Memories - Talkingthailand

Tales of 2020

January

Well, what a start to 2020! The very first day of the new year, I got to spend a glorious day with my best friend and life partner – Chris! (He loves it when I call him my life partner! Hee hee)

I was on a trip to Brussels and Chris came to meet me for the day. We had such a lovely day together – reminiscing about the past, making new memories for the future, but more than that – we had a lot of fun, as always. You know when you just get on with someone – that’s Chris and I!

I also went to Bruges for the day and spent 4 hours wandering around, snapping away with my camera.

Things to do in Bruges — Canal Spiegelrei, Bruges

February

On the TV, news of a virus made me really think about whether I should go on my trip to Barcelona, but I was glad I did, it would be the last time I went anywhere for a while. It was my first time there and I had a fabulous time wandering around the city. I was especially ‘wowed’ by the Sagrada Familia.

Things to do in Barcelona — Sagrada Familia

March

We all found ourselves in lockdown! What surreal times those were! Now, it seems a lifetime ago and I still can’t believe it actually happened. Not much else to do apart from exploring the garden!

Things to photograph at home — Exploring the garden

April

My birthday in 2020 was probably the quietist on record, but I celebrated with wine and a curry and spent time with my brother and sister-in-law.

I went for a walk most days which kept me sane while we were locked up. Sometimes I just walked along with music in my ears and sometimes I took lots of photographs. Who would have thought there was a waterfall in the woods behind my brother’s house.

Things to do in Northampton — Waterfall in Little Billing

May

Still in lockdown, we had to find new ways to amuse ourselves and my brother Trev came home with his hair dyed blonde! We took to calling him Slim Shady. Now, will the real one please stand up!

Things to do in lockdown — The Real Slim Shady?

Trev then decided he was going to go one step further and dye his hair all the colours of the rainbow, so I ordered some hair dye. This is how it turned out. Rocking the rainbow bro, and his tribute to the NHS. Thank god it was temporary and washed out!

June

Still off work, I went to meet my mum, sister and niece in the park for a picnic. It was lovely to spend time with them, enjoying the sunshine, playing Frisbee and looking at the birds. For me, the simple pleasures are always the nicest.

The biggest news of the month was that I have moved into my own place. A lovely little duplex apartment near the town centre. I was anxious about moving whilst in lockdown, so I waited until things had eased a bit. Then I was worried about finances, so I waited some more. In the end, I decided to take the risk and just go for it. I have always said, if I become unhappy I will do something about it. I loved living with my brother and his fiancé, but it was time to move on.

July

I took a trip to Newark to visit my friends – Doyle and Mel. It was so lovely to see them and their kids again. Mel and I went out to the garden centre and, on the way back, we went to the marina in Farndon and had a cheeky drink by the river.

Things to do in Newark — Photo Credit: Melody Armstrong

The following weekend, I went to Rotterdam to visit Chris.

We had such a fun weekend, as we always do when we get together. Chris was an exceptional tour guide and he took me to new parts of the city. It was such a lovely couple of days making new memories!

Things to see in Rotterdam — Exploring Rotterdam

August

I had been on furlough since the end of March with no clue as to when I would be returning to work, but then we were asked to attend a meeting. We were told that, due to the virus, there would be redundancies.

With this news, I took up painting by numbers to try and stop the constant sick feeling in my stomach.

Things to do in your free time — Painting by Numbers – Amsterdam

September

I was made redundant! My boss came right out with it… “we have to let you go.” Even though I kind of knew, it was still horrible to hear it. I could feel the tears coming, but I didn’t want to cry in front of her – it wasn’t her fault. I got back into the car to drive home and I cracked!

I got home and immediately set about looking for a job.

I have never felt so stressed, I felt sick every day with a feeling of dread in my stomach. I lost all motivation to do anything – even exercise! I was applying for 2-3 jobs a day, every day, and feeling very frustrated because NO-ONE replied!

October

I was finally offered a job! It turned out, it was all just a matter of time! Time that I didn’t think I could bear to wait! I could not be happier and I felt like the weight of the world had been lifted off my shoulders!

To celebrate, I went out with my sister which was fun, albeit strange. Groups of people absolutely plastered at 6pm on a Saturday night, temperature checks and ID checks before you went into a pub and bouncers telling people ” YOU CAN’T PASS WITHOUT A MASK!” which I thought was quite amusing and that became the quote of the day.

Things to do in freetime — My sister and me

November

I went for a wintery walk in the park with my lovely mum. She is always great company to be around.

December

We came out of a mini-lockdown at the beginning of December and I made my own Christmas wreath. I was quite proud of my creation!

Things to do at home — My homemade wreath

Christmas day came around and, although everyone was under a 1-day restriction, I was lucky enough to be able to have a lovely day with my mum, dad, sister and niece – memories to be treasured.

Then, on New Year’s Eve, I spent the evening at home, talking with Chris online. I even got to celebrate two New Years – one in Rotterdam and one in the UK because of the time difference.

Then, we were back in lockdown or tier 4 until at least mid-February 2021.

Despite 2020 being a strange year, I still managed to experience many moments to be grateful for.

A Visit to Warwick Castle

A couple of years ago, I went to Warwick Castle for the day.

I love visiting historical places and I can add Warwick Castle as one of the best places to visit.

You’ll find the Peacock Gardens with their beautifully manicured lawns and resident peacocks wandering around.

The Conservatory Tearoom overlooking the fountain.

Then, follow the path through the trees towards the river and the jousting area and Britain’s largest trebuchet. Check the times on your ticket for exciting shows and entertainment every day.

Cross over the river and explore all around the castle.

Enter the castle through its main entrance.

Inside the castle, you can sit on the grass, have a break with a refreshing drink, and take in the impressive architecture.

Make sure you climb the stairs and wander along the ramparts for fabulous views of Warwick and the surrounding countryside.

And, it would be a shame not to see inside some of the rooms where you can learn about some of the castle’s history.

For more photos of Warwick Castle, head to morrisphotography.

Discoveries, Memories and Smiles

The town centre of Northampton is small when you compare it to the likes of Birmingham and London, but it’s surprisingly full of things to see.

I live close to the centre, so I always walk there and, with camera in hand, I find some things that I have never noticed, others that bring back memories and some things that just make me smile.

I walk passed the Garibaldi Hotel all the time. I have never been inside, but something compels me to take a photo – I think it’s the green-painted wall with the sign on one side – but then I notice the date at the top of the other side. It was erected in 1897 – making it one of Northampton’s oldest pubs and it’s still open!

On the corner of Sheep Street and Church Lane, I manage to get a photo without any people and then I notice further up the street a club called Passion (the small white building on the right hand side) where I partied with friends on a mad Saturday night out many moons ago.

I’ve walked through the graveyard of St Giles Church before, but never stopped to just be in the present moment before.

I stand for a while watching this squirrel scamper about – it brings a smile to my face.

I also notice the trees full of beautiful pink cherry blossom.

I’ve spent many nights / afternoons with friends and family at the Mail Coach in the past. It’s one of the places I still go to. I remember meeting everyone there before I jetted off back to Thailand in 2014, they all came to say farewell, it was such a great night. This photo is again devoid of people which surprises me as I took this photo at 4.00pm on a Friday afternoon – I’m not complaining though!

I was on a mission to see things I’ve never seen before and I spot the ‘Rosa Concordia Signum’ which means ‘the Rose, Emblem of Harmony’ After a little research, I realise this is Northamptonshire’s motto.

There are two little alleyways in the town centre. One is Frances Jetty, leading from Bridge Street to St Peter’s Way. All the times my friends and I used this alley to get our taxis home after a night out on Bridge Street, I never knew its name. It really is amazing how much we miss sometimes!

The second alley is called Jeyes Jetty and this one used to run between the Drapery and College Street. Again, I was interested to find out that this alley is linked to the invention of Jeyes Fluid and used to be called ‘Screaming Alley’ due to painful dental extractions that happened there.

I’ll let you read the notice on the gate.

The New Testament Church of God is housed in this Greek-style building, complete with columns and arched windows and these carved stone faces and decorative capitals on another building up the road. Both things I hadn’t taken much notice of before.

I can’t wait to see what else I can find, what else evokes memories and what else will make me smile. 🙂

The Best of the Lavender

I took so many photographs when I visited Hitchin Lavender fields last year, but I’d like to share (what I think) are the best ones.

If you are ever in the area, I recommend a trip to this lovely spot!

Fields of Lavender

Lavender is another favourite flower of mine, so I was really excited when I found Hitchin Lavender – a family-run farm specialising in the cultivation of this beautiful flower.

I visited in July last year and while there was lots of lavender, if you visit later in the year, there will be even more! The main flowering season is between mid-June and late August.

You are free to wander across the fields, up and down the rows, taking in the intoxicating smell! You can pick your own lavender or buy lavender products in the shop. You can even take a picnic and sit and enjoy the views.

It’s not just lavender that is grown here – there is a wild flower meadow, and fields of sunflowers which flower from the middle of August.

It’s a lovely place to spend a few hours.

Lavender represents purity, silence, devotion, serenity, grace, and calmness, so let’s enjoy some of that as we wander through the flowers.

Gorgeous isn’t it? 🙂

A Very Brussels New Year

At the end of 2019, I took a trip to celebrate the new year in the lovely city of Brussels.

On New Year’s Eve, I took the Eurostar and arrived at Brussels Gare-du-Midi station mid-afternoon. I caught the metro to Madou and walked the short distance to my hotel on Rue du Nord.

Places to go in Brussels — My first glimpse of Brussels

Hotel Sabina wasn’t the most attractive place I have ever stayed, but the owners were friendly, my attic-room was comfortable and there was a free breakfast every day. In any case, I wasn’t there to stay in my room the whole time.

Places to stay in Brussels — Hotel Sabina

I checked in, dumped my bags and went off to explore the city.

The city centre is a 15-minute walk from the hotel and there is lots to see on the way. As this was December, there were lots of Christmas trees to see – although artificial, I thought this one looked pretty in the tree-lined square..

Things to see in Brussels — Christmas in Brussels

Walking along Rue du Congres, you will see the Congress Column..

..with its statue of Belgium’s first monarch, King Leopold I at the top..

Next, a quick hoof around St Michael & St Gudula Cathedral..

I love the traditional Belgian buildings..

There are so many pretty little squares in Brussels – like Agoraplein..

The streets are busy which makes for a lively atmosphere..

Finally, at one of Brussels top sights – the Grand Place with its spectacular buildings..

The courtyard of the Gothic town hall is also beautiful..

There is a lot of street art in the city like this staircase on Rue de I’Etuve..

One of Brussels top attractions is the Mannekin Pis – a 17th century bronze statue of a little boy peeing!

Onwards through the streets getting busier by the minute – don’t forget it’s New Year’s Eve..

Lovely buildings around every corner..

I came across this long line of people eager to try some delicious, traditional Belgian fries at Fritland..

In December, Brussels hosts its very own Christmas market with stalls full of traditional food and drinks, crafts and souvenirs..

The Bourse – the Brussels Stock Exchange – housed in this grand building located in the second-most important square after the Grand Place..

Exploring some more, I found Halles Saint-Gery a cute building which used to be the old market hall, but now used as a bar/restaurant and events venue..

There is an animal counterpart of the Mannekin Pis – the Het Zinneke or The Mutt..

There is also a female version – Jeanneke Pis..

I decide to walk away from the city centre to see the only canal that runs through Brussels – the Brussels Canal which separates the city from the district of Molenbeek. The streets grew relatively quieter the further I walked..

Back in the city, I head to Place Saint-Catherine which was buzzing with people enjoying the market stalls and getting ready for the evening’s celebrations..

After exploring for a few hours, I went in search of food before settling in a bar with a bottle of red..

I was more than happy sitting outside on the street people watching, but it was bloody freezing. I went inside to warm up and got chatting to the owner. After a while, everyone had left and I was the only customer. The guy had already told me that it wasn’t that safe at night and that I had to be careful on the way back! That was just before he pulled the shutters down and I was alone with this guy and his brother. I started to feel really uncomfortable. He then started ranting about politics – that’s all you need on New Year’s Eve – so I made my excuses and walked quickly back to my hotel.

I don’t think I stayed up to see the New Year in, but I was happy that I was safe and warm again!

That little incident didn’t mar my trip to Brussels, it really is a lovely city and the best thing about it, I was spending the next day with my friend Chris!

A Photo Walk around Florence

I’ve been revisiting my trip to Italy which I took with my parents in 2018. We took a day trip to Florence – a photographer’s dream – so many cute little streets to explore and the architecture is amazing.

I hope you enjoy this photo walk around this beautiful city in Italy!

For more of Florence, check out these posts!

Florence

https://morrisophotography.co.uk/places/the-quaint-streets-of-florence/

https://morrisophotography.co.uk/places/best-of-the-duomo-in-florence/

Florence is definitely a place I will return to. I loved every minute of it! Peace and love to all.

Soi Nana in photographs

Following on from my post about Art on Soi Nana, here are some more photographs of this – off the beaten track – little street in Bangkok. It’s small but full of character.

Just a stone’s throw from Hua Lamphong, Soi Nana has somes of tiny, quirky bars – Tep Bar, 23 Bar and Gallery and Teens of Thailand – all with great atmospheres! El Chiringuito is the place to eat delicious tapas while Wallflowers cafe sells coffee and cake which you can enjoy on the small roof terrace.

Soi Nana makes for a different, more traditional experience of Bangkok. I, for one, will be making a beeline for it again as soon as I can!

Friendly Faces

Just for fun, a few memories of good times in Bangkok and the people (and animals) I came across on a day in Soi Nana.

I love looking at these old photos! I’ve got some great memories of living in Bangkok! Much peace and love to you all!

Art on Soi Nana

Soi Nana was one of my favourite places to go when I lived in Bangkok.

It’s a small street lined with old shophouses, some of which have been converted into funky little bars, restaurants and even art galleries.

There are lots of little alleyways behind the main street to explore and Soi Nana is also host to its very own Chinatown Fair – music blaring and lots of people make for a lively atmosphere.

One day, Chris and I headed over to Soi Nana to set up my exhibition – On the Trail of Bangkok’s European Heritage – at Bar 23.

Being a trendy kind of area, there is always some form of art to see, so once we had finished setting up, we went in search of it.

Art really does look after your mental health. It’s relaxing if you create something yourself or if you go in search of it like we did, it’s fun and gets you out of the house for a bit!