Giveaway

I know.....

I've been away a long time

I have been visiting...

but just a little!

On my last post I promised a giveaway

to celebrate my first year

of blogging

I've had this ready since then but..

where does the time go???

A few weeks ago

I was in the Midlands visiting my mother

By the way (as an aside)

for those of you who have been longing to know

The surprise trip 

my brother took Mum on for her 921/2 birthday

was.....

Drum roll

St Petersburgh, Russia!!

How about that then??!!

Now

to get on with this story

Mum and I decided to visit

Charlecote Park

The first picture is of the Gatehouse

and the second as we walked through the Gatehouse and could see the house at the end of the drive

Apart from the beautiful, manicured gardens....

There were lots of little corners with statues

and parkland with deer

and a lovely knot garden

The inside of the house is well worth visiting

but we've been there so many times

that we decided to give it a miss

this time!

One really beautiful gem is....

the children's play house

There used to be

chairs and tables and beautiful little china

on the inside but....

this time it was empty..

but so pretty...don't you think??

The door looks so interesting....

The Gatehouse through the trees

and the house

so we head to the Gatehouse...

and home!

The family church through the trees

I thought you might be interested 

in this beautiful home 

but I also had a reason 

for walking you around the grounds

My Giveawy

(at last I hear you murmur!!)

 A selection of different things.... 

....that I thought you might like!!

I loved this little cross-stitch kit

for a book mark

and this collection of

National Trust notecards....

'Idyllic Locations'

and this tea towel that I also purchased from the National Trust

It has Wild Flowers of Wales...

though, unfortunately, not the Welsh names

"Thought.....

perhaps I'll see if I can find more tea towels with Welsh names and have another giveaway later"

What do you think?

and now....

the reason I took you through Charlecote....

I bought this book years ago....

and while the author was still alive and living in the Park!!

It was so interesting and eye opening 

about the way people lived in

'fashionable 19th Century society'

When I saw it in the shop I had to buy it...because...

....I loved it and hope whoever wins it

does as well....

SO

.....I will put the names of those who are my followers, and would like to be entered, 

into my husband's bowler hat

on Sun 23rd June

and get him to chose the winner

If you would like to be entered twice please mention my giveaway on your blog and, of course,

let me know!!

I hope these few gifts look as good to you as

the joy I had in buying them....