John and I skipped off to the picturesque village of Knowle for few days for a family celebration about 48 hours after I arrived home last week. I’ve been to Knowle before, but this was the first time I had a chance to explore it on foot with my camera in hand. This darling cottage caught my eye when we arrived the night before and the next morning I made a point to photograph it. I tried to find out more about it with an online search, but found nothing of interest. It looks as if it was one of several known as The Artillery Cottages.
What was most interesting to me was the milk and juice delivery looking as if it was waiting to be taken inside. I showed John my pictures when I got back to his brother’s house and asked if it was real or a prop designed to add to the look of the cottage. I think he found it funny that I could not decide whether if was really there for drinking or to enhance the image.
I remained slightly skeptical until later that morning when John and I went for a walk together and I took the image above. I couldn’t help thinking that in Atlanta this delivery would have likely been snatched for some stranger’s breakfast. As it was, it sat out there for more than a few hours and while it was cooler outside than the cottage cheese creating temperatures of Atlanta, it was warmer than I’d like my dairy products to linger in for long.
Thanks to all who added their thoughts on my post yesterday regarding the riots we’ve had here in the UK. My blogging friend Sarah at Texpatsabroad had a look at the situation from her London-based expat perspective that you might want to take a moment to read. I’m still thinking about what she had to say and the conversations John and I have had around the unrest.
John and I have distinctly different viewpoints being from two countries, but we disagree respectfully which more than I can say for many of the comments I’ve read in some online forums.
Gifts Of The Journey 
It’s the real McCoy…but I think the OJ is a more recent addition, say the last 10 years? Tell John he’s a tease – but you knew that already. I walk around parts of WA here and see things that I know in the UK would have disappeared within minutes, so I guess it’s all down to where you are and the local mores of a place…?
Up to twenty years or so ago virtually every home had milk delivery, with a choice of milk types. As Mariellen says, orange juice is a more recent option. From the 1940s, school children had free milk every morning until it was taken away by ‘Maggie Thatcher, milk snatcher’ in the 1980s. Personally, I loathed the stuff (but that doesn’t mean I loved Maggie!)
that is such a pretty little cottage
We have milk delivery up here in Evergreen….although sadly, the delivery route doesn’t yet reach my house, which I’m told is ‘too far out’. ha! But, like you Elizabeth, I’m constantly amazed and pleased with the differences between living in a small town after coming from the city. I’ll take the small town any day.
Loved your delightful pics of the charming cottage…amazing! Please know we are praying for the riots to be quelled in UK.It breaks our hearts to see and hear what is happening there. We were blessed to have a glorious week in London back in 2009, then took the Baltic Cruise on Royal Carribean. Our first trip ever to Europe…and we were enchanted. Still, from our news reports here in So. Cal. we can’t quite figure out what is the reason for the riots? No one seems to have an answer. It seems like a world gone mad. Jesus is our our only Hope and our Only Help!
Great photos, and Johns right, I also can remember my milk issue at break time, or was it lunch time at school in Blackpool in the late 1960s, I remember the smell of the bakery and the little hovis loafs, and the milk floats. we never see them anymore.
Tony Sanders.
Yes, charming photos of the cottage! Your photos make me want to pack up and come visit … I truly wish I could!!
I love the milk bottles!!! So cute!
Thanks for the shout out about the riots…it was honestly very hard to write that post because I know that my response was very American, even as pacifist as I am. It was a very helpless feeling to be an expat in a country you are still struggling to understand, while chaos is surrounding you. I am sure many English would disagree with my take on it, but being from a different culture it’s difficult not to see it through those eyes 🙂
@ Sarah B ~ You’re right about seeing it through American eyes. I told John that we would likely have banded together like the Turkish shopkeepers did to protect our homes and shops. And in America we would have w brought more than makeshift items (weapons) to keep looters at bay. That’s not the best option either as violent action can lead to more violence, but watching your work and home destroyed because of the selfish actions of an immature mob of thugs … sorry, but that would make me push back!