Category Archives: England

Carisbrooke Castle

Posted on June 5, 2019 by

“It is my earnest hope and desire that with the help and co-operation of others, I may be able to form a full collection of objects of historical interest connected with the Island.” ~ Princes Beatrice of Battenburg When I … Continue reading →

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A Few of My Favourite Things

Posted on May 27, 2019 by

It sometimes happens that the town child is more alive to the fresh beauty of the country than a child who is country born. ~ Beatrix Potter I first came across Hannah Dale’s designs in a National Trust shop and … Continue reading →

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Wight Wines

Posted on May 5, 2019 by

The first time we visited Adgestone Vineyard, it was mid-winter. The air was still. The vines were sleeping. The car park was empty. As we got out of our car, we were greeted with fervent enthusiasm by two incredibly fluffy … Continue reading →

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A Bird’s Eye View

Posted on April 26, 2019 by

And I dream I’m an eagle And I dream I can spread my wings Flying high, high, I’m a bird in the sky I’m an eagle that rides on the breeze. High, high, what a feeling to fly Over mountains … Continue reading →

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Contemplating Island Life

Posted on April 17, 2019 by

“Nights and days came and passed, and summer and winter and the rain. And it was good to be a little Island. A part of the world, and a world of its own, all surrounded by the bright blue sea.” ~ Margaret Wise Brown, The Little … Continue reading →

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A Mermaid, a Chambermaid and a Princess

Posted on February 23, 2019 by

St Helen’s is an attractive English village that boasts rich tales of royalty and smugglers. It is centred on a long, broad green that sits high above St Helen’s Duver, on the eastern end of the Isle of Wight. A … Continue reading →

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On the Duver

Posted on January 28, 2019 by

The invisible, invincible, bullying wind tears round the masts of pint-sized sailing boats and whistles through the wires. It buffets the screeching seagulls, tossing them through the sky like drunken dodgem cars. Moorhens bob between the boats, paddling with grim … Continue reading →

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“‘Tis the Season to be Jolly”

Posted on December 13, 2018 by

Trelissick House is a three-hundred acre country estate just outside Truro in Cornwall. Built in the 18th century by the Lawrance family, has had a chequered history, having been bought and sold several times over the intervening centuries.  Today it … Continue reading →

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A Blustery Day

Posted on December 5, 2018 by

‘I knew when I met you an adventure was going to happen’ ~ A.A. Milne  Woken by the foghorns on Falmouth Harbour early this morning, we faced a grey and gloomy day, warm for November, but with mizzling skies. The … Continue reading →

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Remembering the Armistice

Posted on November 29, 2018 by

“They do not know that in this shadowed place It is your light they see upon my face” ~ Mary Borden There was no forward planning whatsoever, but by pure fluke we ended up in the UK for the centenary … Continue reading →

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