A Nice Day Out

We woke to blue blue skies and bright bright sun! Could this really be August Bank Holiday? Yes, indeed, it was a beautiful day and the previous day's blustery winds and squally showers had blown away overnight.

We had already planned to visit an exhibition at Ruthin Craft Centre, so we decided to take a picnic and have a nice day out. Soon we were bowling along through the green and pleasant hills of North Wales. Everything looked beautiful in the sunshine: the sheep, the cottages, the little villages, the woods, the fields and the picture postcard views of valleys and hills.

Ruthin is a small, historic market town with some very old buildings, and picturesque views.

Each little street you look down has a backdrop of soft green hills, whichever way you look.

They remind me of seaside towns, but instead of a glimpse of the sea you have a glimpse of gentle green hills.

The Ruthin Craft Centre is an amazing contemporary space which celebrates the best in modern applied arts and crafts, frequently holding exhibitions and artists' workshops. We went to see Smile, which featured work by some of my favourite textile artists - Julie Arkell, Janet Bolton and Linda Miller. There were other wonderful artists too and the atmosphere of the Show really did make you smile. There was also the added treat of a separate exhibition of work by the international textile artist Tilleke Schwarz which was fascinating. The exhibitions are both on until September 8 - and there is a wonderful shop and cafe too!

The sun shone all day long, we had a lovely time....

...and when we got home there was a beautiful sunset too, over the hills we'd just visited and our own bit of the Dee Estuary. A perfect ending really.

I hope the sun was shining on you too. x

P.S. I'd just like to say a big thank you to the new visitors to my blog who commented on my last post - I look forward to meeting up with you on your blogs again soon. x x x