September was a very important month in our house. Here are the highlights.
GG TURNED 70 IN SEPTEMBER
We spent a lot of the month celebrating Graham’s 70th birthday. Boy, does he know how to milk it! Celebrations started at the beginning of the month and only finished last weekend. Let me put it on record here that we have wonderful friends. Thank you one and all. Doesn’t he look happy below?
For his actual birthday on the 11th we went away with the family, six adults and four grandchildren (from 17 months to 7 years of age) to the West Midlands Safari Park outside Birmingham. Check out the reel of some of the highlights on Instagram. Yes, we had a ball. We stayed in the Rhino and the Tiger Lodges and the accommodation was just beautiful. There is plenty to do there, including a theme park and an animatronic dinosaur exhibit.
Of course the drive-through safari is amazing. The highlights included seeing lions fighting right beside us, to giraffes putting their necks in the windows of the minibus to be fed. Then, the tiger prowling right outside the windows of our lodge (above) made us happy that we had strong glass between him and us.
VISIT TO GORT
One of the perks of having a blog and I suppose putting myself out there on Social Media is that I have met some wonderful people. Anna de Marigny, whom I met online, has become a good friend over the past number of years.
And we spent a lovely time in Gorgeous Gort with her and her lovely husband John, early in the month. While there we visited Lady Gregory’s Coole Park and Thoor Ballylee a 15th century Anglo Norman Tower House (below), home for a number of years to WB Yeats.
Both are well worth a visit.
ULTRACEUTICALS EVENT
The Australian Skincare Brand is making its mark in Ireland in recent years. I attended a lovely event in The Shelbourne where they introduces two new products to Ireland. I look forward to reporting back on them.
The DNA complex recovery Night Cream contains Dynamic Night Activator3 Complex, a triple-enzyme complex that works with the skin’s natural night-time renewal cycle to deeply rejuvenate the appearance of the skin.
The NEW Ultra R.E.D. Corrective Serum is formulated with a powerful complex of hydrating and calming ingredients to comfort stressed skin.
– Visibly minimises redness.
– Instantly hydrates to help skin feel cool and comforted.
– Suitable for sensitive skin.
If you have not heard of the brand, you will soon. Check out my blog post last year on how much I like using their products.
‘THE SAVIOUR’
It was a rainy day when we headed to the matinee performance of ‘The Saviour’ in the Pavilion Theatre in Dun Laoghaire.
It received rave reviews when it premiered in New York.
‘Deirdre Kinahan has created a powerful 70-minute tour-de-force that tears at the heart’
If you get the chance to see it, take it. Its run during the Dublin Theatre Festival in the Pavilion Theatre is over, but it has to return in the future. I was riveted for the entire play, mesmerised by Marie Mullen’s performance.
My raincoat is Primark, bought during the summer, and as this is Ireland it gets plenty of use.
WHAT WE HAVE BEEN WATCHING IN SEPTEMBER
We have been glued to the Rugby and just as I finish writing this, Ireland has beaten Scotland to advance to the quarter-finals. My God, it is a thrilling, but also a brutal game. Next up New Zealand, not sure I will have the nerves to watch it.
Have you watched Annika, a slightly quirky detective/crime drama series with the wonderful Nicola Walker? Annika heads up the Marine Homicide Unit tasked with solving crimes in and around the Scottish waters. It gets the thumbs up from our house.
BOOKS
Finally finished the Seven Sisters Series with Atlas The Story of Pa Salt by Lucinda Riley and Harry Whittaker. I loved it. Totally different is AJ Pearce’s Emmy Lake Chronicles. Set in London during World War 2, Emmy is the kind of heroine everyone loves. Start with Dear Mrs Bird and enjoy.
FINALLY
Thanks for reading.
Follow me on Instagram and on FB at overthehilda where I post and share lots of interesting stuff!
Love Hilda xx
HAPPY BELATED TO GRAHAM!
HE IS A VERY HANDSOME MAN!
WHAT A FUN EVENT TO DO WITH THE GRANDCHILDREN!
YOUR SKIN DOES LOOK GREAT I HAVE NOTICED IN THE LAST FEW POSTS!KEEP ON DOING WHATEVER YOU ARE USING!
OCTOBER IS SKIPPING BY…………fastest year ever for me!
XXX
Thanks Elizabeth. We did have fun. And yes where is the time going???
Glad GG had a good and prolonged birthday. It was Js birthday last week (68) but he couldn’t think of anything he wanted, or anywhere he wanted to go. I despair.
How wonderful to see a tiger in the wild!
We enjoyed Annika, though the crimes were often a bit lame. They could do with spreading a whodunnit over several episodes.
Thanks Gail. Yes we had a fun time…making memories xx
That safari park sounds so neat! What a fabulous way to get the whole family involved in a wonderful birthday celebration.
Thank you ..it really was great fun for us all.