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.