Mikron

It must be Autumn and therefore Mikron time. First time at Bishampton village hall to see one of their best plays yet about the Luddites. If you haven’t seen the talented people from Mikron yet its worth making a special effort. Nothing nicer than an evening at a canal side pub, real ale and real theatre. Those miserly people at the Arts Council withdrew their funding last year, part of the gvt cuts, so Mikron now has to be self funding. It’s important to keep this part of our heritage alive and ensure live theatre gets to those places other theatre companies fail to venture.

Roaring 20’s

August Bank arrives again so Rascal got another outing to Tara. Amidst the frequent downpours there were some opportunities to recline outdoors whilst the sun loungers sank slowly into the ground :(

Great time spent at the ‘Speakeasy’ at a 20’s theme night.

Swans of Wells

Some of you might have read about, or even visited, the famous painted pigs of Bath. The tiny City of Wells, with its majestic Cathedral, has struck back with painted swans. They were dotted around town and scattered around the bishops palace grounds.

Bournmouth and Studland

Picked the only two good days of summer to have a long weekend on the south coast. Sunbathing, swimming in the sea and balmy nights spent in a beer garden – just like summers used to be!

The amazing Bournemouth entry to the RHS show at Hampton Court was being painstakingly recreated in the sunken garden outside the Pavilion.

How Like An Angel

Amazing night spent at Gloucester Cathedral with the angels – well with How Like An Angel. How to describe it? Scary people doing scary things to the sound of the Ood backed by Afro/Gregorian chants by opera singers.

Amongst the many and unbelievable stunts at one point a young man came out on the ledge of the monks parapet,  some 50 feet up, pretended to fall off – then did onto a plastic mattress on the stone floor of the Cathedral.

If you get the chance go and see it!

Return to Eden

Been a while since we last visited Eden and Helligan. Weather was iffy all weekend but we managed to dodge all of the showers, some of which were quite torrential. The accommodation, a B&B in a village near Eden, was v rustic with fine views.







Visited Foy, more than once, most beautiful - but that hill to the car park *phew*

Helligan was remarkable and has come on in leaps and bounds since our lat visit - even the green lady has grown hair!

Eden was a unique experience where visitors were offered the opportunity to experience the biodomes as nature intended - this is the second time they have run the event. Having done so we can recommend it as the only - comfortable - way to enjoy the domes and the gardens :)

Gardens Catch up

In spite of the weather it has been an interesting coupla months for garden visits in the NGS scheme. Here is a quick trip round some of them:

Trench Hill a 3 acre organic garden near Painswick set in a small woodland with amazing panoramic views.

Icomb was new to the NGS this year with five gardens opening in the village near Stowe on the Wold. Incredible views and an early C13 church.

Quenington is a well hidden Coln Valley village with a C12 Norman church and C17 stone built cottages. Great vista and a riverside walk.

Charfield provided 6 village gardens near Wotton under Edge and teas n cake at the village hall :-p

Longhope is a small village in a valley with four varying gardens, wonderful views and a C12 church.

... and last but not least our own garden in Gloucester - 

and the potato harvest is in :)