I do not know if you are the same but when I go away on holiday I always come back with idea’s of things to do or change or just get on with!
We, Paul and I , have been members of the National Trust for years. We love all things historical, buildings, paintings, costume’s and history itself.
So we always go to any National Trust houses or Garden’s in the area that we visit and will often chose an area for the NT houses around that location.
This time we had a wealth of houses to chose from and were able to visit the following Berrington Hall, Attingham Park , Dudmaston Estate and Croft Castle.The first two were typical NT houses with the curtains drawn to save the fabric’s from damage , at Attingham they had laid the dinning room out for a dinner in the late 18th century complete with candle light! I can inform you all now that Mr Darcy had no chance of seeing Elizabeth Bennett down the length of that table!!
However the second set of two houses had been transformed by their owners in the 1960’s (Dudmaston) and the 1930’s ( Croft) and to this end, they were much brighter with blinds only half drawn and bright light wallpapers and paints.
Dudmaston’s Lady had painted a lot of the walls in her favourite colour of White Pointing, so all was easy to enjoy , at Croft their colours were of the thirties, so deep pale green, blue etc and we were invited to sit in the lovely drawing room on the big comfy sofa’s with the sun filling the room with warmth and light.
Then to the walled Garden’s , some full of veg…..boring… but others full of flowers and fruit. In croft castle the walled garden was enormous , so big it had a cottage built into the wall at the back..See photo…
also an orchard with chicken’s, a pond with seating area and many other delights.Of course it was also full of colour with large border’s of flower’s.
From this walled garden we walked along with me saying to the DH, that a walled garden would be lovely and then explaining just where said wall’s could go! He did ask if I had a acquired a brick yard that I had forgotten to mention!!but for a while we planned it’s site and style…..
The same can be said for the fact that today the DH vanished up to the bedroom and started clearing out his unwanted clothes and complaining of all the things that seem to get left about due to not having a ‘home’!
This come’s from walking through these lovely houses which their beautiful wallpaper and bedding.We have some beautiful wallpaper…we have had it since we moved in….that would be eight…yes eight years now ..still in it’s box waiting to go on the wall….no I have not changed my mind and cannot wait to see it finally up..hopefully by Christmas…..I did say hopefully…
It’s also where I found ( had to go and save thing’s from his clutches) these photo’s I will share below.
This is a photo of me, tallest at the back in red with my three sisters and brother on holiday in Cornwall at Tintagel Castle, Michelle is holding the Monkey and the Parrot sits on my brother’s shoulder. The tiny tot at the front is my youngest sister Susan.
My three girl’s Lauren aged 6, Lindsey aged 4 and Courtney aged 1.Taken on the seawall at Minehead, Somerset.
I will point out that the heights have totally reversed with Lauren now the smallest at 5ft 3 and Courtney at 5ft 10 and Lindsey around 5ft 7
Here is another photo of the girl’s along with their cousin Emma on the far right, on holiday in Trentishoe in North Devon.
At least these photo’s are now out on the side instead of in a bag amongst all the other thing’s that are homeless….
Now I must go, I need to pace out the garden for that lovely brick wall I’d like…hey we can all dream……
zz
sashavillage 