Sunday, March 15, 2009
Busy buying and a walk round Sheffield Park gardens
We took no photographs today - we were just too busy with other things.
But there is a selection of pictures taken at Sheffield Park Gardens yesterday to be seen after the daily news.
It has been a glorious day - the sun shone and we felt warm.
We were at Fontwell before half past seven. It was a big car boot sale and for this week it was in a field.
There was horse racing at Fontwell today and things have to be different and the sale has to start to clear up at 11 o'clock.
It felt like summer as we strolled round on the grass and with the early morning sun gradually becoming really warm.
I bought a number of interesting things. And we bought some plants.
We also bought a comfortable canvas chair (an Ikea chair) to be used in the garden during the summer. It was just £4.
We drove to Bognor rather later than we imagined - just because there was so much to look at on the field at Fontwell.
Our favourite haunt for breakfast was not open. We could see it was closed and a notice was on the door - as we drove by we could make out the word "Apologies". We presume it wasn't a permanent closure.
So we had breakfast in the Bognor Wetherspoons - beneath a feature about George V and Queen Mary in the town as he recuperated after his bad illness. I mentioned this during the week as I described a book about it for EBay.
Breakfast was filling and of course cheaper than anywhere else.
We drove straight to Chichester - no time for a walk on the beach.
We had not been parked for long when the hooter went and stalls were set up and we began to eye up what was for sale.
We hit one stall just right - a young woman was putting out her wares - interesting china and ornaments and it was all at very good prices.
I am specially pleased with a vase by CH Branham - a much collected 1920s / 30s potter. One in the same pattern as mine, but smaller is on EBay for £59 - though nobody has bought it yet. I paid just £1 for mine.
We were well loaded up - especially after Bill bought another mantle clock with a rich Westminster chime. We needed a trip back to the car.
We were away by half past one - home to a cup of tea and a sit down and to deal with 2 EBay sales. I still have to respond to the payments which have just come in - better get up early in the morning.
Then I sat and wrote up all the purchases.
They are still strewn all round the kitchen. Some will be taken to the shop tomorrow.
The rugby was on as I worked. Amazing - England (who have been such duffers) beat France.
Dinner was simple - jacket potatoes and ham.
I must finish this blog, make a drink and get to bed. We are very weary in body - though the soul feels bright.
Now back to yesterday........
We ate tasty soup in what might once have been the orangery of a country house.
I am not sure what building work was felt needed to change it - but whatever they did, how foolish to build stone work across a beautiful stained glass window to cover the top of the arching
Rhododendrons were opening up to create their spectacular displays of colour.
Creatures by the lake?
These cowslips were for sale .
But there is a selection of pictures taken at Sheffield Park Gardens yesterday to be seen after the daily news.
It has been a glorious day - the sun shone and we felt warm.
We were at Fontwell before half past seven. It was a big car boot sale and for this week it was in a field.
There was horse racing at Fontwell today and things have to be different and the sale has to start to clear up at 11 o'clock.
It felt like summer as we strolled round on the grass and with the early morning sun gradually becoming really warm.
I bought a number of interesting things. And we bought some plants.
We also bought a comfortable canvas chair (an Ikea chair) to be used in the garden during the summer. It was just £4.
We drove to Bognor rather later than we imagined - just because there was so much to look at on the field at Fontwell.
Our favourite haunt for breakfast was not open. We could see it was closed and a notice was on the door - as we drove by we could make out the word "Apologies". We presume it wasn't a permanent closure.
So we had breakfast in the Bognor Wetherspoons - beneath a feature about George V and Queen Mary in the town as he recuperated after his bad illness. I mentioned this during the week as I described a book about it for EBay.
Breakfast was filling and of course cheaper than anywhere else.
We drove straight to Chichester - no time for a walk on the beach.
We had not been parked for long when the hooter went and stalls were set up and we began to eye up what was for sale.
We hit one stall just right - a young woman was putting out her wares - interesting china and ornaments and it was all at very good prices.
I am specially pleased with a vase by CH Branham - a much collected 1920s / 30s potter. One in the same pattern as mine, but smaller is on EBay for £59 - though nobody has bought it yet. I paid just £1 for mine.
We were well loaded up - especially after Bill bought another mantle clock with a rich Westminster chime. We needed a trip back to the car.
We were away by half past one - home to a cup of tea and a sit down and to deal with 2 EBay sales. I still have to respond to the payments which have just come in - better get up early in the morning.
Then I sat and wrote up all the purchases.
They are still strewn all round the kitchen. Some will be taken to the shop tomorrow.
The rugby was on as I worked. Amazing - England (who have been such duffers) beat France.
Dinner was simple - jacket potatoes and ham.
I must finish this blog, make a drink and get to bed. We are very weary in body - though the soul feels bright.
Now back to yesterday........
We ate tasty soup in what might once have been the orangery of a country house.
I am not sure what building work was felt needed to change it - but whatever they did, how foolish to build stone work across a beautiful stained glass window to cover the top of the arching
And so into the gardens. The lakes and rolling landscape were sculpted by the famous landscape gardener Capability Brown. The work continues and my friend MGoo has a cousin who is now head gardener.
We had been to Sheffield Park before - many years ago. We took Bill's mother out with us and our 2 tiny young sons one afternoon 36 years ago.
The first lake was surrounded by trees and these created the most wonderful reflections.
My beloved pine trees shimmered as reflections in the deep water.
The lakes seemed to tumble down the hillside.
This is the second one down the series.
It drops down from the top lake with views of the grand house in the distance.
It drops down from the top lake with views of the grand house in the distance.
The variety of shapes and colours of the trees was superb. I would gasp with pleasure at every turn.
Bill got me to pose for the obligatory snap shot by the pampas grass growing at the lakeside.
There were many daffodils in bloom of course.
Rhododendrons were opening up to create their spectacular displays of colour.
But gardens are not all about colour and I liked the muted tones of the stripes up the trunks of the very recently planted avenue of palm trees.
This Californian redwood was huge. The base looks as though it would like to grow and compete with the one in California that you can drive a car through!
Creatures by the lake?
In our imaginations we could see these gnarled tree roots as groups of small animals looking out over the water.
These cowslips were for sale .
I wanted some of them - but they were £6 each. I am glad now that I waited because today we bought 5 cowslip plants for 80p each at Fontwell.
And so another full and interesting weekend draws to a close.
Tomorrow we will be at the shop.
I really must rest on Tuesday because we are off to wales on Wednesday - for another very full and interesting long weekend.
Goodnight.
