Flower Shows

26th July since the last blog and it could be yesterday. We have been very busy. August was full of my small pony club. Children of friends who work and my niece descend upon Gatcombe and they spend full days roaring around the place on their ponies. Yes they come to stay. So 7 equines in orchard and field. The woods a great place for adventure and exploration. This year a great deal of bareback riding slipping off and trying to get back on; not always very successful. The ponies are endlessly patient and we get there in the end. As they ask to do more outrageous things I think 'Gosh, No' then pause and consider if I would have done at their age and, of course it a yes so off they go. We have built a lot of small jumps in the woods. A steeplechase course at 1'6" in the field and have plans for something watery next year. The swimming pool was well used and we are going to set up a tetrathlon next year. Running, riding, shooting air pistols and swimming. Should be fun.

The garden has got very dry and I watered a very relieved bunch of herbs who breathed a sigh of relief and grew an inch in the next 12 hours (mostly just plumping up). Blackberry jelly, apple and mint sauce jelly, Mulberry Jam et al are rolling out of the jam pan. This seasons delights entered at Barrow and Long Ashton Flower Shows. Very pleased to pick up a first for Jam, Jelly and Marmalade, another for herb jelly and firsts for roses everywhere. Quite a surprise as for Long Ashton I thik that we picked all the roses in the garden left by the wind (not many) but then no one else seemed to have any either. The North Somerset Ag Soc Ploughing Match was held at Winscome on a lovely Saturday (12th) Rather chaotic for us as we dropped offour offerings on the way to my father's sister's 'planting' at Wanstrow. This was well supported and followed by a bean feast at 'The Pub at Wanstrow' usually very good food and we've been before as the churchyard holds the family plot. The Vicar John Hodder is great and sadly retiring but held everyone together before heading off to assist in the running of the tea tent at the Frome Cheese Show which raises several bob for parish funds. Their 3 Parishes are becoming 13 which seems quite a number.

The landlady had a small collapse when she discovered that there had been a muddle with numbers and 10 was in fact 21 but Shepherd's (actually cottage) Pie was supplemented by Madras Curry which soon became firm favourite and we had to persuade enough people to eat the pie. To be fair it was a little dry and the landlord stating that he was proud to say no tomato ketchup in the pub we felt was a bit misguided aqs no gravy either and it needed one or t'other. My niece (3) was unimpressed, she is in a ketchup phase. the wasps joined in but no wrecks and nobody drown - ed so all was well. It was a good family occassion and the aunt was seen on her way with a decent party and bonhomie.

Back to Winscome and the twice baked carrot cake had won the day! I then took it to stay with my brother where he, his wife and four children demolished it in short order. A good recipe that I would not have tried if it hadn't been for the ploughing match so...Have a go everyone! I'm thinking of giving some basic cookery lessons next summer for anyone interested.

The roses won again as they have at every show so at least shows consistency and my father would be very pleased.

We had the final group of the year round the house. Mum lost her voice and I had an eye check up so it was a bit touch and go but as luck would have it as the voice disappeared I arrived back. Happy that the eyes had been passed sound but the clinic had started nearly an hour late. Clearly some poor person having an emergency. I hope that they too are OK. This groupof vistors were interested in the rose varieties but its surprising how quickly one forgets these days and while the herbs are there for recall a lot of the rose names need a re-aquaintance. One visitor was great and has sent me toadflax and figwort two plants that have been eluding us in the herb garden all year so a good note to end on.

Now Mother is laid low with an ear infection and cannot hear which is very frustrating for her. Looked for a drop in centre on Sunday. The internet is a year out of date and Long Ashton surgery emergency cover only covers Weston Super Mare so hopeless for Long Ashton. It transpires that there no longer is a walk in centre in the centre of Bristol and if there is its a secret.

Off now hospital visiting complete with sandwich as the food is so bad that our old housekeeper may not make her 90th birthday due to failure to eat as much as the fractured vertebrae. After 4 weeks in hospital they have just told her that she shouldn't sit on the fracture all day but have 2 hours bed rest in the afternoon. It beggars belief that this has only just become a good idea. Sometimes I despair of the care that she is getting. She fell because she passed out but it has taken since 26th July for this to be investigated. When she fell her doctor apparently failed to pick up either the fracture or a heart condition that can be found when taking a pulse and told her to take a paracetemol and come back in 5 days if not better. Where I wonder is her duty of care? It makes me angry that an aged and stoic lady should be treated in such a cavalier fashion. The nurses are kind and nice but the plan for her care seems to leave much to be desired.

Scandinavian Meanderings

On reaching Glasgow and happily sitting having breakfast with a 4 hour wait there was disconcertingly no mention of our ryanair flight to Oslo. On asking - Glasgow has 3 airports! Thank goodness we had enough time to take bus and train to Prestwick (1 hour journey from Glasgow International) for flight to Oslo -Torp (Oslo about 1 1/2 hours). Ryan air having a lower weight allowance than Easy jet we had to add another bag (+£20)grrrr. Met by old friends of Flax Bourton origin we stayed at Ramer a wonderful Norwegian Estate where they are developing an organic farm and have a wonderful garden in which is a stage and amphitheatre for outdoor performances. A wonderful setting for such as Romeo and Juliet.

A swan protecting his nest from marauding humans among the amazing water features

The farm has old Norwegian breeds of cattle and pigs and good ecosystems for their comfort. Grass rooves for natural insulation.

After a couple of days we drove down to Fredrikstad to join the rather wonderful old Colin Archer designed wooden pilot boat, the Frithjoft, that we were going to cruise down the coast on. However the weather and a few normal 'maintenance issues' with the boat changed our plans and when we reached the Swedish islands of North and South Koster we disembarked, invited to their splendid music festival performed by the local Conservitoire. We dined al fresco and as it was a trifle chilly rugs were provided. A great evening. We partied there (and the Scandinavians know how to party) for a few days recovering from the evenings by throwing ourselves into an untamed sea (invigorating) and exploring by bicycle and foot (good for the concience and necessary for the figure).

Now back at Gatcombe to find a message from our dear and almost nonagenarian cake baker that she won't be able to make the cakes for Thurday's group. 'Sorry. I've had a bit of a fall'. I went to see her this morning (Sunday) We called the paramedics who were quite lovely to her. They took her straight into the BRI. Not exactly a malingerer; she has fractured some vertabrae. No wonder she was in so much pain. She saw the doctor last Thursday and was told 'You are just bruised. Take some paracetemol and come and see me on Monday if it is no better'. Disgraceful, I think.

Bishopsworth Ladies

Last night Bishopsworth Ladies spent the evening with us. As ever a jolly bunch. One lady over 90 skipped up the back stairs with her daughter behind her unnecessarily ready to catch. They were very interested in a letter that one of last weeks visitors sent viz WW1 medals. So interesting the information that we get from visitors increasing our knowledge.

I have been trimming the herb garden so that it has a chance to do a bit of recovery before the winter and it has grown amazingly this year. As have the roses all of which seem to be repeating and look terrific this year. More than half the Ladies last night braved the slightly iffy weather and umbrellas to the fore took great interest in the garden, glasses in hand.

Paperwork

I have just spent two days trying and eventually succeeding in booking flights to Oslo from Bristol. Unless very pressed I hope not to have to deal with Ryan Air ever again. Dreadful web site everything is extra and to book I had to pay £30 handling fee which seems outrageous. With Easyjet there are none of these hidden extras. To make matters worse having filled in the forms three times and in three currencies at the first attempt their web site suffered a gremlin and it was unclear if the transaction had gone through so we had to contact our bank to check before starting again. I will need a holiday to recover from booking it! It should be fun. Being professional sailors for half the year we get asked to sail from time to time and down the Norwegian Fjords will be spectacular. Fingers crossed for some good weather.

Into July

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Sunday saw several old school friends coming from as far as Kent, Yealmpton and Cambridge for a reunion. Although it rained hard (yes the garden needed it but after all the brilliant weather it was a shame to rain on our parade) we had a talkative lunch. Some of us had not seen each other for 35 years! We remembered an old review where Cath sat in a rocking chair in a cardi singing Val Doonigan, Pan's People entertained and 'LouLou' was mimed amazingly by Izzie. Apparently the staff were not amused but we couldn't work out why.

On Monday evening the St Lukes Ladies Club came to visit and were another jolly lot. They have been together since just after WW2 and have progressed from young wives to the ladies that they now are!
Georgie (the terror) getting into the picture. She loves visitors but will run between their feet so everyone must take care when she is allowed out to meet and greet (usually after the stairs have been mastered!).

Blazing June

A group photo to record the trip.


After tea and cake a little exercise to help the figure!

We have been very busy over the last two weeks. Last Saturday's Open Day went well and by the end of a hot afternoon the pool was filled with bathers some down to their bra and pants! Fortunately we had a life guard in attendance...Just in case.

Its been very hot and the herb garden has bloomed.

Age Concern

A group from Age Concern in South Bristol have just left after a very jolly morning around the house. I had started early as they were promised coffee and cake after their walk round. A just reward after listening to the house and family history for an hour! Today's cake was vanilla cream and jam sponge which they enjoyed in the vinery. Nice and cool after the hot garden. One of the ladies had worked for a Greville Smyth at Butcombe Court and was very interesti ng about that phylanthropic family who gave so much green space to South West Bristol. I imagine Lady Smyth is rolling in her grave that the redwoods are down as she decreed that she should never be able to see a house from Ashton Court. Now it is looked over by a large section of Clifton.

We are all dashing about trying to get everything ready for the open day on Saturday and I'm a little frustrated by my arm which still only has about 10% of it's normal power. It will apparently take about 18 months to get back to 60%. What amazes me is that it will get back even to that level after having three bones removed.
Yesterday was the inaugural meeting for the new study of the Roman remains here at Gatcombe. The group (Gatcombe Environs Research Team(GERT)) is led by Bob Smeeson who is doing a PhD on the site here. Attempting to ascertain exactly what the Romans did here and how long they stayed. I think that it will be very interesting to find out what was going on 1600 years ago. They will meet every thursday during the summer first to carry out a geo-physical survey.

U3A Visits

The roses this month have been wonderful and responded to the cold winter by being stronger than before. Though 6 tons of horse manure may also have something to do with it! The dryer weather seems to have held back some roses which are just coming out which isgood as we have an open day on June 27th and would like some to hang in there.

We have been very busy with visits. Two by U3A (university of the third age) who were almost down the Roman well which is about 2000 years old and still has water at the bottom. A mature student from the University is going to spend 3 years on the Roman site here as material for his PhD. They are starting with a geophys survey which will be very interesting as it shows where all the buildings on the site would have been. The whole site has not been mapped out so thoroughly before.

Clifton Artists day at Gatcombe

It is a wonderful sunny day at Gatcombe Court and there are many easels dotted around the grounds. The roses are in full bloom as is the campanula so a lot of colour. Some very recognisable drawings of the house, herb garden and yew hedge are emerging from the group. We are being visited by the Clifton Artists and they could not have chosen a better day. In the last few days we have been seeing migrant butterflies on the chive flowers in the herb garden a good thing that the artists have cameras as butterflies are not the best sitters.

Welcome

Gatcombe Court is an ancient family manor house which has grown from the original solar built by John de Gatcombe before 1254.

He used the stone from the Roman settlement upon which the house is built, and it is much in evidence. Two stones are possibly as altar stone and the other the top of a sarcophagus form lintels to two fireplaces! Within the house the changes through the centuries are clearly visible. As Simon Jenkins quotes of Gatcombe in his book England's 1,000 Best Houses 'nothing is regular, nothing the same period, yet everything is pleasing.'

In 2008 to mark the 1600th Anniversary of the Roman Settlement we have constructed a garden growing the herbs that the Romans brought with them to Britain, surrounded by those they would have found when they came. Jekka McVicar (Chelsea Gold Medalist) the organic herbalist extraordinaire has designed it for us.

The old walls of the terraced gardens are covered with roses and there is a remarkable yew hedge thought to be 400 years old.