The heat is on..

I've just finished another week of seminars for my Herbal Medicine course and I can no longer blithely ignore the massive workload looming large between now and exam week (21st May)! I have been self-medicating on the finest fairtrade 70% cocoa chocolate, but even that no longer calms me down. So if I go a little quiet over the next few weeks.. you'll know why! I may throw in a few posts every time I complete another coursework assignment, or part thereof (there are four in total between now and the bitter end, and two exams). In the mean time, here is a picture of me with my fellow Botany & Phytomedicine students and tutors at last Sunday's field trip to Kew Gardens. Needless to say it was a great day out and we got in free because it was an educational trip :)

A quick plug for my next concert - for charity!

The choral work in which I'll be singing is in the second half of the concert. It's a wonderful mass written by our conductor - truly beautiful, and it's all in a good cause so it would be great to see you all there!

Music against Poverty
- a concert in aid of the Mathieson Music Trust

Handel Arrival of the Queen of Sheba
Pachelbel Canon
Haydn Cello Concerto in C
Campling In Paradisum

Saturday 5 May, 2007, 7.30pm
St.Paul's Church, Bedford St, Covent Garden, London WC2
Underground: Covent Garden, Leicester Square, Charing Cross

All proceeds to the Mathieson Music Trust: Reg. charity no. 1040751

The trust supports a music school near Calcutta for children from deprived backgrounds, giving them a rounded education and a future through music.
www.mathiesonmusictrust.org

Tickets: £15, concessions £10
Info: 020 7537 0618 or a.campling@btopenworld.com
Tickets also on the door subject to availability

Tickets may be purchased in advance from:
Concerts for Charity, 71 Friars Mead, Manchester Rd, London E14 3JY.
Please enclose a stamped addressed envelope and make cheques payable to Concerts for Charity.

By the Thames on a sunny morning...

While the good people of London were training for tomorrow's marathon..

Yours truly and her sparkly heels were clip-clopping their way home at a necessarily leisurely pace. Having tarried too long at a simply fabulous birthday party in SW6, I missed my train by 1 minute (what ever happened to the good old days when cab drivers knew how to put their foot down?! This one seemed positively to relish clocking up as many red traffic signals as one can squeeze into the journey from Fulham to Waterloo..) and had to return to the party and crash on the sofa for the night. Aah the joys of being young ;)


Wisteria riots ahead of the Blackburn Rovers fans' arrival at Craven Cottage


Clematis starts to blossom at 36 YR :)

Some holiday snaps

German Easter decorations


A sort of futuristic Hobbiton..


The metal circle of 'Pi' at the National Botanical Garden of Wales


Going rustic along the Gower coast


Stopping every few moments to take pictures of flowers (this one is a wood anemone)

A quick Hello from sunny Wales!

OK... so I'm cheating slightly by using a photo I took on a visit here a few years ago, but it's just as a stop-gap until I can upload the new pics onto my laptop at home. I felt you needed to know just how stunning the countryside and coastline is over here :) And.. it's been so warm and sunny these last couple of days I might almost come back with a tan!


Three Cliffs Bay, Gower, S. Wales

Also visited the amazing National Botanical Garden of Wales yesterday. I can highly recommend it. Amazing design and architecture. Photos to follow later. In the mean time, I can smell delicious roast vegetables sizzling away in the Aga next door.. time for food!

not-so-green fingered still

Well I managed to maim one of my poor little green charges in an attempt to rehouse the thing in a more spacious pot.. but it still seems to be hobbling along somehow. I will have to leave them all in the care of the neighbours over the Easter holiday. Chances are they will thrive in the absence of my clumsy not-so-green fingers - let's hope so!

Speaking of the new neighbours, they threw a fine party (though without any music.. which puzzled me somewhat), with a blind wine tasting and all (much to the distress of yours truly who tried in vain to drown the bitter taste of envy in her mouth with some carton orange juice (I gave up alcohol for Lent)). It was a very interesting group of people, in fact it felt more like a university reunion than a housewarming, and they'd all been in amateur dramatics together, so I made the right choice when I decided to go for a hint of 'glam' in my attire for the evening! One of the people I chatted to was doing a PhD on the role of scent in Victorian Art - almost convinced me that I should try this doctorate thing one day, if only I could come up with a topic quite that imaginative!! :)

Anyway, I'm off to Deutschland tomorrow for Easter, and then from next Tuesday I'll be spending a few relaxing days in South Wales. Not sure if I'll have web access, but it should afford me plenty of opportunities for some photography :)

A little bit about one of my new links, Bellaray

Bellaray is a new designer jewellery brand created by a dear friend of mine. My personal favourite collections are Riviera (those necklaces are to die for! I'm just waiting for the right excuse to splash out ;), Fleuris and Duchesse. All very classy and elegant - Enjoy :)