I went on a most interesting visit yesterday, to the Cropthorne Autonomous House, claimed by the owners to be the most energy-efficient house in the country. It’s a long story, which started a good few years ago, when Christopher and I were getting our extension built. We planned to replace our existing detached garage, which […]
My college friends Tom and Katie and their daughter were staying in a holiday cottage in darkest Herefordshire for a long weekend over half term. Since the cottage was only about half an hour’s drive from where I live, I met them there for a leisurely Sunday lunch, followed by an excursion deeper into the […]
I closed down and deleted most of Christopher’s social media accounts soon after he died. Twitter, and in particular Facebook, were just too intrusive, sending him emails to say that his friends hadn’t heard from him for a while – yes, well, there was a very good reason for that…… About the only account I […]
I had a very interesting and enjoyable afternoon yesterday. I’d applied to the Estates Office for an invitation to take a guided tour around Madresfield Court, the closest thing that Malvern has to a Stately Home. I was sent joining instructions, and told to be in the “playroom” in the Stable Block ten minutes before […]
It’s been an extremely wet winter, but a very mild one. My lawn (or rather, area of moss and daisies) is absolutely sodden, but at least the mole has kept away. With a bit of luck, it’s drowned! I’ve not been snowed in, nor had to dig myself out, all winter. There’s time yet of […]
The Director of the business stream I work for wanted to thank his staff for the efforts we’ve put in over the past year, so invited his entire extended team, and their partners and children, to a “Mediaeval Family Fun Day” at Warwick Castle. All in all, several hundred of us took him up on […]
I got home from work today to find a parcel waiting for me. It was the glasses I’d blown on Saturday, all very well wrapped up in bubble-wrap and packed in newspaper. They’d done a very good job of parcelling them up. And here they are! Proof that I’ve got years of training and apprenticeship […]
I mentioned a few months ago that I thought it might be interesting to have a go at making hand-made glasses. Glass blowing is something I’ve wanted to do, at the back of my mind, for several years now, but Chris wasn’t particularly interested so I didn’t take it any further. But for the last […]
I popped down to Eastnor Pottery this afternoon to collect the pots which I turned and decorated a few weeks ago, and which have just come out of the kiln. These were a commission from my father, who wanted a lidded pot to use as a sugar bowl. He particularly requested that the lid should […]
Last autumn Christopher’s stepfather, Peter, had the inspired idea of dedicating a tree to him at his local Woodland Trust. It’s a field maple, which should be hardy and able to cope with the worst the weather can throw at it. But it’s been a particularly long and bitterly cold winter, and young saplings can […]
