Clare Gaylard Glass 

A monochrome cornucopia of the elaborate, unabashed and splendid. We hit Austria, Germany and France this summer and these are fountains in the grounds of 'Mad King' Ludwig's replica of Versailles on lake Chiemsee. He only spent a night here before being assasinated and reading between the lines he may have been taken out before he could thorougly bankrupt his people.

My sister-in-law Jane (AKA JaneMactats) made a special trip from the other side of the world and has left us with armfulls of the work of her hands, filigree tatting, hand-spun, hand-dyed and hand knitted  objects. We have watched with great pleasure as flowers and garlands seemed to grow from her fingertips.

To a new studio/workshop! Many reasons but amongst them the following conversation: 'Do you teach lampwork glass classes?', 'Not at the moment but leave me your contact details.' 'I did that THREE YEARS AGO!'. Plus numerous requests for sales hours, the option of renting torch time and etc.

Last time I taught flamework was in Singapore. My current studio in an ancient house has been lovely but not entirely practical. The idea of a purposeful working environment has a charm all of its own, So that's what I'm working on at the moment. If you are interested in learning lampwork then please leave me your contact details, I'll be getting back to you in around three weeks!

We went to see the magnificent set of Tudor portraits at the National Portrait Gallery before seeing Mantel's 'Bring up the Bodies' by the RSC. So genuine Holbeins and magnificent power statements by the main protaganists of the play, followed by watching the characters duking it out on stage. That's the way to do it. This night visitor was caught on security camera recently.

Went to see the RSC staging of Wolf Hall and are off to see Bring Up the Bodies next. I was intrigued to see how such a richly descriptive and complex novel could be compacted into a play. In fact one of the most striking aspects of the production was the intense choreography and clever staging of every scene and interaction, not a wasted inch of stage or moment and a constant sense of movement.

Ravenscar to Robin Hood's Bay at Easter. Cliff walks, fossils in the shale and astonishing, dropaway roads that yield moments of rollercoaster fear and exhilaration.

The lovely 18thC folly on the terrace above Rievaulx Abbey.

Rievaulx Abbey in Yorkshire, hidden in a deep, wide valley and on a perfect, spring day in Easter Week. National Trust and English Heritage have got a Judgement of Solomon thing going on....one owning the abbey and grounds and the other, magnificent views from a hilltop terrace. A very peaceful place.

We visited Inchmahome Priory on an island in Scotland this summer and were struck by the conversational quality of this couple and their heraldic pets. Here's to the next nineteen years!

Stonehenge and Salisbury Cathederal in the same day. Between torrential bouts of rain. Two remarkable structures, and on that day we did enjoy the fact that one had a roof. A superb roof.

Well this won't mean much to anyone who hasn't rejoiced in having children over the last decade and a half or so....but we believe we tracked down the Gruffalo's ancestor, immortalised in stained glass at Ely Cathederal. There is nothing new under the sun.

 I did my teaching practice at the high school in Ely, that strange cathederal city in the middle of the fens. I then did an art residency at the school which meant going into the cathederal sketching for a couple of weeks then using the school facilities to make art. A very peaceful and fortunate time. I haven't been back in over a decade and find that now the rennovation of that imposing, grey place is magnificently complete. We went in on a splendid, sunny day between Christmas and New Year and the interior glowed.

Some of our photos from Venice earlier this year for an instant colour fix.

An ancient, little village church that has seen a lot of history. Plenty of empty niches but some fine angels still support the rafters. A brief and lively exhibition of art opened today and runs until this Sunday. Some cases of my glass alongside monumental sculptures, iconic Suffolk scenes, a single Maggie Hambling and choice portraits of pedigree livestock. This is where we are, come and visit!

Fort William and through to Mallaig, ten kinds of weather in a day, seven of them wet, all worth it.

We did this back to front, read about and sought out this impromptu tribute to the BBC adaptation of Sherlock Homes in London. Now we are watching the first series, great stuff. Our source (who walks past it daily) says the council clear out the booth every month or so and the notes just creep back. Belief and self-expression being powerful forces.

September is throwing out some stunning days, crisp, windy and very hot if you are in the sun. These intensely coloured and rampant climbers outside the back door are an out-and-out fairytale trope : skin as white as blossom, lips as red as berries, eyes as blue as the sky... and no photoshop! The red berries are honeysuckle and the white climber is called something like 'racing demon'. At the moment they appear to co-exist beautifully, you wouldn't think there was an intense struggle for domination going on.

No photos permitted but we thought the stamps for each exhibition area adding up to 007 on the ticket was a neat touch. Looking round the exhibition with two daughters was eye-watering. A womans place was in bed or a body bag, more frequently one after another. It was in other ways a great exhibition.

Rosselyn Chapel - the beauty is in embracing the hectic richness of detail - rarely a hardship for me.  An ornate jewellery box with intriguingly jumbled contents. Da Vinci code and Flying Butresses.

A rabbit warren, an Aladdin's cave, a Tardis and a treasure-chest of childhood memories.

. www.thehamiltiontoycollection.co.uk