Another 'Grand Day Out'

My apologies to Wallace and Gromit for the title today, and apologies to readers who have absolutely no idea who they are, but I have discovered that I have a reader in the British Indian Ocean Territory  which I find incredibly exciting!!  Are there palm trees swaying in the breeze, azure seas, and miles of silver sands; please let me keep my illusions if there aren't!  I shall not get into the politics of the island here.

Anyway, I digress.  

A very 'stately' pile!

No, this not where ! live, this is Blenheim Palace, built by the first Duke of Marlborough and his wife Sarah, after the Battle of Blenheim in 1704, with land (the village of Woodstock) and £240,000 provided by Queen Anne's government, from a grateful nation.  It is still owned and lived in by the family and the rooms that are open to the public are beautifully maintained and we couldn't see any dust anywhere!!

I particularly wanted to see the room where Sir Winston Churchill was born and was very moved by the exhibition they have there.  His mother, American Jennie Jerome, was married to Lord Randolph Churchill, third son of the 7th Duke of Marlborough and was at Blenheim when she had a fall and went into premature labour, hence  Churchill was born there.  The exhibition has all sorts of memorabilia concerning the great man's life with audio of him speaking, especially those well known World War 2 speeches. which choke me up every time I hear them.  They also have his wartime siren suit and slippers both in velvet maroon with his initials monogrammed.  He wrote " At Blenheim I took two very important decisions:  to be born and to marry".  He proposed to Clemmie, his adored wife there, though it did take him a while to pluck up the courage apparently!!

After this my friend and I went out to the gardens:-

The Column of Victory 

The 1st duke commemorated as a Roman General on the top.

Another view of the Column

Perhaps I should mention at this point that I have a new camera and this was its first big outing so some  may find the photos a little arty!!

The Water Terraces

A sphinx, bearing the head of the 2nd wife of the 9th Duke

I was kneeling on steps at this point trying to get a clear picture of the head which was rather incongruous on a sphinx body.

A lovely place that I would like to go back to as there was so much to see.

I have finished this handy little pot that is no more than 3½ inches (9cm) high and twists down for easy transportation.  Ideal for loose threads or woolly bits for classes or workshops.  The only machining was the seam from top to bottom, that I realise is at the front of the photo; the rest is hand sewn.  The circle is ½ inch in depth cut from a cardboard Pringle tube and further stiffened with plastic parcel tape.

Should be useful.

The woolly blanket is progressing and my embroidery sampler is back from the being framed.  Now where to hang it - Hmm?