Monday 24 April 2017

More Perfect Little Works of Art: Fred Taylor and J. Francis Smith. Plus spring sunshine at Barrington Court

I don’t claim to have any knowledge of these ‘little works of art’ I am simply sharing them for your enjoyment. I shared the first part of the collection and the little I know about them in this previous post

Fred Taylor. R.I 
Fred Taylor Photochrome images

I've struggled to enlarge the images because the originals are so small, but I hope these slightly larger pictures will enable you to see some of the details. Please leave a comment if you recognise any of the places or know anything about Photochromes. Actually, please leave a comment even if you don’t, I love hearing from you. 

Fred Taylor

Fred Taylor Photochrome images

Fred Taylor Photochrome images

I'm sure this is Dunster. Terry and went there in May 2013, and I blogged about it here 
Fred Taylor Photochrome images

The same picture in colour (image found on Pinterest)  

What about these - any ideas?  Could the one at bottom right be St. Paul's?
Fred Taylor Photochrome images

Fred Taylor (1875 - 1963)
Educated at Academie Julian, Paris and Goldsmiths College, London.
One of Britain’s foremost poster artists 1908 - 1940s. Best known
for his posters of buildings and architecture. His main clients included
the London Underground and the Empire Marketing Board.
Sources;
The London Transport Museum
Livingston, A. & I., Dictionary of Graphic Design and Designers, 1992, p.187

Replies from readers of my blog (thank you all so much). 

Nicki-ann suggested D5206 (on the first sheet) lookes like Chester and having checked online she is absolutely right. According to Wikipedia, the building is Lockwood’s black-and-white building at Chester Cross.

Willie agrees the building on the bottom right of the second sheet is St Paul's Cathedral.

Sue Imgrund is sure image 5229 (top left – second sheet) is Great Court, Trinity College Cambridge Sue included a link to a postcard published by the Photochrom Co of Royal Tunbridge Wells  (the very same company as on a business card found in this album). I assume the postcard was produced from this very image – which adds weight to the fact that this could be a salesman’s sample book.

Darlene Foster and Susan Donaldson agree no 5204 is York Minster, although Darlene thinks it could be Monk Bar in the foreground while Susan is sure it is Bootham Bar.  Sue is sure she knows where more of these places are. I just need a little time to check, and then I will share the information with you. (Thanks Sue)

Further thanks are due to Susan Donaldson for the following information:  D. 5205 is Edinburgh, with the castle in the background and the Scott Monument in the foreground. I found this fairly similar image (c1915) on Pinterest.


Sue also came up trumps with D 5230 (top row, second sheet) which she correctly identified as the ruins of Dryburgh Abbey, near Dryburgh on the banks of the River Tweed in the Scottish Borders. I’m so grateful to everyone who helped out with this, thank you.  

Please don’t forget to leave a comment if you know where any of these places are, I would dearly love to find them all.


J. Francis Smith:
J. Francis Smith: Photochromes

Several of these look like old English Country Inns, but it doesn’t help me place them. Are you familiar with any of them?

J. Francis Smith: Photochromes


Update: While researching this post, I assumed the above images were by the Canadian artist John Francis Smith (1868 - 1941). However, after publishing the post I was contacted by a lady by the name of Patricia Hovenden. Patricia tells me there were two J. Francis Smiths working at about the same time.  Patricia is the granddaughter of the English J. Francis Smith and has colour versions of a number of these drawings.

In accordance with the information received from Patricia, I can safely assume all the above works are by the English J. Francis Smith. He was a Liverpudlian who worked for the Liverpool echo he also designed cards as a side line. He enjoyed painting and sketching Cotswold villages and inns. Patricia didn’t know her grandfather, but she tells me he died around 1957.

The images so far identified are:
D.5214 Groombridge, Kent
D.5255 The Black Bear Inn, Tewkesbury
D. 5254 (Possibly) The Crown, Evesham
Second sheet, bottom row - without number Matlock Dale, High Tor.

I am very grateful to everyone who gets in touch and will always try to correct any errors I might make. I really want to find out as much as I can about these little works of art, and I’m thrilled to be finding so many answers. 
   
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The weather has been glorious of late tempting us to leave the chores and enjoy some sunshine. On one such sunny day, we headed to Barrington Court, a National Trust property less than an hour from where we live. I’ve written about Barrington Court previously so I won’t bore you with all the details (like the delicious cheese scones for elevenses or the equally delicious lunch), but I would like to share some of my photographs. If you are interested in my previous posts, you will find them here: Autumn at Barrington Court and here: Tiptoe through the Tulips.  If you would like further details about Barrington Court, please visit the National Trust website here.

The formal gardens are stunning, but it was lovely to see wild bluebells dotted about the place. 

I like the dreamy quality of this photograph. The unknown (to me) family on the bridge drew my eye, and I couldn't resist snapping a quick shot.



It was a surprise to see roses blooming in April.  We have lots of tiny buds on ours but no actual flowers yet.





A sunny part of the gardens enclosed by tall brick walls, I wish I could share the delicious aroma of the wallflowers.  I don’t know the couple in the photograph they just happened to wander through as I took it.

As we sat on a bench enjoying the sunshine, this little chap came to say hello. He is obviously very used to visitors as he was quite unperturbed when we started taking his photo. 

Leaving Terry to enjoy the sun I headed off to one of my favourite places on the estate. National Trust properties with second-hand bookshops are the best! This one is usually full of customers but for once I had it all to myself.

Striding back, book in hand happy as can be! (Photo by Terry Fisher)

What did I buy? The Woodland Gospels by Jeremy Lloyd with illustrations by Graham Percy. I sold lots of copies of this when I was trading, so it's nice to finally have one of my own.


Everywhere you turn there is another lovely vista and more beautiful flowers.

We noticed this glorious Clematis just as we were about to leave. I'm delighted with how sharp my photograph is. Terry is forever trying to show me how to take better pictures, but I’m never happy to stand still for very long. He waits until the light is just right or a butterfly settles on a flower, whereas I want to keep moving. We’ve been married for 47 years in June, so we are quite used to each other's foibles, it simply means I walk twice as far as Terry as I double back on myself to see if he is ready to move on. If you follow this link, you will be taken to Terry’s blog where you can see what a difference a little extra patience makes.

59 comments:

  1. Tomorrow..Tuesday..is my Godmothers 99th birthday!
    She's an Italian lady, who was married to a Polish
    gentleman, who was my Godfather, NO! Not a Sicilian
    Godfather..! An ordinary Godfather..! :).
    So, last Good Friday afternoon her son, who l grew up
    with, in fact our two families all grew up together,
    brought her over for a visit..First things first..Tea!
    Then out came the photos..when mia Mama died, she had
    some 20 photo albums, the old sort, four photos on one
    page, l did'nt have room for them, so l took all the
    old B/W photos out, and put them in some sort of order,
    a filled a shoe box with them...threw out the empty
    albums..!
    So, we sat there, the three of us, looking through old
    photos...until l..l..l..let the box fall off my lap onto
    the floor..then the fun and games started...HeHe! we were
    on our hands and knees for the next two hours, looking
    through all the floored photos.."Have you seen this one"
    "Have you seen that one"..???
    And there's about 200 small B/W photos, like the ones above,
    of both our families growing up from...1950..on wards! :0).
    Lots of laughs, lots of tears...! Why? Because l live in the
    past a lot...it means a lot to me! HeHe! "Nuff Said".

    AND..Those gardens and flowers look fantastic...AND..I know
    l go on about it..and..always will..Nice to see flowers growing
    naturally out the ground...AND..NOT..Cut, and put in a silly
    vase..vase..or vase..and put on a window sill to die! :(.
    "Every flower is a soul blossoming in nature, please don't take
    their life by plucking them". (lessons taught by life)...!

    HeHe! I see the robin's still about then...he's quite safe,
    not a lot of meat on a robin!!! :0).

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    1. Dear Willie, thank you so much for sharing that. I can imagine all the laughter and the tears, especially after you dropped the box. Are you going to put them into some kind of order or will you just chuck them on the floor when anyone wants to look at them? :-)

      I’ve just counted all the old photo albums I keep on a shelf in my office – there are 38 of them! Some belonged to my mum and dad, but most are ones we've filled over the years. What on earth will our son do with them all, especially now that he lives in Australia? Maybe he needs to pick out any he wants to keep next time he visits England.

      The gardens were beautiful, and the smell was amazing. What about that little robin then? They seem to follow us about wherever we go – perhaps someone is trying to send us a message? I’m just about to go and pick some Lilly of the Valley. I know you hate it but there are hundreds of them flowering in the garden, and I can’t smell them from inside. I will only pick three or four to put on the kitchen window. Besides it is supposed to get very cold tonight so I am really looking after them. I can’t believe I feel so bad about thinking about picking flowers – but I do, and it’s all your fault. hehe

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    2. Oh! No! They were ALL picked up and put back
      in order....I'm a Virgo..so everything has to
      be neat and tidy! My you, when they were on the
      floor, it was a bit like that card game, you put
      all the cards face down, turn them up one by one,
      to get a pair..! :).

      I've just popped over to 'Letters from a Hill Farm'.
      Yes! Very impressed...Temptations and My Girl..!
      Motown..Great stuff..Memories! Ah!

      AND..leave the lilies where they are...! Argggggg..! :(.

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    3. I'm a Virgo too, hence I fuss and fret about everything!
      I've not been over to Letters from... today so I will make that my next port of call.
      I haven't picked them yet, but I can’t guarantee I won’t – perhaps I should just make another cup of tea and visit a few more blogs. :)

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  2. Hi Barbara!I am glad you found my writing blog and I am glad I found your blog. Lovely flowers! And I also love everything vintage. On my personal blog I have blogged about my vintage collections. I especially love old books. Will be visiting again.

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    1. Hello Janet, thanks for returning my visit, I really appreciate it. I must visit you again to find out more about your collections. My first love is also old books.

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  3. D.5206 looks like Chester to me. I love those black & white images :)

    Barrington Court looks like a wonderful place to visit.

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    1. Well done Nikki-ann I've just looked online and you are absolutely right. Thank you!

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  4. Love the vintage photos, and what a gorgeous place you visited, I would have loved to be alone in that book store, too! Hugs, Valerie

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    1. I usually have to fight to get to the boxes, but it has been a long chilly winter so people were happy to enjoy the sun. Not me though, I basked in the warmth of the books! xx

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  5. What a joyful post. I loved the little works of art, especially the village scenes. And your photos were filled with sunshine.

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    1. Aww that is such a sweet thing to say, thank you Sandra. x

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    2. I would love to wander Barrington Court one day.
      By the way, that's a great shot of you.

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  6. I enjoyed visiting, through your beautiful post, all of these wonderful scenes and gorgeous photos!!!
    I love that bookstore...I could live there quite happily~

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    1. Now that would be fun Jan, can I live there with you? :)

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  7. You've overwhelmed me with beauty this morning. I don't know where those early pictures are from, but they make me want to investigate. And if I could travel in time, I have a few I'd love to visit. How exciting to find a color image of that black and white village. Beautiful.

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    Replies
    1. I’m so pleased you enjoyed it, thank you for taking the time to visit and comment.

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  8. Your photos are just gorgeous, Barbara, I really enjoyed this lovely tour! And I also love the vintage images! Thank you so much for sharing.

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    1. It was my pleasure Linda. Thank you so much for spending time at my blog, I really appreciate it.

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  9. I love the little works of art - but your garden photos sing to me. So much beauty. So much colour. Aren't you glad that we no longer have to wait (and pay for processing). I am ambivalent about a lot of progress but digital phtography is something I applaud.
    And aren't second hand bookshops WONDERFUL.

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    1. It’s funny now to think about film cameras, all that waiting around to finish a roll of film, then waiting for them to be processed. I agree with you digital photography is wonderful, but I still prefer real books to ebooks. I also agree with your comment about second hand bookshops. I love them!

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    2. Real books every time. I love to feel, the smell, and hope that they never disappear.

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  10. Love seeing the vintage photo's.
    Absolutely loved seeing all the beautiful flowers and scenes at the National Trust property/garden you visited.
    Isn't that robin cute!
    I adore visits to second hand bookshops!

    Lovely post Barbara, enjoy the rest of your week.

    All the best Jan

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    1. Hello Jan,
      I'm so sorry I've only just seen this comment. It was a lovely day out and I'm very glad you enjoyed it too. Barbara x

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  11. What a gorgeous collection of images, old and new. Sorry to put Willie wrong (apologies, Sir!) - the top left image 5229 is Great Court, Trinity College Cambridge. I can vouch for that as I was thrown into the fountain there on one occasion (long story ....)

    http://prettyasapostcard.blogspot.de/2010/08/cambridge-trinity-college-great-court.html

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I put my hand up and apologise Sue...! :(
      And..Sir..goodness!
      I'm not that well travelled in the UK,
      just in and around the south really, travelled
      more in Europe..across the pond..! HeHe! And,
      yes, l've been thrown in a few fountains, well,
      jumped in most of them..! :0).

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    2. Thanks Sue & Willie, really kind of you both. I shared the pictures on Facebook and got some answers just need to check them out, and then I will include them in the post, along with this reply from Sue. Thanks again.

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    3. I've now got a picture of Sir Willie splashing around in the Trevi Fountain, La Dolce-Vita-style!!!

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    4. Well I don’t know what to say to that Sue, so I think I had best keep quiet. :)

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    5. I'll have you know! I've always kept cloths
      on...on...only take them off for money!!! :).

      Oh! And, Federico Fellini's La Dolce Vita,
      with Marcello Mastroianni..Brilliant! :).

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  12. Beautiful, beautiful BARBARA! You are a stunning lady! First of all, how I wish to go to your country and explore the villages and antiquity and architecture! Every post you make with this relics from the literary past and artistic sensibilities of an era gone by, I get a deep desire to get on a plane and spend time in these lovely spaces. We hope to get to England one day, soon.

    Those gardens. OH MY. The buildings, the timbered homes, what a dream.

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    1. Bless you Anita you say the nicest things. I do hope you get to England it would be lovely to meet you. We could drink tea in the grounds of Barrington Court if you come to Somerset or another place of your choosing if not. xx

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  13. The little photochromes are lovely! I'm one who often enjoys black and white photography, but when I saw that picture in Dunster, again in color, it sure adds a lot. Color brings such warmth to a scene. As always, your flower pictures are gorgeous (and the little chap, too). The Woodland Gospels looks like a great find; I love those full page illustrations. Happy to see you're having a nice spring. Our roses are just budding, too, and our weather bops back and forth from warm to cold, but that's New England for ya!

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    1. Hello Marcia, we’ve had a really lovely spring, but it reverted to winter today. I’m sure the garden is grateful for the rain, but I don’t suppose it appreciated the cold (I certainly didn’t). We would love to visit New England it looks so beautiful in photographs, maybe we will get there one of these days.

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  14. Lovely photos and I can smell those wallflowers! Glad you got the book you wanted and nice photo of you with it. xxx

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    1. Thank you Sue and thanks for today, we enjoyed your company xxxx

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  15. I am no expert and don't know England well but I think 5204 could be York. It looks like York Minster in the background with Monk Bar in front. The flowers are beautiful!

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    1. Hello Darlene, thank you so much for the information. I’m sure you are right about it being York, but a friend on Facebook suggested it might be Bootham Bar. Having spent some time looking at lots and lots of images, I tend to think it is Bootham, although I could easily be wrong. Thanks again I really appreciate your help. Barbara

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    2. I think your friend is right. It does look more like Bootham Bar than Monk Bar. But at least I got the city right!!

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    3. You did much better than me Darlene. I didn’t have a clue, and I’ve been to Cambridge numerous times! Thanks for all your help, Barbara

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  16. What fabulous collections you have,Barbara! Love the pictures of Dunster ( Lorna Doone fan). My faves are the photos Terry took of you with a book in hand and the one of the robin! May I please Pin the photo of the robin on my Celebrating Britain board?

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    1. Hello fellow Lorna Doone fan! My Godmother gave me a copy when I was far too young to read it never mind understand it. But I read it anyway (missing out all the difficult words) and then read it again and again and gradually fell in love.

      Thank you so much for your kind words about the photos – I do try, but I’m far too impatient for my own good. You are very welcome to share the robin photo and any others that take your fancy.

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    2. WHY am I not surprised that you are a Lorna Doone fan??? It is one of my favourites to re-read! I loved exploring Lorna Doone country when I was in England! Those were the days-we took our bicycles on the trains and found the most enchanting places! So happy you have your own copy of The Woodland Gospels! I had the same problem as a bookseller- I would sell a book I really wanted to keep ,thinking I would always be able to find another copy.... Some days I do wonder what will become of all my books,and dolls and paper dolls. My hope is that there will always be collectors to give them homes and enjoy them as much as I am enjoying them now. Sending you a big hug!

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    3. My brother and sister were both married by the time I was twelve, and it was then that my dad got a Dormobile. He, mum and I would set of in it several times a year and many were the nights we parked up on the side of the road in Exmore National Park. The Exmore ponies often invaded out camp during the night, and we often woke up to find them milling around outside. It was truly magical and something I will never forget. Dad and I used to love walking which we did (a lot) while mum preferred to sit in the sun by the side of the van. I’m not sure how old I was when my Godmother gave me a copy of Lorna Doone, but I can only have been about eight so by the age of twelve it was ingrained in my mind, and those walks on Exmore brought it all to life. I must admit I’ve not read Lorna Doone for good few years so it is definitely time to take it down and enjoy it again.

      I understand how you felt about selling those books thinking you could easily replace them – I did exactly the same thing. Actually, it is possible to replace many of them if you go online, but it’s not the same is ‘finding’ them in a box or at a book sale. I’m sure there will always be collectors, but the problem is tastes will change and the things we hold so dear may not be what they want. Never mind, we must enjoy them for as long as we can. Hugs to you too.

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  17. Love the vintage photos... What a beautiful place you visited and the photos are simply wonderful! Hugs :)

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    1. I’m so pleased you enjoyed the photographs and the black-and-white images. Thanks for coming over, hugs.

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  18. Dear Barbara I am no help on your photos except to say I enjoyed viewing them. Such great architecture and love those cottages as well. Oh my what beautiful photos of what would be a place I'd enjoy as well. I certainly can see why you would visit more than once a year. Hope you have a lovely end to your week. Hugs!

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    1. It was lovely of you to take a look Debbie, thank you. Hugs Barbara

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  19. What a gorgeous post!! I really enjoyed looking at the vintage photos!! All so wonderful and speaking of wonderful, those garden pictures are amazing! Wow! The book looks great! Big Hugs!

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    1. Thank you so much I’m glad you enjoyed it. I do worry that my posts are getting longer, but I’m finding it hard to keep them short. When I started blogging everything was neat and short not so anymore! Hugs Barbara

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  20. What a great idea to have a second hand bookstore on the estate!

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  21. Oh my- a beautiful and glorious spring indeed! Look at all those vibrant blooms! Loved strolling through the gardens with you. So much to feast the eyes on. Spring is blooming here, but it isn't in full swing yet. :)

    How exciting that you are getting answers to the questions about the tiny photos. That is awesome detective work and so exciting when the pieces of the puzzle fall into place. :) Good luck!

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    1. Hello Stephanie, spring rather slipped back to winter this week. We’ve some really cold days with frost on the grass first thing in the mornings. It is a bit of a shock after all the lovely warm weather, so I hope it goes away soon.

      My blogging friends never cease to amaze me with their knowledge. I'm so grateful to all of them and to you for coming over and leaving a comment. Happy Spring!

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  22. It's so wonderful to be back Barbara, many thanks for your kind words.

    How lovely are those little snapshots into times gone by.

    Many thanks also for my virtual visit. How lucky to have had that book sale to yourself.

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    1. Hello Tracy, It’s so nice to hear from you. You have been missed. I do hope you are making a good recovery and will soon be fighting fit again.
      I’ve never seen the book barn so empty, and I was very quick to take advantage of it, but I must admit I didn’t stay there for very long as the sunshine was just too tempting.

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  23. Beautiful post. I loved the photos. Thanks for sharing!

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    1. It was my pleasure, thanks for coming over.

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  24. Thanks for sharing these gorgeous photos Barbara

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    1. It was my pleasure Shashi, thank you for sparing the time to look at them. I’m so pleased your husband is doing well. It's really good news.

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I really appreciate your comment. Thank you!
Barbara xx