Cats in the Kitchen, Flora in the Garden

I think I will follow on and post some more photographs of my area and tell you about them. I thought about posting today about the other magical place I promised, but I think I will tease you a bit longer and show it and tell its tale next week. Too many magical places all at once is like living on chocolate and chocolate cake for a few days, something you think might be wonderful to do but too rich a diet in reality. For now these local photographs will have to suffice. This is all making me feel like a mischevious fairy.

If you remember a few posts back, last month, I showed you the calendar house with its many chimnies and windows, well on the other side of the river. almost across from that house is this large house or hall. This like the calendar house is no longer one family's home but has been split up into units, apartments and holiday cottages. The family that owned the hall were involved in the 1745 Jacobite Rebellion, and when Bonnie Prince Charlie marched into England from Scotland, they had him to stay in the Hall whilst his troops camped just past the edge of our village.



This photograph is of a church which is on the same side of the river as the previous photograph, although this is at the top of a hill. Parts of this church, are very old and date back to the 12th century. It is the apse which is very old, that is the rounded wall at the furtherest right hand side of the photo. It must be the oldest structure near our village.



This is actually the lodge and the entrance to the calendar house. The lodge occupants keep a large number of fine hens which roam around their garden and sometimes escape onto the road, also they own geese and ducks, and they sell the eggs. You just knock on the door if you want to buy some.

Since I began my Local History Group I am constantly amazed at what my research is turning up about my village and its surrounding area. I am pleased to say, fingers crossed, that my group seems to be taking off now, I was thrilled to see that after two unofficial taster meetings and one official meeting my membership has swelled to nine, after having only one person at my first meeting and feeling that no one could be interested. It is so exciting discovering things that have happened in the village, and the reasons why certain buildings are where they are, and what they were originally used for.



I just had to show you this photograph, it is not my village but one of the vilages next to me. This is the entrance to the village church and churchyard. Isn't that gateway, so romantic and oldeworldy? That kind of gate is called a lynch gate, and I can just imagine characters out of books such as 'Pride and Prejudice' leaving the church after a service on a sunday and either strolling to their houses in the village or awaiting their carriages. I sometimes think I could have been quiet happy if I had been born in that era. Gorgeous clothes to wear, delightful dances to go to at the assembly rooms in the nearest town, and my town actually did have an assembly room. I could spend my days, visiting friends, leaving my card first, naturally, or I could play the piano or trill a few songs, sit with my needlework or reading matter, or even try out my art by painting a pretty picture. With a modest income and maybe a servant, [ because remember the downside is no washing machines or running hot water] as I do not care to rush around with ewers of water to fill a bath in my chamber every time I required one. I would call my husband Mr. Lupin and he would call me Mrs. Lupin. I must stop now I could muse on this daydream for ages. Well my dears, I think I need to take a stroll round my garden, would you care to accompany me? Don't forget your parasol.