It’s been a bit of a while since I last regaled my Loyal Readers about doings at The Long House. Apart from a touch of arthritis in my typing finger the only excuse has been lack of time. But today it’s belting down outside so no shilly-shallying…I’ll reveal what we’ve been up to.
We found Somerset. Not that it was lost, nor that we weren’t aware it was there, but we discovered what a wonderful county it is. (Pity they can’t ever win anything at cricket but that’s another story.) Rosie and I, minus the dogs who would have terrorised Monkey and Jones, their cats, went to visit Bash and Gemma (who, as my LR’s know, are son and multi-talented wife) at their house in Axbridge. Once a coaching inn they are now painstakingly restoring it so that by early 2022 they’ll be able to take paying guests. While they were tiling a bathroom, repairing window frames, plastering walls & stripping paint we explored the town and went further afield to Wells and even did a spot of gardening for them. Later, seeking inspiration, we all went to Tyntesfield, a house chockablock with craftsmanship, and all built from the proceeds from guano, confirming the principle that where there’s muck there’s brass. Thought you might like to see a few photos: Axbridge (1st row), Wells (2nd), Tyntesfield (3rd).
On the home front the last two months have been quite frustrating: no apples, figs, quinces, plums because of the frosts, no raspberries, strawberries or blackberries because of the rain and lack of sun. We hardly had a plant left standing because of the gales, we got peculiar viruses on the fuchsias and our beech hedge turned yellow. The slugs and snails decimated most of the vegetables that the wind didn’t smash or the sun didn’t ripen. And the rain made the grass grow at such speed it had to be mown every four days. As for the bindweed…! Still, the hollyhocks and the dahlias tried their best.
On the plus side Sophie and daughter Bay have visited quite frequently, Bob and Bob returned to hunt for rare aphids and eat Rosie’s cake and Adam the Aquarist paid his bi-annual visit, this time to replace the pumps in the pond, one of which swallowed a frog and conked out. And Romke van de Kaa - the Alan Titchmarsh of Holland - sent us some Rhinanthus augustifolius seeds for our meadow. Although Covid put paid to his and other overseas groups visiting the garden we had a few local ones including the East Dean Art Club and two of their masterpieces are below.
So there you are, reasonably up to date with matters. Including, pictorially, the garden:
Except that ten days ago, just as I was composing this, the gale force wind brought down a tree which took out our broadband line leaving us completely cut off from the world…already marooned by a lack of petrol and without internet, emails, instagram, WhatsApp or phone. Bliss for a couple of days but as time passed and BT’s excuses became ever more inventive desperation set in. Still, after a quick word with our MP Open Reach finally appeared and now we’re back in business. Sorry about the wait.
