New Yoga Class for 2018 on Thursday Evenings

After a break of over three years, I am delighted to be back teaching yoga again here on the beautiful North Norfolk coast.
My new class is on Thursday evening at Great Walsingham Barns, Great Walsingham, Norfolk from 5.30-6.45 pm. This small friendly group extends to a maximum of nine students and costs £40 for a block of five classes.

Introduction to Yoga Course summer 2018

I will shortly be running a four week introductory course – the Key Principles of Yoga Practice.  Also at Great Walsingham Barns. The class will run for four weeks on Thursdays from 7-8.15 pm.  For more details about this course see here http://www.yoga-4-all.co.uk/teaching_workshops.html
If you are new to yoga, or haven’t done yoga for a while, this would be a great class for you to join.

The high winds and lashing rain of early Spring meant that our allotment got off to a slow start this year.  Venturing out for the first time today we were met with alot of grey mud until we spied an upturned plastic bin, hastily applied in January to a patch of rhubarb.   And so, as if by magic, a burst of vibrant pink and yellow erupted into view!

forced rhubarb a glorious site this cold, wet spring

This early rhubarb is far sweeter than its tart elder sister that has not been cosseted by being kept covered over winter.  So it needs only some freshly squeezed orange and a sprinkling of brown sugar before being roaste on a high heat until it is just tender, and not overwilted.

A more exotic variation can be realised with the addition of a bay leaf or two and some crushed cardomon.  These two add a subtle undertone that lift it of  nursery pudding fayre.

It needs nothing more than a dollop of rich greek yogurt and a few toasted almonds to create a sumptuous dessert

It was a cold November afternoon to be out on the allotment but what a lucky chance it was. At first just the sound of a birdlike cry coming from some disused sheds belonging to a local farmer. Then on further investigation a tiny fluffy bundle appeared, a kitten from one of the feral cats that live in the fields around our house and abandoned or somehow lost from its mother.

Cold, hungry and very dehydrated, the lost soul seemed quite happy to be scooped up and taken inside to warm up amidst a box of straw by the radiator.

One week on and she is the most loving little thing and we would not be without her.

A beautiful sunny evening last Monday for our first  yoga class in Wighton village hall;  it was fantastic to be able to do our yoga practice outside and to see so many old faces.

I am now running two classes on Monday evenings:

Improvers’ Yoga  5.15-6.45 pm

This is a mixed ability class which combines the strength and dynamism of Yang movements with some deep Yin stretches for a fully balanced hatha yoga practice. The class ends with a period of pranayama and relaxation/mindfulness meditation.

Beginners’ Yoga – starting 11th August 7-8.15pm

This class provides a general introduction to yoga and covers all the basic principles like breathing, posture, full body awareness and relaxation techniques as well as a more careful look at some simple yoga asanas.

Looking forward to a yoga filled summer…

If you come down to the village of Wighton over the Mayday bank holiday weekend you’re sure for a big surprise!

This sleepy North Norfolk hamlet is transformed into a surreal stage set with disconcertingly lifelike scarecrows of all shapes and sizes peeping out of gardens, riding bicycles … even taking a nap over a copy of Farmer’s Weekly. Think Wicker Man meets Bill and Ben and you get the general idea … seriously though it’s a real hoot.

McGregor crow

Gordon Ramsay crow

zzzzz crow.

Ever since we arrived in Wighton five years ago, we have loved taking part in the festival – and that means making scarecrows. As we live in the old station house, our crows have had a railway theme – and this year, what better than the 50th anniversary of the Great Train Robbery.

Now making scarecrows worthy of the Wighton festival is not so easy as you might think  – something we discovered in our early attempts as enthusiastic newcomers to the village when driving wind and rain left our valiant crows sagging and bedraggled on the station platform.  Planning and props were surely the key.

Lots of lolly!

Luckily, also to hand were the considerable creative talents of our friends Paul and Laura who arrived from London late on Friday night with  a stash of realistic and waterproof pound notes; then next morning armed with masking tape and spray paint, they quickly transformed two common or garden t-shirts into eye-catching striped apparel, befitting the most villainous of crims.

Going for stripes.

what a good looking fella…

With these fabulous props we set about creating our characters – this time, wind and rain  proof.  As we stepped back to admire our handywork –  well we surprised ourselves by how good they looked!  Had we finally cracked it?

gangster’s moll

The proof of the pudding came in the whoops of delight and applause from passengers chugging past the platform as they made their way between Wighton and Wells on the miniature steam train.

Thus emboldened (and after quaffing a glass of two of champagne to celebrate Laura’s birthday) a plan was hatched to send a picture of our marvelous crows to the BBC urging them to run with the story.  Imagine our surprise when we emerged sleepy eyed the next  morning to find it on the BBC news website!

As if this wasn’t enough excitement, mid afternoon we faced the serious task of judging the children’s scarecrow making competition – and having awarded first prize  to a most innovative one legged pirate, it was time to retire back to the garden for a  plate of fish and chips from our local chippy, the Riddle in Walsingham.

sunset crows