Childhood Gardens with #HDYGG?

After moving continents the end of last year, I finally got round to unpacking the remaining boxes that had been kept in the store rooms at our villa.

It's the only time we ever look through the old photo albums is when we move home, as we are packing up and as we eventually get round to unpacking. This is the 4th home we've had in 5 years.

With it being summer in Dubai, it's got to the stage after 3 months of nothing but heat, that I've run out of things I can do in regards to 'creating a garden in the desert' 

So I thought I'd take you for a trip through the gardens of my childhood and yes, I am that old, some of the photos are black and white before it was considered to be 'in'

I wrote a post back in April about my trip to UK garden's in spring and I'll be visiting again next month and will write a post about autumn. 

1971-1973

Cwmbran

Aged 1  

Aged 2 

Aged 2 

1983-1986

Leicestershire

Aged 3 

Aged 4

Aged 5

My Grans garden in Cwmbran

1976-1982

York

The good old camera strap in the way

Aged 6 ready for the Carnival float

Aged 7 dressing up

Aged 8 with my cousin

Aged 9

Aged 10

Our back garden

The front garden. 

1982-1988

Ross-on-Wye

The view from the back door in Ross-on-Wye

Aged between 15 and 17

With my nan and mum and dog Sukie

Meanwhile back in the present and out to the desert. I decided to bring the tomato seedling indoors and noticed that within a few days, some other seeds already in the pot have grown, I've no idea what they are, but I decided to bring the rest of the pots in to see what else will germinate.

As it's very humid at the moment, with little respite after sun set, I've been walking Bob in the daylight. Despite the heat it is still very green in Dubai and still many plants flowering.

I saw this plant with a yellow flower so I took a few cuttings.

My Gran on Holiday 1940's with #timetraveller

It's 10 years ago next month that my Gran died. We finally got round to unpacking the last few boxes after our move in December which contained photo albums and childhood books of mine.

I'm off to the UK next week and will be visiting the crematorium in Newport.

My Gran is never far from my thoughts and every time we move I think about how proud she would be of us living abroad and although if she was still alive, she'd be 102, she'd not have made the trip to South Africa or Dubai, but she would have loved every photo and every letter and I can guarantee every member of the WI and the church would know about our travels.

So as my Gran is no longer here, I thought I'd show you some of her travels.

On the ferry from Torquay to Brixham 1940's

Gran 2nd from right

Bournemouth 1964

Gran and Granddad
Sadly I never met my Granddad, he died a few years before I was born.

Drusilla Zoo 1975
Me and my Gran, I have many fond memories of holidays with or at my Grans, just sadly not too many photo's from back then.

Porthcawl 1980

L-R back to front

Mum, Uncle, Me, Gran, Aunt, Cousin, Sister

Regardless of the weather, we always got on the beach, there's no month on the back of the photo, but it would've been the school holidays as we lived in York in 1980.

Teignmouth 1987

Uncle Joe and Gran

 Not a lot has changed over the years, apart from maybe the stripy deck chairs on the beach. I've seen numerous photo's this summer of people on the beach with their families in their wet weather gear, being 'typically British' and many photo's of families visiting Drusilla Zoo.

The cat can't seem to find her spot

The cat can't seem to find her spot.

In South Africa the cat slept in her pink bed on the window sill, the downstairs window was left open and she would come and go at her own choosing. However since moving to Dubai, she's been unsettled, she's eating and even drinking lots of water, she purrs, she seems content, but she just can't find her spot.

We actually don't have a window we can leave open other than the one in the kitchen which is over the sink and we really don't want her walking over the kitchen surfaces, the other 'windows' are actually doors which we can't leave open when we're not in or at night and during the day with the air con in full swing she is either in or out. However she has become very good at knocking on the doors and making a right racket during the night to either come in or go out and we're not getting much sleep at the moment.

 Excuse the discolouration in the bath as the water comes out of the taps brown in Dubai

Hiding

In the closet

Why won't you open the window?

We feed her on top of the washing machine to stop Bob stealing her food

Death Stare

Not a big fan of cuddles, it's too hot 

Why sleep in a perfectly good bed?

When she can clear out my closet?

The sink is obviously cooler

Dog's bed claimed

Hubby took these two photos last month while I was away in Canada. Due to the heat both animals spend the day light hours indoors, with me being away, they've been spending all day with just one another for company.

The cat seems to have found her spot now. i spend most of my day when I'm in the house in the conservatory, it has it's own air con unit, which means I'm not battling to cool the whole house and while the dog sleeps on one sofa I've taken to feeding the cat her treats in this room and put them on her Hello Kitty blanket which she is now choosing to sleep on.

This photo popped up on my timeline on face book this week. I'd forgotten she went through her 'Hide and Seek' phase a few years ago also.

Let me know when you spot her.