OMG That’s My Home Town!!…

While we were getting dressed on Thursday morning, listening to ‘Five Live’ radio, we heard a news announcement that a hundred fire-fighters were working to bring a massive blaze under control in Hereford City Centre!! The largest fire the city has seen since the 1800’s!!! Talk about a shock!

I haven’t lived in Hereford for over 25 years but my family are there & I still refer to it as home! I was born & raised there & although it is a city (it has an awesome Cathedral) it has never lost its agricultural/country feel. There is so much history to be found within its borders & surrounding area & I’m sure that this had a great influence on my interest in all things historical!

In my childhood, my Saturdays would be spent at the morning pictures & then off to explore either the Cathedral (it has the most amazing chained library & is home to the medieval Mappa Mundi), or the ‘Old House’..an original Tudor Black & White house, still standing alone in High Town…originally a butcher shop in a row of three buildings, it is now a fully furnished museum. This all sounds very academic, but it wasn’t…we just used to scare each other to death with ghost stories!  Nowadays I appreciate the preservation of all the artefacts, furniture & everyday items & how it allows us to grasp how life was lived back in those far off days!  

So…when I heard on the radio that there were Tudor buildings being threatened by the fire I was aghast! I was on the phone to my sister poste-haste & she confirmed that the fire was in the vicinity of High Town & she’d keep me posted!

As silly as it sounds, it bothered me all day, that this wonderfully preserved piece of history..& part of my childhood too, might be destroyed!! So when an email arrived with pictures from the local press, I actually felt quite emotional & in a state of shock! 

The ‘Old House’ itself was not damaged by fire, but the old Tudor building opposite that was the ‘Booth Hall Hotel’ was completely gutted & now there is fear that the remaining facade could fall into High Town & that would seriously damage the ‘Old House’ directly opposite. 

Apparently it was a faulty ventilation extractor that ignited in a greetings card shop, so combine fire with all that paper stock & very old timber framed buildings & you have the perfect recipe for destruction!

There was no business carried out in High Town on Thursday & according to my sister, access is still restricted until decisions are made on  how much demolition is needed!

Whatever happens, my home town will never look the same! But no one was injured or killed..thank goodness!  Thank goodness too, for the brave men of the fire Service!

Now on to my creative week! I attended the ‘Crafting Time’ crop at Shepreth,  on Thursday with Karen & Ann & managed to complete my week 5 challenge for ‘Glee Club’ over at Dixie Pieces…’Country Pop’…

I took my inspiration from ‘Country Pop’ by using stars & stripes, gingham, lace & rhinestones. The photo’s were from 2002 of my boys playing giant board games at a local petting farm, so I thought there was a tenuous country link there too!!! Again I tried to incorporate as many elements as possible to try & score points for those ‘Secret Items’ & have just learned I have 3-out-of-a-possible-5 so it really is going to be a close run final lap of this contest!!!

Shimelle’s new ‘True Stories’ class starts on Monday, so I’m also working to finish up my ‘LSNED’ project….

 

 

On September 14th I discovered that I can earn free coffee at my all-time favourite coffee bar! Just by presenting a card each time I order! I’m a firm believer in reward cards…if you’re going to spend money in these places anyway, you may as well get something back…even if it is only an occasional free cup of Joe!!

 

 

 

On September 15th, I went along with three friends to play Bingo! It’s something we do a handful of Wednesdays in a year when the Bingo Club sends us vouchers for free books (do you see a pattern emerging here?!!)

We have won in the past & it all adds to the fun, we always have a giggle & a good chat in between games. But I’m not a natural gambler & my lesson for the day was that Bingo, like any form of gambling, in the long run, is really a mugs game!! 

So that’s it for today, Thank you for all your ‘feel better’ wishes, I am feeling so much better & a trip to the hairdressers yesterday worked wonders!!  It’s now half term & that means a nice sort-of-relaxed week, hopefully with some serious scrap time!!

Thanks for dropping by & I hope you’re all enjoying a great weekend! : )