watchtowers in Kaiping

The city Kaiping has a high concentration of historical buildings ‘diaolou’ watchtowers. There are as many as 1800 of these towers that dot the surrounding countryside of Kaiping, in Guandong province.

The multistory watchtowers were built in the beginning of the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644) as a defensive response to incessant bandit raids. 
Heavy flooding in the area also played into the need for towers and three types of diaolou emerged over the centuries; defensive, residential and communal designed with reinforced structures, thick walls and small windows, they are also built with a mixture of European architecture mixed with typical Chinese . 

in the 19 and 20C,local Chinese who migrated to the western world, would send back money to build these classic Chinese style houses as a means to display their wealth using flamboyant designs.In some cases, local builders worked from images on postcards that were sent from abroad, creating unique designs. The towers are now Unesco certified in hope that they will bring more tourism into the area to help preserve all these historical buildings. Now a lot of these buildings are left to be derelict as families all move away from these rural villages. There is one remaining in my mother’s village, but now there are very few families left in the village, mainly the older generations who don’t want to move, and all the ancestral houses are kept for meeting and celebrating their ancestors. 
When we arrived, we went up to the graves of my grandparents and honoured their lives with offerings of food and burning of paper money and incense. This happens each year on 4th April – it’s called sweeping the tomb.

beaches in Suffolk

there are a lot of beaches in suffolk, some are well known and frequented, others less so. but less than 10 mins drive from our cottage is Kessingland beach – a relatively unspoilt and more wild beach which reminds me very much of Dungeoness, with its pebble dunes and grasses, its definitely worth a morning walk.  you will spy fisherman, dog walkers and bird watchers from the adjoining Benacre nature reserve and is much less touristy in the summer months.   not far away in Thorpeness you can rent the house in the clouds –  originally intended to be a water supply in 1923 Glencairne Stuart Ogilvie with F. Forbes Glennie (architect) & H. G Keep (works manager) brilliantly disguised it as house, and so it looks like a mystical cottage high in the sky. Thorpeness is one of those strange towns – a bit like a disneyfied part of Switzerland,  mock Tudor houses are built around a Peter Pan boating lake, and 1930’s houses are built directly facing the long pebble beach. but my all time favourite beach is Covehithe, which happens to be the local beach to our cottage – beautifully windswept and unspoilt, its sadly receding coastline tumbles the trees into the shoreline, leaving eerie bleached out trunks and branches that give the beach an eerie quality. And of course there is the lovely Southwold beach with it’s pier and fishing harbour, it may attract more visitors in the summer months, but on a bright brisk winter’s day it can still soothe the soul. Wrap up warm and get a fish finger sandwich from one of the beach cafes – I prefer the one near the end towards the fish harbour. nothing more refreshing to be by the sea and take in that fresh air! the next beach is Walberswick, accessible by walking through the fish harbour and then crossing the pedestrian bridge and if you get tired to walk back, you can get the little rowing boat ferry, which takes about 2 mins to cross back to Southwold. once you are in Walberswick, the sandy beaches turn into pebbles as you head back towards Aldburgh. you can then visit, Dunwich, Sizewell, Thorpness, and Aldburgh – all interesting in their own way.    I am discovering that Suffolk is a diverse and interesting coastline with much to explore.

winter and dry skin

if you suffer from dry skin, especially in the winter months – remember that the central heating  doesn’t help, but if you put a glass of water by your radiator this will help put some moisture back into the air – add a few drops of lavender essential oil for a lovely aroma; you can also buy humidifiers, that really do work and push a fine spray of water into the dry air, especially in the bedroom.  There are lots of different skin products out there, other than cortisone cream which is what doctors seem to dish out. cortisone is good in small doses and especially to stop spreading and keeping the excema under control, but try and use sparingly and then use the more natural options.

my daughter has always suffered in the creases of the arms, ever since she was little, and i have tried so many different products.  I am quite a natural person, white witch my son calls it, but generally i try to use natural products to cure illnesses first, then if i have to resort to the chemical stuff, fine.  but as soon as the skin is repaired keep using the natural cream to keep it moisturised. the best of all the products i have tried for dry chapped skin is Napiers, Infant Starflower cream – its soothing, penetrative and doesn’t sting.  Juste Nature makes a few different products aren pretty amazing and they are a small independent company and although it’s pricier, you need very little and it penetrates very easily. Calendula cream can sting excema, and therefore make it look redder, but can be quite soothing.  barefoot sos is another soothing moisturiser.. another of my favourites though is golden tumeric cream by  suneeta – it works in all areas that are dry and irritable. hopes relief is an excellent moisturiser for excema and irritable skin.  one cream that really helped my excema breakout last year was dermalex, its apparently steroid free, but it really worked for me. the wonder product for me at the moment is borage oil, which I squeeze from a capsule, it doesn’t smell wonderful, but it is an amazing soothing oil that I use on dry patches on my face before my moisturiser – Liz Earle sensitive moisturiser also has borage as its key element and it really is soothing and her CICA repair cream is amazing and I use that everyday as a preventative on dry patches. Roche Posay also do a CICA plast B5 cream that is very soothing and moisturising. I find that at different times of your life, your skin reacts differently and products that did work, no longer do, so I list the products so that you can find what suits you.

other alternatives –  Stellaria cream by Neale’s Yard, or Aloe Vera moisturiser from B Natural Skincare, which is equally as good for any part of your body and Goats milk cream from Elegance.    Apparently lanolin is a big aggrevator of the skin, so avoiding products containing lanolin is advised.   For general everyday use, shower gel, body cream,  aveeno, seems gentle enough and is affordable to just use generously all over the body.  Aveeno has many different creams, some for the hands, some for the face, and it really is moisturising.   hope’s cream is a great non steroid cream and also is available as a body lotion – I use this cream a lot and is my favourite daily body moisturiser at the moment – I alternate between the Hopes Cream and Aveeno. Moo Goo has a great moisturising body cream and all natural.  Remember that hair products, shampoo, conditioner, and especially hair dye all contain chemicals and can cause allergic reactions – it was one of the main culprits in my daughter’s case – its the lathering agent that can cause reactions.  liz earle products are very good for people with sensitive skin, as is australian organics for the hair.   Green people do a very good sensitive hair range and this is great for itchy scalps and people with allergies.   simple products are also non irritating if you want something that is widely available.  the best cream i have tried for dry cracked heels is from dr organic, virgin olive oil cream , homeoplasmine  and good old coconut oil – try one of the organic ones –  it really has worked. be careful of slipping though on a polished floor!

As with all creams, i tend to think that your skin gets use to all creams and changing is always a good thing, as your skin responds to new things.  Of course, everybody is different and they react to things differently, but natural is worth a try and none of the above are very expensive, so worth a try.

meditation and calming the mind and body

I cannot recommend anything as potent as taking the time to meditate.  for many years I have dismissed it as hippy nonsense.  but as we lead a more stressful and fast pace of life, I’ve realised that being ‘mindful’ and taking the time to meditate are indeed great tools for calming, controlling, and rejuvenating one’s mind.   I used to do yoga as a form of exercise – stretching, keeping the body supple and gently toning , but now I choose yoga classes that not only achieve those things, but also help calm the mind and cultivate well being.  Susan Nove at triyoga has a lovely sense and spirit;  she runs 6 week evening courses on mindfulness, that teach you how to incorporate mindfulness in your every day tasks, meaning that you don’t have to just sit still to practise.  her half hour classes also help you maintain what you have learned.  Anna Price is also a great teacher and can personalise methods to help you get through more difficult times.  One of my favourite yoga teachers is Erika Tourrell – she has the right balance between yoga for revitalising the body, but her words and spirit really take you to the next level of self care and appreciation of life.  I also love the yoga teachers at Love Supreme, especially Nadia Narain and Manizeh. Rimer, such a beautiful space to practice in .  each morning, my husband and I do a meditation with either Clare Connolly on Insight Timer or the daily meditation with Calm – the breathing meditation is particularly useful for calming and setting you up for the day.  we have done this practically every day for the last 4 years.   I have also been doing Qigong, which has really grasped my time and whole being  – not only have I been taking classes, but also teaching them to my friends, passing on the goodness and benefits that it has given me.   It also enables me to learn more moves and the origins behind the principles of Qigong and then share this therapeutic practise with you .  Not only does it keep you toned and flexible, but it also calms your mind and heart and enables you to deal with life in general, all that it throws up, its challenges, its problems, uncertainties.   I have 2 weekly online classes by zoom, but soon I will be starting live classes in open public spaces, weather permitting……

12 days after Xmas

Saturday the 6th Jan is the twelfth day after christmas and is traditionally the day that you take down your xmas decorations- so dont forget!    Jan 6th is epiphany and is the day the three wise  men (magi) brought their gifts to the young Jesus;  so especially in Latin American countries, the 6th Jan is usually the day that presents are given rather than 25th december.   On the night of the 5th, instead of stockings, kids leave their shoes out, stuffed with straw. It’s not Santa who comes in the middle of the night leaving the children presents. Instead, it’s the three magi who come bringing gifts for the kids, just like they gave the baby Jesus presents in honor of his birth. The straw in the children’s shoes is for the Wise Men’s camels to eat.

To celebrate the Epiphany in Spain there are also often parades featuring the three magi…  it seems it doesn’t take much excuse to put on a parade in spain, throughout the year there is always a festival, parade or street party to either celebrate a saints day, or notable date in the calendar!  I always say I will get to Spain for this occasion – maybe next year…….  we have updated our Spanish website

www.numbersixthecastle.com

halloween

It was lovely going out into Picadilly last night, seeing all the young people dressed up in Halloween costumes for their friday night out – I know that my kids go to a big Halloween warehouse party now. I always remember doing these pictures with the lovely Anita Kaushal some years ago –  some cute ideas for kids  – spiders in jelly, ice cream cones dipped in chocolate and hundreds and thousands and decorating cupcakes with spider icing. I loved those occasions of the year when there would be weeks of preparation making their costumes and carving the pumpkin –  its sad when your kids grow older, cos you don’t do all those cute things any more……….

ice cream

this lovely warmer weather has been such a welcome joy – just what we needed to lift our spirits….  I remember that alice took me to her favourite ice cream shop in soho, Tsujiri – delicious matcha and houjicha ice cream. today she took me to Gelupo, delicious ice cream, vegan, sorbet choices too. ice cream seems to have become artisan, and so more expensive. Jack’s Gelato in Cambridge is a big favourite of Maude’s, having been studying there for the last 4 years.   there is a new craze in ice cream, bubble wrap waffle – i couldn’t believe the queue, so didnt get to taste it.   i also love gelato mio – i have to admit i have always loved ice cream from being a child, its one of those things that has stayed with me, and passing good ice cream shops is hard to resist……  i think its because ice cream is synonymous with growing up, holidays, summer – its a hark back to innocence.

easter

Although we are becoming less and less religious as a society, we still seem to be remembering the important religious events – xmas and easter especially –  to hold our family events and make them special occasions to see our closest.   we also use these periods to relax and rejuvenate, its the few times of the year when everything shuts down.

Do you know why we give easter eggs at this time of year?  Easter is a Christian festival and for Christians the custom of giving eggs at Easter celebrates new life. Christians remember that Jesus, after dying on the cross, rose from the dead. They believe that, through his resurrection, Jesus defeated death and sin and offers people the promise of eternal life if they follow his teachings.

The first eggs given at Easter were birds eggs. These eggs were painted in bright colours to give them further meaning as a gift. We still paint bird eggs today but usually only chicken eggs.  when Maude was younger she loved to paint eggs, but you do have to be really gentle or they will easily break.   you need to pierce a hole at either end blow out all the liquid inside the egg, use for scrambled eggs, or bake a cake!  then perch your egg on a barbecue stick or on a chopstick and paint with acryclic paints.  you can always thread pretty ribbon through the holes and hang them – they look pretty cute.  i really like the tree that maude painted on this egg.  I still like to give my children Easter eggs, even thought they have grown up, and now give their partners eggs too…..

love these eggs that talented artist Mary Mathieson, made for our shoots for wild and gorgeous.

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mothers day

to all you wonderful mothers – have a relaxing and lovely day!

did you know that we have been celebrating mothering sunday since the 16Century?  in the UK, mothers day always falls on the 4th sunday of Lent, which is why it never falls on the same day each year.

Mothering Sunday was also known as ‘Refreshment Sunday‘, ‘Pudding Pie Sunday’ or ‘Mid-Lent Sunday‘. It was a day in Lent when the fasting rules were relaxed, in honour of the ‘Feeding of the Five Thousand’, a story in the Christian Bible.

today, it feels like another form of commercialism and something that you ought to do because everybody else does it – i think that every day we should remember how special mothers are – their job at times is a thankless task that we all take for granted.  what is lovely, it’s a day in the calendar that brings mothers and family together again. it’s also a good day to remember those mothers who have gone as well as those that are still with us.

 

in chichicastanago, guatamala the flower girls strewn their flowers for sale on the famed church steps – the petals were used as part of the religious thanks.  it was such a memorable place – its somewhere i would want to visit again.

whatever you are doing, have a lovely day!

i still remember these lovely flowers that  little maude picked from our garden and sweetly put them in a egg cup – such a precious little thing and such a good idea for putting your flowers in!

inspirational women

today is officially named international women’s day to celebrate equality for women, from simply being more appreciated, respected and loved to acknowledging economic, social and political achievements – i think that every day should be like this whether you are female or not –  so many women are undervalued, especially the role of a mother.

i admire that quite a few of my girlfriends have changed their careers and now are amazing therapists – nutritionist, osteopathy, pilates, hygienist, psychotherapist and  acupuncture – plus i get to learn more about natural therapy and am treated to more alternatives to standard medicine!

i love that women are not challenged by anything – dont ever think that you are too old to start something new!  i was inspired by the fact that Julia Margaret Cameron started her photography career at 48.  I have changed my career so many times and each one has been fulfilling and challenging but also full of good memories.  since the beginning of lockdown in March 2020, I have been learning and teaching Qigong to my friends – it really has grasped me and I spend a lot of my spare hours studying and practising more moves, and getting to understand what the philosophy of Qigong is about.  for many years, I have thought it a gentle exercise for very old pensioners, like my mother, but I have now realised its power to build strength and suppleness, not only to the body but to the mind too. If your mind feels balanced and in control, then your body naturally responds to this harmony and keeps stress at bay – stress is renowned for being the cause of a lot of health problems. If you feel stressed, it is difficult for your body to recover; qigong is not a miracle cure, it just helps relieves stress, lengthens the ligaments and keeps the joints moving, and hence allow the Qi (energy) and blood to run more smoothly through the body. I have also been combining the Qigong with watercolour classes – and this has been very well received by the local community in Suffolk. I am self taught with watercolour, but with a few simple techniques, you can learn, it’s not about achieving something professional, more about allowing yourself to be creative and explore. watercoloring is so loose, but it also has a meditative quality. what it means is it’s never too late to start a new hobby, passion or career. I am now feeling confident to hold these classes in London – confidence is something that has taken me 60 years to gain, but the great thing about getting older is that you lose all those self conscious worries and wanting to share the good things in life becomes more important.

Still I Rise’ by Maya Angelou

The incredibly prolific and inspiring American poet, author of seven autobiographies, actress, civil-rights activist, producer and director passed away in 2014, leaving behind a huge volume of work celebrating black beauty, the strength of women, and the human spirit. In 2017 her life was celebrated in the documentary Maya Angelou: And Still I Rise, which featured interviews with Oprah Winfrey, Hilary Clinton, Quincy Jones and Maya Angelou herself.

‘You may shoot me with your words,
You may cut me with your eyes,
You may kill me with your hatefulness,
But still, like air, I’ll rise.’

here are a few of my inspirational ladies who have allowed me to photograph them….

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