A June Wedding

As Summer approaches, excitement in my family increases because at the beginning of June my daughter Emily is getting married.

Emily and Jordan have been together since they met at university. He is such a talented, kind and good man and I have grown to love him dearly. He and Emmie are perfect for each other and I am so happy to think of him becoming one of the family.

It has not been an easy year for anybody planning their wedding. There has been uncertainty, there are still restrictions but we are finally allowing ourselves to feel excited.

After a solitary lockdown, Emily's recent visits to me have felt so special. We are doing a lot of the organising ourselves, so the pair of us have been having so much fun researching, discussing, and experimenting.

Their wedding is taking place in a beautiful old manor house and gardens, so vintage plates and antique glass bottles will suit perfectly.

For me, helping with the flowers is such a joy. I intend to enjoy every moment, from visiting florists, swooning over beautiful blooms, to growing just the right flowers in my garden to decorate the tables.

I am very lucky to have this time with Emily, to be together again and to be looking forward to such an important day in our lives. 

Family, flowers, antiques- champagne, silk, and lace, all mixed up together with love and laughter; no wonder I feel like celebrating!

 

Spring Dawn and Drovers' Roads

I am lucky to live in a beautiful part of the country and when I awoke early to misty sunshine, for once I lept out of bed intent on catching the best of the day.

I used to live in Bishopstone when I first moved to Wiltshire and I still remember the excitement I felt on discovering the countryside so near to our little cottage. Today, I returned there to explore the Cranborne Drovers' Road which took me up along the top of the hills above the village.

It is a perfect early spring morning and I wander along listening to the birdsong and taking my time to look around me. I have always been an ambler rather than a seeker. I like to take the time to become a part of my surroundings and will often sit with my eyes closed so that I can listen properly. Every flower is smelt and many trees are hugged. 

Winter ends early in this part of the world and already the Blackthorne is in bloom and butterflies are basking in the sunshine. When I start my walk, the heavy dew is still on the grass and the spiders' webs. I saw Wrens, Chaffinches, and a pair of Yellowhammers, and the Larks were splitting the skies with their song. As I descended back into the valley I came upon a pair of Munjack deer and most exciting for me- a Hare.

I think the best part of the walk was discovering a wonderful line of mature Beech trees. They are my favourite tree and I can see myself returning here again and again, so as to see them in every season.

I sat in the sunshine and ate my breakfast sandwich and felt that this was truly a 'moment of being'. I felt completely happy and so glad that I had taken this chance to capture this elusive time of year- everything seems to be just on the cusp, the buds are just about to burst open and the tide of spring is unstoppable now.

New beginnings, old friends

 As the lockdown finally starts to lift, there is light at the end of the tunnel. Spring is here, and everyone is beginning to look ahead, so I have been looking back over my blog here.

It is a long time since I have posted and many things have changed in my life. My work as an Independent Celebrant has taken up nearly all my working hours and I have been so busy writing ceremonies, I didn't feel capable of creating blog posts as well.

My varied and exciting life as a Celebrant

However, I have missed this lovely community and I have enjoyed re-reading stories from my past, which reminded me of the satisfaction of recording happy events with words and photographs.

So I have decided to start again.

There is a particular reason for this- in September I am taking a month off work and spending the whole of those glorious, golden weeks in Wales. I rarely take more than a week's holiday, so this will be a treat for me.

September has always been my favourite month

 I have already found four cottages to stay in and I may also spend the occasional night in a campsite, sleeping in my Berlingo car. To many people, this may not be very brave but I will be doing this by myself and to me, it feels like a true adventure!

My friends and family have asked me to keep a diary of this little expedition and as I plan to visit secondhand bookshops, independent shops and art galleries, local markets, and restaurants on my way, I hope other travelers might be interested too.

I have a few months before I go, so I intend to regain the habit of capturing the best of my days and sharing my stories with friends old and new.

It's good to be back.

 

Borders and Bees- on painting my hearth

I am not an artist, yet my house is filled with examples of my need to express myself and make my home unique to me. I still get a thrill when I step outside the normal rules and write on a wall or paint something in an slightly eccentric manner.

We have all become used to people painting their cupboards and chairs in delicate chalky pastels but to add words and patterns to the structure of the house feels different to me, more daring and so much more fun!

A friend asked me " How do you dare, what if it goes wrong?" I suppose I keep altering it in the hope it comes right, or in desperation paint over it...
 I always draw freehand and feel it doesn't have to be perfect, although I will admit that writing the first word is always nerve-wracking.

My most recent artiness is a painted heath rug. Well, it's not quite that but all my heath rugs had holes burnt into them by spitting logs and the original concrete hearth was damaged and ugly, so I decided to paint something instead- less of a fire hazard or an eyesore.
I started with a simple leaf garland,

and then added details as the mood took me. I love medieval Books of Hours, with their gold leaf, vibrant colours and their quirky borders with tiny flowers and creatures, so these were my inspiration.

I haven't the patience or skill to match their detailed perfection, for one thing it's darn painful trying to paint, lying on my tummy trying not to smudge any wet bits- but I think there is at least a 'feel' of these beautiful books in my slightly scruffy attempt.

I haven't been able to photograph the whole of the final painting, the room is small and the light bad, yet I hope this gives an idea of the finished result.

 

I still may add a suitable quotation but I have yet to find one with a hearth and fire theme that isn't too trite or sentimental. I'm happy though and I enjoy letting my creations evolve over the months and years. 

 

High Summer: Village Fetes and Shows

In my opinion, a Village Fete provides everything you might need to enjoy yourself on a Summer's day. David and I have our favourites and look forward to them eagerly. Everybody involved is relaxed and friendly, in the mood to chat and appreciate life. When held in some of Wiltshire's most beautiful villages, it is a pleasure just to wander around appreciating the beautiful cottages and their summer gardens.

The old rhythms of the seasons and village life are still alive. When you look back at photographs from the past, these fetes continue an unbroken line of celebration and gathering together that goes back centuries.

 

 

 

There are always craftsmen and enthusiasts sharing their skills and showing off their treasures

Old skills, old tools

A little steam engine

The field or village green is filled with families, their dogs and their children and there is always a queue for the tea tent. The tea is often a little stewed or cool but this is more than made up for by the cakes. The choice is bewildering: richly iced coffee cake, decorated with walnuts, rock buns, shortbread, moist dark tea loaf and chocolate fairy cakes, all homemade, all delicious and so cheap!
Who can resist?

 

 

 

After this treat we decided to take a little exercise and David proved his skills as a bowler by winning me a prize from the coconut shy.

I like best the big tent where the exhibits from the Horticultural show are collected together. I spend ages looking at the carefully prepared fruit and vegetables, preserves and cakes.

Many years ago, I remember my brother Anthony carefully choosing his five best runner beans, explaining how it wasn't the biggest but the most perfect and regular ones that would win. He then wrapped them in damp newspaper, to keep them fresh and straight in preparation for the next day's show.

 

 

When I lived at Sixpenny Handley in Dorset, I once won prizes for my elderflower cordial and lemon curd. The pride I felt at seeing that coveted red certificate! I do also remember though, my fury at the cutting comments of the judges  made about my jam sponge...
Today though, I was not exhibiting, so I could relax and enjoy the colour, ingenuity and beauty on show.

Miniature garden



A trug of a whole garden's produce



Posies in unusual containers ( cupcake cases)



I love the yellow courgettes



Floribunda rose



Three perfect eggs



We wandered, we chatted, we indulged and we treated ourselves to some homemade jams and chutneys.
It was a perfect way to spend a thoroughly English Saturday.
Now I've been inspired, I think I'll go and make some Rock Buns!

 

 

 



Flowery mead

 

 

June is the month when the meadows seem to overflow with colour.
The golden carpet above is all buttercups and they glow in the misty, thundery light.

This meadow must have dozens of different varieties of flowers and they form a more subtle tapestry.

I've been intrigued by the swathe of pink in a field alongside the A36 just past Wilton. Today I turned down a bumpy little track and went exploring. The pink is a mass of Campion flowers- red, pink and white. It is a breath-taking sight.

I can now boast that I have my own meadow. For some time, with the help of a gardening friend, I have been creating a tiny orchard at the bottom of my narrow terrace garden and have planted wild flowers and grasses beneath the trees. To some it might seem an over-gown muddle but to me it is utterly enchanting.

I will write a proper piece about my little orchard. It is a magical transformation from the bare earth of  two years ago.
I love the abundance of June in England.