The RHS Chelsea Flower show 2019

It's Bank Holiday Monday, and the early morning sunshine disappeared ages ago. I'm in and out of the garden dodging the short, sharp showers as I try to catch up on some weeding.

My garden needs quite a lot of attention, but as I look out over a few swathes of cow parsley and the "wild area" at the side of the cottage where the bees are madly buzzing in and out of the hardy geraniums, lemon balm and forget me nots, I don't feel as guilty as I normally would.

Why? Well, I can see hints of this year's RHS Chelsea Flower Show in my own garden.

This time last week I was at the outstanding, the most must see flower show in the world. It was Press Day and once again there was that familiar flutter of excitement and anticipation as I walked through the gates.

The first garden to view was the Wedgwood Garden, a quiet oasis designed by Jo Thompson to mark the 260th anniversary of the pottery company.

Arches, water and a pleasing pastel palette of blues, pinks, creams and apricots made a welcoming and peaceful impression - but there was great excitement when a young woman wearing nothing but a Wedgwood blue, embroidered body stocking arrived to pose for photographs.

On Main Street all the gardens are of a very high standard... triumphs of design and in the past I've seen some very showy gardens, some designs of such form and precision. This year though, the gardens are so much more naturalistic and wild, so much more accessible with  the key themes of gardens being havens to escape into, to relax and to have fun.

There was no time for relaxation or a leisurely stroll through the show though... there were interviews to do and features to record, so I didn't take half as many photos as I wanted to.

I adored the eye-catching and oh so evocative "Welcome to Yorkshire "garden featuring a canal and lock gates, a vegetable plot and a cottage garden. Beautifully done, as was Andy Sturgeon's M and G garden - a vision of woodland, water and new growth.

I was particularly taken too with the Resilience Garden which celebrated a hundred years of forestry, with its message of how trees and forests will have a leading part to play in the fight against climate change.

Another garden that stood out was the CAMFED Garden. As soon as I saw the packed red earth path winding its way through a vibrant garden full of edibles, I was immediately transported to Africa. To Zimbabwe, where the Campaign for Female Education is helping girls in poor rural communities to stay in education. Banana trees, sweet potatoes, cassavas, ground nuts and grains were all jam packed into huge oil cans in the soil, just like in Zimbabwe, where they are showing how women are being taught to grow their own food and develop their own agricultural businesses... this was an inspiring garden.

In the Great Pavilion, perfection and plantsmanship were celebrated as always by around eighty different nurseries... I loved the Stihl Hillier garden which won a gold medal.

From the pastels to the vibrant colours on the Grenada stand... and this Richmond Red knocked my socks off.

So did the aroma of all the spices from this lush Caribbean island. The designer Catherine John certainly knows how to win another gold.

Whizzing outside again, my heart sang when I caught sight of this completely riotous and glorious 

display near the artisan food stalls, 

My heart missed a beat though, as I found the D-Day 75 Garden.

It pays homage to the last surviving Normandy veterans, and the centre piece is a statue of Bill Pendell who died in December. He's seen looking across the shingle and sea thrift at a statue of his younger self with his colleagues, as they rushed up the beachhead at Arromanche all those years ago.

Stark and poignant and so sincerely done, many of us looked on quietly.... and I'm so pleased that this garden is now being rebuilt overlooking Gold Beach in France as a lasting legacy.

By now it was time to leave and on the train home to reflect on such a different Chelsea this year. Oh and to look back through the photos I took... one of my favourites being this one on the Sarah Raven stand. I was about to interview Joanna Lumley when Rachel de Thame appeared... happy air kisses and a short chat later, Carol Klein popped up and they all wanted a photo together. Three wonderful, talented and lovely women enjoying the moment, and enjoying Chelsea.

So did I... a wonderful day at a a fantastic show which highlighted the natural, the wild and as always,  the beautiful.

The darling days of May

May has always been my favourite month of the year.

As a child, I used to love that we could play out in the garden so much later than usual... when really we should have been in bed on a school night.  I remember the blossom in the mini orchard at the bottom of our garden too ... three or four small apple trees and four pear trees, which I used to sit under making daisy chains.

It was my son’s birthday yesterday and  mine on Thursday , so there have always been lots of celebrations in May for our family. I even got married in May on my birthday and so did my daughter so there’s extra reasons to celebrate and make lots of happy May memories.

It’s not just one mad month of partying though. May is the month when my heart sings for so many different reasons...

For waking early and hearing the birds chattering away madly....
For having those first lazy  lunches and suppers outside in the garden ......

For the long May morning walks with the dogs as we amble across the fields and down the lanes around our cottage. Inhaling the scent of late spring, and feeling the gentle warmth of the sun on our backs in the lush Leicestershire countryside.

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When the garden becomes more colourful... and I can finally plant out the tomatoes , beans and courgettes and squash at the end the month.....

When I can drive home from work with the windows down , be home by seven and still manage to spend time in the garden

When I can be inspired by so much around me ....May  is a month of such promise....

And of course May is the month of the greatest flower show in the world... the RHS Chelsea Flower Show! It was Press day yesterday and I was there being inspired by the passion and the plantmanship, interviewing so many lovely people and seeing friends from the Garden Media  Guild for a lovely gossip..

But that's another blog post......in the meantime, for me, May really is the loveliest month.

Baby days

This is the baby who has tilted the very axis of my world. My first grandchild, who arrived two weeks ago today.

I was in the car when I heard the news. I pulled over quickly and listened with mounting excitement. Jasper had finally arrived fifteen days late, weighing in at nine pounds five ounces after an emergency caesarian. His father Harry sent me over a photo of him and within the space of five seconds, I was hopelessly and irrevocably besotted.

I had wondered how I would feel becoming a grandparent - so many friends had said it was wonderful, even better than having your own children. Back then I couldn't quite grasp what they meant. I 've got three children who I fell in love immediately and I couldn't imagine anything as powerful as that love. Would there be a degree of separation?

 Jasper was in hospital for a few days and my husband had only just come out of hospital too so I had to make do with photos, videos and facetime for five days. Even then, I would watch the little videos twenty, thirty times and gaze in awe at how gorgeous he is. When I met him for the first time last week,though, I was instantly lost. Lost in a melange of overwhelming emotions....joy, pride, wonder, and utter contentment.

I didn't think I could love my daughter Lucy even more than I do already either, but my heart has melted watching her with her baby, She's such a good Mummy already, and watching her with him and brought back memories of having her.

Her husband Harry is a doting husband and father, and seeing his big frame tenderly holding his son is quite moving to see....

Spending time with them all for five days at such an important time in their lives has been so rewarding. I spent my time cooking meals, doing the washing...and even pegging those adorable little babygros and teeny, tiny vests on the washing line gave me small frissons of pleasure. It was the long chats though with my daughter and being able to hold Jasper and look after him while Lucy had a nap or two was the best....connecting at such a personal level with both of them.
And who could not connect with such a beautiful, new little person who looks at you with such concentration, who loves you singing to him, and who even tries to talk back already and snuggles in for cuddles.

 

All too soon it was time to say goodbye, to come back home to be there for my husband who was going into hospital for the third time in six weeks. There was time for one last photo until next week when they are coming to see us and my husband will be able to hold his grandson for the first time..

So, to all those friends who told me, yes being a grandmother is the most wonderful, exhilarating and emotional experience, and I'm loving every single moment of it so far!

 

A day at St Martin's Lodge - a unique place to stay in Leicester

When King Richard III was found in the car park in Leicester, just a stone's throw from the Cathedral, the eyes of the world honed in on the city.


Where to stay in Leicester
The story brought tourists from all over the world, on day trips, to stay overnight, but there was only a few modern hotels close by to the historic Cathedral Quarter. Until now....

You can now stay at St Martin's Lodge which has just opened bang opposite the Cathedral where Richard III is buried, close to the city's mediaeval Guildhall..

It's a Grade II Georgian  listed building, a former house and more recently a solicitors office, which I've watched being transformed over the last year.

What's more, the rooms at the back overlook the very spot, a mere thirty steps away from where Richard III's body was actually found in the car park.

Earlier this week, I was given an exclusive preview of the new, luxury accommodation  which offers 28 en suite rooms, two of them fully accessible rooms.

 

 

The whole building has been restored sympathetically with beautiful old marble fireplaces kept in situ, and original bow windows restored.  It's also decorated in historic colours, with every room very different from each other. Fortunately though, the bathrooms are bang up to date with the latest designer showers and baths!

 

 



 



 I was staying overnight , and as the door to my room was opened, I was delighted with the view...

All I had time for was a quick look around, as I was recording and editing all day. I couldn't wait until the end of a long day to return and relax.

The view had changed dramatically by nightfall as the Cathedral was bathed in red for Remembrance
and I just stood gazing out at my favourite area of the city.

 

 

Prising myself away from the windows which run along the length of the room, I made myself at home 

I eyed the bed longingly,

After a ten hour shift at work though, I decided to make the most of the beautifully appointed bathroom. I wallowed in the huge roll top bath by lamplight, watching the shadows play on the wall and  admiring the beautiful tiles.....

After an oh so comfortable night's sleep in a bed the size of the Isle of Wight , I tested the shower, which was big enough for three people, and reluctantly got ready for work again.

It was the attention to detail I noticed though before I left....lovely drawings and sketches on the walls by local artists, local bottled water in glass bottles in the fridge, organic toiletries in recyclable packaging, USB points and plug sockets by the bed, in the sitting area and at the desk and dressing area.
There's  a Nespresso machine, kettle and a selection of teas available  in each room, but don't expect breakfast or a bar here.

This isn't a hotel, it  has the atmosphere of a private house. Breakfasts and lunches are available at St Martins House just a few steps across  the square, and a wide selection of bars and restaurants are only a hop, skip and jump away from St Martins Lodge.

This is in a prime location for anyone staying in Leicester, especially if you want to visit the King Richard III Centre which is a mere fifty yards away, or walk around mediaeval and Roman  Leicester, or if you're attending a wedding or a conference.

Despite just opening , bookings have been brisk, with the first guests coming from Singapore for a wedding( they took every room except one) and had the reception just across the Square , quickly followed by a posse from Wyoming , USA and a number of business guests.

St Martins Lodge is quirky, quaint and quite unique.  I also like its back story. It's owned by the Church - the Diocese of Leicester , who were offered the building a few years ago. How could the Church turn down the space,  the location , with a large car park at the back ?

It couldn't...the restored building is enhancing the Cathedral Square, attracting visitors to the area, and the profits will help pay the salaries of  priests and church staff as well as extending the church's work across Leicestershire and Rutland. That's what I call a win win situation.

You can find out more information about St Martins Lodge and book rooms here.....
http://www.stmartinslodge.co.uk/


You can also hear more on this story from me here  https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/p06p244m 
- just scroll  I hour 25 minutes into the programme.











 

Days of lettering with @littleoldgoose

Are you lucky enough to make your passion your career?

So many people aren't, but earlier this year my daughter Lucy made the step to do just that. She's now working for herself  as Little Old Goose, a modern calligrapher, chalkboard and lettering artist.

I should have seen it coming ....as a child she loved writing, and by her early teens had a distinctive and clear hand. She doodled too,  always having a  notebook or sketchbook close by.

When she got married, she had a ball designing all her wedding stationary, creating the chalkboards and signage. Everyone loved her style, and now she doing it for other couples getting married, for big events and anyone celebrating.



 

 



If you visit Southsea, Winchester and other places on the South Coast , you can see examples of Lucy's work in various shops, bars and restaurants....on walls, chalkboards and glass windows.



































































 





"I never know where my next commission will come from, or what the client will want. Sometimes they don't even know themselves."says Lucy. "That can be exciting, but I also work to definite briefs."

 

The commissions come from far afield, down south and across  in Leicestershire, Rutland and Lincolnshire.

 

 

Lucy also runs modern lettering workshops across these counties too. Held during the daytime and evenings, she provides brushes, ink and paper and guides groups of up to twelve people through the basic strokes and shapes.

 

 

 

 

"People come to the workshops alone, in couples, or as part of a group of friends or colleagues and during the break, there's  the chance to have a glass of wine or a soft drink .One thing is certain, there's always cake or nibbles and everyone always seems to really get on. Mind you, when they're practicing their lettering, it's quiet...the concentration levels are high, and everyone is totally focused on what they're producing."

 

At the end of the workshops Lucy says she loves to see they're pleased with what they've achieved and I love to see what workshop attendees go on to create.

 

Lucy is also asked to deliver workshops elsewhere for others. -at the end of September she flew to  Copenhagen for the third time to run two sold out workshops and she's also been asked to go back next year.

 

Before Christmas though, she's running workshops on the Isle of Wight, in Leicestershire  and Lincolnshire.

 

You can get more details here....

 http://www.littleoldgoose.com

 

 

Lucy's also off to London for four days in December to hand letter personalised baubles and gifts at Selfridges and John Lewis.

 

 

Meanwhile, what's your passion ? Have you been able to take it a stage further too...or are you planning to? I'd love to hear about what you're doing........





 



Autumnal days

On Sunday it was the Autumn Equinox...that magical time of year when the Sun positions itself directly over our Earth's Equator. The first day of autumn, and I found myself walking on a crunchy carpet of acorns which had fallen on the right hand side of our lawn from the aged oak tree next door.

As I walked the dogs around the village they started to sniff at the ground under the horse chestnut trees.....and I espied conkers. It's years since my boys played with conkers, but they brought back happy memories of the boys coming home with pockets full of them.

We'd always put a few on the side table in the kitchen, and I couldn't resist doing that again this year...my mini version of the junior school's nature table! Besides, I don't want too many daddy long legs coming into the cottage - they love thatched roof cottages .

I also put on the table a huge pine cone which I was given earlier this year when I recorded a programme at the wonderful Kilworth Conifers in South Leicestershire .


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The signals of Autumn are definitely here - such as wearing  pairs of socks for the first time in months and putting on black opaque tights for work. Also, all the lamps are being lit just after seven after viewing the beautiful sunsets this week from the garden.

 

An extra quilt has been thrown on our bed as the nights are distinctly chillier and the chimney sweep needs to be booked. I'm preparing mounds of apples for storing and freezing, and I'll be making  apple mint jelly in the next few weeks.

 

I do love Autumn , making the most of the most of the light, and watching with delight the Virginia creeper starting to show off ,before  getting ready to hunker down for the  for my least  favourite season in the year. Yes, Winter, you know who you are....

 

Every year, I  breathe a sigh of giddy relief when the Spring Equinox finally arrives in late March, but this year, I am really looking forward to it.

 

That's because something very special is happening at that time, apart from the nights getting lighter, the weather becoming warmer and the world springing into new life.

 

My daughter is going to be having a baby at the time of the equinox!

 

 

 

 

 

She runs a company called little old goose, designing chalkboards and signs and running hand lettering workshops. To say I am thrilled for her and her hairy husband is an understatement. To say I'm excited, bowled over and totally over the moon is another one.

 

We have all been wishing and hoping for this news for a long time, but things often don't go according to plan. This baby may be making an appearance much later than anyone hoped for, but the sheer joy of meeting this little one, this first much longed for grandchild will be carrying me through the dark days of the coming winter.