Life as a servant continues…….

……earlier this week our employers spent a few days here. They arrived with 5 suitcases which was 1 suitcase too many for our car – a lovely late model Honda Jazz. “I think we need something a little larger for you” said our employer – “I think a Audi A6”. This aforementioned car is for our personal use as well as being our work vehicle. We buy the petrol when we go traveling. With this in mind we reached a compromise and are changing our present car for an Audi A4 Estate. Anyway we went to look at cars on Friday. Work here is coming to an end but there is a push to get everything finished by the end of the month – yay! It took us half an hour to get out of the driveway. We had to get the following moved – a small digger, a truck, a large front end loader, a grader, another truck, another truck and several cars!
We have been worried about our lovely swan who we observed nesting for weeks and then she disappeared. We were walking along the stream (which becomes the mighty Thames) the other night and there they were, Mother, Father and 7 ugly ducklings – glorious.
It is a Bank Holiday weekend – sunny and warm – most unusual for Britain. We went to London for the day yesterday and it was magical…..everyone smiles and are really friendly and happy when the sun comes out. We strolled along South Bank and it was going “off”…..there were masses of buskers and on a small space of beach ‘youths’ were flinging themselves acrobatically backwards off the wall…a new urban youth artform???
There was a lady with two budgies who could tell your fortune (she says)…the budgies pick a card (any card!)…bit random! It was great to be in London.
We are going to a local gymkhana tomorrow apparently it’s totally “Thelwell”.
Lots of love xxxxxxx

Everyman and his dog……..

…..goes to the 4 day Badminton Horse Trials and we were invited to attend yesterday. It is a great quintessential “English Event”…..held annually at the home of the Duke of Beaufort. It is incredibly prestigious and I’m proud to say Mark Todd has won it three times! Only 2 other people have won it more – one being Mark Phillips and the most successful a woman! Great place for one of our favourite pastimes “people watching”…..there was the “country set”, the “smart set”, the “horsey set”, the “corporate set” and “the rest” – The artistocracy hang-out at the ‘house’ and come out to ride – Zara Phillips and the like. I’m not sure where we fitted in – the friend who invited us works for the main sponsor and so we enjoyed a bit of corporate hospitality. We also enjoyed a spot of retail therapy as well as watching the competition of course.
Meanwhile the countryside here is ridiculously beautiful…..the ‘rape’ is in flower and it is so vibrantly brilliant it almost looks radio active!
Work continues here for the impending summer residency of our employer and at the moment the driveway and car parks are being ‘done’ – I glanced out of the kitchen window last week and did a double take – a mountain of gravel had appeared with a huge digger thing perched on top. The mature gardens continue to roll out and from one day to the next we (the people who live here!) aren’t sure what is new and what has been here for a week or more…….it all looks as if it has always been here. Much love xxxxxxxx

Cornwall magic……….

We were approaching the little harbour village of Fowey. Rod and I have this thing when we are driving if I suddenly yell “STOP” he does! I had spotted this gorgeous “bus stop”…….we checked it out and it was quite magical – there was a little clock, books, magazines to read while you wait and fresh flowers - it was quite, quite wonderful. We drove down into the village and the shops were all shut being after 6 o’clock, including a gift shop specializing in candles – however, outside still on a display were samples of the stock in the shop…….?? The only apparent deliquents were the molly hawkes ripping into the days rubbish in the street……..we left Fowey with a smile.
On returning to Ewen and talking with various people we believe it’s a different story in summer when hundreds of holiday makers descend on Cornwall queuing to drive around the narrow streets – maybe the bus stop and candle shop are an antidote to the dreaded crowded holiday when we all mutter through gritted teeth “are we having fun yet”!!!
Visiting places out of season has a lot of merit…….do come and visit us out of season??
Much love xxxxxx