Well, high summer is here and we have been out and about.
 |
| Guestling Wood |
Last Sunday was absolutely scorching, so we
thought we’d fine a nice shady wood for a picnic.
We left the car at Guestling church and walked down into the woods. It was incredibly quiet….We did indeed find a picnic spot, in a little mossy glade. Eventually ended up having a pint in the garden of the Two Sawyers in Pett, before walking back to the car along a different path. It was a nice little circular walk.
 |
|
| Deserted Winchelsea Beach |
Another day this week, we explored Winchelsea Beach. We have been to the Ship plenty of times, but have always dismissed the area surrounding it because of all the caravan parks. Our neighbours had told us to head for the sea along the lane beside the Ship, so we did, and found ourselves in a secret world of overgrown paths, shingle banks, pools, wild flowers and odd little homes. Some houses were all Grand Designed up with glass balconies, sedum roofs and driftwood Derek Jarman style gardens, others were still the original ?1950s wooden shacks.
There were funny little fields with horses and sheep in, and the beach itself was virtually empty. It borders the Rye Harbour Nature reserve, where we often walk – again, one could walk for miles. We found a funny little static caravan park in the middle of all that, tucked well away from the big family parks. The vans looked old, and it was very quiet. I actually found myself asking the caretaker how much the vans cost to buy…..
One evening we walked down to the Old Town, had a drink at the FILO and then went to half an organ concert at All Saints Church. It seems they have something called a Father Willis organ, which is apparently a very famous make – the one in Birmingham Town Hall is by the same maker, but obviously about three times the size. Was reflecting how little I know about organs – how they work etc. I know the stops have lovely romantic names. How
 |
| Sunset in Clive Vale |
about ‘Posaunenbass Unterchormass’, or ‘Vox Ineffabilis’, ‘Bombardone’, ‘Clarabella’ or even ‘Double Ophicleide’. We walked back home up the hill – the air was wonderfully fresh and the sunset was beautiful.
On Thursday I had an indoor afternoon – a meeting of the WI book group in this house. It meant tidying up and the procurement of cakes (note ‘procure’, not ‘produce’). This month we had read ‘The Oxford Murders’ by Guillermo Martinez. Most of us did not like it – it seemed very slight and trivial to me. I do enjoy the book group.
We also went to Great Dixter – had not been since late August last year. Now, in mid-July, the garden looked very different. How lovely it is. I bought an Agapanthus and a Salvia Belize from the nursery. On the way home we visited the Old Rose Nursery at Northiam. We had not been before – as well as the roses they had some huts full of retro goodies – I got no roses, but a lucite block with fish in to add to my collection.
Today, Saturday we finished off the week with
 |
| Great Dixter |
a walk to the Coastguards Tearoom in Fairlight and back. On the way there the sea mist rolled in – it was quite chilly and visibility was poor. However, by the time we had eaten our sandwiches, the sun was out and it was blazing hot again. It still is.
I spend much time watering the garden, but am very pleased with the way it is looking. Perhaps I’ll do the next blog post about my garden.
I can’t imagine how I ever had time to go to work…nor how I could have stood it. I still sometimes miss the laughs, but the actual work – oh no….
Comments from Google+