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.