Charleston

Yippee! At last able to visit Charleston again, with a lift from a friend from Balham station, a two hour journey to meet friends of hers in Lewes before travelling on to Charleston.

A house next to a farm in the South Downs might not seem a good subject for a blog called "green and country in the city", but, I see no reason why much of that lifestyle that so appeals to me can't also be done in the city.

One could live in a city house full of paintings by oneself and ones friends and relations, and of them too. With books by them as well. With pottery lampshades made by one of the family, and a table lap made of a painted bit of telegraph pole and the lamp shade of an old skirt. And instead of buying wallpaper one could paint the walls instead. And the furniture! And evenings/days/weekends spent creating and talking.

Bliss!

Charleston, finding buses, blue wool and horrible herbal tea

Today I had a day off so went down by train to Lewes in Suffolk.  Partly as a trip to a pretty town, but mainly to suss out buses to Charleston, the country home of Vanessa Bell (sister of Virginia Woolf). This is my favourite house. I love the idea of living in a house full of painters, potters, writers, political thinkers (and with servants to do the housework!), where the house is decorated by the people living and staying there, not just the pictures,the lampshades, but the walls and doors as well. It is difficult to get to if you don't have a car. I found a tourist office in Lewes, so now how my bus timetable.

The service is infrequent - once every 2 hours - and it looks like if I miss the 1521 back to Lewes, I'll have to wait till 1811! If I leave London after 10am to take advantage of getting some money off the price of my train ticket with my yearly tube season I won't get to Charleston after 1 pm. In fear of missing the bus I'd want to be early to the bus stop to get the bus back to Lewes....so about an hour and a half at the house! The joys of country buses!

I think I will just have to hope a friend with a car will take me and I'll disregard the carbon footprint.

As well as lots of antique shops, there were several charity shops. I got a big ball of blue wool for a £1, and this should be enough to knit a tea cosy. As I was offering ordinary tea green tea and herb tea, I made all the tea for my meeting on Sunday in the cups. So I really don't need a tea cosy, but I fancy knitting one all the same.

At my herbal tea tasting class yesterday we were given another tea - a bitter tasting one. Very good for us I am sure, but I have only committed to drinking one cup a day as I know I won't manage more. I am drinking today's cup now while I type this. The best I can say of it is I like it better than I do ordinary tea, which I hate!