all and love how it looks all neatly stacked in a pile.
It will be stored inside over the winter but I am already looking forward to hanging it out again next year.
It feels a little sad to put things away but that’s the thing about gardens, it’s all about the changing seasons, working with the weather and the planting and above all else, it should bring a little sunshine into each day, no matter what the weather.
Happy weekend everyone 🥰
#bunting #buntingflag #linens #fabric #vintagefabric #makeyourown
Today I have the last three questions in one post. ( my editing is getting better 🤣)
Q1. What do you miss most about the Chateau
Q2. How do you feel about angels decision to buy a new build property?
Q3. Will we get to see your house in Spain?
I hope you enjoy this last coffee and chat with Steve post.
#newlife #newlifeinthesun #chateaudiy #chateaulife #escapefromthechateau #newbuildhome #liveyourlife #justdoit #noregretsjustlove
A cuppa and a catch up with Steve.
Question 2. Why did you buy a house in Spain?
Please keep commenting.. I have just a couple more video clips of questions and answers, so if your enjoying listening to Steve then let me know and I’ll post some more.
Something a little different for you over the weekend.
You guys often message me, usually asking about our decision to sell the Chateau, and the new life choices we have made.
Steve has now headed off to Spain for the winter but before he left I got him to sit down for a few minutes and talk about all this stuff to camera.
Because I’m not clever enough to edit it all into one video I will post these short videos with bite size answers. If you enjoy this one and would like to see more then please let me know in comments.
#chateau #chateaudiy #why #newlife #escapefromthechateau @chateaudiy #yourquestionsanswered
I know, I know…. They are not exactly a design statement but, oh my days…… I could not leave these adorable mice in the shop.
I went for a look around @we_are_okells garden center yesterday with my friend Alison. We both love this garden center as, not only does it have great quality plants and the best cafe it also has a gorgeous shop filled with delightful things.
This is all good news if you intend to buy stuff but as Alison and I got out of the car, we both said we would have a coffee and lunch and then walk around the plants and gifts but under no circumstances were we buying anything! We did not need anything and we were going to restrain ourselves.
Well, I kid you not… we were just through the gift shop door when we both spotted things we liked. I’m not going to give away Alison’s purchases ( yes there was more than one) as her secrets are always safe with me ,but I saw these little mice on the shelf and I truly think I heard them squeaking out my name.
I fell in love instantaneously, it was love at first sight, and as I picked one up, I knew it was coming home with me. Now I could have bought just one, but when do you ever see a mouse on its own? They have very cute little faces with whiskers and furry skirts… and I picked up two more, just to see if they felt right.
Do you ever see something in a shop and then think, I’ll leave it here and have a think about it while I walk around? No… me neither!
I was not taking the risk that someone else was going to set eyes on MY little mice. I didn’t want to run the risk of having to wrestle with a complete stranger in the middle of the shop to retrieve them.
And so it was…. They came around the shop with me, and we became firm friends and now they are happily sitting on MY shelf where they belong.
@we_are_okells #mice #friperie #onmyshelf #impulsebuy #whynot #feltcraft
By popular demand… here is the one with the BATH and the CHERRYPICKER.
When we filmed this the crew said “thank goodness you didn’t hurt yourselves…. Because if you had done, we wouldn’t be able to use the clip!
Thanks for your concern guys!
They used this clip so many times and all I could ever see was my bum, center stage on screen and hear my usual screeching 🤣
I can’t believe how young we look….. it wasn’t that long ago surely.
Feeling a little nostalgic……..
