A visit with Sian Nolan, Portsmouth, UK
I was
delighted when I was asked by Martina if I would like to be a part of the
travelling bracelet project. As well as feeling very honoured to be
chosen as a host I hadn't told anyone that my Dad had been suffering from bowel
cancer, it therefore seemed quite appropriate that I should receive it at this
time.
The
bracelet arrived in a HUGE box on 26th January, with a yummy bar of orange
chocolate (Martina knows it's a favourite of mine, thanks friend). The
bracelet is beautifully beaded and of course, I tried it on straight
away. I was also very intrigued to read where it had been and who had
hosted it before me.
The
first place I took 'Isti' was to my local Weight Watcher meeting, I have been
going for years and I help out as a 'weigher'. I am hoping that some of
'Isti's' positive energy will rub off on us all and help with our weight
losses. Here you can see Lynn (our WW Leader) and 'Isti' is on the wrist
of my beading pal (whose husband is also suffering from the same condition as
my Dad, in fact, they were in hospital together).
We
(hubby and I) then had to wait for some nice weather before we could show
'Isti' around my home town of Portsmouth, it's a waterfront city and home to
the Royal Navy. The city has been a key player in many historical events,
including Admiral Nelson's battle at Trafalgar, sailing of the first fleet to
Australia, and the D-Day Landings. It was also the birth place of
Charles Dickens. Oh! ... and the opening scene of the new Les
Miserables blockbuster was filmed in the Dockyard, with HMS Victory used as the
backdrop.
Here
you can see 'Isti' with HMS Victory (1765) and then nestling on Lord Admiral
Nelson's epaulet.
The
next photo shows 'Isti' with HMS Warrior (1860) in the background, this was the
first iron clad war ship. Then with Henry VIII, whose Tudor wooden war
ship (The Mary Rose 1511) was discovered and then raised from the bed of the
English Channel in 1982. Stop me, I'm beginning to sound like an
historian!
We
then went to a more modern part of the city; Gunwharf Quays, which is full of
shops and restaurants. Here you can see 'Isti' with the Spinnaker Tower
which has a glass viewing platform 100 metres up. As I'm not a fan of
heights I decided to stay at the bottom and enjoy a tasty lunch in one of the restaurants!
As my
week with 'Isti' was drawing to a close I couldn't NOT take it to a bead fair I
just happened to be visiting. So here you can see it adorning the wrists
of my beading friends Lynn Firth (Stitchncraft Beads) and Heather
Kingsley-Heath (Heatherworks).
So, as
I pack up the bracelet ready to send to my on-line beading buddy in Mexico, I'm
thinking what a wonderful idea this is, thank you so much Sig for starting this
project, such fun to be part of it
Great visit, great story.
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