Last week

Hello there - here's a little post about a couple of days of my week last week.  Thursday saw "our" football team playing their first game in European football for twelve years - so of course off we went as they were playing the game at home "St Mary's Stadium - Southampton".  My grandson H and I set off about 10.30 am and caught the bus to East Cowes, where we then caught the chain ferry across to Cowes to then catch the red jet to Southampton

 

We had a couple of minutes to wait for the chain ferry to chug across the water

 

 

Look at the lovely ornate carved seats and back rests

 

 

 

Once we had bought our red jet tickets, we sat in the harbour at Cowes as we had a half an hour to wait, so we had a coffee and cake and enjoyed the sunshine.  The flags flying around the harbour were letting us know that Cowes week was about to start that coming weekend.  Can you see the Red Funnel car ferry sailing past the entrance to the harbour on its way to East Cowes to let all the cars and passengers off?

 

 

 

 

We wandered up through the town on our way to the Stadium

 

 

We went up to the stadium during the afternoon (kick off wasn't until 8.05 pm)

H had a new season football shirt and he wanted the name "Long" (Shane Long) his favourite player of all time and "Long's number 7" on the back of his shirt - so we had to get it printed!!!

 

 

Southampton Vs Vitesse - a Dutch team

 

 

 

This is a statue of Edric Thornton "Ted" Bates MBE which is situated at the front of St Mary's Stadium - Ted was a former Southampton F.C. player, manager, director and president which earned him the sobriquet Mr Southampton - Ted played for Southampton from 1937-1953 and then became their manager in 1955-1973 - LEGEND!!

 

 

New season 2015/16 kit

 

 

Get your match day programme - here!

 

 

Railings outside the ground - I have never noticed SFC in them before!!

 

Southampton football club moved from The Dell to a brand new purpose built stadium,

St Mary's in 2001

My son bought a "brick in the wall" at St Mary's when it was built, showing the first game he ever attended (because that is what boys do) Southampton vs Watford in 1986 (he was only 10) and

Saints won 3 - 1

 

 

We met up with Sean and my other grandson O and off we went to find our seats and eagerly await the start of the match

 

 

The sprinklers are on for one last watering of the pitch before kick off

 

 

The players lined up awaiting the start of the game and a lot more spectators were in their seats

 

 

We were very close to the visiting supporters and in the 29 years that we have been attending football matches it was without a doubt the noisiest game we have ever been to.  The fans on both sides were trying to out-sing each other and urge their teams on.  Both sets of fans applauded each other for their singing throughout the game and afterwards.  The atmosphere was very friendly and also electric. Southampton won the game 3 - 0 and the return leg was played in Holland on Thursday this week.  Southampton had another win with 2 goals scored to nil and therefore they go through to the next round of the Europa Cup and will be playing FC Midtjylland a Danish team - so again we say COYR (Come on you reds)!!

 

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On Friday as the lavender was looking and smelling so lovely I decided to make some shortbread - yes - lavender shortbread

 

 

 

 

The little flowers have to be picked out once they have been washed under the running water tap

 

 

When you have your dish of lavender all picked off you need your other ingredients

 

 

170g plain flour

110g butter

55g caster sugar

3g lavender (or more if you have the patience to pick more off)

 

 

Rub the flour and butter together and then add the lavender

 

 

 

Then add the sugar and knead until the mixture binds together

 

Roll out to about 1/2" thick

 

 

Cut them and place on a lightly greased baking tray and bake at 160 for 15 minutes

 

 Sprinkle a little caster sugar on the tops and cool on a wire tray

 

 

When cooled pop them on a plate and dress with a sprig of lavender

Eat and enjoy!!

 

 

I also made this tray of loveliness this week see here - boost bars loaded full of scrummy ingredients

 

Thanks for popping by

 

Xx Joy Xx

 

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PS  With the lavender stalks you have left, tie a pretty ribbon around them and hang up until they dry and enjoy the heady aroma and the prettiness of the drying flowers!

 

 

A few scanner pockets for visitors to our parkrun to take to their home parkruns

 

These beauties got finished this week too - see here - Tracy my friend sent me down the yarn because I loved hers so much.  She finished hers this week which made me get on with mine (My second sock was started on the 15th July) oooohh and they match.  Tracy in Yorkshire - me on the Isle of Wight and we have the same socks!!!

 



 

AAAAAAAAAaaaaaaaahhhhhhhhh - this weeks work in progress!!!!!!

That is all I am prepared to say at the moment

 

ttfn xx