April showers.

April showers bring forth May flowers..

Was very excited to notice that the Lily-of-the-Valley are almost out in flower.

Halifax Town Hall.

I've walked past the town hall in Halifax hundreds of times...it's such a lovely building with an interesting history. 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Halifax_Town_Hall

Eric's.

Finally got to go to Eric's at Lindley, near Huddersfield...a wonderful restaurant with interesting menus, friendly staff, sophisticated while being totally unpretentious. Eric clearly knows "what goes with what"...it's not very often you find such attention to detail by an owner who clearly cares about everything. Eric was very personable and interesting to talk to and interested in discussing new ideas. We'll definitely visit again and recommend highly to our friends.

http://www.ericsrestaurant.co.uk/

Scallops, braised pig's cheek, cauliflower puree and white truffle....perfect combination of sweetness and saltiness.

Puy lentils, feta cheese, quail's eggs and asparagus...really, really delicious flavours and wonderful textures.

Vanilla creme brulee, raspberry chutney and homemade Garibaldi....I'm still raving about being given a homemade Garibaldi!! Gorgeous!

A Marilyn Monroe cocktail in the bar at Eric's.

Broad Beans.

First lot of fresh broad beans to pod from the supermarket this season...delicious.

Hedgehog SOS.

We found this hedgehog on a patch of grass on the way home from school..we decided along with another lady that it could be injured as it was out in the daylight and not moving..so we took it down the road and left it in the field in the long grass..when we went back a couple of hours later, it was still there and shaking.

So we put it in a bucket and took it to the RSPCA..who were shut but had put a vet's number on the door..I rang them and explained and they asked me to take it in. They said they'd look at it and if it was ok would release it but if not they would put it to sleep so that it wouldn't be in pain. So fingers crossed!

Completely not what I was expecting to do, drive a bucket of hedgehog through town today!

EDIT: am sorry to say Hedgie did not make it through the night the vet said. At least he had a comfortable end.

St George's Day.

Happy St George's Day!

This England never did, nor never shall,
Lie at the proud foot of a conqueror,
But when it first did help to wound itself.
Now these her princes are come home again,
Come the three corners of the world in arms,
And we shall shock them. Nought shall make us rue,
If England to itself do rest but true. 
William Shakespeare 

Custard Creams.

Biscuit of the moment at our house...often much maligned member of the biscuit tin, many preferring the glamorous chocolate varieties...but they are just soooo moreish!

Seashore candle.

Am loving this new candle I bought in Home-Oh!, Hebden Bridge: True Grace, Seashore.

"A bracing walk on the clifftops and the light-headed feeling of being by the sea."

is the description...sea scents are so difficult to make real...this is pretty good in my opinion.

Pig pots.

I am always on the lookout for interesting pig related items..here are my latest additions..which have already been of very good use!

Oink!

A little bit of India.

I saw a most impressive building today; this Mosque, which is still unfinished after five years..apparently every stone has been brought over from India..I would love to go and visit the Taj Mahal..I'll make do with looking at this rose-coloured building in the mean time.

Oil rainbow

I love the colours and patterns made by oil spills on the wet road.

Spring lambs.

Too cute!

So sweet! I love their wrinkly, baggy skin.

Beautiful Blackbird!

He's loving the mealworms.

Portugal: interesting things.

At Marinho.

Nesting seagulls.

A handsome sea-faring fellow...

Raindrops on the plants..

Plant grafitti.

Down to the tiny beach at Marinho.

Fishing boat on its way in.

Armenco de Pera beach cafe at night.

Not quite a full moon..

Flamingoes at Salgados.

Huge Stork's nest.

Stork at home.

Wild flowers.

Rainbow on the way to Gale.

Full moon... :-)