Tuesday 6 September 2011

The Land of the Little Tin Bird

This weekend I went on an adventure. I went on an adventure to the land of the Little Tin Bird. I know I'm on a meeting bloggers in real life kick this year, first The Curious Cat and now Heather. Don't be jealous of my travelling ways people.

The reasons for this trip were many;
1. I should have seen her in Hull a while back but I couldn't get the time off work
2. I desperately needed a trip to a yarn shop that sells Stylecraft and I knew she had one
3. I just wanted to meet her didn't I?!

This trip was exciting because it involved me going into the dreaded country - you know me, city girl and all that, the country scares me and once I had changed trains at Leeds I noticed two things;
1. The average age of the people on the train had increased by 30 years
2. Lots of sheep in fields


However I needn't have been panicky because my trusty guide soon took me under wing, marching me directly to the yarn shop. Yarn me up people. My need was so desperate because I did something foolish some time ago - I tried to buy wool blind off the internet. I've decided to make a blanket for my Dad and his wife for Christmas and I sat down and looked at some colours of Stylecraft on the internet and duly picked ones that I felt went together. Then I got my order and nearly had a heart attack - the lovely burnt orange that I thought I'd picked is actually luminous orange (god knows what the people were thinking as they packed my order, they must have thought I was totally colour blind).

So I needed to get new colours, or colours that at least went with the colours I'd already got. Normally this makes me go a little crazy but I knew that with secret weapon Heather at my side I would be successful because this lady knows how to pick colours. I was right and whether she realised it or not, I rather cleverly got her to pick my colours for me. I'm a sly fox like that. (Sorry, I forgot to take pictures. Apologies.)

The land of the Little Tin Bird also brought me face to face with my other nemesis.

Hills.

One thing you need to know about Hull? No hills. Seriously. No. hills. We are flat flat flat. This is amazing in many ways but it means that as soon as I'm within a certain distance from the Humber and the land begins to slope, I become nearly totally incapable of walking.

The walk up to Heather's house in my opinion should only be undertaken with the use of an oxygen tank and crampons but she scampered up it like a little rabbit whilst I weezed away behind her. Seriously. It's virtually Snowdon.

I saw all the sights. All of them. There was the most amazing pizza for lunch. So amazing that I'm thinking of going back just to have some more of it.

I saw some rather famous hills from a distance.

I saw some of the Castle (you know I love a bit of castle action. Going in it is on my list of things to do next time I visit).




I saw some canal action. With some frantic duck action. Love a bit of duck action.


I saw a real life turning water mill. Amazing!


I saw a waterfall. Brilliant!


I went in the most gorgeous shop ever and bought a cat necklace. (And I forgot to take a picture of that as well. Sorry I'm not on form at the moment.)

And throughout all of this I kept having to remind myself that I don't actually know Heather. It's hard to explain, I don't mean that in the sense that I have made the mistake of reading someone's blog and believing that I know everything about them, but I actually had to keep reminding myself that I didn't know her. I had to keep reminding myself that this was a total stranger I was spending the day with - shouldn't it have felt a bit weirder than that?

Well whatever it was, the day passed far too quickly for my liking and before I knew it I was back on the train and heading for the Mothership. Much to the relief of my Mum who can't quite grasp the concept of meeting up with people you know from the internet and was pretty certain I was going to be coming back in a bodybag. (But whatever you do do not tell her that I actually went in Heather's house for a cup of tea because that was one thing she definitely told me not to do and I do try and do everything my Mum tells me.)


And do you know what? I might just have gotten over my fear of the countryside. Because the land of the Little Tin Bird might just have it all - lovely countryside and yet there was actually a Tesco in sight. Perfect.

(Also. I actually saw the real life Lucy and nearly had a laughing attack. But I played it cool don't worry. Although I did feel like I should curtsy.)

14 comments:

  1. Hello!

    Yes I was fresh out of bodybags, sorry. Glad your mum is reassured about it now though!

    I had a bit of a freak out the night before, not because I've never met anyone from t'internet before (on the contrary thinking about it most of my good friends are from the internet when I met them in my teens). but because I suddenly worried that you'd think I was boring or fatter than I am on my blog or something. THANKFULLY if you thought that you hid it well so that's ok.

    apologies for the hills. at least you weren't here in the snow. nuff said.

    Looking forward to my CHIP SPICE visit to Hull!

    (capitals makes me seem more interesting)
    xxxxx

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  2. Haha what are you like! You so shouldve taken pics of your yarn and the cat necklace! I think it's really nice to meet up with other blogegrs in real life :)

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  3. You saw the real life Lucy? How? And please show the cat necklace ok? And well...we are not total strangers...I'd like to think anyway...xxx

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  4. Sounds like you had a lovely day, isn't the blogosphere a wonderful thing.

    I was also on the brink of buying wool online, I shall reserve that until I have found the real wool in life perhaps and may need more.

    Michelle

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  5. OMG! I thought I recognised the bit of wall in the first picture... and then it turns out to be a town I know well - and I am regularly on that little train from Leeds when I head up to visit my parents :) So glad you had fun! (Yes, there are hills... I moved from there, via flatter places, to the Malverns. Hills. Yay.)

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  6. It's funny how you read people's blogs and you get to know them that way and then you think you know them because you've followed them for a long time but you actually don't. But isn't it a pleasant surprise when they're everything you thought they were and more??? Yes, the internet can be hurtful to people but it can also forge a lifetime friendship that you wouldn't have found otherwise without the internet.


    Glad you and Heather finally got a chance to meet!

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  7. Haha, I can't think of anyone less murderous than Heather! I would have wet myself if I saw Lucy, she seems almost like a mythical being!

    Can't believe no photos of the wool or cat necklace - another post will be needed!

    (Oh and eek! You said that about the luminous wool the very same day I ordered £40 worth of wool off the internet! They're Lucy's Rico colours though so I think I'm safe...) xxx

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  8. Oh you lucky duck (pun intended) meeting Heather AND Lucy - all in the one day! What a great day that must have been for all concerned. I do intend to go to that wool shop too, some day. I have met someone I 'talked' to on the internet and from the word go we got on like a house on fire....honestly it was simply as if we'd know each other forever...and we talked non stop about stamping..that's our shared passion - mine is calligraphy (1) and knitting, crochet (2). Anything which involves working with my hands will suffice though....and the harder they work the older and worthless they feel....oh to be young like you folks! Loved reading all about your wonderful day out.

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  9. My daughter lives in Hull during termtime and I'd never noticed the lack of hills but now you come to mention it. She is currently craving chip spice having been at home since May. I think chips from the chip shop will be one of the first things on her list when she moves back to uni in two weeks lol

    Looks like you had a lovely day.

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  10. :o)xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

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  11. OOooh, looks great! Water wheel- hello!!

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  12. I just tripped over from Heather's blog to have a little looksie. You seem right up my street. You made me giggle, and more than once! Believe me, that's a big compliment from me! Especially the Lucy meet, I know what you mean about the curtsey, she's like blogging royalty!
    Will now go and have a proper poke around your blog!
    Kier x

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  13. Hi, I just found your blog from the murderous Heather, and am quite glad I have. Have started following you, and am now off to creepily trawl through your archives.

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  14. Hehe - awww I met Heather too at a service station on the way to Woolfest!! I think I scared the life out of her lol. Some of my bestest friends are peeps off the net. Take care. xx

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