Tag Archives: National Trust

A Walled Garden and a Copper Pig

I have been waxing lyrical about the National Trust for the past few months, as we made plans to travel through the UK. The National Trust – in case you haven’t heard me mention it before – is a charity … Continue reading

Posted in England, History, Travel | Tagged , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on A Walled Garden and a Copper Pig

A Final Glimpse of Tasmania, Past, Present and Bucolic

‘Scrimshaw.’ My favourite new word for the week. What is scrimshaw? A character from Harry Potter perhaps? No, not quite. That was Rufus Scrimgeour, I believe. Scrimshaw is, in fact, the art of engraving images on objects made from whale … Continue reading

Posted in Australia, Food & Wine, History, Local Culture | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on A Final Glimpse of Tasmania, Past, Present and Bucolic

Of sheep and seaside daisies…

The first sign that the town had a connection with Scotland was its name: Glencoe. The second sign: a redheaded ‘Weasley’ walking down the main road… Glencoe is a small country town in south-eastern South Australia, to the north-west of … Continue reading

Posted in Australia, History, Local Culture, Travel | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on Of sheep and seaside daisies…

Victoriana

I love, love, love Victorian kitchens – and I don’t mean the state of Victoria, so troubled with Covid restrictions, but Queen Victoria and the era of huge basement kitchens, à la Downtown Abbey. Deep within the British stately home … Continue reading

Posted in Australia, History | Tagged , , , , , | Comments Off on Victoriana

Windmills

Patience. The windmill never strays in search of the wind.’ Andy J. Sklivis It’s been the perfect weather for ice-cream this past couple of weeks. The summer days have been long and gloriously warm. On our hill, 35 metres above … Continue reading

Posted in England, History | Tagged , | Comments Off on Windmills

Glorious Gardens

Spring is rolling into summer, and although the weather may not be participating, the fields and hedgerows are lush and green – even more so, perhaps, thanks to days of heavy rain. It wasn’t exactly what we were expecting though, … Continue reading

Posted in England, History, Lifestyle, Local Culture | Tagged , , , , | Comments Off on Glorious Gardens

A Few of My Favourite Things

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

Posted in England, Lifestyle, Local Culture | Tagged , , | Comments Off on A Few of My Favourite Things

Contemplating Island Life

“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

Posted in England, Food & Wine, Local Culture | Tagged , , , , | Comments Off on Contemplating Island Life

A Mermaid, a Chambermaid and a Princess

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

Posted in England, Food & Wine | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 3 Comments

“‘Tis the Season to be Jolly”

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

Posted in England, History, Travel | Tagged , , , , , , | Comments Off on “‘Tis the Season to be Jolly”