The Distancing Diaries - 27th & 28th May, 2021

 Just as we'd been promised, I woke early on Thursday morning to sunshine and blue skies. I wandered around the garden with the lads, did my Wii Fit workout and after we'd had breakfast and Jon had made sandwiches we headed down to the gorgeous Cotswolds for our weekly National Trust adventure.

Our destination was Hidcote, the UK's best known and most celebrated Arts & Crafts gardens, a drive of just over an hour away from Walsall. We'd previously visited at the height of last summer (HERE) and a few weeks later in the autumn (HERE). Due to lockdown, missed visiting Hidcote in her winter finery and were really excited to see what spring would look like.

Americans, Lawrence Johnston and his mother, Mrs Gertrude Winthrop, moved to the UK in 1900.  Lawrence immediately became a British citizen and fought in the Boer War with the British army. In 1907 Gertrude purchased the Hidcote Manor Estate, situated in a part of Britain with strong connections to the Arts & Crafts movement. 

Lawrence, by now a Major, became interested in turning the fields around the 17th Century manor house into a garden. By 1910 he had begun to lay out the garden's key features, and by the 1920s he had twelve full-time gardeners working for him. After World War II he spent most of his time at Jardin Serre de la Madone, his garden in the south of France and in 1947 he entrusted Hidcote to the National Trust.

Lawrence was influenced in creating his garden at Hidcote by the work of Alfred Parsons and Gertrude Jekyll, who were designing gardens of hardy plants contained within sequences of outdoor "rooms". Hidcote's outdoor rooms have various characters and themes, achieved by the use of box hedges, hornbeam, yew and stone walls. These rooms, such as the 'White Garden' and 'Fuchsia Garden' are linked, some by vistas, and furnished with topiaries. Some have ponds and fountains, and all are planted with flowers in bedding schemes.

The first time we visited Hidcote I declared that it was the most beautiful garden I've ever seen and it still holds true. The planting, the colours and the scents are almost overwhelming. I can't imagine anyone not loving it as much as we do.

As you can see I got carried away with my camera and had trouble whittling down my favourite photos so apologies for the image-heavy post!

After a picnic lunch in the heat and sunshine, we slowly made our way back to Walsall. I say slowly because the traffic was terrible, something we've not experienced in over a year. 

We were so inspired by our visit when we got home that we immediately got changed and spent the rest of the day in the garden. Tea was a Greek salad with spelt bread and a cheeky beer followed by an evening of The Antiques Road Trip on catch-up, easy telly for tired eyes.

On Friday, like the rest of the week, I was wide awake by 5.30am. Conscious of the water being turned off at 8am I did a load of washing and pegged it on the line, repotted a plant, booked next week's National Trust visit and did my Wii Fit workout before wrapping the latest eBay sales. 

We'd made an executive decision to go charity shopping so after breakfast we headed off. I gave my latest eBay acquisition a whirl, teamed with a vintage block printed maxi skirt, my Banjara crescent pendant and some 1970s French deadstock sunglasses.

Although the forecast wasn't great I decided to wear sandals, to go out beyond the garden gates, for the first time this year. The last time I wore these Lotta from Stockholm clogs was when I flew home from Crete last September (sob!) 

A combination of the start of a bank holiday weekend, market day and decent weather meant the Black Country town we visited was rammed but almost everyone wore masks and kept a respectful distance so it wasn't too scary. 

ABOVE: Clockwise from top left: 1970s stack-heeled English-made shoes; Clarks' Originals suede mules; 1960s cotton warehouse coat; Deadstock 1980s American Union-made cap; 1960s worsted wool three-button jacket; 1980s Chinese brocade jacket.

BELOW: Cat in the Hat print shirt; 1960s quilted satin smoking jacket; 1950s quilted coat liner; Another 1980s deadstock American Union-made cap; 1960s tonic-effect, wool-lined mac; 1980s suede waistcoat.

I think these unworn Clarks' Originals might be keepers, they're absurdly comfy and look pretty cool, too. If you're not familiar with the iconic Originals range, it features modern interpretations of their classic footwear designs, often in limited edition designs with some retailing in excess of £300.

 I've only just found out about the connection between Clarks' and Jamaica. Since the desert boot hit the streets of Kingston almost 60 years ago the brand became intertwined with everyday life on the island and is synonymous with the country's musical history. This short film released last month explores what it's like to wear Clarks' in a land that adopted the brand like nowhere else. It's a wonderful watch and you'll probably be straight on eBay hunting for Clarks' Originals as soon as you've watched it.

We got home to discover a note in the letterbox. Due to a problem, Severn Trent had encountered the water would now be turned off on Tuesday. It looks like another charity shopping day might be on the cards! After a lunch of a sandwich made from last night's Greek salad leftovers, Jon went shopping and I got stuck into the gardening.

I couldn't resist this mint grapefruit for sale in Hidcote's plant shop. I can't tell you how amazing it smells and the assistant told me that it's absolutely heavenly in a G&T...sold! I planted it up in my herb bed (keeping it in a pot as it's supposed to be terribly invasive).

Yesterday we'd planted up chard, cauliflower and lettuce and some mystery things Jon had grown from foraged seeds. This afternoon I staked the Greek beans, banked up the potatoes and when Jon got back, we replanted spiky bastard after Beate suggested it would act as an excellent barrier to invaders of our area outside the gates.

Tea was a homemade veg Punjabi tikka masala for me and a chicken one for Jon, with half a garlic & coriander nan and some lime-infused basmati rice. Tonight it's Gardeners' World, lashings of rum and the exciting prospect of a gloriously hot & sunny long weekend.

Cheers & see you soon!