Ramsbottom Farmers market

I got there! I finally got to visit Ramsbottom when the Farmers Market was open. Although there are not many stalls they are of high quality. There are outdoor stalls with the meat, vegetables,pork,homemade soup, fudge and even a traditional black pudding stall. In the civic hall are small stands with jams, bread,more meat,greeting cards, pickles and there was a wood turning stall and one selling handmade knitted scarves and handbags. That stall was of interest to me but I didn't want to look and linger in case the lady thought I was a potential customer. The prices were quite expensive I thought but then I am on a budget so most things are expensive to me. I would be interested to know though how many she sold that day.

I just bought some vegetables (some still in their soil as you can see from the photos) and a couple of lamb chops which I must say tasted absolutely wonderful at dinner tonight. I did get tempted by the fudge stall especially when he had samples! Who can resist samples? I had to buy some dairy fudge and some rum and raisin especially when he said £1 a bag instead of £1.20 especially for you. My elation was somewwhat dampened when he said the same thing to another lady 2 minutes later. Ah well! How fickle sales people are. When I was young and used to listen to my mum and aunt discussing how wonderful the cauliflowers or the cabbage were on a stall I used to think I will never get that old that I think cabbages are wonderful. Guess what - here I am some 40yrs later going into raptures over a cabbage! It's true what they say that girls grow into their images of their mothers. I look in the mirror sometimes and it's scary when my mother looks back at me. I always thought I looked more like my dad.

On that way back to the car I heard someone call my name and it was my friend Vicky with her neighbour and daughter Perran. They were on their way up to the market. Laurie had gone to photograph the steam train that runs on a Sunday so I didn't get to meet him as we were in a bit of a rush to get home.

I managed to find Horwich yesterday and visited my friend Lisa. Anyone who knows my lack of driving skills will know what an achievement that is. I am the world's worst map reader and can never find my way anywhere, My dad used to say I would get lost trying to find my way out of a paper bag. Lisa need not worry though. I will not be wearing out my welcome by over visiting mainly because I probably would never find her house again! When I still lived at home my father was inspecting the back of my car one day and I thought oh no have I dented the car. I asked him what he was looking for and he said the 7 mile bit of string that is attached to your back bumper. I said that there wasn't one. He said well it's funny but everytime you go out the most miles you have ever driven is 7! These days I think the string has shortened to 3!

The strange looking objects in the last photo are my attempts to crochet mushrooms. The main reason I went to visit Lisa yesterday was to take up some knitted squares and the mushrooms for the knitted garden she is assembling for International Womens week. I hope it is finished in time to be exhibited. I also had a quick visit to the Arts Centre where Lisa has a unit. There weren't many artists there when I visited but I did have a quick peek in their units to see a bit of their work.

The knitted doubled helmets have gone to their new heads. My son and daughter in law picked them up and also took Buster for a long walk along with their dog Skye. I was very grateful for them doing that as the walk uphill in Ramsbottom really took it out of my back and I was dreading Buster's walk. I didn't like to say anything to my niece as I was so grateful for her taking me that I didn't want to appear to be a moany old crow. I try to keep my pain to myself when I am having a bad day.