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.
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......
Hopefully I'm here before SS-R for this post!
ReplyDeleteBe back in a jiffy!
Well Done K! A point to you!!
DeleteIt was lovely to see the photos of your family. What pretty girls you have!
Thanks Ronnie, of course I showed the one's when we were all much younger :)
DeleteMy mother never raised no fool ! :)
Great when one thing leads to another! So beautiful wallpapering is now on the agenda!
ReplyDeleteOld family photos are always a treat to view and reminisce. I come from a family of five, though we are three boys and twomgirls.(Was particularly taken with the one of your three daughters standing on Minehead sea wall as Minehead was where I was born during the war years when my mother went there to stay with a friend whilst father was serving in the Army.)
Love the idea of a walled garden, hopefully like The Secret Garden. Have you decided as to which garden 'room' you are planning to have it in yet? (My small back garden is more like a poor relation to that in that it is fully enclosed though with cheap 6ft 'Waney overlap' wooden fencing!!! Sad times!)
I have a lot of 'homeless' items stuffed out of sight wherever there's a cupboard, wardrobe or cabinet with doors with space.
Yes Kendal I am hoping the lovely wallpaper will finally be on the walls by Christmas, if it happen's I will post a photo here in celebration!!!
DeleteMy walled Garden may take a lot longer!I may have to start collecting bricks!!That's the problem when you have so many idea's all fighting for attention. :)
What a coincidence that you were born in Minehead! We have had lots of holidays around there as a family.
Sound's like there is a lot of 'homelessness' around all over the country :)
This was a joy to read, Dee. Thanks.
ReplyDeleteLast week, me and DH visiting this:
http://www.thueringer-freilichtmuseum-hohenfelden.de/index.php
Funny; you are the eldest of five - like me :)
Unfortunately I'm the ELDEST of five too.
DeleteI bet you both LOVED the POWER! :)
DeleteThanks :)
ReplyDeleteThank you for link to place you and your DH visited looks very interesting.
I am second oldest, my sister Jacqueline is 1 year older than me but I am taller than her :)and always acted like I was in charge :))
'....and always acted like I was in charge :)'
DeleteWell we can all believe that if these blog posts are anything to go by! Another Hattie in disguise me thinks.
What can I say..I should have been first!! Lol No I did not need to be far too bossy as it was ...:)
DeleteOh sorry Dee, I missunderstand
ReplyDeleteand Kendal, hej - that's nice:)
OK, beeing the eldest, I AM the power *fg
But - I left most of the work with the younger sisters and brothers to my next sister. She just LOVES to care. Since years we meet every year for a weekend, only we five - and I can say: nearly nothing have changed since then :)
What I saw over the years: the first and the second child in most cases are totally different.
Another well known fact that the THIRD child born is usually the heaviest at birth. (True in our family.)
DeleteMy eldest brother and I are quite alike with regards to our family's looks and build.
Luckily all five of us live within 20 kilometres or each other so we get to meet on a regular basis.
I found life quite a battle being the eldest as was expected to help 'mind' and entertain the younger kids.....plus all family type decisions like, when first allowed a boyfriend, how late one could stay out in the evenings, pocket money allowances, getting up and bed times, attending church services, at what age to be given the use of a car, when one could stop having to go on holiday with parents and family, were first made.....the four children following me just sailed through on these previously made decisions with no hassel.
Can't say that I had much power over them either as my eldest brother became much stronger than I and would forcefully grip and twist my arm behind my back until I did as he wanted me to!!!!
That's interesting but in my case both my eldest and youngest girl's weighted exactly the same 9lb 10oz, yes both big. eldest a week late youngest a week early due to both being C sections but was in labour when went into hospital with youngest for planned c section.
DeleteI don't think there was much of my sister having to suffer facing down the rule's for me as we are only 13 month's apart in age, although she may see it differently! I was the first to marry and have a child , my eldest sister only had one child who is younger than all three of mine.
Would you like me to thump your brother for twisting your arm up your back when he was young and not knowing his place? :)
we woman never forget.. :)
No problem.
ReplyDeleteIt is good that you all meet once a year and are still those same children :)
For me, I still see my two youngest sisters but my eldest lives in Scotland and my brother in Australia.
I agree that the eldest and the second are totally different, I see this in my own two :)
Loved seeing the family photos Dee, I love to look at old photos of when we or the kids were small. I will have to post some photos from when Brendan was small...of course I only have the one child, wanted four boys but it just never happened!!! Now I await grandkids instead....but I'll probably be too old to enjoy them at this rate! And I'm also the eldest in my family but with just one younger brother. He used to drive me NUTS! I've never forgiven him for pulling the leg off my one and only, treasured, Barbie.
ReplyDeleteI have been to Minehead once, what a nice place, the beach being so wide and flat!
As for returning from holidays with lots of ideas, yes, that's me too! I always had something in mind to perhaps make a start on when we got home, but it didn't always happen!!
I'm glad to hear that you had a great time though, and hope you do get your wallpapering done by Christmas!!!
I love looking at old photo's to! That's problem if you come across a box while tidying you can kiss good bye to an hour or more while you look through and remember ! :)
ReplyDeleteI always wanted four children ! But had to have C sections for all mine and could not face having a fourth one, so stopped at three....Now I to am awaiting a few grandchildren to enjoy.
I had just the one brother which was more than enough , he smashed and destroyed many a Doll and my silver cross twin pram ! and I can still remember my youngest sister's scream when he hung her teddy from the landing !!!
See what is it about holiday's that inspire us to what to do or improve !!
Wallpaper by Christmas ..there's a beautiful thought..... :)