Author: elaineandjohn

I'm a mature blogger chatting about over 50s lifestyle and having fun after retirement. I post about travel food days out and anything that comes to mind.

Wearing Trainers – are they acceptable footwear for women over 50?

On By elaineandjohnIn Fashion for women over 60, UncategorizedLeave a comment

On the face of it the answer to that question is a resounding NO! Women over 50 should not wear trainers!

I think it conjours up images of slovenly women in shell suits and dirty trainers with unwashed, untidy hair.

However this is a subject I’ve thought about a lot in the past 12 months and I think I have come to the conclusion that they can be acceptable footwear for this age group of women.

When I was younger I was very fit and active, regularly going to the gym and walking a lot. I even had a spell of running and completed the Manchester 10K road race in 2007. It was my one and only race at this distance at the grand age of 47! I was very proud of that achievement, however since then I have been less active for various reasons and I’m ashamed to say that I’m carrying a few more pounds than I’d like to.

Reasons for not being as active include a few reasons. I developed a chronic back problem, an occupational injury, I have had physio and medical advice, which encouraged me to continue to be active apart from running. Also my role and hours changed and crippling shifts had a negative impact on my lifestyle – one of the main reasons for taking Early Retirement. I also developed Plantar Fasciitis – an extremely painful foot condition. After a Podiatry assessment the advice was to wear trainers, specifically running trainers,  at work – as I can spend the whole of my 13 hours on my feet.

I purchased a black pair, uniform policy dictates that they must be plain black or white with no obvious logo – a difficult task I might add. They were a godsend – I was so much more comfortable at work. I also bought a second pair to wear at home. After all when I finished work my aim was to walk more !

Whilst purchasing my trainers I saw that there were so many attractively coloured designs available this got me thinking about whether they were suitable for  a woman of 55.

I don’t think I’ve mentioned in any of my posts that I am a shoeaholic – I probably have around 70 pairs of shoes at any one time.So thinking about footwear is something I do a lot!I have a vast array of smart shoes which are also comfortable. With increasing age comes the increasing need for comfortable shoes. I felt that trainers did not look smart or stylish.

However I began to look at what women of my age were wearing on their feet. On trips to London and The Lake District I noticed more and more that trainers were being worn. What finally clinched it for me and finally made me decide that they are suitable was our recent winter holiday to Fuerteventura in January.

What decided it for me was how the trainers were worn, by that I mean what they were worn with. In Spain it seems that many women over 50 wear trainers, brightly coloured ones too, regularly. What they and mature women from other European countries do is wear them with style and panache. There was one particular lady, who I reckoned was in her 60’s. She came for a coffee to our hotel coffee shop most days with her husband. She wore bright yellow trainers bordering on fluorescent and she looked fabulous. This lady had grey hair cut in a shapely bob, each day she wore a light mac or a loose black and white tunic with a chic scarf and large lensed sunglasses. She also wore black cropped trousers. Everyday I noticed how stylish she looked – the bright trainers enhanced her look and style. She was the lady who convinced me that I could go ahead and buy a third pair of trainers – this time more colourful.
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So ladies over 50 the key is what you wear your trainers with rather than the trainers dictating the style – bin the baggy tracksuit pants. Wear them with style and pride and most importantly with COMFORT!

I bought my trainers on holiday and luckily had a pair of black cropped leggings and a loose black tunic t shirt. I wore them one day and think I looked alright! and I am my biggest, harshest critic. I’ve included a photo for you to make your own judgement. More importantly I had no pain or discomfort in my feet and really enjoyed my daily walk around the resort and along the sea front.
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I would be interested to know your thoughts or opinions on my blog. Comments are very welcome and I will try to reply to each one.

Alternatively if you wish to email me or tweet me you can do so at: ellieblue1223@gmail.com or Twitter @ellieblue1223

I am always happy to review any product that you feel is appropriate for the over 50’s women or the retiree.

 

 

Surviving a House Move – Tips for survival and sanity

On By elaineandjohnIn Uncategorized2 Comments

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I started this blog at the end of last year and was enjoying the process. As well as starting to blog I was in the process of arranging and preparing for a house move.

If you have read my bio and earlier posts you will know that I took retirement from the NHS last July at the age of 55. I wanted to enjoy life rather than continue in the throws of tiredness and lack of sleep that my career was turning my life into. I took flexible retirement, where I collected my pension and could return on reduced hours. I now continue in my role on a 12 month contract of much reduced hours of 60 from 150. This provides me with a much improved and joyful work/life balance.

As well as the decision to retire my husband and I (hope I don’t sound like the Queen there with that phrase!), also decided to move house. We had lived in the same house for 30 years, since we got married.

We approached the move with much trepidation – 2 of the main questions we asked ourselves were:

  1. Where to move to?
  2. What if we didn’t like our new home.

This was a huge decision for us after so many years of happiness in our previous home. I won’t dwell on why we decided to move, however in a  nutshell the area was declining rapidly and we felt that house prices would soon plummet because of this, and secondly and more importantly  I could invest some of my pension pot into bricks and mortar, rather than it stagnating in the bank.

Once we made the decision to put the house on the market and an Agent had been selected to act on our behalf we then started to look seriously at properties we liked. I have to say I had become an almost obsessive browser of http://www.rightmove.co.uk since December 2014.

The act of selling is not without it’s trauma – we immediately had viewings and in fact had 16 in total before we agreed a sale at a much reduced price, we had lost a sale at a slightly more increased price somewhere along the way due to confusion between ourselves and our agent – allegedly!

Having people view your much loved property is an experience in itself. 3 generations of a family would regularly come and browse, politely express interest, ask if we could sell privately without the use of agents and then disappear into the sunset. One viewer thrust her young baby into her husbands arms, demanded that he stand outside in the front garden then charged through the house. As she was leaving she then admitted she wasn’t selling her home at present she just wanted to see what houses in this area looked like! Blooming cheek…..

In the meantime whilst starting our serious search, we had looked at a couple of new builds. One was the last on available on an established estate and had been sold the day before we made an enquiry. We then looked at a new build on a development on the early stages of development . We loved the show home and wanted to commit to buy a plot. We were informed by the representative that she didn’t know when any more of the show home models would be built, how much they would be and we were asked to purchase a house that didn’t have a show home anywhere in the area. We left to consider our options, feeling very demoralised and frustrated – we naiively thought that buying a new build would be easy. When discussing this with family – my nephew, who himself has previously owned a new build said we may have had a lucky escape and he would never buy a new build again. Well his words have stayed with me as he was so correct. Since we looked in May very few houses have in fact been built on the development and it looks a forgotten site. So glad we didn’t get what we thought we wanted at the time. I am a great believer in Fate and this reinforces my beliefs.

Following this unsuccessful viewing my husband tried to cheer me up and said “come on we’ll have a drive round and see what we can see”, rather than using the website. He drove around the areas I had been thinking of but nothing inspired us enough. He then drove to a different area, still close by and drove through an estate that is around 20 years old that we remembered being built and really liked at that time. I hadn’t considered this. It’s a little off the beaten track, away from Manchester Metrolink routes and only one daytime direct bus route. However, it was love at first sight. It was the isolation that we fell for – horses in fields and farmland surrounding the Estate. Bliss – just what we wanted.

So this answered our first question – Where to move to?

Whilst our sale was progressing I ‘stalked the estate’ I knew every property that was for sale – many sold very quickly. We had decided to purchase a detached property – our first. There was one house we really liked and I had my heart set on it – but one evening logging onto my saved properties on the aforesaid web site I saw the dreaded ‘Sold Subject To Contract’ message on the property listing. I was crushed yet again, there were another couple of detached houses in our price range for sale but not as nice as this, the garden aspect was a big want for us. We had lived with a sunny house and garden all these years and did not want to sacrifice this.

However, fate played it’s hand again and the next day a new detached property came onto the market, and all things considered it was probably better than the one I originally set my heart on, in the fact that the garden was much better and had a south facing aspect.

In a nutshell we successfully made an offer and bought this property. More about this later.

As for advice about anyone moving my tips for a smoother, preparation and reducing stress are:

  1. Be organised – I had a project book in which I documented conversations with everyone I spoke to by telephone regarding services etc. I documented names, dates and times of conversations. These were useful when things that were promised weren’t delivered. And I did have to refer to these notes on more than one occasion!
  2. All contact with solicitors and Estate Agents were via email or telephone conversations were confirmed with an email and filed in folders in my Email. Despite keeping records we did encounter communication problems with our chosen agent.
  3. Plan ahead – make contact with service providers well in advance e.g Sky. BT, Utilities.
  4. Use the internet – my best friend, to research how to do things, there is a wealth of information out there which I successfully utilised
  5. From my internet research I found a very useful tip regarding packing. I allocated each room in the new house a colour. Boxes were labelled with tags of that colour and were also numbered. On removal day I blu tacked a corresponding tag on room doors and my fabulous removal men duly obliged and set boxes down in correct rooms.
  6. As I packed each numbered box I listed its contents on a template I had made on my PC. This was invaluable at the other end when trying to find things! Especially when we decided to nip out for a pub lunch on our second day in the house and my husband asked the question “do you know where my tan leather shoes are?” I could duly oblige and locate them in a  jiffy
  7.  I used the impending move as an ideal time to renegotiate my Sky, phone and internet contracts. I was able to get discounts on all 3. I used the argument that as I was moving it was a good time to maybe change my provider. It worked with all 3!
  8. There is a lot of negative press around Solicitors but I have to say ours was exceptional. Kept us updated with any new information, always available to answer any queries and didn’t provide us with a hefty bill.
  9. You hear people say that you must pester your agent and solicitor all the time to keep the process moving. Having now had the experience of a house move – I echo these sentiments entirely. My best friend was my smart phone so that I could fire off emails to all concerned whilst I was out and about and on the go. I did try to keep some humour in my messages so as not to alienate anyone. However, I do think my agents must have dreaded logging in each morning to see what my latest daily email contained. It was necessary though as my buyer was very slow at moving the purchase along, despite paying lip service that he was very keen and wanted to move in as soon  possible, he kept raising issues that slowed the process down. Gentle pressure on my agent was vital – I don’t think we would have completed yet if I hadn’t. So the message I’m sending to you is – Be Persistent, Firm, and Humorous!
  10. Our move was arranged for 4th December – not the run up to Christmas I’d imagined in July when I finished full time work, I envisioned baking foodie presents and cakes for friends, all presents and cards wrapped early – not having everything boxed up before and after the move. I’m posting a photo of my Christmas prep!20151201_093834
  11. My kitchen was only just fully functional the week before Christmas due to storage issues! I had hoped to have completed the move by the end of October.  Ah well there’s always next year.
  12. On the day of the move as well as the colour coding of my boxes I kept a few vital supplies with me. I would recommend doing the same. I had a bag of supplies I needed which I will break down and then I kept certain items in the car, so they didn’t get thrown into the back of the removal van.
  13. Contents in my bag for the day, not including my handbag, were:
    • Kettle
    • Milk
    • Tea, coffee, sugar and cordial
    • Mugs for us and removal men.
    • Biscuits – one friend advised me to provide good quality biscuits – always go down well with the removal boys!
    • Passports and walletts
    • Black bin liners
    • All purpose polish and dusters and washing up liquid.
    • Soap
    • Loo roll
    • Hand sanitiser
    • Hand and tea towels
    • Blu tack
    • Room planner, coloured post it notes, sharpie pen
    • Paracetamol
    • Pen, Project book
    • Laptop with charger
    • Mobile phone charger
  14. Objects in the car:
    • My dog’s ashes! (strange I know) I plan to bury them in my new garden. These were precious to me and I did not want them lost or damaged.You’ll see from an earlier post that I had only recently had to have him put to sleep.
    • Our duvet and pillows – this would keep them clean and ready to be put straight back on the bed – the day is extremely tiring and you want  a minimum of fuss once in.
    • I also packed a small travel bag with items necessary for an overnight stay in a hotel – clean underwear, nightwear, change of clothing for both of us and toiletries. Again so that there was no rooting around in boxes, no matter how well labelled they are, to be able to get to bed and start again the next day. Also if the dreaded worse happens and you hit a snag on the day that stops you moving in to your new property – and Yes! unfortunately that can happen, at least if you have to find a hotel or beg a bed at a friend or relative, you have what you need immediately to hand.

Needless to say the move went well, our removal company and the men who came were very helpful, they even helped me reconnect my Sky TV box! We did have a blip and a delay when the funds for our purchase seemed to get lost within the electronic banking system did not arrive at our vendors for solicitors for a couple of hours. This was  a nervy time – my Removal men sat in the van outside our new property and were given cups of tea by one of our lovely new neighbours and my husband and myself were sat in a pub close to the vendors Estate agent awaiting the go ahead. A very long hour and a half! I have to admit I was close to meltdown, but it all happened eventually and our move was complete. We moved our belongings in and then took a 5 minute walk to our local for a meal and a couple of glasses of much needed beer and wine. We were exhausted. The pub landlord sold us a couple of bottles of beer to take out and even provided a bottle opener as we weren’t sure where ours was! We encountered so much friendly assistance in various ways that day and are so thankful for it.

To answer our initial second question -What if we didn’t like our new home?

Not a problem we absolutely love it! and manged to get it the lounge and bedroom fully set up and cosy for Christmas. I had booked measurement for blinds prior to our move – I cannot reiterate enough that preparation in advance is so important. This reduced delays and allowed the settling in period to be reduced to a minimum.
image My husband – King of his new Castle

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image Festive finishing touches – presents under the tree

I didn’t know I could love a house and it’s surroundings so much. So, after all the hard work and occasional pain – we are in and gradually getting fully settled. I will write again about storage and organisation methods that I have used in a future post.

I welcome any comments or stories you have about your experiences of selling, buying and moving house.

Feel free to contact me by email ellieblue1223@gmail.com

 

 

World Prematurity Day – a personal tribute

On By elaineandjohnIn Uncategorized6 Comments

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As it is World Prematurity Day just had to give it a mention. I have worked in Neonatal care for around 30 years. Even though I have retired I still work some part time hours in the field. In fact I am writing this brief post as I have a brew in bed post night shift!
Throughout my time it has been a privilege to work with such fine specimens of humanity – the babies!
When I’ve told people what I do many people have commented “oh that must be hard” “that must be sad” but no. It’s quite the contrary –  it’s uplifting and inspiring.
These little beings that arrive at the most inconvenient times, many weeks early are as tough as teak. Parents and families are scared of their small size and shiny skin, many looking like little skinned rabbits in the early hours after birth. Those of us who care for them aren’t, we know they are strong, tough, durable and will fight to do what’s necessary to cling to life. Sadly some don’t get to stay here but have to join the heavenly band of angels, but the majority make it in the end.
They have my utmost respect and I am in awe of them.
Many of the babies I cared for in my early career are now parents themselves, some are fine big rugby players, clever, talented adults.

Parents as well cope with more than they think they can. Premature births often happen when a mother of family also have another traumatic event going on – these preterm babies don’t care! Mother can be days away from a house move, death of a close family member, another child already in hospital. The birth of a tiny, frail baby is another burden they fear they cannot cope with – but they do! They manage to deal with a whole host of things whilst still managing to visit daily, sometimes for a stay of over 100 days. They do remain sane and come out smiling.

The professionals who work in the field, support these fragile tiny bodies as if they were a family member, they listen to stressed parents, wipe away tears of sadness and laughter, encourage parents to have some ‘me’ time. These professionals also grieve with bereaved parents and celebrate with parents as tiny milestones are reached.

I salute you all today

Diary of an imperfect mum

Brilliant blog posts on HonestMum.com

Diary of An Imperfect Mum

A Blue Moo’s Views – 3 Things I’ve learned about Manchester City week ending 15th November 2015

On By elaineandjohnIn UncategorizedLeave a comment
  1. I really miss the Premeiership and Manchester City during International Breaks
  2. The wonderful. silky skills of Sergio Aguerro may be on display in the next game at The Etihad versus Liverpool

Sergio Aguero holds up a Manchester City shirt with his old No 16 on the back as he signs them for fans

  1. It doesn’t only rain in Manchester – the City players involved in the Argentina versus Brazil game in Buenos Aires had their game cancelled minutes before kick off due to torrential rain

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Pet Bereavement

On By elaineandjohnIn Uncategorized1 Comment

I have been married for 30 years and for 29 of those years I have owned dogs. Firstly a loveable westie, Paddy, who lived until he was 15.  And until a month ago a beautiful Border Terrier called Murphy who died aged 14.
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On both occasions we had to make the agonising decision to ‘put them to sleep’ or euthanasia. With Paddy, we had to make the decision in an emergency and the end of his life was fraught, a crisis. I remember just standing sobbing, I never held him in his final moments. Following his death and whilst preparing for my next puppy I read a chapter in a breed book which said that when it came to the final goodbye, it was better a day too soon than a day too late. Those words have always stuck with me.

When I got my beloved Border Terrier my heart melted, he was the most adorable, loving puppy and I always vowed that his beautiful, sweet life would not end in a crisis.
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Murphy was a ‘people’dog – this term was described to me by one of the Vets he saw through his lifetime. He developed digestive problems around the age of one and used to have attacks of severe abdominal pain and then blood in his stools.  This was finally diagnosed as Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS), after a history was taken about his habits and personality. Where, Paddy would happily play and roam around the garden on his own for hours, Murphy just wanted to be with me or my husband and attacks were brough on by separation anxiety or by some stressful occurence. He was scared of cats! and one attack followed a cat hissing and scratching him when out walking. He could be a real drama queen! He always had to eat a prescription diet and occasional steroid treatment. I never though for a while that he would live to an old age, but he did! Once myself and my husband were at home a lot more due to changes in jobs, this settled down.

However,in the past 12 months he started to decline gradually with lack of mobility and change of habits -he began to slowly lose his spark.  I took him for regular Veterinary check up’s and I chose to take him to the same vet in the practice, a wonderful caring lady called Lynne. In June when it seemed clear to me that time really was catching up with him, we had a chat and came to a mutual agreement that once he was not able to manage the stairs and was living mostly in one room of the house e.g. he had no quality in his life we would say goodbye. Murphy always followed us everywhere and slept with us,if he couldn’t do any of these things he was just existing.

Finally at the end of September we knew the time had come – he was looking unhappy and his bones and joints looked to be really troubling him.

Leading up to this I knew I wanted a keepsake to remember him by. I didn’t have anything like that from Paddy, I wasn’t an internet user when he passed over so had no awareness of what was available, if anything in 2001. Also I had to consider his disposal. Paddy was buried in our garden by my husband, as I have said earlier, somewhere he loved. This time around this was not going to be an option, aside from the fact he didn’t like to be alone outside, we are in the process of selling our home and moving.

Pet keepsake

I chose http://www.a-lastingimpression.co.uk to make my keepsake. This is run by a lovely girl called Hannah. I had a silver charm made of Murphy’s paw print which I now have attached by a jump ring to a Links of  London bracelet. Hannah sends you a kit which comprises of a special cloth and paper, with which you take a paw print. You then return this to Hannah and she makes a rubber stamp that she stamps into the charm. I had this made in June, again as I didn’t want to have to do this in a crisis.

The service from Hannah, was so helpful and she has excellent communication skills. My finished charm is beautiful – the print looks so like Murphy’s paw -I know those pads anywhere! She also returns the original stamp she has made in case you should lose the charm and need to have a new one made. Now that he has gone, I am so glad I had this done. I treasure it.
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Rossendale Pet Crematorium

As Murphy’s condition was declining I planned what I would do with his body. I rang the Crematorium office and discussed options. Again, I received  great understanding and advice, when my voice was cracking with emotion, they were very empathetic.  My husband and myself decided we would have him cremated and have his ashes to return to us to take to our new home. I was informed that collection days at our vets were early on a Tuesday and a Friday morning. This then meant if I was planning the end of his life I wanted it to be on a Monday or a Thursday afternoon, so that he would not be lying alone in the Vets for too long.

When the fateful day came, it was on a Monday, in fact our 30th Wedding Anniversary! Not the way we planned to spend the day, but on that day it was all about his needs not ours.  I won’t go in to too much detail, apart from the fact that this time I hugged and kissed him till the end,  as it’s still very painful to us. I still shed a tear every day. However, the service from my Veterinary practice, particularly Lynne and Rossendale Pet Crematorium was excellent. His ashes were delivered back to the surgery on Friday and I brought his remains back home. Inside the box was a printed copy of a beautiful and apt poem that is displayed on their website.

If it should be

If it should be I grow frail and weak,
And pain should wake me from my sleep,
Then you must do what must be done,
For this last battle can’t be won.
You will be sad, I understand,
Don’t let your grief then stay your hand,
For this day more than all the rest
Your love and friendship stand the test.
We’ve had so many happy years,
What is to come will hold no fears,
You’ll not want me to suffer, so,
When the time comes, please let me go,
I know in time you too will see,
It is kindness you do to me,
Although my tail it’s last has waved,
From pain and suffering I’ve been saved,
Do not grieve that it should be you,
Who has to decide this thing to do,
We’ve been so close, we two, these years,
Don’t let your heart hold any tears.

Anyone who has been through the loss of a much loved pet knows how raw and painful this is. It’s losing a member of the family, in fact I lost my best, most loyal friend.

If you wish to know any more here are the links to the websites of the Keepsake company and Rossendale Pet Crematorium

http://www.a-lastingimpression.co.uk/pets

http://www.rossendalepetcrem.co.uk

Also if you wish to contact me about anything in this post my contact details are: ellieblue1223@gmail.com

Blue Moo’s View – 5 things I’ve learned about City this week – ending 8th November 2015

On By elaineandjohnIn UncategorizedLeave a comment

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  1. Raheem Sterling can score a goal
  2. City can play well in Europe – a superb display
  3. Brian Kidd’s enthusiasm for the game never wanes – he has the face of a little boy after City score 
  4. We do miss David Silva and Sergio Aguero
  5. They had a European hangover at Villa

Autumn comforts – Why I like the Autumn

On By elaineandjohnIn UncategorizedLeave a comment

I know that many people groan and shudder at the start of the autumn. Not looking forward to months of dark evenings. I’m not one of them. In fact autumn is my favourite time of the year and winter holds no fear for me. There could be 2 reasons for this. The first being my passion for football – of course this is a winter sport. Secondly I love Cosy evenings at home. Luckily my husband is the same. There is nothing nicer than staying in, closing the curtains to shut out the rest of the world and sitting in comfort in the home we have worked for and paid for. I have a friend is very outgoing & sociable, who would go to the opening of an envelope! She never really likes staying in on her weekends off. I have always said that as most of my working life has been paying off a mortgage, I actually like to spend time enjoying the fruit of my labours.
I love subdued lighting, cushions and most of all candles. I love relaxing in my own surroundings.
One thing I love that I use more in the winter months than summer is burning scented oils and candles, complimented by shimmering tea lights in a variety of votives and holders.  This year I have discovered wax melts. I have become a huge fan!! I feel that the scents are stronger from these than other scented sources I have used before. I have invested in a new burner from Yankee Candles. I am also gathering a collection of their various wax melts. Another brand I have enjoyed so far is Village Candle. I bought mine off the internet as they are primarily an American brand, but when I visited a local shop recently and found they had a huge stock of these I got excited. My disposable income will be dented by purchases of these in the next few months. I have tried a Tropical scents one and at the moment I am burning one called Smoked Birch. As the name suggests it is a smoky, woody scent. Unusual but strangely nice. A pleasant muted turfy smell. Reminiscent of trips to Ireland.
As you will learn from future posts I am currently in the process of moving house. I will bore you to death with the trials and tribulations of this later. I am looking forward to spending winter evenings in new surroundings when I can try out more scents & melts. At present I am in the process of packing up and saving new purchases for my new home.

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Wax melts & burner

Manchester – Sculpture Hall Cafe – A Review

On By elaineandjohnIn Food and Eating OutLeave a comment

Background

I am a Mancunian through and through – my accent is testimony to that! I  am staunchly proud of my home City. There is always plenty to see and do, has great history and the people on the whole are very friendly. Obviously like many other Cities it is constantly evolving and changing. I love being out and about in the City Centre. As it will become obvious as my blog develops, my husband and myself are huge ‘foodies’. We love eating out in restaurants and enjoying a drink in the many  bars and pubs around. Lately there seems to be an abundance of new establishments. We used to pride ourselves on knowing all of the bars to go to, but not so now. We are working our way through them though! There is somewhere new every visit. I will write more and more about our experiences in the future.

Reason for visiting

Since I’ve retired, I’ve joined the realm of ‘Ladies that Lunch’,  myself and my girlfriends have been regularly meeting for afternoon tea. One of my friends is very partial to this and we are all happy to go along with her. The quality of the tea’s are very variable. Today we visited The Sculpture Hall Cafe inside Manchester Town Hall. In fact until my friend suggested it none of us knew this existed. Well, I have to say we have unearthed a hidden gem. I have always admired and loved the architecture of Manchester Town Hall, it is such a beautiful building outside, one of my very favourites in Manchester. Until today ,apart from a visit to arrange my Council tax many years ago I have never been inside.  It is stunning, as lovely and opulent as I anticipated. I’m going to say something now that makes me think I’m turning into my mother! and that is “They don’t make buildings like they used to” There have been many new developments in Manchester including The Urbis, which now houses the National Football Museum, and 1 Angel Square, the Home of the Head of The Cooperative, which I have heard nicknamed the egg slice, due to it’s unique shape. These are no doubt magnificent sights along the cities skyline, but here is none of the exquisite detail and sculpture of the Town Hall. I am always in awe of how craftsmen in years gone by constructed such magnificent buildings, without the labour saving equipment available today.

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Menu 

Anyway to return to the subject of the afternoon tea, this was also as opulent as the surroundings. The contents were original. Not just a sandwich selection, it included potted Yorkshire ham rillette and  homemade piccallilli to spread on crusty bread, a Mrs Kirkham’s creamy Lancashire cheese and leek tart, Parmesan choux filled with chicken liver pâté, Smoked trout mousse and Morecambe Bay shrimps on granary bread / Longley Farm soft cheese and cured cucumber on rye.

20151022_142720The cake selection was also sumptuous and original – all the products on the menu are locally themed. Amongst the cakes was an Eccles cake, a Manchester Cake, inspired by the famous Manchester Tart and the piece de resistance had to be the Vimto Delice: sponge cake topped with a whipped Vimto mousse and covered in a Vimto glaze – absolutely delicious. Light and delicate and the Vimto flavouring was gorgeous, just enough for the unique taste to be recognisable but not enough to be overpowering. It’s the first time I’ve eaten this, hope it won’t be my last.

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I would recommend the menu and venue to anyone, oh and the service  wasn’t bad either! The best afternoon tea experience I have enjoyed in the city. After we had eaten we took the opportunity to take some photo’s of the inside of the building, I hope they provide an insight to it’s beauty.

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Although we sampled the Afternoon Tea menu there is a variety of food served all day – I would recommend that you make an advance booking. For further information please follow the link to the Town Hall Information page: http://www.manchester.gov.uk/townhall/info/4/the_sculpture_hall_cafe/9/the_sculpture_hall_caf%C3%A9_menu

My contact details: ellieblue1223@gmail.com

Nice nails at last – The Pleasure of Retirement – Learning to love your nails again

On By elaineandjohnIn Uncategorized1 Comment

As a nurse for so many years the one thing I have longed for is beautifully polished and manicured nails.

Whenever I had a social gathering with my non nursing friends I had real nail (and hand) envy. There was no chapped, cracked skin and short peeling nails for them.  The antiseptic hand washes and in recent years alcohol hand rubs have always played havoc with me. I have had allergies and sensitivities to many of these. Handcream was my best friend but some of these were much better than others. When the skin on my hands was at it’s worst I used to dread introductions where a handshake was required – didn’t want my greeter to think that I was a slovenly piece who neglected myself or worked in a quarry!

Now I work reduced hours I have long enough periods away from work to enable me to have a gel polish applied. Absolute bliss!

Well – it should be but my polish always chips somewhere between day 4 and 7. It doesn’t matter which salon or nail technician I visit. Very frustrating. I’d be grateful if anyone had an answer to why this happens.

If I don’t have time between shifts to have a gel polish applied I like to have a home manicure. If I’m being honest I’m a little addicted to nail polishes – but I constantly buy similar shades by different manufacturers. When I’m working I always use OPI Nail Envy – since a colleague told me about this it is a beauty product I could not be without. My nails are so much stronger after using it. In a recent purchase from QVC I have been introduced to their latest Bubble Gum Nail Envy – a delightful soft shade of pink, great for mature nails that not always as white and bright as they used to be.  I also love their shade Is this Star Taken? This is on my toes at the moment. Whilst talking about nail polishes I must mention my absolute favourite manufacturer – that is Leighton Denny – his polishes are absolute liquid heaven – so smooth and glossy to use. His glitter polishes are beautiful and easier to remove than those by OPI.

As for hand creams – when my hands were sensitive to hospital products my go to repair product was Elizabeth Arden’s 8 hour cream – never failed to heal. Currently now that my hands have desensitised I can use a variety of products – in fact every handbag and every drawer in my house contains a pot or tube. I feel I’ve finally entered the realms of womanhood – one that non  nurses maybe take for granted.

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