Acton Scott continued . . .

I have long aspired to make one of these and indeed, have just found a pattern of sorts at Sense and Sensibility though I would need to modify it a bit to resemble the above. Mind you, this is a winter project - I will settle for finishing my Devon Village x-stitch design for the moment, aas it is nearing completion.


Various butter-making and dairy-related items on display in one of the barns.

Various farming-related items in a corner of the barn.

This lamb was on his own next to a ewe with twins, so perhaps this is being bottle-reared. It was zzzzzzzzzzzzing in the sunshine . . .

A shelf inside the lambing caravan. If you enlarge this photo yoou will see a triumph in marketing - the packet of Viper powder . . .

Old blacksmith-made horse bits hanging on a beam. The take on the "twisted" snaffle on the left would have ripped a horse's mouth to shreds . . .

Acton Scott House.

A newly-calved Longhorn cow with her baby.

More again tomorrow . . .

Day out at Acton Scott

As you know, we had a lovely day out at Acton Scott, the historic working farm in Shropshire. There were a couple of chaps there doing bodging (using a pole lathe in other words) and another one making a handle for an adze. We spent some time here and my husband would have been happy to stay and chat all day I think! He was also very taken with the wheelright's workshop, but then he loves to work in wood, so that is no surprise.

I would have liked to have seen the butter making display, but first of all we were twenty minutes too early, so we went for a stroll to see the new Longhorn calf, and then when we got back, the demonstration was jam-packed, but i was going to try and squeeze in when an officious mother shoved her children through the door in front of me.

We would LOVE to go on one (or preferably LOTS more!) of their courses, but finances dictate otherwise. Ah well . . .

More later.

OH in the wheelright's workshop.

A view across the farmyard towards the dairy display (white door) and the bailiff's cottage (red door on the right).

Gloucester Old Spot piglets and below, with their mum.

Two Shires in the lovely stables. I'm not sure if it was Tory and Clumper (as their names say) as someone went in to see them and said "hello girls" and I thought Clumper was a gelding . . .

Cute or what?

I will do a proper write-up later, but it's 5 a.m. and we have to be down the M4 with G to catch Megabus in Cardiff by 8 a.m. We had a lovely day out yesterday. The piglet photo is just a taster . . .

As for the queries as to "what on earth is that?" - ref. the last post. The item is a butterchurn. I will have to set it up with handle and take some more photos for you.

Day out

OH and I are off to Acton Scott shortly. Ive wanted to go there for years, even before they filmed The Victorian Farm there.

We should have been in Cardiff at this moment, having dropped off middle daughter to catch the Megabus back to Uni, but when she ordered the ticket she didn't double check and has discovered she's booked the wrong date! Sigh . . . So that's re-ordered for tomorrow now . . .

Will report back later.

A DAY OUT FOR THE FUDDY-DUDDIES!!!

I've written that in capitals as it's been such a rare occurrence in this household. Don't think we have had a proper day out since late last Autumn . . . that's a LONG time. We had to go to Brecon, to collect some yellow pigment to add to lime wash, so of course, the default setting of Hay-on-Wye kicked in the moment we knew we had to go to Ty Mawr for the pigment . . . Having dropped D off at the bus-stop for his 8 a.m. bus, we fled, we were in Brecon by 9 a.m. After going to Ty Mawr Lime, we parked up in the town and had a wander round. As per usual we visited a couple of charity shops, the outdoor clothing shop where OH bought some new walking socks, the bookshop, where I bought a couple of cheap books (£5 worth), and I indulged myself with a stroll along the frontage of the shop which sells plants and pet supplies.

What a lovely jug - with a lovely price way beyond our pocket . . .

OH fell in love with these bookshelves and made me take photos so he can make some like them for our next house . . . They're in Addyman's I think.


We were in Hay-on-Wye by about 10.15 and bought 4 hours' worth of parking, so we could just stroll round at our leisure. We made a beeline for the little cafe which does the most fabulous bacon baps (though I had sausages in mine) and washed our brunch down with a cup of Earl Grey. We had a wonderful time just walking very slowly round the bookshops, including going to a few ones we don't normally visit. We bought two books each - mine came under the category of countryside/nature, so that will give you a clue. I'll review them tomorrow.

You can buy all sorts in this antiques mart. I loved the embroidered piece below, but not the price . . .


Our son thinks we are the most boring old fuddy-duddies because we have a routine which we enjoy and follow whenever we go to Hay. To be honest, it's a small town so it's difficult too do anything other than visit our favourite shops! There is something very comforting about a routine, either on outings to favourite places, or during the day at home. We always go to the Antiques shop which is on several floors, with different dealers having a room each. We tut-tut over prices, admire some of the stuff for sale (though to be honest, you won't ever find me forking out £20 plus for a little embroidered tablecloth, however beautiful.)


It's nice to window shop too.

We stopped in a layby just outside Brecon so I could take photos of the mountains.

Here are the twin peaks of Pen-y-Fan, still with snow on their shoulders.

If you enlarge this, you will see the snow on the Carmarthen Fans, just to the edge of the big tree on the left.

I'd love a doll's house, but know they can be had, new, for a third of the price on this splendid one.


The old fuddy-duddies also stopped at the less up-market antiques mart on the way home, but nothing to tempt us there - as has been the case for the last few visits. Times have changed . . .

Gardening

It is close enough to my birthday to have begged stuff for the garden as a present this year, though at the moment I've paid for my own present as OH stayed in the car and I used my debit card!! I didn't have a lot of choice of where to buy, as Wyevale is the only option in town these days. However, I took my time and bought sensibly. Seeds - Courgettes, Mirabilis (which I've not seen let alone grown before), Black Cherry Tomatoes. Some young perennials for the border - Malva Alba, along with Delphiniums Black Knight and Guinevere (one dark, one light blue). Cosmos Astrosanguineus (the chocolate plant), Gladioli King's Lynn, and a Dahlia Crazy Love which I am going to plant by the Gladioli to compliment the colours of the latter. I have dug off a sharp corner of the lawn so it is circular all round now, and in the new corner I have planted the Gladioli. The young plants are on the draining board until this cold spell goes, and then I'll put them in the cold frame to get accustomed to living outside. The Dahlia is in a big pot to grow on, at the bottom of the seed stack, and the Mirabilis are in seed trays in the airing cupboard. I also potted on 24 Roman Bronze Aquilegias whilst I was out there, but the sharp wind made me glad to come indoors again. I have started off a dozen courgette seeds in the cold frame too, tucking them in next to my pots of Auriculas, some of which are blooming now!



The wild birds have been VERY hungry again and I will need to get more peanuts and seed tomorrow. I have had to top up the feeding stations several times today - having had a gang of more than 20 Blue and Great Tits coming to the peanuts, including Peg Leg, the little one-legged Blue Tit I have been feeding all winter but only just noticed his disability.



Oh, and one of these devils too - but then I suppose Squirrels get hungry too . . .

Bear with me . . .

You will have to bear with me at the moment as things are incredibly stressful over trying to get things sorted on the house before we can go on the market. Problems have reared their ugly heads and are the sort which will Cost Money (which is in short supply right now), and OH and I have been at loggerheads . . . Anyway, things have now been sorted financially and at least we can stop the leaks now!!! You would not BELIEVE the relief we are feeling right now.

We have just had a couple of pieces in a catalogued auction which sold well and have surplus furniture and a few boxes of china and a pile of picture frames to go into auction too. We should have a bit more space when they've gone, if nothing else.

I am just NOT in a writing mood at the moment, though I have a post in my mind I would like to commit to print, when I can encourage myself.