Entertaining Weekend

'Twas back to the craft cinema that is the Sherbourne in Gloucester for a showing of Dads Army - the remake. Glad to report that the picture house is doing well, almost packed for this performance :)

Saturday saw us in Bristol. Began with a long walk down the length of one side of the docks and back up the other 

passing the SS Great Britain and many other floating vessels

Popped into the M Shed for the first time. Among its many offerings are

Local historic modes of transport

Artworks and artifacts

Local culture and traditions

Wartime memorabilia

Then onto the main purpose of the visit - Tommy Steele in The Glen Miller Story

Considering this guys age his energy and stage presence are quite remarkable - a consummate performer of the old school.

Signs of Spring in the Garden

In the crisp, bright spring morning nature shows off her colours

Even the humble bumble bee was out collecting pollen

Mud, mud, glorious mud

Vine House, Henbury, north Bristol has just rejoined the NGS fold with an early year opening. A 1½ acre garden, originally planted in 1940's, lies behind a listed Georgian house. It contains mature trees, shrubs, herbaceous borders, rock stream and gunnera.

In spite of it being very early in the season there was still colour to be had in the garden

On the way out we noticed a public footpath running alongside the house and decided to explore. It took us along a squidgy trail through the extensive grounds of the Blaise Castle estate and along part of the river Hazel with its small water mill.

The Gothic sham castle, designed and built in 1766 by Robert Mylne for Thomas Farr, was used as a summer house for entertaining guests and viewing the passage of trade ships along the Bristol Channel and into the mouth of the river Avon. When fire destroyed the ornate internal wood panelling and floors in 1954, the building fell into disrepair. The Friends of Blaise were formed to raise public interest and funding, which led to the buildings structural restoration in 1982.

The grounds also contain Blaise Castle House, Built in 1795 for John Scandret Harford by William Paty, it’s a solid, simple design placed on a rise so as to appear bigger. It currently houses a museum showing how people lived through time - what they wore, the toys they played with and how they managed their household chores.















The estate is criss-crossed by a number of (currently muddy) walks taking the rambler past incredible views and a collection of small caves.





Ending this blog with thanks to the lovely dog walker for the insite and directions that led us to this lovely spot. We will return in the late spring to walk the Rhododendron walk that, currently, is too muddy for even us mudlarks. 

A Valentines Weekend

The weekend before Valentines Marilyn and I went to see the snowdrops at the Rococo gardens and went for a walk around the local village of Painswick and I remembered a bistro advertising Valentines meals - Cardynham House. Chose here for the evening meal, lovely atmosphere, run by a lovely Spanish couple who couldn't be more attentive, and wonderful food (we went for the full three courses :-p )

Sunday was a crisp north wind but beautiful blue sky. Went to Newark Park for more snowdrops n daffodils - even the cherry blossom is out, mild winter so far! Loadsa people there but its a big place with lots of walks so it could handle it.

There are a number of (muddy) walks through woods on the estate and around the small lake.

The gardens also contain a number of follies, nooks n crannies

Early form of selfie :)

Was it something in the tea??

Lakeside Lodge

We didn't find the house one of the Trusts finest but it did have a few points of interest

an early chamber pot!

an early bed chamber

wall to wall porcelain cabinet

but wonderful views from the windows

Painswick Rococo Snowdrops

Welcome again to Gloucester Painswick Rococo Gardens where spring has sprung a tad early. Love this garden and much has been added since our last visit. The bog garden is now criss crossed with pathways

picnic area inside a willow hut

The path above leads to a substantial pigeon house which has now been opened and is accessed by a v narrow stairway

 

The weather seems to have favoured snowdrops and daffodils this year - 

The garden also has a fair selection of oddities, follies and grottos - 

Maze to celebrate 250yrs of the Rococo gardens

Bug Hotel in the Bluebell Wood

and a sprinkling of natural artwork - 

It was then down into the village of Painswick for tea n cakes at the atmospheric Patchwork Mouse

It's an amazing little village, once the hub of the Stroud valleys wollen mills. In the day it's many denominational churches were outnumbered ten fold by its hostelries. Worth a visit to view its architecture and history

The church of St Mary (originally Norman) was extended around 1480 in the English perpendicular style. The churchyard with 99 yew trees (legend has it that the 100th won't grow).

There are rare 17th century spectacle stocks near the court house. 14th century houses in Bisley Street include two original Donkey doors, Wide enough for panniered donkeys who carried the wool from the numerous mills along the local valleys.