Do you read French, Helen ? If so, you MUST read the novel Miss Charity by Marie-Aude Murail. It’s just the best evocation of Beatrix Potter, loosely inspired from her life, with all the strength, and fun all in the funniest drawn kid/teen novel ! ( May be Pie is learning French and you have an excuse to get it for her ? It’s even worth it for the drawings !).
And you know what ? As much as I loved seeing Potter’s house, I think the best picture of the lot is your Dad waving ! The sweetest ever !
Oooh lovely! We went to Malaga for our holibobs. We travelled on the train and on the bus and by shank’s pony around and about, ate too much and didn’t get enough sleep on account of the concrete slap that they said was a mattress… but we did enjoy some lovely Spanish sun! 💛
I too am feeling a yearning to run for the hills (or mountains!) after reading your post. I used to holiday in Keswick every year as a child and the pencil museum was a regular visit. Haven’t been since they spruced the place up though.
Oh I do love your writings Helen. I just cut my own hair ( yes I do that) and made some excellent chapati for the first time ever… inset day today so the holiday isn’t really over
I’ve never been to Hill Top but it’s now definitely on my list of places to visit. Last year my brother got married at Lindeth Howe overlooking Windermere. It was, for a time, owned by Potter, who had visited as a child and then bought it for her mum. We got to stay in her old bedroom. Doubt it was en-suite in her day but we appreciated that, and the spectacular view. When the NT were building their fancy new head office in Swindon the staff were asked for suggestions of names. They plumped for Heelis, which was her married name, to mark just how significant her gift of land, and the license for her characters was for the Trust.
Loved this Helen - the Lakes are special to our family - many holidays have been spent in a little cottage in Penrith. I'm definitely going to the pencil museum next time - I can't believe I missed that.
There is something special about going to someone's house. I am so glad that you loved it. I agree her books have become too insipid through over marketing, and the spirit of her world has been lost.
This is a dream day out for me, too. I love the pencil museum - so many interesting facts. My favourite is the secret war-time pencil with map inside. And Beatrix Potter. what a talent. How far ahead of her time?!
Do you read French, Helen ? If so, you MUST read the novel Miss Charity by Marie-Aude Murail. It’s just the best evocation of Beatrix Potter, loosely inspired from her life, with all the strength, and fun all in the funniest drawn kid/teen novel ! ( May be Pie is learning French and you have an excuse to get it for her ? It’s even worth it for the drawings !).
And you know what ? As much as I loved seeing Potter’s house, I think the best picture of the lot is your Dad waving ! The sweetest ever !
Oooh lovely! We went to Malaga for our holibobs. We travelled on the train and on the bus and by shank’s pony around and about, ate too much and didn’t get enough sleep on account of the concrete slap that they said was a mattress… but we did enjoy some lovely Spanish sun! 💛
I too am feeling a yearning to run for the hills (or mountains!) after reading your post. I used to holiday in Keswick every year as a child and the pencil museum was a regular visit. Haven’t been since they spruced the place up though.
I’d love to go to the pencil museum! It’s such a long way from where I live but one day….💕💭
Oooo I e wanted to visit both of those places, thank you got sharing 😁👍
Oh I do love your writings Helen. I just cut my own hair ( yes I do that) and made some excellent chapati for the first time ever… inset day today so the holiday isn’t really over
I’ve never been to Hill Top but it’s now definitely on my list of places to visit. Last year my brother got married at Lindeth Howe overlooking Windermere. It was, for a time, owned by Potter, who had visited as a child and then bought it for her mum. We got to stay in her old bedroom. Doubt it was en-suite in her day but we appreciated that, and the spectacular view. When the NT were building their fancy new head office in Swindon the staff were asked for suggestions of names. They plumped for Heelis, which was her married name, to mark just how significant her gift of land, and the license for her characters was for the Trust.
Loved this Helen - the Lakes are special to our family - many holidays have been spent in a little cottage in Penrith. I'm definitely going to the pencil museum next time - I can't believe I missed that.
There is something special about going to someone's house. I am so glad that you loved it. I agree her books have become too insipid through over marketing, and the spirit of her world has been lost.
This is a dream day out for me, too. I love the pencil museum - so many interesting facts. My favourite is the secret war-time pencil with map inside. And Beatrix Potter. what a talent. How far ahead of her time?!
Thank you for the lovely pictures, that pencil museum looks adorable!
I especially love Beatrix Potter’s mycology studies, she was quite groundbreaking in a time when women weren’t allowed or able to be scientists.
https://www.themarginalian.org/2015/07/28/beatrix-potter-a-life-in-nature-botany-mycology-fungi/
Spa guest only chips!? Nope. Shouldn’t be a thing. Haven’t been to the Pencil Museum in years. I feel a road trip coming on… 🙌