Wednesday 2 June 2021

The Distancing Diaries - 1st & 2nd June, 2021

It was already warm and gloriously sunny when I got up just before 6am on Tuesday morning. I wandered around the garden barefoot with the lads at my heels and sang Happy Birthday to Frank who could be either 6 or 8 years old but, as a former stray, it's hard to know.

After my Wii Fit workout, I wrapped the weekend eBay sales and caught up with Blogland. The Severn Trent workers were already hard at it by the time Jon was up although the water stayed until just gone 9am. 

Whilst I divided up and repotted a houseplant and weeded between the patio pavers with my doobielacker (thanks to Shaz for introducing that incredible word to my vocabulary) Jon cut back three of the laurel bushes behind the pond, piling them up in the wilderness for shredding later in the week. For the remainder of the morning, I lay on the lawn finishing the book I'd started the previous evening, verdict: trashy & far-fetched but a decent read for a hot day.

Richard arrived with the post, a package from Helena who reads my blog and kindly sent this beautiful vintage Adini cotton sundress and Anokhi for East blouse my way along with a gorgeous postcard featuring artwork by Conchita Dunn

I'll be wearing the dress this week if this glorious weather continues and have plans to reconstruct the top into something a little more summery & skimpy. Thanks so much, Helena!

Just before lunchtime, the farm called to say they were on their way with the freshly-cut turf and arrived just after we'd eaten. 

We lay in the sun until the heat had abated and we got stuck in. We expected swearing and arguments but it was all down within an hour. Everyone who passed by was amazed at the difference, the grass is so green and lush. Check out my makeshift fence to keep the plebs off our lawn.

Tea was quiche with salad and the evening was spent watching The Antiques Roadtrip and, much to our excitement, they visited Stonor Castle, home to Lord Jon's 13x great-grandfather, Blessed Adrian.

SOURCE


Despite the forecast being for cloud, Wednesday turned out glorious again. After my Wii Fit workout, I had a blogging catch-up and joined Jon for breakfast. After he'd made sandwiches we headed off to Shropshire, to the Dudmaston Estate which we'd last visited when dear friends, Ann and Jos were visiting the UK back in 2019 (HERE).


Dudmaston Hall has been a family home for 875 years and houses one of the most important collections of modern art in Britain including pieces by Moore, Matisse and Hepworth. We know that the current lord of the manor has fantastic taste, he's bought vintage clothes from us back when we used to trade at a vintage fair in nearby Bridgnorth!


The current mansion was built in the late 17th-century and is an example of a traditional Shropshire country estate, in that it comprises the main hall, the landscaped gardens, parkland, managed woodlands, lakeside, farmland and the estate cottages. Neighbouring Quatt is a model village designed by the architect John Birch in 1870 for the workers and tenants of the estate.


At temperatures nudging 28°C, the shimmering water in the Big Pool looked very inviting and we rather envied the cows!


Unlike the clever colour-themed planting at Hidcote, the gardens at Dudmaston were a riot of colour with brilliant ruby reds and dazzling pinks vying for our attention. Like many National Trust properties we'd visited, the gardeners were embracing #NoMowMay.
 





While the riotous colour was a joy, it was the otherworldly and downright weird planting near the pond that really caught our attention. I hope our gunnera gets this big!






I was very glad of my Santelli Francesca straw hat, handmade in Florence and sold through Anthropologie, new with tags from the charity clearance shop a couple of weeks ago. The 1970s maxi is Young Innocent by Arpeja, its poplin and as light as air. 



Dotted around the garden are sculptures by the artist, Anthony Twentyman. Born in nearby Wolverhampton in 1906, Tony honed his woodworking skills at his father's workshop in Claverley, just 2 miles up the road from Dudmaston. During WW2, Twentyman joined the RAF, was posted to Singapore and later captured and imprisoned by the Japanese for three and a half years. On his release, Tony weighed just four stone. To celebrate Dudmaston's 40 year anniversary of opening its doors to visitors there is an exhibition of Tony's work inside the house.








Dudmaston's resident cat, Pixie bears a striking resemblance to both Stephen Squirrel and Sheila's Vizzini.


After sandwiches and a mug of tea, we drove back to Walsall via the scenic route, a journey of just 40 minutes. 
 
Jon did the post office run and I spent the afternoon sprawled out on the lawn. I love this weather!


Although we'd got a spot of rain forecast for later we watered the garden (and the new lawn) before tucking into pizza and sweet potato wedges. Tonight it's the conclusion of The Killing followed by The Great British Sewing Bee and, needless to say, rum will be consumed!


See you soon!

37 comments:

  1. We've been away since last week and I had no summer clothes with me, aaargh, it's so lovely and hot and I was boiling. I could have done with the blue and red dress you wore for your country house outing!
    The grass outside your front looks perfect, ours was like a jungle when we got back, almost broke the lawnmower cutting it today.
    Have you seen Cardinal on iplayer? It was recommended to me and is excellent, a scandi noir in Canada is how it was described to me. xxx

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    1. I hope you had a wonderful time away. I'm not surprised you hadn't packed any summery stuff, it's been so long since we had hot, sunny weather it easy to forget that it'll ever return. That poplin dress is like wearing nothing, with the straw hat I barely noticed that it was 28°C!
      There's a fashion for astroturf round here, I had to keep telling passers-by it was the real thing, it looks far too perfect!
      I have seen Cardinal and absolutely loved it. You know my tastes so well! xxx

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  2. Another fabulous house and garden! You are certainly getting out and about and I loved your outfit; perfectly summery.

    The side lawn is looking lush! It could be a wonderful sunbathing spot once you've screened it to keep the nosey parkers out.
    xxx

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    1. Thanks, Vronni! I'd forgotten all about Dudmaston, daft as it's so close to us.
      The fence/barrier thingy is only going to be knee high although me in a bikini might scare off the schoolkids, dogs and litter louts! xxx

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  3. Hi Vix, the new lawn looks lovely,I much prefer grass to anything else. What beautiful weather you're having, over here it's pretty bad for this time of year, had to put the heating on tonight! Love the dress and straw hat, very fitting for this beautiful country house and garden! Had my 2nd Pfizer jab yesterday so hope I can come over to Derbyshire soon! Your garden is looking spectacular!! Lots of Love from Barcelona! xxx

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    1. Hello, Diana! Lovely to hear from you! I love the softness of grass outside the front of a house. It's such a shame when people tarmac it over for ease, it makes even the nicest houses look harsh and ugly.
      Great news on the jab. We'll be glued to the news at 5pm today which will rveal if any other countries will be added to the UK's Green List. You must visit Calke Abbey when you get to Derbyshire!
      Loads of love to you. xxx

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  4. The Dudmaston's estate is another gorgeous place and of course you looked beautiful as well. The new lawn looks amazing and I love the 'fence.' I had to laugh, another friend in the UK had put down some new turf a few days ago and found it hysterically funny that here in the US we call it laying the sod - takes on a whole different meaning there doesn't it LOL! xxx

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    1. Thanks so much, Martha! We couldn't have chosen a lovelier day to visit Dudmaston!
      Fancy it being called "sod" in the US, I can just imagine the silence on the phone if Jon had requested a truckload of sod! xxx

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  5. Another glorious start to the day as I sit in bed with gluten free sandwiches. What a glorious garden and house. Your new grass looks great. Love your fence 🤣. Looking out at my view the sky is as blue and everything green. BUT it is just 2 degrees C. Mind you after all the flooding we had it’s a dream. My stash of indoor plants arrived yesterday.i am living with Gerberas, cyclamen, and lots of baby pots that are in the kitchen window to keep my dark red geraniums company. So inside looks like summer. Happy birthday Frank. 🎂

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    1. I'm glad you've got some sunshine and blue skies, Sally! Even when it's too cold to venture far they really do lift the spirits.
      How lovely to be surrounded by all those pretty blooms. Your windowsill must look like a pretty house in the Mediterranean. I'm so impressed with the cyclamens I filled my windowboxes with last Autumn. I replanted them to beneath some of the trees a month ago and they are still flowering like mad, I shall buy more next Autumn! xxx

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  6. Well done on choosing sod. We've done sod a couple of times over the years. Just water it a lot. Not letting it dry out is vital

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    1. I was almost hoping for a bit of rain last night to keep it hydrated but it wasn't to be. Jon'll be out there in a bit on hosepipe duty. I can't believe the instant transformation. xxx

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  7. Happy birthday to Frank. Always lovely to see him. Such a gorgeous tomcat!
    Your tea always looks delicious and your lawn is beautiful- so green.
    You look great yourself in that Anokhi dress and with braided hair.

    Dudmaston Hall is such an impressive estate. The mansion is wonderful. I didn't know about the impressive art collection, that's great. The gardens are beautiful! It's lovely you had such warm and sunny weather. I love the colours on your maxi dress and the hat is lovely. You took some amazing photographs. I loved seeing the cows look for refreshment in the water. Those photographs made me think of India. Maybe you cannot travel to India but you can find the spirit of India locally. :)

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    1. Frank says thank you!
      It was such a shame that cameras weren't allowed in the house itself as the contemporary artwork was so interesting and I'd have loved to have shared it.
      You're right about the cows, that could almost be in scane from India! xxx

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    2. Vix - there's a list/images here
      https://artuk.org/discover/artworks/search/venue:national-trust-dudmaston-5501/page/4

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  8. what a lovely place Dudmaston is, you are so well positioned for so many National Trust properties. I think your front lawn is a complete transformation and also suitable for shady rests with a book - I like to sit 'out front' and get to chat to passers by, now you can too :) Lucky find for that hat Anthropologie is very pricey. Happy Birthday to Frank.

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    1. We are lucky! When we joined the NT they told us that there were more properties around the Midlands than anywhere else in the country. Dudmaston is lovely and it made a lovely change to get there along the country lanes rather than the motorway.
      My Mum always used to sit in the front garden even though their back garden was huge. She loved chatting to passers-by and would often abandon her book and chair when she got a better invitation!
      When I saw that hat with the tags I assumed some old dear had bought it on a cruise, I bet it cost a silly amount of money. Not bad for £1!
      Frank says thank you! xxx

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  9. happy birthday to franky boy!
    this pictures look like a wonderful sunny trip to the gardens of dudmaston!! you must be very happy that the warm weather has arrived finally. here too btw. - and we too prefer country lanes to motorways if possible.
    what a lovely package from helena! the pink dress is a delight and i know you will make something gorgeous from the blouse.....
    xxxxx

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    1. I was made for hot weather, it's so unfair I was born in the UK!
      Didmaston was lovely and the pretty drive there was so much nicer than suffering the ill-mannered motorists on the motorway, we just had loads of tractors to contens with instead!
      I loved that pink dress and the blouse fabric will soon be put to good use. xxx

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  10. The turf looks great. I hope your fence keeps the plebs off. X

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    1. Thanks, Jules! We should have the proper fence up this weekend! xxx

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  11. The new turf looks fantastic, I hope no-one spoils it for you. And these are lovely vibrant photos, isn't nature at it's freshest and greenest at this time of year. I'm really missing being able to be out and about at the moment.

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    1. Jon keeps getting up in the night and peeping out of the side window o check nobody has ncked the turf!
      You're right, everything in the garden is at it's very best right now, still green and bursting with life. xxx

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  12. Happy sunny Thursday Vix! you did make me smile - both our dooberlackers have been used a lot lately (sorry that now sounds wrong lol) but with all our pavers out the back would not be without it. We are dividing the task between us! Now the turf looks absolutly fantastic! Well done you two. Love the outfits as usual and again you colour co-ordinated! lovely trip thanks for taking us with you Hugs Shazxx ps off to get second jab tonight!

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    1. Good luck with your second jab, Shaz, you'll feel invincible now! Those dooberlackers are essential at the moment, those pesky weeds keep springing up between the pavers as soon as you turn your back!
      We couldn't believe that turf, it doesn't look real. xxx

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  13. You look like the Lady of the house in tht fabulous dress which looks like the perfect backdrop.
    Muggy and grey here in Liverpool. Frankie sends a big birthday bark to Frank. xxx

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    1. Thanks, Jane! We had cloud yesterday but I still managed a few hours in a bikini.Sending blue skies and sunshine your way1 xxx

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  14. First of all, happy birthday to Frank! We don't know Bess's exact age either - and neither did we know Phoebe's - but we suspect she might be bit younger than indicated in her ID booklet.
    I'm loving Helena's Adini sundress - which I expect to see you in soon - and Anokhi blouse. Lucky you! Your new lawn looks super lush, and I approve of your makeshift fence, which I hope will keep the plebs at bay!
    I'm keeping the best for last. Dudmaston! Having been there twice, once with you two and again one week later, this is really taking us both back. The bog garden is absolutely amazing, isn't it. I've got a photo of me posing underneath (!) one of those Gunnera leaves! We met the resident cat too, didn't know it was called Pixie! xxx

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    1. Frank says thank you! He was acting like a mad toddler last night galloping around the house chasing a catnip mouse after two days of acting like a grumpy old man!
      That Adini sundress got an outing yesterday. Hoorah for heat & sunshine.
      I can't beleive it's been almost two years since we were at Didmaston, that was a sunny day, too. That pond area is just wonderful and the house is so pretty, I just wish you & Jos were there with us! xxx

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  15. Thank you for including a view of that family party passing the stand of gunnera at the pond. Good heavens, those plants are huge and weird! * Particularly admired that snap of you standing before that blazing flower bed that seemed a part of your dress. The scarlet hat band and lip stick add perfect grace notes!

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    1. Aren't they amazing? We'd love a few in our garden, Jon's trying to grow one without much luck so far! xxx

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  16. The new lawn is very very impressive. Hope Jon’s shoulder has recovered from all that effort.
    Happy belated birthday Frank. We’ve had a little visitor ourselves today, Rosie from next door. She plonked herself down in the garden this afternoon after drinking dirty pond water. I hope her guts aren’t bad after it.
    I’d like to visit Dudmaston Hall, it looks very pretty and I’d be interested in the art collection.
    I’m catching up for some reason. So I’m hopping onto your next post now xxx

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  17. Happy belated birthday to Frank. The new turf looks very impressive , can't beat a patch of lawn, hopefully it won't brown off over Summer (or is that just here in Aus).
    Dudmaston Hall looks very impressive and I so enjoyed the rambling gardens. The cows cooling off in the lake was quite a sight. You did look cool as a cucumber in your pretty dress and wide brimmed hat. Enjoy your well deserved sunshine. xx

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  18. Pixie DOES look like Stephen and Vizzini! He's definitely got the famous moustachios!

    Happy birthday to Frank, what a handsome boy.

    I'm envious of your gorgeous weather - ours did not last - and that lovely outfit, perfect for swanning about in those fabulous gardens, Vix!

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  19. Mmmmm...fresh turf!!! Bare feet heaven!
    Your poplin dress is dreamy! It looks as good as it feels clearly!
    I bought a lovely light cotton dress in Gaia, the New Age hippy shop in Hexham and it's been a dream to wear.
    The plants are so funny in that garden! I love quirky plants.
    4 stone????? How was he still alive???? Amazing that he lived to create such art.

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  20. Happy birthday Frank!

    Those plants near the pond are spectacular. Just the right location for an oversized model dinosaur...

    If the lord of the manor is buying clothes from you, who knows - perhaps a bit of Kinky style will end up working its way into the collection at the house one day.

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Lots of love, Vix