Far from the Madding Crowd

 It’s almost two weeks since our holiday in Dorset so thought I’d look back to sunny days there on this rather damp Friday by sharing some pictures.  This was a last minute choice. Usually we book holidays well in advance, choosing the location carefully. This time the filters on the booking website chose for us: pet friendly, near beach, near shop/pub, couple of bedrooms. Not much available, but we hit lucky and found this cottage in the village of Burton Bradstock which was just perfect for us. It wasn’t much fun getting there with busy motorways followed by windy, single-track roads which made the dog sick. Paul’s blind faith in sat nav directions can have unwanted consequences. 

The landscape reminded me of parts Northern Ireland, gentle hills, very green, patchwork of small fields.

 

We were close to Hive Beach which was busy during the day but quiet in the evening.  That week was dry and sunny and the heat didn’t start building until after we left.  There was a beach cafe which did very good if rather pricey breakfasts. 

Alfie enjoyed his holiday.  We stopped taking him on this route to the beach because of the warning signs about adders.  

Kate and Calum came with us on our holiday. I persuaded them to go on a visit to Abbotsbury Gardens with me. Lovely garden but many biting insects which feasted on my bare legs. I spent the next day in a Piriton-induced haze. 

Paul and I visited Chesil Beach one day, both having read Ian McEwan’s novel. We were a bit underwhelmed.  It’s not really a beach at all,  but a steep-sided gravel bank which is separated from the mainland by a shallow lagoon. There was a good view of it from Abbotsbury Gardens. 

We made one other literary pilgrimage - to Thomas Harry’s cottage- which, as it turned out, isn’t that far from the ‘madding crowd’ these days: we got stuck in horrendous traffic on the way there and nearly missed our slot.  I persuaded the National Trust lady to let me join the group late and it turned out ok as I missed what seemed to have been a very long talk before the actual visit. Very pretty and interesting place.     I’d spent the week reading ‘Under the Greenwood Tree’  and this cottage, where he wrote the book, is described as the home of the main character. I wouldn’t recommend the book - not much happens - a minor courtship and a subplot about some church musicians.  Paul, not a fan of guided tours of any variety, waited for me in the garden. 

Most days we did very little though. Cliff top walks, reading, meals out in the local pub. It was exactly the kind of holiday I like. I’m looking forward to the next one now - going to Northern Ireland next week for the first time in nearly two years. 

 

July Birthdays

 

It’s a whole month since my last post and it’s been a busy one.  Life has been more like it was before corona with visitors staying, meals out, a holiday and birthday celebrations. And all this with a puppy who is still waking us up at 5am - I’m ready for a quieter week or two now.

Paul turned 60 on the 1st July and we had a small gathering in the garden to celebrate the  Saturday after.  It was a lovely day catching up with friends and family, his and mine. The sun shone - for a while. And then it rained.  Very pleased we’d anticipated this and borrowed a gazebo.  The football brought a rather abrupt end to the party.  I got a bit grumpy then as I was left with the clearing up while everyone else disappeared to watch the match.  That was the one they won.  Didn’t care much when they lost the final but felt a bit sorry for Gareth Southgate and his young players. 

Three of my sisters came to the party so it was a kind of post-pandemic family reunion. Though the fourth sister is still in COVID-free New Zealand, missing her biennial visit to Europe for the first time since she emigrated in the early 90s. NI sister and her husband stayed for a few days - first time I’ve seen her since October 2019.  Kate and I are planning to visit her in Northern Ireland in early August if the pandemic allows. Current numbers and the fact that double vaccinated people still can get ill worries me a little. 

Last week we had a proper holiday too, finding a place to rent near the beach in Dorset.  I’ll write a separate post on that later this week and share some pics. While we were there Kate got her results.  The hard work paid off and she got the first she was hoping for.  Very pleased for her and very proud.  Unfortunately she won’t have a proper graduation ceremony. Sheffield are doing an online version instead and she’s not going to bother.  Can’t imagine many will. What’s the point of sitting through speeches etc if you don’t get to walk on stage in a robe? We’re going to do our own celebration.

Then yesterday was my birthday. I’d booked a couple of tickets for an afternoon production of Pride and Prejudice in the park for me and Kate.  It was very enjoyable even though we had to sit in full sun for the first 15 minutes or so til the sun moved round to roast other spectators.  Did feel for the cast in full costume, especially when they had to dance.  As we’d just got back from holiday we didn’t want another meal out so we sat in the garden as it cooled down drinking the rhubarb and ginger gin which Kate bought me topped up with ginger beer. She also gave me a jug/vase which she’d painted herself, a throwback to her primary school days. Paul bought me a birdsong clock which has a different birdsong each hour. I love it’s but the rest of the family aren’t so keen.

June Catch Up

 

I am neglecting the blog again.  It’s been a busy month.  I’m still working hard on my garden and starting to see the results.  All that ‘organic matter’ seems to have worked it’s magic and the poppies are spectacular this year.  Unfortunately the puppy considers any lump of horse poo still visible as a tasty treat. I’ve given up telling him to ‘drop it’ as he just goes back for more and it doesn’t seem to do him any harm. I draw a line at him bringing any into the house though.  At present he is asleep while guarding the chew I’ve given him to stop him biting my ankles - he’s teething and likes to chew everything including us. His chew is a called a bull’s pizzle, a euphemism for the particular part of the bull’s anatomy which is dried and sold at an extortionate price as a doggy delicacy. Yuck!   

I have now added a fan trained Morello Cherry Tree to the north facing wall on the patio so I’m reading up on how to tie in the shoots to help it keep its shape.  There’s also been a lot of watering to do recently as, after nonstop rain in May, June has been very dry in Chester, with no rain at all for weeks.  It’s been bucketing down south but not here so I’m pleased that a thunderstorm and heavy rain is forecast for tomorrow to fill up my newly installed water butts. 

Other news since my last post is that I’m back teaching again.  I’m tutoring an online adult course for the WEA in Creative Non-Fiction.  I’m enjoying it despite some initial reservations about the technology.  The students are from all over the country and are a more diverse group than the one I used to teach face to face.  Everybody seems to have responded well so far and they are working well as a group.  

That’s it for now though may add some more garden photos later.

Here we go!

Peas are doing well this year. Broad too though noticed today that black fly have moved in,

Bought a new pot for the canna lily and it is thriving.

Tomatoes are enjoying the sun we’ve had recently

There are flowers on the courgettes which I grew from seed for the first time.

Self-planted foxgloves

This is a weedI think but left it as it looks nice. Anyone know what it is?

First flower on Eustacia Vye Rose

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May....ing

Another chilly damp morning, rather typical of this year’s disappointing May.  Here’s what I have been up to.

Puppy rearing.......which is hard work.  We have an arrangement.  If Alfie wakes in the night, and he usually does, Paul gets up to take him for a wee and settle him. Then I let Paul sleep when we are woken again around 6am and do my shift.  Just like having a baby to care for. He’s growing fast and into everything. 

Adding ‘organic matter’  to my newly dug borders. As my own compost is still full of bits of half rotted veg and intact avocado skins, I purchased a bulk bag from a local supplier and was surprised at how expensive it was. My father would be horrified at how much I spent on what resembled the contents of the dung hill (pronounced duch- ill)  on our farm in Ballyronan.  There are lumps which are distinctly horse poo shaped.

Enjoying the relaxation of the rules.  I’m not that bothered about shops but it so good not to have to shiver outside any longer when meeting friends for coffee.  And I’m very happy that Storyhouse, our local library/cinema/theatre is open again.  I’ve booked to see this play next weekend.  Not that sure what it is about but it has had good reviews. 

Reading Ishiguro books.  I read ‘Remains of the Day’ a few years ago along with Kate who studied it for A level and wasn’t terribly keen on it. I wasn’t either but thought it was well written.  There’s been a lot of hype about his latest book ‘Klara and the Sun’ so I got it from the library and also borrowed ‘Never Let Me Go’, which friends had recommended.  Both of these are kind of visions of the future - the narrator is an AF (Artificial Friend) in ‘Klara’ and a cloned ‘donor’ in ‘ Never Let Me Go’.  He doesn’t really write full Sci-fi though as the worlds he creates are not that different from our own. He focuses on exploring the emotions of the characters, especially the narrators.  I read an interview with Ishiguro in which he said that he feels he writes the same book over and over again. Initially there seems little to connect ‘Remains of the Day’, the story of a butler in England in the 1930s, with ‘Klara’ or  ‘Never Let Me Go’. But thinking again he has a kind of formula.  First person naive narrator, lonely and isolated and disappointed in love/friendship, victim of uncaring society/ corrupt regime, prepared to sacrifice his/herself for others,  I enjoyed ‘Klara and the Sun’ the most, finding Kathy the narrator in ‘Never Let Me Go’ a bit irritating with all of her dull digressions.  Klara, with her good girl, uncomplaining,  people-pleaser behaviour and her naive faith in the healing power of the sun, is a more appealing character to me.  A bit like me actually,  I suppose. The characters in all three novels seem to accept their fate rather than fight for what they want and this makes the books ultimately rather disappointing.  

Celebrating from afar, my youngest sister’s 50th birthday.  Displaying her indifference to advancing years, she completed an ultra-marathon last weekend. That’s 35 miles.  Pretty impressive. She was born on my mother’s 40th birthday so, if she were alive today, this would be her 90th birthday. I’m sure she would be very proud of her youngest daughter if she could see her now, meet her three children and hear about her marathon and her career success. 

Chilling Out

 In charge of puppy this morning while Paul is out on his bike.  After a rather manic phase where he was running around the kitchen chewing things he shouldn’t and biting Paul’s legs before he left, he has fallen asleep on me. . So I’m trapped here. Oh well - nothing I need to do that can’t wait. 

Gardening Genes

I’m finding as I relax into retirement now that the thing I’m doing most is gardening.  Whereas some of the other things I signed up for such as, for example, the course ‘The Novel and the City’, feel like a chore, heading out to the garden to do even mundane things like weeding and watering are enjoyable.  It’s being outside, the smell of the earth and watching things grow, how the seasons transform a dull patch of soil into a riot of colour when the tulips emerge. 

I reckon it’s in my genes: both my father and my grandfather were keen gardeners.  My father specialised in tomatoes grown in a makeshift greenhouse attached to the byre; my grandfather was an expert in soft fruit - strawberries, raspberries and blackcurrants - which we helped to pick as children, eating as many strawberries as we could before they were made into jam.  I succeeded with raspberries last year. Strawberries are trickier - I think they need better soil and more space than I’ve got. And this year I’m trying some new heritage varieties of cherry tomato.  The Sungold ones I grew last year were delicious.  I haven’t got a greenhouse so I’ll try some outside and some in my summerhouse. And hope for a sunny summer.

A couple of weeks ago I went on a garden design course at Lane End Cottage Gardens.  I was hoping for  a bit of advice on what to plant in the bed under the holly trees.  What I have ended up with is a much more ambitious plan.  Richard, who was the course tutor, is very enthusiastic and last Sunday he arrived with his spade and proceeded to dig out shrubs and tree roots and to remove ugly slabs of concrete from an overgrown bed in the centre of the garden.  He advised me to plant apple trees there. And to put a fan trained Morello Cherry on the north facing brick wall by the back door with a redcurrant on either side.  I’m hoping for plenty of summer puddings.  

On Friday I hired some help to cut up the tree roots and do the heavier digging.  Then I’m doing the planting myself.  I have bought from Richard’s small nursery, a Star Magnolia which I’m planning to add to the newly extended flowerbed facing the kitchen. There are other shrubs to plant to provide all year interest.  So I’m going to be busy. 

Before

After 

After from the other side showing the ‘terracing’. 

A New Addition to the Family

 Meet Alfie, the latest addition to the family.  He’s a lively, 9 week old, Wirehaired Vizsla puppy and is making life...interesting...at home. After losing our lovely dog in February we found the house very empty and knew that, though we could never replace her, we would eventually get another dog.  So last Saturday we picked this little bundle of fun up from the breeder in Wisbech.  He’s lovely but, like all puppies, very demanding. Paul is exhausted as he has been sleeping downstairs so that he is there if Alfie wakes up and needs to pee.  During the day he sleeps a lot but, when he is awake, tears around looking for things to chew. He is particularly partial to my feet -  his little teeth are very sharp. I’m less of a puppy enthusiast than the rest of the family and have been leaving the training to Paul and Kate.  But she’ll be back in Sheffield soon, attempting to have a final term of university life in the flat she’s been paying for all year even though all teaching is still online. So I’ll have to get more involved in doggy care and entertainment.  I’ll be happier when he gets his vaccination and we can get back to our dog-walking routine.

One advantage of having to travel down south to pick Alfie up was that I was able to meet up with my youngest sister en route - I was dropped off at Nene Park in Peterborough - and we had a pleasant couple of hours there walking around the lakes.  A bit chilly that morning but at least remained dry. We haven’t seen each other since December 2019.  So good to talk for real. 

Not much else to report. I’ve been working hard in the garden and will need to get out there soon to water.  After such a wet winter, there has been no rain here for weeks and my newly planted roses and freshly laid turf are suffering. I can’t do too much as I have a rather painful infected thumb probably caused by not wearing gloves while handling compost. I’ve had three days of antibiotics with no improvement and suspect it needs lancing. Yuch! Not looking forward to that. 

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