Raining all day here today ā the forecast was right, but it was not heavy rain more a constant drip and drizzle so it didnāt sound like we were sitting in a tin can as caravans often do in the rain, in fact we hardly heard it at all.
We had a lazy day.
In the morning we made tomato soup ready for tomorrow and then realised we didnāt have a blender here or tomato paste.Ā 
I spent some time catching up with a few blogs and realised how many have fallen away recently ā pressure of time, nasty commenters and some just run their course ā but they are missed.
We made egg and cucumber in cheese rolls for lunch with ‘leaves’ on the side ā a nice change as we hardly ever have egg sandwiches at home. Ā I say āweā but actually DH made them.
After lunch we listened to the Archers and then drove into town as we needed fresh bread and more milk.Ā We overcame the lack of blender too – we bought a cheapish one from Argos and then a tube of tomato paste from Tesco.
Whilst in Stranraer we drove out to the local garden centre on the other side of town and bought a few āfillerā plants mainly for the empty pots but others to put in the gaps in the borders. Ā It is essential here to fill all the spaces to prevent the weeds and wild flowers taking over in our absence.Ā DH told the shop assistant we were buying rabbit food ā we might well be if they get a whiff of them ā I am rather hoping the plants I chose are not caviar to the rabbits.
More wire netting might be called upon.
There is nothing so lovely as a few raindrops and I just had to take one or two quick snaps.Ā I absolutely love these little cones on this pine tree they are like tiny raspberries.
After a leisurely look around, stopping to chat to some friends we bumped into from the village, we had a cup of tea in the cafe and our treat for the day, some dark Scottish fruit bread, buttered of course.
The garden centre also sells cards, a few gifts and pots.Ā I solved a birthday present whilst browsing and bought a mug for my friend and former colleague Miss T ā and that is what it says on the mug ā it is identical to the one she bought me last year that says Miss V. 
It was always our greeting. Ā Ā She would call out to me on arrival at the office āmorning Miss Vā and I always responded with āmorning Miss Tā ā it stuck over the years and everyone else always addressed us as Miss V and Miss T like the shop assistants were called back in the day.Ā Some things I still miss about working!
To catch up on the gardening – yesterday I did no more than tidy the border by the gate.Ā A bit of a dark corner that the sun hardly reaches – perfect for the ivy but little else.Ā I was so pleased that the hydrangea I planted last year seems to tolerate the shade and damp well – it is filling out nicely and I have added a clump of pink geranium and ground covering periwinkle.Ā 
So far the rabbits have left them alone but I have to cover the roots of the hydrangea with large stones to prevent them digging and nibbling them.Ā I think the ivy needs a bit more of a trim tomorrow then, weather allowing, I will be moving on to the trellis border.
There is quite a bit to sort out here – a shrub to move and a lot of weeding.
A lot of weeding.
The valerian has grown well now so I am also going to remove the netting and the stones that edge the border.Ā It has been difficult to weed inside the netting and also difficult to mow up to the stones….. we are left with a bit of a grass fringe.Ā I will just edge the grass instead.
Ah well my cocoa has arrived now….coutesy of the catering department (as DH calls himself).
Time for bed x
It is 8 oāclock in the evening and I feel like I am in heaven ā I am sitting here in the caravan with a piece of Walter Burnett’s famed Kirriemuir gingerbread (only to be found over the border) and a cup of tea, the tide is in but the sea is quite calm and has faded to a beautiful silvery grey colour and there is a general hush outside – not even a little twitter. Ā Ā It is so stillĀ even the feather light plumes on the Pampas grass, which are usually dancing about on the sea breeze, are still and the only movement is the odd cow in the field to the side of us that cannot decide where the best grazing isā¦..and of course Rag, Tag and Bobtail hopping around on the hillside.Ā The only thing that could make this moment any better would be if I were sitting in our cottage, but that still seems like a distant dream.
There is plenty to see along the beach, gulls flying in, gulls flying offā¦mysterious footprints in the sand and part buried objects and I spend some time searching our pieces of sea glass.
I love this rusty sheet of metal it is quite a work of art.
We left the beach by the hidden path to the cottages on Shore Street ā one of my favourite places ā there is always a seat or two along here for passing the time of day beneath a Palm tree.Ā The carpet of daisies is like a light covering of snow.
At the far end of Shore Street is the Harbour masterās office in this little cottage.Ā I have a feeling it is no longer used as there used to be a sign on the door.
From Shore Street and the harbour we have to climb up the hill into the centre of the village.
I just love this ladies garden (I admire it every time we pass) and in particular her clever use of the Japanese Quince edging the full length of her whitewashed wall.Ā I might just have to pinch this idea for myself though I don’t have any painted walls and without the contrast with the white it would not have the same impact.
You may think that I have come away on a Mediterranean holiday with the Palm trees and blue skies but I assure you this really is down on the Mull of Galloway today and the photos have not been enhanced in any way.
The high road looks over the beach and harbour ā such a beautiful view from up here.
The hedgerows are full of bluebells.
Just as you leave the main stretch of houses and before the doctor’s house that stands alone at the junction of the low road (which is now only a path and closed to traffic) is the Community Garden kept neat and tidy by volunteers.Ā The scarecrow was part of the village Scarecrow Competition last summer but was so well liked it has remained in the garden since.Ā 
Once past the doctor’s house we are nearly at our cottage – we are the last house in the village, the secret cottage hidden by the wood – I hope you will keep that quiet.
We drove down the steep winding road from Holme Moss to meet the notorious Snake Pass and then along the valley bottom and over to Glossop, a small old mill town in the High Peak enjoying a bit of a revival, where we stopped and rang an old college friend of mine who lives close by on the off-chance they might be at home.Ā She and her new partner came to meet us and we enjoyed a lovely relaxing afternoon with them in a local cafe chatting and catching up.
Venturing up one or two of the side streets we came across this fine old building – the Glossop Gas Works which is now home to a few new business enterprises.Ā Before Gas became available the mills like everywhere else would have been lit by candlelight through necessity to work 24 hours a day.Ā This was expensive and so the textile mills were one of the first places that were used to develop this new technology and demonstrate it to a very sceptical public. 
We crossed the road and began our walk back, once again exploring a few of the side streets as something caught our eye, and discovered this unusual church building – The Central Methodist Church.
I tried to get a photo of the light flooding the inside of the chapel through the windows around the back.Ā Perhaps on another visit we might be able to go inside.
On the corner of High Street West and George Street we came across the Oakwood. This site has a long and chequered history since 1844 when originally it was an inn owned by George Pye and remained in his family till 1875 when it was sold and demolished to make way for a very grand hotel complete with balcony and flagpoles at a cost of Ā£6,000.Ā In fact there are many balconied buildings around Glossop.
During its time the spire has been removed and in 1901 it was bought by Robinson’s Brewery and had a major renovation in 1991.Ā Today it is still with the brewery and is a popular place to eat and drink.
It struck me that the streets here are unusually wide compared with a lot of mill towns – hence the name dark satanic mills because the mills were tall and the streets narrow andĀ claustrophobic.Ā Here it felt much lighter.
The mills around Glossop mainly produced cotton, as more mills were built more people had to be ‘imported’ in to the area and the town grew in size – a town hall with adjacent market hall and shopping arcade, now one of the popular attractions here, was built in 1938 by 12th Duke of Norfolk at a cost of Ā£8,500 – not quite as glamorous as the shopping arcade in the centre of Leeds but none the less it has some handsome architectural merit and is currently undergoing extensive renovations and covered in scaffolding and sheeting so I wasn’t able to take a picture of the front of this grand domed building but here is a peek inside.
Opposite the Market Hall is the town square – so very well kept with borders running along each side that are a riot of colour and a credit to the Council.
In the centre of the square is a war memorial with a statue of an angel gracefully holding a laurel wreath – it is quite beautiful and a fitting tribute to the many men of the town who gave their lives in the war.
There were some very wealthy mill owners in the area which generated rather a lot of rivalry between them.Ā This in turn benefitted the local people as each of the mill owners built public buildings such as the public baths, parks and libraries for their workforces.Ā Mrs Wood, wife of John Wood donated four drinking fountains to the town of which I believe this could be one of them. 
Edward Partington owned one of the paper mills and as he was a Liberal laid the foundation stone of the Liberal club.Ā He also built the library and a convalescent home. 
The former Liberal club I think is one of the finest buildings on the square with yet another small balcony – it was turned into a small theatre in 1957 and became a new home for the Partington Players.
…..watched over by a statue of Hamlet…
Just off the back of the square past the Theatre is a rather grand flight of steps up to the station forecourt.Ā 
The mystery little cottage to the right of the photo above built into the slope has a cute little garden, now overgrown but with signs of herbs and vegetables being grown up to very recently.Ā To one side it has a wooden first floor extension which from the other side resembles some kind of ticket office – but as yet I have no clues as to what it might have been use for. 
And this is where we finished our little stroll – I hope you enjoyed your visit to this lovely little mill town – sadly many of the mills have been demolished now but a few survive with a new lease of life as shopping centres and businesses.Ā It was a hard life in a mill town,Ā the mill owners were quite entrepreneurial people in their time as the industrial revolution took hold and theyĀ became very prosperousĀ mainly due to the hard work of the people who toiled long hours day in and day out in these noisy, dust ridden buildings.
where the journey takes me 2 