Just home from the best birthday ever. Here are a couple of photos.
Our 3 generation birthday Brownie Mountain
Flowers left on the doorstep
Purple , white and green flowers from my wonderful daughters, son and their families
Cards
More tomorrow……
Category Archives: Celebration
Dawn, Colours and Cake
Another beautiful dawn sky, paint charts to choose from and another fabulous birthday cake!
Our morning was spent choosing paint and then starting the job. A couple of weeks ago we had a new window fitted and now the repair plaster is dry, we can begin the re-decoration. 
My very dear choir buddy had another birthday party this afternoon and another beautiful cake, this one covered in handmade sugar flowers, absolutely gorgeous.
Fabulous 90th birthday cake made by the very skilled Kathryn
Party, Knitting and Supper
Today is the 90th birthday of my very good friend and singing mentor whom I met in 2008 when I first joined The Ingleheart Singers. She took me under her wing then and has kept me there ever since! Her Family arranged a secret party this afternoon and asked for the choir to turn up as a surprise and to sing for her ,so of course we did! It was a delightful afternoon.
Jean’s beautiful cake, wish I could credit the maker.
Another friend from choir spotted a knitted crib earlier this week and sent me the next photo, knowing how much I would like it. I love the smile on Mary’s face and have to wonder why one of the shepherds is up on the roof!
A simple meal was called for this evening, Macaroni Cheese, comfort food at its best.
The Lost Gardens of Heligan and Lowarnes
Regular readers will remember the fox sculpture being built next door. Tonight was the unveiling of the remarkable sculpture in the Lost Gardens of Heligan.
Even having watched ithe sculpture being constructed in the garden next door over months, to walk down the path and come across the wonderful 6 meter high fox was amazing, a breathtaking moment that actually made me weep. Here she is in her new home where she truly looks as if she has landed in her rightful habitat.
First view as we came around the bend
Crowd in awe
Some sense of scale with the children underneath
Close up of her head
Family, Circus and Singing
Another lovely family day with Daughter no 3 joining us, and the family already with us, for the day. Lunch in the garden, a trip to the circus, my second to see the brilliant No Fit State Circus, and a breathtaking time was had by all nine of us. Dinner was cooked for us by our son-in-law and then I went off to sing shanties with my choirs joined by LiveWire3 who has sung with the Suitcase Singers on each holiday here since she was five years old. It’s always a special joy to have T in the choir with me. The rest of the family came along to join the audience. 
I’ve said it already but if you are local, don’t miss this treat on our doorstep. The circus is here until the end of the month and locals can get tickets for only £10! I wrote about my first visit here.
Homecoming Festival
What a fabulous evening we have had at the Lost Gardens of Heligan’s festival, Homecoming. Tonight was the last night and the highlight was an Evening with Dawn French and Sue Hill. First there was a delicious supper in the marquee, lively traditional Cornish music from Dalla Duo and then the hilarious and at times very moving conversation between our lovely neighbour, sculptor and theatre maker, Sue Hill and the comedy actor and writer Dawn French. We all loved it! Enjoy the gallery.
Dalla Duo
Supper tent
Chicken sharing box
Dawn French and Sue Hill
Stillness, Cake and Fox Party
There was an air of stillness around the Penryn River this morning as we gathered for the Suitcase Singers rehearsal, the mist dampening all sound. I love the reflections of the masts.
I made a Chocolate Cake for the party we were to go to this afternoon. It was a disaster! The cake almost fell apart as I tried to cut it in half to fill with ganache so I left it in two together halves with no filling. Then, when I poured over the ganache, a section fell off! I decorated it with Violas and Cornflower petals and took it next door anyway. We decided it couldn’t be sliced so invited the guests to scoop a spoonful. It went down very well with several people asking for the recipe, one of whom was a delightful fourteen year old who loves baking as I do. !
The party was to ‘wet the fox’s head’ prior to her being disassembled to go first for galvanising and then to be taken to The Lost Gardens of Heligan. Each piece of wood will be taken off, numbered and then reassembled in situ in the Lost Gardens. Lots of neighbours and friends who have been watching the development of the sculpture with awe were there. We raised a glass to the makers.
What a remarkable job they are doing!
She has eyes though they are not fixed yet
Murdoch Day in Redruth and A Cream Tea
Join me for Murdoch Day, a celebration honouring the legacy of William Murdoch, the pioneer behind the use of coal gas in lighting.  This year, we are ‘Celebrating 200 Years of the Railway’ as our Murdoch Day Festival theme. This theme acknowledges Redruth’s rich industrial history and celebrates William Murdoch’s contribution to a bicentenary of innovation. I love seeing the parade and all the children’s art and creations., 
Our young Town Crier in his Story Coat, leadin the parade
Young entrepreneurs selling Cornish Cream Teas
We shared a Cornish Cream Tea, jam first!
The Opening of the Big Shed
What a joyful day we have had along with everyone else who turned up for the official opening of the Big Shed at Community Roots. There was cake, there was music, there were plant sales, there was a garden tour and a barefoot seed-bomb making session. There was an amazing plant based lunch and then of course, the Ceremony of the Cutting of the Ribbon. Only it wasn’t a ribbon, the bow and ‘ribbon’ had been braided during the day out of reeds and daffodil leaves and it was very beautiful. There were speeches, the most moving of all, one based on the daily thanksgiving of the Onondaga Nation. And, the sun shone all day! Please enjoy the gallery and click on any for a bigger version and the caption.
The Big Shed
Nasturtium flowers being used to decorate lunch
Musician talking to the crowd
Ready for the Ceremony to begin
The braided bow and ‘ribbon’
Brazilian Carrot Cake
Victoria Sponge
Wild flower seed bombs
About to cut the ribbon
The ribbon is cut
Jaclarabag, the band
For all the joy, times are hard. Along with the invitation came this ‘ask.’ I thought you might like to know the bigger story.
The Ask
Looks can be deceptive, and behind our beautiful new building, we find ourselves in a very precarious financial position. Growing food and community in planet positive ways just isn’t financially sustainable, and with the Hungry Gap this year (when we have very few crops ready to sell) we are struggling to make ends meet. Also, while the new building will eventually help us diversify our income, before it does that it is costing us money, and we don’t have the time to organise all the great things we know could be happening in it. To help us through this tricky period we really need an injection of money, so we’ve launched a Crowdfunder and we’ve secured match funding, so that every pound donated is doubled by Aviva, with an additional £5,000 of match funding being added from Cornwall Council’s Climate and Nature fund. If you’re able to support us at all, we would be incredibly grateful, and if you aren’t able to donate, sharing our Crowdfunder with others is also incredibly helpful. If you follow us on Facebook or Instagram, liking, commenting and sharing posts makes a huge difference to how visible things are.
To see the Crowdfunder, to donate or to share it, please click here.
St Day Blossail
You’ll have heard of the Wassail,  the custom of visiting orchards in cider-producing regions of England and singing to the trees to promote a good harvest Today was the inaugural Blossail held in St Day, singing to the trees, now in blossom, in the newly planted Community Orchard. It was a truly lovely day with Maypole dancing, picnics in the orchard and of course, singing. Enjoy the gallery.
Beautiful banner
Three Daft Monkeys
Dancing around the maypole
Pattern of ribbons at the end of the dance
M. Ben’s Red
M. Oaken Pin
Singing to bless one of the trees
Cider being poured over the tree in the blessing ceremony
After singing in the Old Church, leaving after a very pleasing day.
