Holiday time

Two young folks need time off to recharge batteries and see the world. Great trips so far this year have been walking the levadas in Madeira (April), enjoying a wedding in Marlow (May) and a week in the glory of the Isles of Scilly (July).

The trip to Scilly was made with Claire, Nick and a bump. Hiring a boat made all the difference and we were able to reach all the inhabited islands, Gugh and Samson, in search of blissful beaches, bronze age burial chambers and a sea that was azure clear. The highlight, if there can be such a thing in wonderful location like Scilly, was probably the low tide walk from Bryher to Tresco but how do you choose when there was freedom, fair winds and sun.

In August, we had a wonderful weekend at Gwern in North Wales, walking a precipice, picking bilberries, tending bonfires, testing our skills with a coracle and generally enjoying a beautiful part of the country. Sleep was easy and deep but for something saying 'maa' in the field next door.

Look in the photo gallery for more on both of these trips.

Emma & Wyl's wedding

It was a fantastic day: brilliant weather, a beautiful bride and a couple wreathed in smiles. From the Compleat Angler, via Marlow church with a trumpet, readings and some songs; a boat along up the Thames to the Monk's Barn at Hurley where we played garden games; a supper with home-made muffins, followed by a ceilidh and some final lanterns drifting into the still night. Perfect.

Did you spot the Cornish products: cheese and sweet william flowers (a nod at the bridegroom) both of which had been sent up specially? The bride carried a simple bouquet of those sweet williams.

Photos are coming in from all over the place:
Preparation pictures - the table decorations seemed a good idea at the time
Nick's pictures - look out for the bouncing bride and the lanterns
Karen's pictures - lots of photos of the innocent mob at play
The unbelievably brilliant official photos by Sim Canetty-Clarke

Come back for more ...

Koshka April 1997 - May 2009

Koshka - the Russian for cat - was born in Kew on or around 1 April 1997. Her mother came from a farm in North Wales, her unknown father was a local Kew boy. She probably inherited her love of being hugged from her parents.

Introduced into the family by Claire who read her interesting snippets of her Latin A level revision, she soon came to dominate the family. One member complained that she was indeed black and white but was not actually a rabbit.

At the age of six she was in for a rude surprise: a 300 mile journey in a car to a new temporary home in Cornwall. She took exception to this and, on arrival, escaped into the undergrowth. Eventually re-captured, she settled down to a peripatetic life for a year or so where she discovered new joys: field mice and shrews.

Her arrival in Trevellan Road was a delight. Here was an overgrown garden and she saw it as her special mission to rid it of all vermin: a task she took to with gusto.

Life became less comfortable when she the house was re-built around her. To preserve her territory she had her own cat flap into the garage where she was fed. This was not a good place to sleep: unheated and noisy. Eventually, she discovered where we were living and settled down in our porch, an altogether warmer home. She spent much time next door, keeping a close eye on the builders and their lunch bags, inspecting their work at the end of the day with us and reminding us where her food should be served.

Eventually we returned to the re-built house where she settled back into the routine of catching mice and shrews and presenting them to us in the kitchen. She explored different spaces for ten days at a time: anything in her way was rudely pushed to one side so that she could stretch her ample body out at full length.

These were happy times for her. The nervous cat which would run from the house the moment a stranger appeared was relaxed around strangers and was almost friendly to some of them.

Spring 2009 was an interesting time for her. She went off her food occasionally which we put down to boredom with Whiskas. Her appetite came and went but she seemed to have a good coat of fur and was actually losing a bit of weight: no bad thing, some might say.

On Sunday 12 May, quite uncharacteristically, she came and sat with us on the new bench under the merry hedge, rolling over on the grass and settling down to enjoy a spring evening in the late afternoon sun, stretched out on her back with her white tummy showing. That was the last we saw of the happy cat we knew so well.

She did not report for breakfast or supper on Monday and by Tuesday we searched the neighbouring gardens, finally finding her lying in the long grass of our garden, pretty immobile. We took her her into the house overnight and to the vet on Wednesday morning who diagnosed a liver tumour. She died that day, aged twelve, and we buried her next to the bench where we had last seen her so relaxed.

The house feels very empty without her.

The Garden

June 09 and, after a prolonged warm and dry spell, the garden is looking thirsty and some of the main season flowers are beginning to come out. The wild valerian is in full riot on the outer bank while, inside the garden, the scene is dominated by four sorts of campanulae set off by one or two strong colours: the dianthus deltoides being especially strongly coloured.

The rock roses - or wock woses - are producing their daily ration of fried egg-like flowers, littering the soil with their petals. They do seem to last for ever.

The shrubs, too, are making an effort with the philadelphus producing a splash of white flowers, the roses brightening up the merry hedge and the tree poppy about the burst into flower.

The cold winter is almost forgotten and plants that had a tough spring are beginning to show signs of growth.

Select the link on the right to see the pictures.

May and the aubretia is over its first flowering and being given a haircut. On the bottom terrace, the lithodora is provides a blue ribbon along the stones; the Jerusalem sage is bursting into flower; the cistus is putting out its first small fried egg-coloured flowers.

The outer bank is almost under control with the ajuga struggling to make its presence felt above the ivy; the yellow geums are at full height; Mexican - or Spanish - daisies are everywhere and the lychnis and foxgloves are beginning to flower

Two new pots have been planted up with a riot of different foliage and flank the front door.

Around the garden the pierises are giving a kaleidoscopic show of reds, whites and greens, changing from week to week. The stars of the show is the azalia in the front garden which is brighter than ever before, set alongside the weigela which is just coming into flower.

March, and the aubretia and camellias suddenly burst into life. The aubretia wastes no time in filling the terraces with colour although it has not yet learned that it is meant to spill over the edge of the terrace and carpet the wall in purple, red and blue.

The camelias are particularly good this year, producing lots of flowers which sadly last only a very short time.

The House

March 09: A wonderful new fireplace and wood burner have been installed and look as though they have always been there. Much to our surprise, and the builders' as well, the mirror is plumb central over the new feature.

The statue of Hesitation - great granny - takes her place alongside the granite hearth while one off the samovars sits on the other side.

Surely this, at last, is the end of the major building work.